Helden van de Galaxy (Heroes of the Galaxy) is a four-part magical-realist youth documentary series from 2026, directed by Mirjam Marks and produced by Tangerine Tree in co-production with VPRO. It follows five children - refugees from Libya, Yemen and Syria - who live with their families aboard the MS Galaxy, a former cruise ship moored in Amsterdam's harbour that serves as an asylum seekers' centre. Marks, who has worked with children in asylum centres through Stichting de Vrolijkheid since 2018, weaves the children's own animations and mythical stories through the episodes, keeping friendship and imagination at the fore rather than refugee status. The series premiered at the Movies that Matter Festival 2026 and aired weekly on NPO Zapp and NPO Start.
NPO Doc recommends Helden van de Galaxy as one of the most striking new documentaries of June 2026, with weekly broadcasts on NPO 3 and NPO Start from May 31.
NPO Doc published a background article about the animations that the children made themselves for the series, in collaboration with Stichting de Vrolijkheid.
Helden van de Galaxy premiered on March 28, 2026 at the Movies that Matter Festival in The Hague.
On August 23, 2026, Puntje organized together with Movies that Matter a special screening of the series, supplemented with a post-screening discussion with the director and an animation workshop.
The series is a production of Tangerine Tree in co-production with VPRO, created with support from the NPO fund.
