Kevin Van Den Heuvel is a talented documentary filmmaker with a passion for compelling stories. Born in the Netherlands and raised in French culture, Kevin’s fascination with different societies has been a driving force in his career. From his debut documentary ‘The Dreamcatcher’ to his ongoing series ‘Faces of Africa’, Kevin’s films offer a unique insight into the human experience across the globe. Today, we dive into his journey as a filmmaker and learn more about his approach to storytelling and cultural exploration.

Before we dive into your latest work ‘Faces of Africa’, could you tell us a bit about how you started making documentaries? 

It started with a road trip in the Balkan with my brothers. We met a guitar player travelling back to England through the money he was making with his music. For weeks I kept thinking about him and this interesting journey he surely must have had. If someone followed him around with a camera, that would make for a great story. And then I thought ‘Wait a second, I could actually do that myself’. I saved some money, worked a bit on my plan and then I quit my job. And that was the beginning of ‘The Dreamcatcher’, where I basically travelled around Europe to film people who are following their dream. Through this journey I tried to find an answer on what it means to follow your dream. It turned out to be quite a different concept than I initially wanted to do (travel to Qatar by making money as a street football artist). But that’s the interesting thing about documentaries, reality sometimes takes the story somewhere else.

Could you elaborate on the overarching concept behind your documentary series ‘Faces of Africa’? 

It’s a ‘day-in-the-life’ series where we follow 7 people from Ghana and Rwanda. They all aim at something in life. Whether it’s becoming a boxing world champion, getting a doctor’s scholarship or growing into a major international insect farmer, they all show us their determination. And we learn about their everyday struggles and ambitions. I find this concept to work exceptionally well in Africa, because the extremes (upside and downside) are a quite common part of people’s lives here. To give you a small example, the aspiring boxing champion Ebenezer (16) wakes up at 4:00h, walks for 45 minutes to the boxing gym, has a brutal training session and doesn’t eat the first part of the day. That can’t be easy. At the same time, I also see his joy and camaraderie with his boxing partners when they dance and sing after training. And when he walks back to his place, the locals are cheering him on ‘You’ll be a champion one day Ebenezer!’. In my eyes, these elements really provide some color and depth to his story.

How would you describe the visual and narrative style you’ve employed in ‘Faces of Africa’? 

I would describe the style of the documentary as ‘fly-on-the-wall’. As a viewer we simply observe their everyday life. The camera is not really there. Each story is told by the protagonist itself. We did an interview with all 7 of them, so their voices narrate the story. In order to make their stories more profound, we asked about decisive moments in their past and how their daily activities will help them achieve their goals. This way you see more than just a person going about their day. You can envision how they got here and where they might go.

What do you hope audiences will take away from watching ‘Faces of Africa’?

Well, I do think that this series offers a different perspective on Africa than what we are used to. We tend to see the continent through the lens of problems (migration, poverty, diseases etc.). But Africa is also a collection of individual stories where people just go about their day. As I mentioned earlier, the interesting part for me is that daily life in many African countries has these strong contrasts. I find this continent to be rich of stories. And stories have the power to do many things, like surprise you or move you. Or maybe offer you new ideas. I however don’t get to decide what the audience takes away from ‘Faces of Africa’. That’s really up to the viewer, my job is to make quality stories.

Among the seven episodes, which stories do you find the most compelling or thought-provoking? 

The first episode that stands out to me is ‘Made in Bukom’ about Ebenezer (16) the boxer I just mentioned. He dedicates his life to become a world champion one day. He sleeps in a room with his coach next to the boxing facilities. He trains there in the afternoon, but for the morning session he first walks to the famous neighborhood of Bukom. It’s Ghana’s bread basket for boxing talent. Five people in this area have crowned themselves best of the world. What I like about this episode, is the discipline that boxing demands from Ebenezer. And from a cinematic point of view a boxing gym is just perfect. The rundown equipment, sweating fighters and jabbing sounds all create such a dramatic backdrop to this story. However the person that impressed me the most is Emmanuela (14) in the episode ‘When I grow up’. She hopes to get a doctor’s scholarship through her dancing activities. The thing I was impressed about, was her ability to be self-reflect. You rarely see that at her age. 

You mentioned your fascination for Africa. What aspects of the continent resonate with you the most, and how did this influence your approach to filmmaking?

You know, it’s multiple elements. It started with looking at world maps where the recognizable shape of Africa just edged in my brain. From a young age it made me fantasize about this continent. How life would be there. And growing up, I remember seeing the Nigerian footballer Jay-Jay Okocha on tv. His style was something I hadn’t seen before. So much expression and joy. And my fascination with the continent only grew after visiting a couple of African countries. For me it’s the most difficult and most rewarding continent there is. I find it very intriguing.

What has been your experience like working in Africa, both in terms of the logistical challenges and the interactions with the local communities featured in your documentaries?

Working with the institutions of Ghana and Rwanda was a bit annoying at times. The process of getting filming per permits and visas was quite slow and unclear. However, working direclty with the people was fantastic. In my case those were the fixers, taxi drivers, security guys, managers etc. People were so eager to work, they make sure the job gets done. I found them to be really reliable working partners. In Ghana, I did however needed to give quite some people a bit of money for every little service. But you learn to quickly accept that it’s the way it works. In Rwanda I didn’experience this.

After completing the ‘Faces of Africa’ project, what valuable lessons have you learned about the continent and its people?

What I noticed most in the people we filmed, was their resilience and determination. The example I mentioned about Ebenezer was true for many people, when they went about their day for 6-7 hours before their first meal. I would definitely not be as productive in such a situation. And then there is the determination factor. They all aimed at their goal with full conviction. Maybe it’s also because ‘the plan B’ option simply doesn’t exist. But I definitely found their attitude to be powerful. The biggest insight for me ties into the last point. Namely, that focusing on one thing properly makes you more effective. Growing up in the Netherlands, I probably adopted more of a safer approach where you always want to have plan B, C and D ready.

Are there any future documentary projects you’re considering, and if so, how do you anticipate they might build upon the themes or experiences explored in ‘Faces of Africa’?

I have multiple ideas for future documentaries. Mostly about ánd in Africa. I would love to make a documentary about Jay-Jay Okocha. For me he is all about the joy of expression. It’s something I feel the football industry is losing more and more. So the documentary I want to make, will be more about what he represents than about who he is.

Lastly, how has creating ‘Faces of Africa’ impacted you as a filmmaker and as an individual? 

Many moments have had a lasting impression on me. I immediately think about Emmanuella the dancer. She, and so many others showed such determination. I regularly think back on this part of Africa. The continent is way too big and diverse to talk about it as a whole, but I believe there are definitely some traits that you just find more frequently in Africa. I also listen a lot to Ghanaian music nowadays. It’s everywhere in the country and I just clicked with it. From a filmmaker’s perspective, this series definitely fueled my interest in the continent. I want to explore and make more stories about the various African countries. 

Thank you, Kevin, for sharing your incredible journey and insights with us. Your dedication to capturing the richness of cultures and human experiences through your documentaries is truly inspiring. We look forward to witnessing the impact of the stories from ‘Faces of Africa’. Wishing you continued success in your future endeavors, and may your films continue to enlighten and inspire audiences around the world.