EXCLUSIVE: A sequel to hit feature documentary Human Forever is in production. Human II Forever will be released in 2026.
Human Forever became the most-watched human interest documentary in Dutch cinema history. Produced and directed by Jonathan de Jong, it zeroed in on humanitarian activist Teun Toebes’ three-year journey around the world as he sought to improve the quality of life of people living with dementia. The sequel, Human II Forever, sees De Jong and Toebes reunite. The new film follows Toebes’ exploration of how communities are formed, what we can learn from them to improve our quality of life and efforts to tackle loneliness, isolation, and the increasing demand for care.
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Toebes has been dubbed “the Greta Thunberg of healthcare.” and Human Forever was released in 30 countries. It premiered in 2023 at the G20 summit, the meet-up of leaders from the world’s major economies, and where NATO Secretary-General and former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte described the film as “a monument to all people with dementia and their loved ones, worldwide.”
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The first film notched 80,000 admissions in the Netherlands and won the Netherlands Film Festival’s Golden Calf award. It was subsequently acquired by Arte in France, ZDF in Germany, VRT in Belgium, Videoland in the Netherlands.
Filming is underway on Human II Forever and cameras have already rolled in Brazil, New Zealand, Samoa, USA, Germany, Curaçao, France, Japan, Tanzania, Netherlands. Shooting is now underway in Morocco, China and the UK.
De Jong’s Amsterdam-based indie SUPER7EVEN is again on production duty. “Travelling the world with Human Forever showed us that hope already exists through communities and initiatives quietly proving there is a better way to live together,” he said. “Human II Forever will take that ethos to the next level and show how these examples can help us build more inclusive societies for all of us, whatever the need is. If we begin seeing each other differently, we can start acting differently.”