EXCLUSIVE: Dutch star Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen will headline The Art of Survival. Bakhuyzen’s recent credits include Netflix drama The Perfect Lie and MGM+’s Billy the Kid. In Bart Schrijver’s survival thriller, he will star as Daniel, a man taking part in a survival game show gone wrong.
Embarking on a 50-day challenge in the Arctic wilderness for the chance to win €500,000 ($561,000), Daniel finds himself genuinely stranded when his shelter burns down and no rescue team arrives. With the Arctic winter drawing in, he has to battle the elements and the effects of isolation.
The film hails from Amsterdam-based Tuesday Studio, which previously made The North. It will introduce The Art of Survival to buyers at AFM, with Tuesday Studio co-founder Arnold Janssen leading international sales.
Distribution deals are already inked with Dutch FilmWorks for Benelux and Gutek Film for Poland.
“What interested me about The Art of Survival is that, beneath the physical challenge of surviving in the wilderness, it becomes a story about what happens when you’re left alone with yourself,” said director and Tuesday Studio co-founder Schrijver.
“We’re looking forward to exploring the character of Daniel with the incredibly talented Matthijs and to have Dutch FilmWorks and Gutek Film onboard to bring this story to international audiences.”
Willem Pruijssers, CSO/Founder at Dutch FilmWorks, said: “We’re very happy to be distributing Art of Survival in the Benelux. With their previous films Human Nature and The North, Tuesday Studio has proven that they are not only innovative filmmakers, but also capable of producing films that resonate with international arthouse audiences.”
Jakub Duszynski, Head of Acquisitions of Gutek Film added: “We were very happy with the box office results for The North in Poland, which is why we pre-bought The Art of Survival. We’re looking forward to bringing Tuesday Studio’s next film to Polish cinemas.”
