With I Shall See, Dutch director Mercedes Stalenhoef presents an immersive exploration of sudden loss and resilience in her first fiction feature. The film follows 17-year-old Lot, a passionate diver who dreams of becoming a maritime archaeologist, traveling, and living independently. Her life takes a devastating turn on New Year’s Eve when a firework fails to go off. As she attempts to relight it, it explodes in her face, leaving her with a perforated left eye and severe damage to the right. As Lot wakes up in the hospital, the audience experiences her new reality through disorienting, blurred vision, a visual motif that recurs throughout the film to reflect her struggle with impairment.
Original Title: Ik Zal Zien
Directed by: Mercedes Stalenhoef
Year: 2025
Country: Netherlands
Length: 96 minutes
Stalenhoef’s use of cinematography and sound design places the viewer directly in Lot’s perspective. Shallow focus, tight framing, and immersive first-person sequences convey her disorientation and frustration, making her internal battle deeply felt. The gorgeous early underwater scenes, where we see the ocean’s creatures move in harmony through Lot’s eyes, highlight the elements Lot misses newfound limitations. Once an escape and opportunity for discovery, water now represents a lost future. The film visually reinforces this by restricting the audience’s vision along with Lot’s, emphasizing her physical and emotional confinement.
Despite her injury, Lot is determined to hold on to her former identity. She insists, “I’m not disabled,” resisting the idea that her life must drastically change. But when doctors confirm that her left eye is permanently blind and her right eye’s macula is torn beyond repair, her denial begins to unravel. The film depicts the physical consequences of her accident and its psychological toll, her frustration, anger, and struggle for independence. She refuses pity and pushes back against the idea that her future is no longer her own, before graplling with a reality in which she will need to accept a new way of living.
Thematically, I Shall See intertwines Lot’s personal journey with broader societal issues. Fireworks remain a controversial subject in Dutch society, with increasing calls for stricter regulations due to safety concerns. By centering the story on a life-changing firework accident, the film situates itself within a timely debate, making Lot’s story feel even more urgent. But beyond its social relevance, the film focuses on one young woman’s need to redefine herself in a world that is not built for the disabled.
Stalenhoef, known for her documentary work, brings a sense of realism and intimacy to the film. The director maintains the observational and realist quality of her previous films while crafting an emotional engaging narrative. Aiko Beemsterboer delivers a raw, powerful performance as Lot, capturing her vulnerability and her sharp determination. The film’s strength lies in its refusal to offer easy resolutions. It doesn’t present disability as something to “overcome” but rather as something to live with, adapt to, and ultimately accept.
Through stunning visuals and a deeply empathetic approach, I Shall See is a strong work on loss, healing, and the search for a new sense of self.
“I Shall See” premiered at the 2025 International Film Festival Rotterdam as part of the festival’s Limelight selection.
obviouslyreviews.com 