Hemel

Hemel

Year: 2012

Runtime: 80 mins

Language: Dutch

Director: Sacha Polak

Drama

Divided into chapters, the film first follows Hemel’s numerous sexual conquests, then shifts tone to examine her complicated bond with her father, Gijs. The dapper auctioneer has dated a string of younger women since Hemel’s mother died. When Gijs begins seeing the charming Sophie, Hemel for the first time feels her special relationship with him is threatened.

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Timeline & Setting – Hemel (2012)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Hemel (2012). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day

The events occur in contemporary times, reflecting modern dating and relationship dynamics. Characters navigate casual encounters, intense attractions, and moral boundaries in a current social context. The film uses this time frame to explore love, lust, and personal accountability.

Location

Netherlands, Sevilla (Spain), Opera house, Auction house

Hemel unfolds mainly in the Netherlands with scenes inside her home, at a dinner party, and at the auction house where her father works. The story also follows a holiday trip to Sevilla, Spain, highlighting a contrast between intimate domestic life and a more open, sunny cityscape. Public venues like an opera house provide settings for emotionally charged moments.

🎭 Drama 🌍 Netherlands 🗺️ Travel

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 20:03

Main Characters – Hemel (2012)

Meet the key characters of Hemel (2012), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Hemel (Hannah Hoekstra)

A young Dutch woman navigating a pattern of fleeting sexual encounters while seeking genuine connection. She is charismatic and explorative, yet frequently unsettled by betrayal and the fear of being exposed. Her volatile relationships reveal a longing for intimacy amid self-protective behavior.

🔥 Desire 💃 Freedom 🧭 Identity

Gijs (Hans Dagelet)

Hemel's father and a successful professional who navigates his own complicated love life. He is affectionate and blunt, willing to reveal uncomfortable truths to his daughter. His relationships and past experiences shape Hemel's views on trust and romance.

👨‍👧 Family 🗣️ Honesty 💼 Professional

Sophie (Rifka Lodeizen)

Gijs's girlfriend and a capable auctioneer observing Hemel's behavior with a keen, sometimes wary eye. She knows about Gijs's former relationships and stands as a calm, adult counterpoint to Hemel's impulsiveness. Sophie embodies a practical perspective on love and loyalty.

💼 Status 🧠 Insight 🕊️ Moderation

Douwe (Mark Rietman)

A married man who becomes Hemel's affair partner. He offers restraint and candid honesty; he admits his few previous partners and reveals that their relationship won't last. His perspective brings a pragmatic, sometimes conflicted view of desire and fidelity.

💑 Loyalty 🧭 Ambiguity 💬 Honesty

Brechtje (Barbara Sarafian)

Douwe's wife, whom Hemel encounters, representing a gentler, protective side of relationships. She provides warmth to Hemel in a moment of emotional vulnerability and helps mend tensions between women. She embodies care and the complexities of trust.

💗 Care 🏡 Domestic life 🤝 Trust

Annabelle (Elske Rotteveel)

Teun's Christian girlfriend who becomes a touchstone for Hemel's critique of restraint and marriage. She embodies traditional values that Hemel challenges with her own appetite for desire. Her presence highlights the contrasts between faith, sex, and commitment.

🙏 Faith 🕊️ Repression 💬 Conversation

Teun (Maarten Heijmans)

Hemel's ex-stepbrother who hosts a birthday gathering, illustrating a family-like circle with complicated ties. He represents a bridge between Hemel and more conventional social expectations. His interactions reveal the messy boundaries within chosen families.

🎉 Family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Social circles 🧭 Boundaries

Jimmy (Ali Ben Horsting)

A stranger Hemel brings home who turns violent, exemplifying the dangers that can accompany casual sex. The assault becomes a pivot point that intensifies Hemel's emotional journey and the film's exploration of consent and power.

👤 Stranger ⚠️ Violence 🌀 Danger

Emma (Eva Duijvestein)

Gijs's ex-girlfriend who appears in conversations at the party, representing an external perspective on Hemel's family dynamics. She embodies past relationships that influence present decisions and tensions.

💬 Past relationships 🧩 Influence 🕊️ Ambiguity

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 20:03

Major Themes – Hemel (2012)

Explore the central themes of Hemel (2012), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔥 Desire

Hemel's world centers on pursuing sexual experiences while seeking genuine connection. The story juxtaposes raw physicality with moments of vulnerability, culminating in a violent assault that forces difficult reflections on power and consent. Desire drives secrecy, pursuit, and the difficulty of intimate honesty.

👪 Family ties

Hemel's relationship with her father, Gijs, blends affection with tension over romantic partners and hidden histories. The dynamic includes candid talk about love and past traumas, as well as moments of tenderness between women. The family bond here is both a source of support and a catalyst for conflict.

🧭 Identity

Hemel questions what it means to love and be loved, valuing truth and self-understanding over mere romance. The characters test boundaries between desire and commitment, and between protection and exposure. The narrative invites reflection on authenticity, agency, and the costs of living truthfully.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 20:03

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about complex father-daughter relationships like Hemel

Stories exploring the intense, messy, and psychologically intricate ties between fathers and daughters.If you were captivated by the intricate and intense bond between Hemel and Gijs, explore these films. This thread gathers movies like Hemel that focus on psychologically complex, raw, and emotionally heavy portrayals of father-daughter dynamics, often touching on themes of loss and codependency.

rawintimateunsettlingmelancholicvulnerablepsychologically complextense

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread often center on a daughter's coming-of-age or personal crisis, which is intrinsically linked to her relationship with a charismatic, flawed, or emotionally absent father. The central conflict arises from this complicated bond, forcing characters to confront grief, identity, and the legacy of their family.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their unflinching focus on the psychological complexity of father-daughter relationships. They share a raw, intimate mood, heavy emotional weight, and a character-driven approach that prioritizes emotional truth over simple resolutions.

Movies about sexual exploration and trauma like Hemel

Character studies where exploration of sexuality collides with profound personal violation.For viewers who appreciated Hemel's raw depiction of a woman's sexual journey and its intersection with trauma. This collection features similar movies like Hemel that explore themes of sexual liberation, emotional complexity, and the aftermath of profound violation with a dark, intense tone.

rawunsettlingtensevulnerablerestlessmelancholicemotionally heavy

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist actively engaging in casual or numerous sexual encounters, often as a coping mechanism or search for meaning. This pattern is irrevocably shattered by an act of trauma (such as assault), leading to a dramatic shift in tone and a deep exploration of the psychological aftermath, grief, and existential crisis.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their unflinching focus on the intersection of sexuality and trauma. They share a raw, unsettling mood, high emotional intensity, dark tone, and a narrative arc that explores the complicated motivations behind sexual behavior and the devastating impact of violation.

Unlock the Full Story of Hemel

Don't stop at just watching — explore Hemel in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Hemel is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Hemel Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Hemel, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Hemel Summary

Hemel Timeline

Track the full timeline of Hemel with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Hemel Timeline

Hemel Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Hemel that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Hemel Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Hemel

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Hemel: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Hemel