Ruben, director and lead cameraman worked from September 2011 until September 2013 on one of the biggest Dutch nature film ever made; De Nieuwe Wildernis (New Wilderness). In one of the world’s most densely populated countries, a nature reserve has emerged and is now internationally loved and known: the Oostvaardersplassen. A large wetland with reed plains, rugged grasslands, puddles, surrounded by forests: a true bird paradise of international value. These are the Oostvaardersplassen, part of the Nieuw Land National Park.

More than 50 years ago, nature in southern Flevoland created this vast swamp area. Geese, spoonbills and cormorants quickly found the Oostvaardersplassen, as did deer, foxes, hares, bats and butterflies. And since 2006 even the white-tailed eagle has been breeding there.

In this bird-rich wetland, people and nature work together in a very special way. You will encounter heck cattle, Konik horses and red deer along the way. They keep the grasslands open naturally with their grass. And they in turn also demand care and management.

Here nature determines the rhythm. For two years, several film-teams followed the foxes, geese, kingfishers, deer and the largest herd of wild horses in Europe. The result is a film like it has never been made in the Netherlands before. The film received the highest prices for Dutch films: De Rembrandtprijs and De Gouden Kalf.