Directed by Geoffrey Enthoven, 2011.
Hasta la Vista! (2011) is an extraordinary take on the road movie. The Belgian movie tells the story of three twentysomething men who are coping with a physical handicap. Philip suffers from paraplegia, Jozef is almost completely blind, and Lars has an incurable brain tumor that paralyzed his body. Worried that they might all die as virgins, the three friends plan to overcome their disabilities and travel to Spain where they hope to visit a brothel specialized in taking care of ‘their kind of people’.
After drawing up a solid plan and finding a tour operator who will help them get to Spain, Philip and his friends introduce the idea to their parents as a tour ‘to visit the French and Spanish vineyards’. Like Achtste-groepers huilen niet (2011), the movie combines a sense of sadness with a feeling of true optimism. The boys show how a strong spirit guided by an undying friendship can overcome any disability. It is quite funny, endearing, and at times terribly frustrating to see how three disabled boys manage to travel western Europe. The acting is great and gives life to the obstinacy of the three friends, doing what most non-disabled people can only dream of doing.
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Content creator Pim Razenberg is an experienced traveler who’s been roaming the planet for many years. After a stint in the Dutch film industry, he lived and worked in Romania, the United Kingdom, and Thailand. Pim is currently working in the Netherlands, bringing creative new projects to fruition and writing a novel detailing his journeys across the world.