Ans and the Universe

Ans Hoornweg's extraordinary life, her out-of-body experiences, and communication with extraterrestrials are explored in this sincere testimonial by Berkveldt.

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In Poortugaal, a small village just south of Rotterdam, lives Ans Hoornweg – an 80-year-old spiritual medium with tales as vast as the cosmos. The documentary "Ans and the Universe" offers a captivating portrayal of Ans, who is an incarnated alien from the distant planet of Laborax.

 

This isn't mere fantasy; interstellar travels and conversations with extraterrestrial entities have defined Ans her life. Ans has crafted dolls of many of her celestial friends, a tangible memory of her vast intergalactic network. Since the 1980s, Dutch television audiences have been both bemused and intrigued by Ans and her collection of alien companions. In 2016, she began sharing her message online, with the support of her confidante Merlinde. Through her YouTube channel, she shares otherworldly wisdom and delivers a stern caution about humanity's reckless treatment of Earth. Her persistent claim that "the aliens are already here, living peacefully among us" might have garnered admiration within the New Age circles, it also marked her as an outsider amidst her own kind. The documentary "Ans and the Universe" moves between moments of kind-heartedness, melancholy and solitude.

 

It's an exploration of belief, identity, and the touching spaces in between, a moving narrative of a woman moving between cosmic connections and earthly isolation. Berkveldt captures this duality with a delicate touch while documenting Ans in the last years of her life. Through their lens, viewers are taken behind the scenes of Ans' YouTube presence, witnessing her life unfold, where each piece – a personal moment or a broadcast snippet – form a part of her vibrant story. The audience is offered a unique opportunity to journey across alien realms alongside Ans.

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The documentary premiered at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam in 2024.