Film Van Rooijen graduated in 2001 from the
Netherlands Film Academy with his English-language film
Chalk.
Chalk was also one of the graduation films of cinematographer
Lennert Hillege. Van Rooijen and Hillege worked together on many films in the years that followed, including
Mass (2005),
De bode (2005),
Bollywood Hero (2009), ''
Stella's oorlog (2009), Taped (2012) and Daylight (Daglicht)'' (2013). In 2002, he directed the film
A Funeral for Mr. Smithee which follows an unnamed girl (
Priscilla Knetemann) burying a dead bird. His short film
Babyphoned won the
NPS Award for Best Short Film at the 2002
Netherlands Film Festival. The film is the first
Antillean youth film spoken entirely in
Papiamento. The film became the best visited Dutch film of 2019.
Television He directed the Dutch television series
Penoza as well as episodes of the television series
Meiden van de Wit,
Parels & zwijnen,
Keyzer & De Boer Advocaten and
Spoorloos verdwenen. The television series
Penoza was adapted into the 2013 American drama series
Red Widow by
Melissa Rosenberg.
Penoza was also adapted into the 2015 Swedish television series
Gåsmamman. Van Rooijen also directed many commercials for the Dutch supermarket chain
Albert Heijn featuring
Harry Piekema playing the role of a supermarket manager. == Filmography ==