Name: De alchemisten
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 47 min
Rating: 7.6

A cautionary tale of stock market investing

Up or Out (2015) is a Dutch documentary by filmmaker Jona Honer which examines the world of investing. Honer has been given carte blanche by Hedge Fund CEO Sebastiaan Ratha to film the inner workings of his operations where he and his brother, Joshua Ratha, run Arete Caerus Technologies as it attempts to outperform the market and deliver positive results not only for themselves but for their investors. The two brothers have developed an ingenious twofold investment strategy run by computer algorithms that takes the human emotion out of their investing strategy and that secondly, attempts to profit from the fear and greed that characterizes stock investing of investors. Jetze Sikkema, System Architect, and Krispijn Te Riet, Trainee, complete the staff.

The documentary opens with a wide angle shot of Herengracht (Patrician's Canal), one of three of Amsterdam's most famous canals that evokes 17th century Holland and the Dutch Golden Age, where Arete Caerus Tehnologies is located in one of the swankiest mansions that line both sides of the canal. The documentary cuts to an interior scene of the office where we meet the two clean cut brothers immaculately dressed in suits sitting at computer terminals discussing trading strategy. As the documentary captures the inner workings of their hedge fudge operation as Joshua attempts to execute successful trades and Sebastiaan tries miserably to line up new investors, their investment strategy shows signs of cracking. Board meetings capture the grim reality of their dire situation as they become illiquid and are eventually forced to execute painful decisions as they have become "an empty shell with a lot of bills and people on the payroll".

Seeing their company go from an office of three to four and eventually down to two and seeing the two brothers discuss their move from Herengracht and discuss their future prospects visually reminded me of how dreams do blow up and how investment strategies fail to deliver and fall out of favour. The title of the documentary Up and Out is very appropriate.

I quite enjoyed watching Up and Out for it serves as a cautionary tale for investors of any stripe who attempt to outsmart an unpredictable stock market which is easily spooked, characterized by daily volatility, and unpredictable systemic and market risk. Kudos to Sebastiaan Ratha for allowing Jona Honer to film his hedge fund and kudos to Jona Honer for giving us an unbiased glimpse into the world of investing. It should be required viewing for any investor who imagines he or she can profit from the stock market but especially for banks, pension plans, and mutual funds who are entrusted with our hard earned savings to invest wisely and not get caught up with investment fades.

Dutch cinema often combines understated realism with offbeat humor, tackling moral ambiguity and social change. It balances intimate storytelling with bold, sometimes provocative, visual styles. Dutch films combine art-house sensibility with grounded storytelling, reflecting the country's open, yet quietly complex culture.

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The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

Two brothers believe they have struck gold when they devise an investment programme that handles their investments. By replacing their emotional choices with an automated system, they hope to profit from the emotional investments of others. The first results are disappointing however and investors hesitant to put their money on the line. Despite these bleak times, director Jona Honer is allowed to film in every situation. This gives us a remarkable glimpse into the world of finance.

Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep (VPRO)

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Up or Out

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