Matthijs had spent years avoiding swimming pools, changing rooms and dating apps. The reason is always the same: a paralysing insecurity about the size of his penis. In Short Dick Man, filmmaker Willem Timmers follows him as he finally decides to face it head on.

Short Dick Man won the audience award for best documentary at Roze Filmdagen and aired on NPO 3 via BNNVARA. A coproduction of Labyrint Film and BNNVARA.

One of my first experiences at the intersection of fiction and documentary, joining a team that had already found its rhythm together. What struck me most about this project was how thoroughly the care for Matthijs had already been built into the production before I arrived. Labyrint Film had done the work. That made it easy to step in and do mine.

I came on board for the scenes where fiction elements were woven into the documentary structure, a form of exposure therapy for Matthijs, working alongside veteran Dennis Overeem. Our shared goal was simple: that Matthijs, the lead actors and the supporting cast all felt seen, heard and looked after on set and after wrap. For a project this personal, the aftercare following both shoot and broadcast was as important as anything that happened on the day itself.