Returning (seires title) - Kestrel (episode title)

Extensive grass fields in airports like Schiphol attract mice that in turn draw kestrels. When they present danger to air traffic, the kestrels are trapped and released well away. The story begins with the release of a young female. After a long journey, she finds an isolated farmhouse, providing an ideal nest site that fell empty in the era of extensive use of DDT. But now it is rediscovered again. This episode showcases the secret life of a pair of kestrels with stunning photography.

Schedule

Director: Cees van Kempen

Cees van Kempen (1963) is founder of Ispida Wildlife Productions. He graduated as Master of Science at the University of Delft and worked as a civil engineer and management consultant in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia and The Netherlands. Meanwhile he has gone on to develop his passion for filming. As an amateur he created some short films, finding out he not only had the passion but also the talent for this profession. Presenting a showreel at Wildscreen 2012 resulted in several offerings of leading international wildlife production companies. In 2013 however he secured commissioning for the independent production of a high end three episode series for Dutch public television. He then handed over his consultancy company to become a fulltime wildlife filmmaker and to start Ispida Wildlife Productions.

2007: amateur ‘handycam’ production of a travel documentary
2009: amateur ‘handycam’ production of first nature movie about Kingfisher
2014 – career switch
2013 – 2015 : first professional production of three episode series RETURNING for Dutch public television and international distribution

Netherlands
2015
50 Min.
English
12
Director: Cees van Kempen
Script: Caroline Brett
Cinematography: Cees van Kempen
Editing: Alan Miller
Music: Jos Jansen
Narrator: Alan Miller
Editor: co-produktion with Dutch public broadcaster BNN-VARA
Producer: ispida Wildlife Productions BV
Nominations: Best Cinematography 2016,
Best Score 2016