«Outside» by Frank van Bergen

In the short film Outside, the director Frank van Bergen transports us to a world that is unmistakably dystopian yet eerily similar to the one we already inhabit. The city’s silence reflects the solitude of the protagonist, The Outsider. Played by Matthijs de Koning, he wanders through the ruins of a reality that no longer exists, searching for resources, safety, and, above all, a sense of purpose in a world that seems to have forgotten him.

Immersed in a hostile environment, the protagonist finds a temporary refuge in his makeshift home, built from the carcass of a bus and adorned with objects salvaged along his journey. In this fragile yet profoundly human space, he creates moments of beauty and meaning—his only salvation against the looming threat of solitude. The narrative of Outside unfolds with an evocative and introspective approach, drawing the audience into the journey of a man who strives to survive without losing his ability to love. The urban setting of Rotterdam, stripped of its humanity, becomes both haunting and mesmerizing, where empty streets and abandoned glass buildings heighten the sense of isolation and abandonment.

The film captivates with its visual aesthetic and use of sound, reinforcing the disorienting feeling of human existence—its material and emotional needs—lost in a hostile world. It delivers an intimate experience, compelling the audience to reflect on the realities of everyday life.

The winner of many awards and recognitions, Outside is not just a survival story but also a powerful cautionary tale about the human condition. The protagonist’s struggle to adapt to his new reality intertwines with the broader theme of marginalization, reminding us that loneliness and despair exist daily in our cities, invisible to those who choose not to see.

The protagonist of Outside, caught between being a survivor of a post-apocalyptic world and one of the many invisible figures dwelling on the fringes of society, embodies a universal presence. His solitary existence forces us to look closer at the lives of those who pass by us every day, unnoticed in the indifference of urban life, reminding us that humanity, even in its most desperate moments, always fights to find meaning and a place to belong.