Guido van Driel's 'The Resurrection of a Bastard' to Open Rotterdam Fest

COLOGNE, Germany - The Resurrection of a Bastard, the sophomore effort from Dutch director Guido van Driel, will open the 42nd Rotterdam International Film Festival.

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The feature, which stars Yorick van Wageningen (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) alongside Dutch colleagues Goua Robert Grovogui and Juda Goslinga, is a magical realist drama in which an old farmer bent on revenge, a criminal from Amsterdam and an illegal immigrant all meet up under an ancient oak tree. Resurrection will have its world premiere in competition in Rotterdam, arguably the world's premier festival for new art house directors.

Van Driel adapted the film from his own, acclaimed graphic novel. Resurrection began life as a development project at Rotterdam's CineMart back in 2010.

An accomplished painter and visual artist, van Driel's first feature, Groen is toch de Mooiste kleur voor Gras, premiered in competition at the Netherlands Film Festival in 2007.

The 2013 Rotterdam Film Festival runs Jan. 23 - Feb. 3.