The film The Devil’s Avocado, starring Jan Terlouw and Ilse Warringa as well as Bert Hana and Joy Verberk, will have its educational premiere at the Green Pepper Festival in Leeuwarden on May 26. The sustainability event for the education of the future. The entrepreneurial premiere will follow on June 13 at MKB Rotterdam-Rijnmond and BlueCity. Jan Terlouw will address the audience at both premieres.
The Devil’s Avocado explores the dilemmas that arise when a seasoned entrepreneur, founder and grandfather (Jan Terlouw) decides on his deathbed that the avocado family business must be radically changed. The film paints a picture of the impact of the business practices of 3 generations of entrepreneurs on the climate and local communities. The grandfather questions whether the business still has a right to exist given the impacts of avocado farming. Do the owners dare to answer these difficult questions? Or would they rather look away and stick to sustainable packaging?
Starting a discussion
The film is an initiative of lector Sustainable Strategy and Innovation Godelieve Spaas and lecturer-researcher Rijnko van Diepen, both affiliated with the Centre of Expertise Broad Prosperity and New Entrepreneurship of Avans University of Applied Sciences. Godelieve Spaas explains, “Together with students and companies, we are doing research into what an economic mindset can look like, so that companies will take care of all life on earth. That requires really thinking differently. Not just developing sustainable packaging, but in the whole chain making everything fair and sustainable.”
“The purpose of this film is to start a discussion about the difficult questions to take a new commercial mindset a step further,” she continued. “Not only in SMEs, but especially among students – the leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The film is part of a broader package: an article with background information from the research is also available. And various tools to deploy the film in SMEs, education and beyond.”
Jan Terlouw
For former politician, physicist and writer Jan Terlouw, it is the first time he is collaborating on a feature film as an actor. Director Kees-Jan Mulder came up with the idea of asking him and wrote him a letter. Terlouw participated out of his own conviction. He is convinced that our current way of doing business is no longer sustainable. “With this economy we won’t make it. It has to change, we cannot go on like this,” he says in a video message. Terlouw deliberately chose to address the entrepreneurs, students and teachers live at both premieres. “If we still want to save the earth, things must change. Now.”
Information about the premieres
The educational premiere is part of the Green Pepper Festival and will take place on Friday, May 26 from 3:45 – 4:30 p.m. at NHL Stenden in Leeuwarden. Jan Terlouw will provide the introduction. The premiere can also be followed via a livestream. Prior to the premiere the SustainaBul will be awarded, the ranking of student network Students for Tomorrow for sustainable development in higher education. This will be from 3:15 – 3:45 p.m.
The entrepreneur premiere will take place on Tuesday, June 13 from 15:00 – 18:00 at Cinerama, Westblaak 18, Rotterdam. After a welcome speech by Sabine Biesheuvel, president of Sustainable MKB Rotterdam-Rijnmond, alderman Chantal Zegers and Jan Terlouw, The Devil’s Avocado will be screened. This will be followed by a panel discussion with entrepreneurs.
International success
The Devil’s Avocado has also been selected for film festivals in Turkey, Israel, Italy and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, in addition to its premieres, the film can be seen at the film festivals Shortcutz Amsterdam and Limburg Film Festival 2023, among others. And during the CSR Day of Doers.