Interview with Marieke van der Lippe from Off Screen
Off Screen is a regular series that foregrounds Rotterdam-based filmmaking and audio visual productions. An Off Screen night is one that puts the film’s creator in the spotlight, and focuses on the sources of inspiration, the struggles, and the sheer enjoyment in making independent films. It’s a series that has been running a long time at WORM; high time, therefore, to catch up with its founder and driving force, the artist and filmmaker Marieke van der Lippe.
Marieke, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a visual artist based in Rotterdam, working primarily with film as my medium. My practice sits at the intersection of cinema and visual art. Alongside my own artistic work, I’m very involved in the broader cultural field. I co-present Off Screen, a monthly program where we show and discuss developments in Rotterdam’s film scene, and I teach occasionally at art academies, including the Willem de Kooning Academy, where I studied myself. I’ve also served on Rotterdam’s municipal advisory committee for moving image, which has given me a broad view of what’s happening in film and media art in the city.
What ties all of this together is a strong connection to Rotterdam: its artistic communities, its institutions, and its ongoing cultural changes. I see myself not only as a maker, but also as someone who helps connect people, ideas, and disciplines within the city’s cultural landscape.
What drew you to film as a medium?
I worked at the Filmhuis in Delft: I was a 16 and a 35 mm operator there. When I was a student at the Willem de Kooning I missed the concept of time in creating visual work, plus, in terms of audio visual [courses] there was hardly anything at the academy. So, I taught myself filmmaking through many external courses and graduated with video work.
I’m particularly interested in how film can function both as an artistic expression and as a way to engage with social realities. Much of my work focuses on situations that are under pressure—whether that’s the disappearance of certain film formats, the changing urban landscape, or the position of artists in the city—and I try to make films that can have some kind of impact or spark discussion.
Most people are content to watch a film and gossip amongst their friends or read a review afterwards. You go a lot further in looking to present what happens off screen, understanding what you see, seeking out the makers to give their point. Why is that so important for you?
What is important is the independence of the creator of any art form: what used to be called an auteur film, (where a director is seen as the primary creative force behind their film, shaping it with a distinctive personal style, or vision). In putting together the Off Screen programme, I look to show the breadth of viewpoints in the many autonomous Rotterdam works that are about, which is why the conversation with the creators at the table is also so important. So an audience can see the work that goes into filmmaking.
Off Screen is a long running institution – why do you think that is?
The attention that the creative sector and indeed the public gives to autonomous creators of audiovisual work and filmmakers in Rotterdam is fairly minimal. But the number of professional artistic creators (with or without money) is only increasing. I feel it’s necessary to highlight the quality of the films and these creators, who walk their own path outside of the financed merry go-round.
Are there any interviews or insights that stand out for you over the years of hosting?
This year (2026), the interview with Fé Baan was wonderful. Fee had to shoot her analogue film twice, because the development of it failed the first time. She presented an impressive, Paradjanov-like magical realistic display. She graduates this year.
The next Off Screen takes place on the 7th May 2026, presenting two recent gems that premiered at this year’s IFFR; bubble bubble by Vincent Boy Kars & Rutger Nijkamp, and The Liminal Zone from Rutger Wolfson.
