Lutherhof, Village in the City

Village in the City gives an impression of life inside The Lutherhof in Amsterdam. This court of almshouses has offered protected housing for over a 100 years. It used to be a diaconal institution for old, destitute Evangelical-Lutheran women. Deaconesses took care of the residents when they were ill and offered a listening ear. Today, singles of all ages live in the Lutherhof: women and men, Lutheran and non-Lutheran, religious and non-religious. However, the diaconal principles – paying attention to and helping each other out  – still apply here. Everyone has their own front door, but there is, nevertheless, a sense of community in the Lutherhof; something very special in the middle of a more and more hectic, anonymous and individualistic Amsterdam.

We get to know several residents who live together around the courtyard that’s like the core of a village. After several moves and a period of getting used to the place, they’ve finally found peace here. They show us around their home and talk about what it is like to live in the Lutherhof, their past and their faith. We see how the Lutherhof functions like a microcosm of society in general, with its own rules and values.

• Camera, sound
• A film by Sharis Coppens
• Selected for several film festivals
• Dutch spoken, english subtitles available
• More information: dorpindestad.nl
• Released 2012