Behind the geraniums
This short documentary explores the tension between the Dutch housing crisis and the growing public debate around elderly people living in large family homes.
In recent years, a narrative has emerged suggesting that older generations should move out of their houses to make space for younger families. Within public discourse, elderly homeowners are sometimes portrayed as part of the problem, occupying homes that are considered too large for them.
However, the reality is far more complex.
Many elderly people remain in their homes not by choice, but because there are very limited alternatives. Assisted living facilities and elderly housing are scarce, waiting lists are long, and suitable smaller homes are often unavailable or unaffordable. As a result, many older residents find themselves in a difficult position: staying where they are while simultaneously becoming the subject of public criticism.
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For this project, I visited and filmed elderly people inside their own homes. Rather than focusing on statistics or policy, the film centers on the intimate relationship between people and the spaces they have lived in for decades.
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These houses are not simply real estate; they are archives of lived experience. Photographs, furniture, and everyday objects reveal a lifetime of memories embedded in the walls.
By documenting these personal environments, the film challenges the simplified narrative that elderly homeowners are merely occupying space. Instead, it asks viewers to consider the emotional, social, and practical realities that make leaving a home far more complicated than the public debate often suggests.
The documentary invites a more nuanced conversation about responsibility, housing, and the invisible human stories behind a national crisis.