Robert van Gulik (1910-1967) is perhaps one of the world’s most read authors from the Netherlands. This diplomat, Sinologist and scholar is mainly known for his detective novels starring Judge Dee. These books are in many respects projections of his own life, a dialogue between van Gulik and his fictional character.
Filmmaker Rob Rombout follows in his footsteps to discover the author’s legacy in his diaries, people he inspired and witnesses to his life.
The film is a quest where the filmmaker takes us on a journey, by way of side roads, in the author’s tracks. Reality and fantasy, past and present will flow into each other, at times imperceptibly.