Van Houdoe naar How do...?

A century old history ..
turned out to be hidden behind a tiny message in the newspaper in 2013. In Little Chute, a small village in the state of Wisconsin in the United States, the construction of a Dutch windmill had started. We wanted to know more and dug a bit deeper, only to find out a very special story. Over a period of 112 years, Catholics from the Netherlands, mostly from the Eastern part of the province of Brabant, had been emigrating to this one tiny village. For generations, people have continued to live there together, to maintain their shared faith, culture and customs. Far from home, they have founded their own little piece of Brabant.

The most recent emigrants ..
left for Little Chute in 1960. Some of them are still alive. They are now around 80 and 90 years old. They are still able to tell their stories. Why did they leave the Netherlands and what happened in their new life in a new country? What remains of the Dutch culture, the Dutch language and how did they pass these on to their children? Do they still long for the Netherlands? And do the descendants of these emigrants feel connected to the land of their parents and / or ancestors?

The drive of two men..
keeps the link between Little Chute and East Brabant alive. Willem Keeris and Wim Rovers visit Little Chute every year to dive into the archives. Looking for old photos and yet undiscovered family connections. The genealogical studies of Wim and Willem are priceless for the descendants of these emigrants. They have Dutch surnames and would love to know where their origins . A group of descendants recently visited Eastern Brabant. Wim and Willem, among other things, took them to the birthplaces of their ancestors. This was an unforgettable and emotional experience for the American visitors.

With help from this crowdfunding ..
we can complete capturing a piece of this heritage with our film. Because the families that decided to build a new life in Little Chute simply brought Brabant with them. It gave them something to hold on to, and it provided meaning to their lives.
We have already started with a number of recordings, including on the visit from the American descendants to Eastern Brabant. But we need your support to continue with recordings in Little Chute and to be able to finalise the film. Will you help us? This beauitiful story deserves to be told!

The realization..
of our crowdfunding project was made possible by a contribution from the impulse funds of the province of Noord-Brabant and by advice from Kunstloc Brabant.

This film..
is supported by:

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