Loeke de Waal has 15 years of media experience, including seven years based in Los Angeles, making her a leading voice from the West Coast of the United States on culture and film. From California, she provides commentary on major cultural events such as the Oscars, Golden Globes and Super Bowl. She offers context on current events, including the historic wildfires, and analyses how Hollywood’s influence extends far beyond the cinema. Living in an American household with three generations under one roof, she has a direct understanding of what is happening in society.
Loeke as a Speaker
Loeke takes her audience behind the stories emerging from the West Coast of the United States. As a Hollywood and culture correspondent, she provides insight into cultural developments and explores the stories behind the latest news. Through sharp analysis and inspiring perspectives, she connects pop culture, social developments and the broader impact of media on our world.
Career
Loeke began her career as a documentary filmmaker and director for Dutch production companies. Her first independent film, Weg van House, explored the world of FOMO-driven partygoers who relentlessly searched for happiness and the meaning of life. Her second film, #doinggood, about the true beneficiaries of international volunteer tourism, won awards at festivals in the United States, Portugal and Spain, was named De Correspondent’s favourite of the month and was embraced by UNICEF Netherlands.
Her article about #BookTok in FD Persoonlijk put the phenomenon on the map in the Netherlands, and in 2019 she was the first to write about the rise of intimacy coordinators on film sets. In recent years, she has explored some of the smallest and most surprising jobs in Hollywood that the general public often knows little about. As a film and television critic for NPO3, she reviews almost everything that is released. She analyses the major themes in blockbusters such as Barbie, Babygirl and Nosferatu, as well as series including Succession, House of the Dragon and The White Lotus, drawing connections to wider social issues such as feminism, capitalism and diversity.
Podcast
Loeke also created a podcast series about speeches together with Audiohuis, a fellow advertising professional and a politician. In the series, they read speeches to one another without revealing the speaker and explored their message, audience and impact. Since 2021, she has been a board member and Head of Communications at Stichting Vrouw & Media. In this role, she launched the podcast Achter Haar, which explores solidarity in the media.
