“The Doom of the Van Imhoff” is a Dutch World War II documentary which focuses on a naval disaster / crime that was kept silent for decades.
In 1942 near the coast of Sumatra, the Dutch steamer Van Imhoff, carrying hundreds of German prisoners of war, is bombed by a Japanese plane and sinks. The Dutch captain decides to save himself and his crew but leaves the 477 Germans to drown. After the War the story is carefully covered up in The Netherlands.
“Two decades later, in 1965, a VARA journalist wants to broadcast a report about what happened. But the VARA, at the advice of the Dutch government, forbids him to do so.“, according to the creators of the documentary.
However, an Austrian great-grandson of on of the survivors contacts Anouk Hoeksema the Dutch granddaughter of the captain for information. Strangely she knows nothing about the Van Imhoff disaster. Together they undertake a journey to uncover this secret story, in which they learn shocking facts about their ancestors.
The film is a feature adaptation from the series that was broadcasted in december 2017 in the Netherlands by BNNVARA The Netherlands. You can find the official website here.
