In the hands of Jan Vanderheyden and Edith Kiel, Ernest Claes’ (1885-1968) bestselling novel Whitey (1920) becomes a lyrical Heimat film that glorifies the beauty of Flanders, its countryside and its people.
In 1980 the novel was adapted for the screen for the second time. Flemish enfant terrible Robbe De Hert turned De Witte into a symbol of Flemish stubbornness and resistance against authority. Use this link to compare scenes of both versions.