2012 in film in just eight minutes

Posted Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 11:41 AM Central
Last updated Monday, December 4, 2017 at 10:22 AM Central

by John Couture

For some people, it's an eternity. For others, eight minutes pass by in the blink of an eye.

For Kees van Dijkhuizen, eight minutes is all he needs to condense an entire year of cinema into the base emotions and images that defined film this year. The young Dutch film student has really taken the industry by storm with his annual wrap ups as well as his homages to directors or the Harry Potter film series.

Two things are certain, this will be the last in his "Cinema" series that recaps the year in film and this will not be the last time we speak of Kees van Dijkhuizen. Whether or not his film career pans out (I'd bet on yes), his editing skills are legit and he will be highly sought out by Hollywood, if he isn't already.

There is a sense of finality in the piece and the fact that it's debuting on the eve of the alleged Mayan apocalypse is probably not a coincidence. For the last five years, Kees has given us something to look forward to at the end of each year and now it's time to look forward to what is next for Kees.

But before we do, check out the last entry in the "Cinema" series. I have a feeling that it might elicit an emotional response. I leave you with Kees' words that he used to describe this video.

Our last night on earth; what better way to spend it than with Cinema. Avengers assembled, dark knights rose and odds were in our favor in a fantastic year in film. Epic conclusions conquered the box office, but smaller pictures like Beasts of the Southern Wild, Seeking A Friend for the End of the World, Safety Not Guaranteed, The Imposter and Ruby Sparks conquered the hearts of audiences around the world. It seems every story we've heard deserved to be told.

This year was not free of tragedy, however, and it struck close to home. It made me realize the importance of our shared love for cinema; in the darkest of times, it will bring us together. This recap shows the importance of love in difficult times, how we fool ourselves to cope with the pain we cause others and, in the face of the apocalypse, how small we really are.

Cinema is a friend, a teacher, a refuge and a safe place. Here's to that dream.

This fifth episode is also the finale of my Cinema series. It's been a tremendous joy and I've learned so much from your kind words and feedback. This project demanded a lot of time and effort and to see it rewarded so graciously was absolutely mind-blowing. Thank you all for your support these past years, it's meant so much to me.