Iedereen is van de Wereld: a touching story held down by the weight of reality

Prior to the screening, I briefly spoke to an older woman who told me she worked for a cancer organisation. She warned me I was going to be emotionally moved by the film and this certainly set the tone for my viewing. Directed by Mark de Cloe and inspired by true events, Iedereen is van de Wereld follows dynamic duo Arianne (Sophie Linder) and Zahra (Maryam Akbari) who each face their own tough battles. 

In 2004, NOS Jeugdjournaal reported the tragic story of two teenage best friends. One of them was dying of cancer, while the other, a refugee from Afghanistan, was set to be deported by the Dutch government after her home country was declared safe again. For the both of them, life seemed to stand still. With the looming dread of fate hanging above their heads, Neither could fully enjoy a regular highschool experience. The report  sent shockwaves through the nation – ‘how could they send her back?,’ was the question that echoed the halls of various schools across the country. And eventually, after massive public support, a heartfelt letter to the ministry from Maartje van Winkel (real-life Arianne), and an extraordinary visit to The Hague, Derakshan Beekzada (real-life Zahra) and her family were allowed to stay.

The movie attempts to translate this heartfelt narrative to the silver screen, but while Linder and Akbari do the best they can with the script they’ve been given, the film’s pacing leaves much to be desired. At times, it speeds by too fast to make their friendship seem believable. I suppose you can only do so much within a 90-minute timeframe as a family-oriented film, but I still wish they took more time to flesh out the two characters. Unfortunately, the little intimate moments we did have, were often overshadowed by the film’s brisk pacing, which seemed intent on hitting all major plot beats without giving the audience enough time to truly process the emotional baggage.

That said, the movie is not without its merit. The performances by both Linder and Akbari were great, and the resilient spirit of Arianne and Zahra was captured quite well. In the few moments we have of them as just two teenagers together, their chemistry was abundant. The comedic delivery and timing of their lines gave the film a lighthearted, warm quality, despite the dramatic undertones. Although the story itself didn’t quite hit the mark with showcasing their tight knit relationship, the costuming department did its best in subtly reinforcing them as close friends – purple and blue accents dancing through the both of them, one rarely without the other. 

Despite all of this, I found it hard to connect with Arianne and Zahra. For much of the film, their characters felt one-dimensional. Arianne was always outspoken and fiery, while Zahra often was the calm and composed counterpart. And while the script did make an attempt to expand on Zahra’s backstory through flashbacks, they felt underdeveloped and lacked depth. It wasn’t until the film’s second act that I could truly connect with them and their vulnerable sides. After Arianne finds out she only has a few more months to live, she decides to skydive with Zahra, just for the sake of it, in one of the film’s most striking scenes. For a moment they let loose of all external pressures and float across the sky, like a cloud, until gravity decides to pull them back to earth again. There in the blue light, supported by a beautiful soundtrack, I could finally feel a crack in the two characters –  a moment of bravery, a leap of faith, a chance to hold on and let go.