Hiba Ghafry, Matsen Montsma, Kees Prins, Jelka van Houten
“This is Oink. Oink is the best birthday present I’ve ever had in my life.”
Nine-year-old Babs dreams of a pet of her own and is delighted when her grandfather gives her a piglet. She convinces her parents to let her keep the newly named Oink, and despite some truly chaotic toilet training, the pink whirlwind manages to charm everyone. But as it turns out, Babs’ grandfather’s gift may not have been entirely innocent. He has a secret, and it involves sausages.
Directed by Mascha Halberstad, the whimsical, irresistible Oink is the Netherlands’ first stop-motion animation (but not the last – Halberstad co-founded new animation studio Holy Motions with her producer Marlene Slot during the filmmaking process). Based on the Roald Dahl-esque children’s book Oink’s Revenge by Tosca Menten, it was selected to open the Berlinale’s Generation Kplus strand in 2022 and won the Golden Calf for Best Film at the Netherlands Film Festival. A comedic romp, superbly crafted, it sees three generations collide in a story that moves nimbly between light and dark and touches on animal welfare, the meat industry, and family bonds.
