Casper (Gijs Blom) never knew his father and lives with his mother. He loves to spend his spare time playing the piano. He’s happy when he is accepted into the youth orchestra. Especially when he becomes friends with orchestra member Anouk (Susan Radder) who knows what he’s going through when he suddenly discovers his mother is seriously ill. Marit has cancer. Afraid of what might happen to her Casper and his best friend Pim (Massimo Pesik) decide to search for his father...

For Tessa Schram (Amstelveen, 1989) the film set was already part of her youth. She’s the daughter of Shooting Star Maria Peters and Dave Schram and has always been amongst filmmakers. So it’s no surprise she quickly realized she wanted to become a director. Her first work in film however, was as an actress.

She played in short films, (EEN ECHTE HOND), feature films (DOWN, PIETJE BELL, AFBLIJVEN, NIGHTWATCHING) and tv series (SPOORLOOS VERDWENEN, GRIJPSTRA & DE GIER). She also did voices for animation series (KAISA WINT EEN KOE) and feature films (101 DALMATIËRS 2).

 
From 2005 Tessa focused on film production. She was video-assist for TIMBOEKTOE, did script continuity for SPIJT! and RADELOOS, and was assistant director for the tv film KRISKRAS (2014). In 2009 Tessa won the Audience Award at the 48 Filmfestival in Utrecht with HIJ, and directed the short film SAMMY IS ZOEK the KRO. She was also responsible for several music video’s, such as Sarah Fairfield (Summers Day), Schradinvoa (Razend), Ferry Doedens (Hoger en Verder) and Hyplified (Ik zal er altijd voor je zijn).

 
In 2012 Tessa graduated from the Netherlands Film Academy in Amsterdam with the short film LOST & FOUND, dwhich was broadcasted that year by the EO. PAINKILLERS is her feature film debut.