- Date of Release: 08 June 2026
- Genre: Drama
- Language: Dutch
- Watch On: Tribeca Film Festival'26
Stand Up
Introduction
The new film Stand Up immediately portrays the contrasting life of the protagonist Vena (Lucia Zemene), within the first few reels of the drama. In an early scene, you see her being cheery in a nightclub, while having no real qualms to hookup with a guy. But what immediately follows is a heartbreaking tragedy – an accident that would change her life. And yet, the drama wishes to plead on whether the accident that Vena undergoes is for her better or worse. In a scene later on in the narrative, you see Vena questioning her fate about how the accident may have been caused to make her a better person – a philosophical outlook that is shot down by the other character. The subtext remains on the identity of the protagonist before and after her accident that saw her leg being amputated. It is a very intimate and specific outlook to a character whose life has changed within minutes – and while it would ideally attract the argument of how unpredictable life might be, it also is quick to isolate the argument by focusing on the sinking psyche of the protagonist along with the uncertainty that she has to face, going forward.
Story & Screenplay
Written by Mari Sanders, the metaphor of the title Stand Up is a two-fold perspective based on its characters. It remains a satire for Vena who is literally on crutches, while posing as an aspiring dream for her fellow acquaintance at the hospital – Xander (Daan Burunga), a wheelchair bound individual too, who wishes to try his hand at standup comedy. In a scene, he jokes on how he would reinvent a new form of ‘sitdown’ comedy, something that establishes his carefree characteristic, despite the tragedy occured in his life.
In a way, both Vena and Xander remain polar opposites to each other – a term ideally used for lovers, and while there would go onto be romantic undertones later on, the core differentiator remains their individual attitudes towards life. There is an immediate pessimistic outlook to Vena, often dragging herself out of bed while silently hoping for her nightmare to miraculously end. She misses levels of intimacy, while also being slightly difficult to handle for her physiotherapist Jonathan (Kendrick Etmon), while grumbling her way in life. She remains insecure of her equation with her bestie, often frowning at the idea of her moving on with a guy given that her apartment was empty. Life isn’t fair for Vena, even as she finds it increasingly tough to cope with her new life.
On the other hand, Xander stands for hope – almost wearing his disability as a medal, while leading a life of content. After a rocky start, he warms up to Vena – often taking her on movie dates and icrecream dates, while even standing up for her during her particularly interaction with her ex. In that sense, he has a very positive outlook to life – despite his own set of vulnerabilities that he is dealing with. His hack remains on how he doesn’t treat his disability as a bane, while successfully flaunting his wheelchair as a freeflowing medium of life.
There remains a subtext of empathy, given how most folks choose to view Vena, something that keeps reminding her about her disability. And in many ways, this remains a satire of sorts on how world perceives the disabilities of people, versus how the people with diasbilities wish to be viewed as. And hence, you see some changes in behavior with regards to Vena. Be it a tryst with the doctor who warns her of a complex surgery, or even the sympathy provided by her friends and family as opposed to behaving normally. This in turn, results in a bout of bitterness with Jonathan who is always trying to help her stand or swim, even as she consistently accounts for her vulnerability.
But in Xander, she witnesses solace and a synergy of effervescence – much like her past self that in a way is a major contributing factor in her coming-of-age tale. In that sense, the final act is deliberately messy but also hopeful – while resulting in a series of misunderstandings and patch-ups, some of them being heartfelt and emotional, even as the protagonist reconnects with her new-found identity that defines her (and makes her who she is), and acceptance kicking in. It is tender, poignant and upbeat – all in the same breath, in a superb coming-of-age tale.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational, while accounting for the contrasting themes of the drama with respect to the identity of the protagonist. The BGM almost creates an ambience of white noise with respect to the folks and surroundings that poses a challenge for the protagonist, and thereby making an impact. The cinematography ably tackles the contrasting themes with the duality of the settings in play. So the frames involving the hospital are grim and dark, often being an extension of the decaying psyche of the protagonist. This, even as the frames depicting the beautiful outdoor paint a contrasting and upbeat picture for the protagonist. What that does is also curate a contrasting inference with respect to the psyche of the protagonist, even while allowing you space to invest emotionally in her journey.
The editing pattern is crisp but non-hurried while fixating its vision on the protagonist, in what is largely a character-driven plot. As a result, the contrasting emotions are ably accounted for, while successfully being transferred from one scene to another. Director Mari Sanders does a swell job in laying his focus on his protagonist, while keeping his character’s emotional core in check particularly post her disability (yes, he understands this world really well, taking a leaf from his own life). He wishes to treat this as a coming-of-age tale in many ways, while painting a contrasting picture with regards to the perceptions of the society in accordance with the disabled personnel. And therein lies the commentary, something that he taps into while forming an arc of acceptance and independence for his protagonist. The direction remains superb here, while being extremely sensitive and graceful with the original subject matter.
Performances
The performances are pretty solid by the members of the cast. The likes of Guy Clemens and Tamar van der Dop have their moments to shine. Hana Hussein and Manouk Pluis make their presence felt, while managing to do a commendable job. Particularly the former, who shares a heartfelt dynamic with the protagonist while also possessing her share of ups and downs. Kendrick Etmon as Jonathan is at once affable and sincere with his act, while being very well restrained with his emotions.
Daan Buringa as Xander is the mirror opposite of the protagonist in terms of the character traits – forming a positive outlook to life even in moments of vulnerability. It also reflects in his decision to perform a standup, given the atrocities that life has thrown to him. And he wonderfully uses his easy going vibe to convey the plight of his emotions, even in moments of flawed intimacy that threatens to shake the foundation of his dynamic with Vena. He was wonderful to witness in a job well done.
Lucia Zemene as Vena is the soul of the drama, while also forming a strong emotional hinge in the drama through her impeccable act. There are palpable moments of vulnerability that are beautifully conveyed through some subtle expressions and glances, while using her body language to such great effect here. There remains a pondering character arc on offer, amd she beautifully executes with grace and upliftment, while culminating into an act that is brilliant in every measure.
Conclusion
As part of our Tribeca Film Festival coverage, Stand Up is a complex coming-of-age drama that tackles identity and disability with normalcy, delivering a brilliant watch backed by superb performances. Highly Recommended.