Actress Liesbeth Kamerling: ‘My love for acting started at school in Gouda’

You could encounter her in the So What or the Nipclub, on her bicycle on the way to school or on the hockey field: actress Liesbeth Kamerling (48) still gets ‘a very nice feeling from Gouda’. Now she is back in her hometown for the Gouds Film Festival on June 9, 2024.

You probably know Liesbeth as Daantje Mus Good times Bad Times or from films like Phileine says sorry. The actress was born in Gouda hospital in 1975 and lived with her parents, her sister Anique and her two brothers, Kristiaan and Antonie, in Bergambacht. “But my entire social life was here,” says Liesbeth, who has lived in Amsterdam for many years now. “I really had a nice time in Gouda, I went out here, my friends lived here and I drank a lot of cups of tea in the city.”

Cycling to school

“I also went to school in Gouda, first to the Casimir and then to the Coornhert Gymnasium. My brothers would take me away or I would go on my bike, which was about 45 minutes of cycling. Later I had a moped. My love for acting actually started at school. We had the monthly opening with theater at the Casimir and I also performed at the Coornhert.”

Her studies in psychology brought her to Amsterdam. “I moved to Amsterdam together with my now ex-husband, where I still live with my sons, aged 10, 14 and 19. I think Amsterdam is a very free place. I really like the international, open-minded atmosphere. And it is wonderful that I am in the Amsterdamse Bos with my two dogs.”

The submitted films are truly works of art

Liesbeth Kamerling

The Gouds Film Festival

The Gouds Film Festival (GFF) takes place every spring. On that day, Gouda is the refuge for non-commercial filmmakers and lovers of short films and documentaries. Fiction and non-fiction, animation and live-action, and everything in between; all genres are represented. You can also attend workshops and master classes, culminating in the awards ceremony at the end of the day. This year the festival is on Sunday, June 9 in the Cultuurhuis Garenspinnerij.

For Liesbeth it is the second time that she is on the jury of the film festival. “It’s so much fun to do. We watch a lot of entries and it feels like unwrapping candy every time I watch a movie. It’s wonderful to encourage the creative process and see an idea realized as a film or documentary. Some of the submitted films are truly works of art. Participating in festivals such as the GFF opens many doors for young filmmakers.”

Acting workshop

As a jury member, Liesbeth naturally pays attention to the acting, but ‘I actually pay attention to everything’. “I have been active in the film world for so long that I also look at the camera work, the lighting, the storyline and choices that have been made. The acting is the first thing that strikes me, but I really want to be moved by a film.”

In addition to judging, Liesbeth will also give a workshop that day. “I’m a bit nervous about that,” she says while laughing. “I’ve never done this before, but it seems like a lot of fun. I am giving a camera acting workshop, where we will actually record the scenes. I provide feedback based on the recordings. We start with improvisation and then we play a scene based on an assignment. They then play the scene again based on additional assignments.”

Would you also like to go to the Gouds Film Festival? Tickets cost 17.50 euros for the whole day. Would you like to follow a workshop like Liesbeth’s? Then a ticket is 20 euros. Be sure to register on time, because there is limited space. Tickets can be purchased from May 15 via the website.