Atardi: The Life Of Curaçao'S Musical Genius Rudy Plaate. Now In The Netherlands

ATARDI IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR ONLINE STREAMING THROUGH PEPRFILMS.NL Filmmaker Selwyn de Wind is on a journey to find out all that he can about Rudy Plaate, Curaçao’s most popular singer/ song writer of all time. But what happens when the subject suffers from dementia and is no longer able to retell his own story? Filmed over a four-year period, the documentary traces the highs and lows of the life and work of music legend Rudy Plaate. Extensive archival footage is combined with reflective interviews from family, friends and other artists. De Wind was given full access to Plaate and creates an intimate portrait of Rudy’s life now, as he deals with the decline of old age. Brilliant composer, songwriter and musician Rudy Plaate has released and written over 400 songs during a career spanning more than four decades. With his entrepreneurial spirit, he overcame poverty and used his ingenuity to blaze a path of popular music sung in his island’s native tongue, Papiamentu. His compositions are windows into life on the island of Curaçao and his unique, playful and inspirational songwriting helped define the nation’s music in the 20th century. His most iconic composition ‘Atardi’ has become the unofficial anthem of the island. ATARDI is a music-driven documentary that taps into the styles and heritage of the Curaçao’s musical evolution and illustrates how Plaate helped built the foundation with his unique sounds and melodies.

Watch the trailer below and listen to Rudy Plaate music here. The film is only being screened in Curaçao and Aruba for the moment, but here’s hoping this film gets wider distribution soon.