Before Anne Frank gained worldwide recognition for her diary, twelve-year-old Dirk van der Heide had penned his wartime experiences in his private diary My Sister and I, which achieved bestseller status in the U.S. This diary meticulously details Dirk’s journey from Rotterdam, through England, and eventually to America. Along the way, he faced the heartbreaking loss of both parents to the war, but he and his sister Keetje managed to endure. Their narrative found its way to a publisher, but there is no trace of Dirk himself.

Acclaimed director Atrid Bussink unravels the unresolved mystery of the diary and its writer. The Boy Who Vanished examines our relationship with stories, both authentic and potentially fabricated.

• Director: Astrid Bussink
• DOP: Jefrim Rothuizen
• Producers: Renko Douze & Hasse van Nunen
• Line producer: Noa Defesche

• Length: 4 x 15'
• Status: in development
• Broadcaster: KRO-NCRV, NPO ZAPP
• Supported by NPO fund