Over the Rainbow

A joyful portrait of Leny embracing lesbian life later in adulthood

Over the Rainbow is a warm and uplifting portrait of Leny, a Dutch woman who came out as a lesbian at the age of 68 and has since embraced her new life with striking openness and vitality. The documentary presents her story as a uniquely positive experience, showing how she stepped into lesbian life without resentment for the years spent concealing her identity. After the death of her mother, she finally found the freedom to pursue long-held dreams, including a cycling journey that took her as far as New Zealand. There she met the woman who became her first great love, an experience that opened the path to her coming out.

The film accompanies Leny in the years that follow as she navigates love, ageing and community. We see her dancing in crowded discotheques, joining camping trips, travelling to Lesbos and maintaining an active presence on social media. She kayaks, hikes and keeps up daily exercises despite growing health concerns. Now approaching her eighties, she continues to enjoy a life surrounded by women who welcome her warmly, reflecting on self-acceptance, gratitude and the fear of loneliness. Viewers also witness the intimacy of her everyday routines, from returning home after a night out to relaxing in front of the television.

Although her story remains joyful, Leny acknowledges one regret connected to the unresolved ending of her first love affair. The documentary does not aim to answer this absence but instead offers an honest depiction of living fully with what life brings. Over the Rainbow is a portrait of late-life transformation and the determination to make the most of the years ahead.