Carp Diem
Logline
After her parents' death, a young woman is determined to pass on a family tradition to her daughter born abroad. There is just one catch - it involves getting her hands on a live carp on a Christmas Eve in the Netherlands.
Synopsis
It is Christmas Eve in The Hague, Netherlands. A young mother with Slovak roots takes her Dutch-born daughter on a frantic quest for a live carp, determined to pass on her family’s holiday tradition. What begins as a simple search quickly turns into a chaotic and humorous adventure through Dutch harbors and canals, seafood stores, and cobbled streets. A short film about family, cultural roots, and the messy yet loving ways we carry heritage forward.
Cast & Crew
Writer & Director: Veronika Marsland
Producer: Zhanna Laka
Director of Photography: Roeland Bentvelzen
Executive Producer: Veronika Marsland
Edit: LIVStudio
Music: Chad Thépass
Sound design: Kristijonas Groblys
Sound on Set: Jasper Geluk
Gaffer: Gabriel Patrício
Set Design: Kristen Sorton
Production Assistant: Inma Pérez López
Make-up Artist: Misha van der Kroon
Yana Brodskaya as Natália
Zlata Nanaj as Helena
Brad Hillas as James
Ana Moreno as Waitress
Bill Stevenson as Fisherman
Director’s Statement
Carp Diem explores the messy reality of keeping traditions alive in a new culture. As a parent raising children in an international family, I know how impossible it can feel to hold onto your roots while letting new traditions in.
In Carp Diem, a mother embarks on an impossible hunt for a live fish, convinced it is the only way to preserve her family’s roots. The quest is frantic, absurd, and hilarious, yet beneath the chaos lies a deeper truth about understanding each other, recognizing what matters, and, above all, passing on love.
This story is for families navigating the delicate balance of honoring the past while embracing new ways of being together.
Production Photos
