De UFO’s van Soesterberg is directed by Bram Roza and just like the title says, it’s about the night of February 3, 1979. In the air above Soesterberg Air Base in the Netherlands, a giant black UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) hovered overhead and was seen by twelve people. All of them were military officers and their stories were all the same.

Roza runs UFO Meldpunt Nederland, a site that tracks UAP sightings in the Netherlands. Yet he never allows this film to turn into the breathless kind of narrative of a show like Ancient Aliens. Everyone from witness to critic is given plenty of time to share their story. It’s all illustrated with gorgeous artwork and it just feels well beyond what I’ve come to expect from paranormal documentaries. This also has a wonderful score by Mike Redman.

The director also made the movie Xingadix Lives! which is about De Johnsons, a 1992 Dutch horror film thriller directed by Rudolf van den Berg.

So many of these witnesses have been embarrassed and afraid to appear in interviews. I’m so pleased that this film so effortlessly and perfectly tells their stories. Even if you’re not into UFO stories, you may find something to enjoy in this.

You can watch this and so many of the films at CFF by buying a pass on their website. I’ll be posting reviews and articles over the next few days, as well as updating my Letterboxd list of watches.