Amsterdam Weekly: Vol 3 Issue 2, 11-17 January 2007

Volume 4, Issue 2

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WEEKOF 11JANUARY TO 17JANUARY 2007

CSI: AMSTERDAM PAGE 6

OLD MONEY, NEW NOSTALGIA PAGE 4 | SCENES FROM LOCAL POLITICS PAGE 4 CRUMP, CRUMP, CRUMP IT UP PAGE 8 | SCENES FROM SMALL TOWN AMERICA PAGE 16

1982 AMSTERDAM, BOS EN LOMMER. PHOTO: POLITIE AMSTERDAM-AMSTELLAND

Inside: Music, Film, Art and Events

11-17 January 2007

Amsterdam Weekly

ATTACHMENTS Contents: On the cover Photo from the Plaats Delict exhibition at Foam.

Features Old money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Politics in de Baarsjes . . . . 4 WindoWatch . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Crime photos . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Ontfront . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Going out Short List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Gay & Lesbian . . . . . . . . . . 13 Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Gregory Crewdson . . . . . . 15 Lekker Bezig . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Paris je t’aime . . . . . . . . . . 19 Film Times. . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Plus The Glutton . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Eefje Wentelteefje . . . . . . 23

Amsterdam Weekly is a free cultural paper distributed every Wednesday in Amsterdam. Paid subscriptions are available on request. For details, write to info@amsterdamweekly.nl. Contents of Amsterdam Weekly are copyright 2007 Amsterdam Weekly BV. All rights reserved.

Winner of 3 European Newspaper Awards Amsterdam Weekly BV De Ruyterkade 106, 1011 AB Amsterdam Tel: 020 522 5200 Fax: 020 620 1666 www.amsterdamweekly.nl General info: info@amsterdamweekly.nl Agenda listings: agenda@amsterdamweekly.nl Advertising: sales@amsterdamweekly.nl PUBLISHER Todd Savage EDITOR Steve Korver ASSISTANT EDITOR Kim Renfrew AGENDA EDITOR Steven McCarron FILM EDITOR Julie Phillips PROOFREADER Mark Wedin EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Sarah Gehrke ART DIRECTOR Bas Morsch PRODUCTION MANAGER Vela Arbutina PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Mattijs Arts, Rogier Charles SALES ASSOCIATES Haitske van Asten, Alexander Gan, Simone Klomp, Simon Poole, Carolina Salazar OPERATIONS MANAGER Monique Gruter OPERATIONS ASSISTANT Desislava Pentcheva DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Patrick van der Klugt FINANCIAL ADVISER Kurt Schmidt, Veresis Consulting PRINTER Het Volk Printing ISSN 1872-3268 THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Shafiq Aziz, Peter Bartlema, Willem de Blaauw, Anuschka Blommers, Jane Cavanagh, Floris Dogterom, Willeke Duyvekam, Laura Groeneveld, Matt Groening, Arnoud Holleman, Luuk van Huët, Celia Layton, Jeroen de Leijer, Nick Leslie, Maarten van Maanen, Mike Peek, Kim Renfrew, Marinus de Ruiter, Suzanne Schreve, Niels Schumm, Shain Shapiro, Martine Stig and Mark Wedin.

10 PIECES OF LOST CLOTHING by Arnoud Holleman

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Amsterdam Weekly

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11-17 January 2007

MAARTEN VAN MAANEN

AROUND TOWN

Guilder love Millions of coins returned, but many more still cherished.

By Mark Wedin Five years after switching currencies, the final days of exchanging guilder coins for euros came to a close on 30 December.

According to surveys conducted last year

by De Nederlansche Bank (DNB), roughly half of the households still in possession of guilders did not realise that a monetary exchange was still possible. So, during the last three months of 2006, DNB beefed up their efforts with an awareness campaign, which included a pamphlet entitled Help!

I’ve found some guilders! and the addition of every Postbank to the list of possible places for exchange.

The result: over 300,000 coin-laden folks showed up for the trade and 14.6 million euros were handed out—and one third of this occurred in the last two days of the year, with 100,000 people standing in line. Busy times indeed.

According to DNB press spokesman Loek van Daalen, the returned coins were melted down and sold to the metal industry, where the raw material is used for potentially anything—forks, fietsventielen, steamboats, you name it. As for the paper guilders, their deadline for

exchange isn’t until 2032. (Stay tuned for an update.) Why such long grace periods?

‘When the euro was first introduced,’ explains Van Daalen, ‘an agreement was made to make a long period, to give people a chance to bring them back. Many people told us that they were very attached to the guilders for sentimental reasons. Others said that the amount they had in guilders was of so little value they didn’t want to bother bringing it in.’

And many people didn’t. According to DNB’s counts, on 1 January 2004, there were 3,571,500,000 guilders still among the people. Two years later, that number only dropped to 3,544,400,000. ‘Today,’ says Van Daalen, ‘there’s about a half-billion euros’ worth of guilders still out there.’

That adds up to a heck of a lot of sentimental value. And a lot of metal—all in our hands. Might there be a better use for the old coinage than merely stirring up emotions? Maybe building cars from kwartjes? Or diningware from dubbeltjes?

Perhaps even a brass-plated, stuiver-studded new hat for the queen?

‘That would be funny,’ replies Aaltje Loeshuis, a fourth-year literature student at UvA. ‘For me, it just started out sentimental. I really liked the guilder and I hoped it would come back. The euro is so ugly, and when my friends and I saw the new money, we were really throwing up.’

But for Loeshuis, it was more than mere aesthetics. ‘When the euro came in, we were all bankrupt in a way. Our old money didn’t have its value anymore and turning it in was a sort of loss.’

But last month, Loeshuis finally exchanged most of her old coins. ‘Well, it

Next time we’ll put less kwartjes on the bow.

was a good moment to clean the house,’ she smiles. ‘At first, I thought I didn’t have so much, but then I saw I had twenty euros. You can get something nice with that. But I kept one of each of the coins— and a lot of stuivers for the I Ching. You need old coins for that.’

Retired businessman Koenraad Dijkstra didn’t return any of his leftover coins before the deadline. ‘The main reason for me to keep them is to show them to my children and, hopefully, some grandchildren. But I always like to keep things from the olden days—a specimen, just to have it. I don’t, however, think they will have a market value in our period of the economic horizon. What I mean by that is, in the coming twenty or twenty-five years, so many coins will remain in existence that even if it were to become a popular subject for collections, maybe they might become a little more expensive than their original value. But it is not an investment which gives a profit. It is simply a memory of a period.’

He points out that the names of the old coins continue to live on in the language, and he recalls some standard sayings, like the sad but often true, Als je als ’n dubbeltje geboren wordt dan wordt je nooit ’n kwartje [‘If you were born a dime, you’ll never become a quarter’]. Dijkstra then rubs one of his old dimes fondly, and places it back into a box with the others.

‘As a matter of speaking,’ he says, ‘the old money will remain in the collective hearts and minds of the people.’

Lobbying for local power De Baarsjes gets up, into it and involved.

By Floris Dogterom Kankeren, zeuren, klagen. Grousing, nagging, complaining. Amsterdammers excel at these, without ever having the intention of actually doing something about the abuses they complain about. In De Baarsjes, citizens can stop whining though, for this stadsdeel is offering a free course in political participation. The initiator is the Instituut voor Publiek en Politiek [Dutch Centre for Political Participation]. After last year’s success, a new Politiek Betrokken [‘politically involved’] course kicks off on 22 January.

Sitting in the no-nonsense canteen of the stadsdeelkantoor, Petra Duivenvoorde, clerk of the council, and Jos Roest, councillor for the social-democratic PvdA in De Baarsjes, explain what participants can expect.

‘The main issue at stake is how can I, as a citizen, exert influence on what’s happening in De Baarsjes,’ says Duivenvoorde. ‘The course will take five evenings, during which it will be explained how politics in general work.

Some light will also be shed on what you

Amsterdam Weekly

11-17 January 2007

Ensuring citizens stay on the stairway to power.

MAARTEN VAN MAANEN

can do as an activist. Last year, we invited someone who successfully campaigned against the demolition of the Chassékerk [a Baarsjes church that’s not in use anymore for worship]. The man was quite successful, because the church is still standing. It’s all about: how do I get the issue that I care about on the agenda, and how do I get what I want? The answer is: be well-informed and lobby with politicians.’

Since 2005, the general public have had the opportunity to launch a so-called ‘burgerinitiatief’, or civil initiative. On a local level this means that, if a person or a group of people have ideas for changes in their neighbourhood that require political decision-making, 125 signatures need to be collected to support the proposal— albeit on the condition that the council has not itself taken resolutions about the topic recently.

If those two conditions are met, the council has an obligation to deal with the proposal. One of the outcomes of the new course should be that the participants formulate a civil initiative that will be discussed in the council. Duivenvoorde says that it’s not the intention of the course to produce proposals at any cost: ‘It needs to be an issue the participants were already concerned about.’

Last year’s course brought forth two proposals, recalls Roest. ‘Residents were annoyed about the ineffectiveness of traffic wardens. While doing their daily job, they could be doing something useful in addition. The idea was to let them, apart from checking on parking permits, be a kind of neighbourhood watch who could observe loose paving stones and wrecked bicycles and so on. The traffic wardens’ company actually liked it—it would adjust their image of being bogeymen, somewhat.’ The plan has not been carried out yet, but it’s still on the council’s agenda for this year.

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One of the participants of the 2006 course was Gillian Ford. Oddly enough, she wasn’t exactly the person who needed stimulus to get politically involved. In 2005, Scotswoman Ford, who doesn’t want to reveal her age [‘I’m 39 for the next 50 years’], started the Gehandi-

Windowatch

Address withheld

Open wide and smile please.

WILLEKE DUYVEKAM

By Suzanne Schreve

capten Platform de Baarsjes [‘platform for the physically impaired’]. Ford became disabled herself after her ankle was shattered in an accident. She can’t walk for more than 25 metres, and uses a mobility scooter. She says: ‘We not only protect the interests of disabled and

Most people don’t like going to the dentist. Early bad experiences involving a dentist with a scrutinising eye, copious nostril hair and a screeching drill now have you brushing and flossing religiously to avoid interaction with the tooth profession.

But then you get a toothache for a couple of weeks. You’ll have to face the chair—and maybe the nostril hair— again. Perhaps you live in De Pijp and you phone Lia, but before you make the appointment, she asks you to pop by. ‘You never know how they will react. He or she might be a conservative who does not expect a dentist’s window with puppets and butterflies,’ Lia says.

Lia’s practice is on the first floor of her own house. Limited space meant she had to build the suction duct’s motor outside. After it was finished, Lia figured it looked like a balcony, so she turned it into a (miniature) one, placing dolls, chairs and a table on it.

This April, a parakeet flew into the window and moved in. ‘She decided to stay. I called her “Pop” and made a

chronically ill people, but also of those with a low income. Two times a week we run a consultation without appointments, where people seek our help for a variety of issues, be it having difficulties with their tax forms, health problems, whatever. We also fight for accessibility for wheelchairs. Mind you, we don’t replace regular welfare institutions, but rather support them, because they don’t always function all that well.’

Ford says last year’s Politiek Betrokken course wasn’t really useful for her, ‘although the part about the political history of the Netherlands was really interesting. The rest of the course dealt with taking political initiatives yourself, which I obviously knew a lot about already. But for other people it is a very good course.’

Ford and her platform already have one civil initiative in the bag: ‘Although it was named differently back then, in September 2005 we collected a hundred and fifteen signatures to have benches on the Hoofdweg. It’s quite a long street, and older and disabled people need to rest now and then. I defended the proposal in the council. The benches have been placed there now.’

The activist has one more word of advice for ambitious fellow campaigners: ‘Never ignore the civil servants. You may think it’s all about getting things done with politicians, but civil servants play a very important role in the existence of a volunteer group. Civil servants are regularly abused, but they work hard. You have to let them know what it is that you are after. It will help your cause.’ www.amsterdam.nl/baarsjes/?ActItmIdt=26483

cage on top of the balcony, so she could be outside. Now she follows me everywhere; sits on my head most of the time. It’s sweet, but I think I’ll have to buy her a friend because she gets upset when I leave the house.’

Lia is probably the least scary dentist ever; her practice is more of a playground. ‘I used to be a primary school teacher. Before that I tried acting. I didn’t like it, and started dentistry because I figured it was time to do something steady. But I still like to integrate my creativity.’

Her window has become a tourist attraction. ‘My neighbours told me that a group of people stood in front of my window, cameras in hand, wondering where everything had gone. Earlier, the council told me to remove the dolls, without good reason. It’s better if you don’t give my address. The council might not like the fact I restored it.’

If you find yourself still in fear of getting poked and X-rayed, check the phonebook for a dentist named Lia in De Pijp. She’ll make you smile with pearly whites again.

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Amsterdam Weekly

11-17 January 2007

PIECES OF T

he body of a clothed man lies across a bed, his head facing a wall decorated with album covers by Marvin Gaye and other singers. In front of the bed, on a table, are a record player with disc still on it and a couple of bottles, one of which appears to be an empty wine bottle. Next to that is a chair with an ashtray and a packet of cigarettes on the seat, and some clothes draped over the back. The text accompanying the photo reads: ‘Discovery of corpse, 1964’.

The picture is part of a haunting book called Plaats Delict [crime scene], issued

by Amsterdam-Amstelland police. It consists of images of local crime scenes captured by police photographers from 1965 to 1985. To accompany publication, an exhibition at Foam showing part of the extensive police photo collection opens on 13 January. It’s a rare thing for police to share sensitive information like these photos with the general public, but in fact, it was someone within the organisation who initiated the whole project.

Myriam Missana started working for the police photography department in October 2000. She teamed up with Gerard Blankerts and Jan Wendt, who had worked as forensic photographers since 1970. By then, it had already been decided that the police would no longer employ the services of professional photographers, but instead send forensic teams on photography courses. Blankerts and Wendt were the last of a dying breed. Missana worked right next to the photography department’s archive, a messy reminder of the analogue period. ‘Whenever I had spare time, I’d go into the archive and dig through the negatives,’ she says. ‘When I found a captivating image I would try to find the corresponding police files, which unfortunately weren’t always there. Often, I’d ask detectives working at the time the photos were taken for information on the cases. I heard so many interesting stories.’

Initially, Missana started collecting, organising and digitising negatives as a tribute to Blankerts, who was about to retire. But the more time Missana spent in the archive, the more she became convinced of the uniqueness of the collection she’d stumbled on. ‘About three years ago it really hit me,’ she says. ‘By then, I had collected so many photos and stories that I had created a small archive of my own. I realised that this was a type of professional photography used in a very unusual context that no longer existed.’

As it happened, Missana had a friend who, at that time, was working for Foam. ‘I didn’t really know how the police would feel about it, but when I showed some of the photos to my friend she was ecstatic.’

It took some intense lobbying to convince people within the police force: ‘It wasn’t just the ethical side of it, whether or not you should consciously expose the public to the horror of a crime scene. It

Blood and guts and an eye for detail make art out of crimes and misdemeanours.

BY LAURA GROENEVELD

was also very hard to convince the police photographers of the aesthetic quality of their work and why it deserved to be seen by a much larger audience.’

Someone who never doubted the artistic quality was Colette Olof, curator at Foam. ‘The Plaats Delict photos are very strong images, both aesthetically and compositionally,’ she says. ‘Take this picture of a woman whose dead body is draped around the staircase. It may sound cruel, but the way her body aligns with her surrounding... compositionally speaking, that’s beautiful. Yet I don’t know the story behind this picture. I can’t tell you whether she fell down the stairs, or whether she was killed. The thirty-five pictures we chose for our exhibition were selected exclusively by image. We explicitly didn’t want to know the story behind the pictures, in case it skewed our judgement.’

Henk Zaaiman, a retired forensic inspector, does know many of the stories behind the photos. Zaaiman started working in forensics back in 1951. He had learned how to photograph during military service, and when it became clear he wasn’t destined for a career in dactyloscopy—fingerprint identification—he soon found himself working as a police photographer. Zaaiman photographed many crime scenes, but also lent his services to special events, award ceremonies, and police publications. In 1963, the then chief commissioner decided to hire the services of two professional photographers, promoting Zaaiman to chief photographer, a job he carried out until his next promotion in 1970. ‘Looking back, it was a great time and I learned a lot about photography just by looking at how these men worked,’ Zaaiman says. On the other hand, the newly hired photographers had plenty to learn about police work as well.

‘One had worked in the medical world, so he was at his best when it came to taking pictures of autopsies. But he really had to learn how to photograph crime scenes.

The other one came from the air service and had photographed aeroplane crashes, so he was really good when it came to crime scenes—but he didn’t know how to photograph an autopsy. We all taught each other, really.’

Still, not every photographer turned out to be right for the job. ‘I remember one photographer couldn’t stand the sight of blood,’ Zaaiman says. ‘He quit. That’s just something you can’t learn to deal with: either you can or you can’t handle blood.’

According to Zaaiman, what differentiates forensic photography from other forms of photography is the fact that you can’t use

tricks. ‘You can’t use a light effect to show the object you’re photographing. You have to show it just the way it is, you can’t make it look nicer.’

‘Forensic photography is very straightforward,’ Zaaiman continues. ‘You have to give a documented record of the scene as it is observed. That’s all it is. But the problem is that you don’t know what the focus will be during the investigation, or what will end up as important evidence in court.

It might be that a small piece of chrome next to someone’s head can turn out to be crucial. That’s why you have to document as many details as possible. You can’t miss anything.’

To keep himself from overlooking any details, Zaaiman had a systematic way of working. ‘First, I would [leave] my bag outside and put my camera around my neck.

Then I would walk past the scene, hands in pockets, to refrain from touching anything. That’s another crucial aspect of forensic photography: never disturb a crime scene.

‘Next, I would photograph the scene from three positions: the entire scene; the relationship of items; and close-ups of evidence. All the while I’d ask myself: does what I’m seeing make sense? That kind of deductive reasoning helps you find relationships between items. I remember entering a particular scene, where there were four toys on each end of a carpet.

That certainly didn’t make sense, so we lifted the carpet and noticed a distinct smell of soap. It turned out there were blood stains resulting from a murder that someone had tried to clean off.’

Although Zaaiman never suffered mental problems from his work—he had hobbies to stop himself worrying—he does acknowledge the brutal side of the job. ‘What makes police photography so difficult is that, aside from the technicalities, there’s so much psychology involved.

I’ve witnessed many horrible things in my time. But you can’t think about that. The moment you look at a corpse and think of it as a person with a family, a past, and a future that’s now gone, you’re over. You have to look at a corpse and think of it as an object. There’s just no other way.’

In our therapy culture, it’s hard to imagine that men like Zaaiman never had opportunity to let off steam. ‘Back when I worked with the police, there weren’t any psychologists you could talk to, neither did you discuss that type of thing with colleagues. But we did make jokes as a way of dealing with things. There was this one joke we always used to make: use maximum exposure time—that corpse won’t be

moving anymore.’

To Zaaiman, it must seem strange that fashion and advertising now often aims to recreate scenes like those in Plaats Delict: ‘Personally, I don’t consider forensic photography to be art, but it is founded on the basic principles of photography. It’s impossible for a trained photographer to not apply those rules, so the pictures will always have a certain quality.’

But that quality has declined since the police stopped working with professionals, Missana says. ‘A professional photographer has an eye for things that he isn’t even aware of himself. Today, most crime scene photos are all about fact finding and not about being compositionally right. The pictures don’t have to be brilliant to serve their purpose.

‘Obviously, part of it also has to do with the fact that everything is photographed digitally these days,’ Missana is quick to add. ‘Before, forensic photographers shot everything on film using a Hasselblad camera. They printed the photos themselves, using a six-by-six format. That gave the photos a certain quality as well.’

What’s interesting about both book and exhibition is that it offers an overview on many levels; on the one hand it’s a history of forensic photography from black and white to colour. At the same time, the photos show the history of Amsterdam, crime in Amsterdam and the city’s police force. Interiors, haircuts, clothing, uniforms, type of crime and criminal—all change over the course of the years.

‘That’s what gives the photos special meaning,’ Missana says. ‘It isn’t just about crime and murder, it’s also about the aesthetic quality and about recognising places and events from the past. Some of the photos have a real Eighties feel to them. When I look at those, I remember the Amsterdam of my childhood. But everyone will look at the photos differently.’

For Zaaiman, the photos mean remembering the stories behind the pictures. ‘There is so much these photos don’t tell you. For instance, there’s a photo of a sociale ontruiming [enforced eviction] in the book. I remember when we entered that house, rats came crawling down the stairs.’

For Missana, an adventure that started three years ago has finally come to an end.

‘I’m really happy with the selection of photos that made it into the book and the exhibition. To me, the most important thing about this project was to introduce the public to the work of two great photographers, Gerard Blankerts and Jan Wendt.

Not many people could manage an inhuman job like they did and still remain such humane people.’

Plaats Delict 13 January-25 February, Foam, Keizergracht 609, 551 6500, www.foam.nl. Plaats Delict the book, published 12 January by Nieuw Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Weekly

1971AMSTERDAM OOST. PHOTO: POLITIE AMSTERDAM-AMSTELLAND

11-17 January 2007 7

EVIDENCE

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Amsterdam Weekly

11-17 January 2007

CRUMP UP THE VOLUME The party was lame. There was no denying it. The people responsible had thrown more than enough cash at it, judging from the location and the big names jockeying the discs, but it lacked a heart, a soul—a spleen, even. But, just when I had decided to call it a night, something miraculous happened. All of a sudden, the dance floor filled with fashionistas and fashion victims alike, and a posse of eclectically deckedout people started to lay down some beats.

They were as multi-ethnic and as diverse in appearance as could be, but they all wore some kind of outlandish accessory, ranging from big top hats resting on dreadlocks to tiny Cato-masks to a beaknosed mask not unlike that belonging in the traditional repertoire of Venetian Carnival costume.

I even found myself checking out a fine-looking filly, until her five o’clock shadow gave away that the dude looked like a lady. Roused by the chanting, the assembled party people started busting moves, sometimes competing against each other, sometimes dancing in sync. I was witnessing the legendary dance style called ‘crumping’ for the first time, a genre which some will be familiar with after witnessing David LaChapelle’s extraordinary documentary Rize.

After a raucous show that left even the stiffest squares bobbing their heads, I was determined to get to the bottom of these mysterious masked men, women and transgendered practitioners of party resuscitation. All I had was a name, chanted throughout the performance: ‘Ontfront!’

Luckily, Ontfront proved to be anything but elusive. A quick emailing session brought me into contact with Tomas Overtoom, who was kind enough to invite me to

The Ontfront crew is representing Amsterdam with style and swerves and lots of muscular moves.

BY LUUK VAN HUËT PHOTO BY MARTINE STIG the opening of a swanky new sneaker store and the Ontfront party later that night at Bitterzoet.

The name Ontfront is symbolic of the dancers’ entire endeavour, as Overtoom explains: ‘Ontfront is a corrupted, halfEnglish, half-Dutch term which is a pun on the American art of “fronting”, which means acting tough, wearing a front. Ontfront is the flipside of it, it’s saying: be positive. A mask for someone’s front makes a double negative, so it’s positive.’

Overtoom is keen to outline the gender-bending qualities of his crew: ‘Ontfront was created to give hiphop in Amsterdam an accessible vibe, and that is just a part of it. It’s part of the face of Amsterdam, and to implement that in hiphop is something new, according to us. Everyone is welcome, and you don’t have to fit into a certain niche or scene to be a part of it or to feel welcome at Ontfront. The masks are a part of it, they make people feel more anonymous and therefore people tend to feel more comfortable and this creates a loose, relaxed atmosphere.’

Besides ideological and linguistic creativity, the foundation of Ontfront also serves practical matters, as Overtoom expounds: ‘I must say that I’ve grown up with hiphop, it runs through my veins, and I’ve programmed a lot of other parties in

the past, in other clubs, dealing with other styles of music, but there’s something in the hiphop scene in Amsterdam that holds back the parties from becoming truly scintillating. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish. We—that’s me and a whole lot of other people—have been toying with the idea of reviving hiphop parties for a long time now, as they were very vital in the past, up until ’93 or ’94. After that, they started to deteriorate. The atmosphere worsened, there were more and more fights at the parties, it just went downhill.

So, instead of whining about other parties, we decided to take the matter in our own hands. We’ve been going at it for a bit more than a year now.’

Compared to the foul-mouthed, pimped-out gangster rap culture that angrily blazes from the TV screens, Ontfront seem to take place on another planet.

So how do Ontfront see themselves in relation to this image of the culture they are a part of? ‘We don’t want to give the impression that we are against people seriously involved with hiphop, who have a chauvinistic point of view,’ says the crew’s leader. ‘The music we play often reflects that, but we feel that composition of a hiphop party in Amsterdam should reflect the people from Amsterdam.’

The commercial success of the musical

genre might also have contributed to the demise of the party scene. Overtoom concurs: ‘That has certainly been a factor in the changing nature, but I think the most crucial oversight at that time was the lack of a home-grown, Dutch, Amsterdambased hiphop identity, instead of copying things from abroad. That created an uncomfortable atmosphere. What we strive for is hiphop with a milder, more relaxed atmosphere where people don’t take themselves too seriously.’

The Venetian party apparel has been a part of Ontfront from the beginning. ‘That is the result of two things. A: we wanted to present how unique the Amsterdam scene is in the Netherlands. Amsterdam’s scene is very much based on style, it’s a very styleconscious scene and we wanted Ontfront to represent that. B: a Venetian mask is so unlike hiphop that it fitted beautifully with our intent to play with extremes. If you come to think of it, a front is nothing more than a mask in itself.’

What’s baffling to more rhythmically challenged observers is that Ontfront’s dancing is totally spontaneous. Overtoom says this spontaneity fits in with the group’s philosophy that organising a party should be fun: ‘We always work towards the date of a party. For tonight, some tracks have been produced for us specifically by J-Live from New York who will perform them live at Bitterzoet. But we don’t practice. The dancing is not rehearsed, those are freestyle battles.’

Any advice for prospective revellers: ‘We play the hard, deep core of hiphop, so we’re true to our musical integrity, but we aim to attract a new, diverse crowd. If you want to be part of it, just come to one of our parties.’

11-17 January 2007

Amsterdam Weekly

9

SHORT LIST

Casio, Seiko, Sheraton, Toyota and Mars (Best of International Short Film Festival Oberhausen), Friday, De Balie

THURSDAY11JANUARY Stage: Torch Song Trilogy They say that laughter is the best medicine (though I plump for ibuprofen) and if there’s any time of year when you need a pick-me-up and you can’t afford a spa minibreak, then this is it. The Queen’s English Theatre Company, a theatrical bunch of gay men whose previous outings include Bedroom Farce and The Curse of the Werewolf, are bringing Torch Song Trilogy back to Amsterdam. Already a hit last autumn, the troupe are reprising the play before heading off to tour Berlin, Ljubljana and Zagreb.

The play, penned by Harvey Fierstein, tells the story of Arnold, a New York Jewish drag queen whose antics and complicated life will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. The film version was a stonking hit, starring Mr Fierstein himself and the luscious Anne Bancroft—who I personally still hold a torch for, even beyond the grave. In English. (Jane Cavanagh) Crea Theater, 19.30, €16. Until 14 January.

Pop: The Magic Numbers At a time when pop music was swaying too far away from its origin, The Magic Numbers emerged with a sound heavily influenced by the past, without dwelling too much on tracing its roots, and boy, was it refreshing. Their self-titled debut was fantastic, an album worth listening to from start to finish over and over, as each three-part harmony and subtle guitar swoon revealed a little bit more with every listen, mastering the art that The Mamas and the Papas and Lovin’ Spoonful had already made their own way back. After a sold-out show at the Melkweg in October, the band return to the—larger—Paradiso with a new album, new single and new direction, one built as much on their own past as their influences. On Those the Brokes, their sophomore release, the songs are more patient, drawn out and lugubrious like a failing but lengthy relationship and, once again, reveal more secrets after each spin, showcasing a mature quartet of tunesmiths mastering the art of pop. Live, they are a treat too, so expect a sprinkling of new songs alongside older ones and the odd cover. (Shain Shapiro) Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 20.30, €15 + membership.

Jazz: Hans Teeuwen To many, Hans Teeuwen’s announcement in 2005 that he would stop doing his absurdist and often dark comedy shows may have come as a surprise. But his return to the stage last year must have puzzled them even more. Because this time, the acclaimed and controversial comedian/actor has taken to singing American Songbook standards, i.e. the stuff made famous by Frank Sinatra and the like. The regular clientele of Toom-

ler, however, must have known about Teeuwen’s crooning aspirations as he, more than once, had grabbed the microphone at the weekly jazz sessions at the stand-up comedians’ hangout, where laurelled saxophonist Benjamin Herman also occasionally joined in. Thus the seed was sown for a night in Panama, which has now turned into a bimonthly nightclubby affair with BN’ers et al. Whether Teeuwen’s statement, and the show’s subtitle—liedjes die door anderen beter zijn gezongen—that others have interpreted these songs much better many times before is false modesty remains open for debate. But his vocal talents and stellar backing band, including Herman and guitarist Jesse van Ruller, will make quite a few would-be crooners eat their hearts out. (Peter Bartlema) Panama, 21.00, €15-€35.

FRIDAY12 JANUARY Film: Best of International Short Film Festival Oberhausen This weekend, De Balie presents a selection of the best entries for the 53rd International Short Film Festival Oberhausen. The ‘Internationale Kurzfilmtage’ are deeply imprinted in German film history as the event where Wim Wenders ‘smoked his first cigarette’ and Roman Polanski made the first steps in his prolific cinematic career.

Opening this ‘best of’ event on Friday is Album, the 24-minute investigation into the family of Matthias Müller. Just like most of Müller’s work, Counter by Volker Schreiner is a clever collage of found film footage. Casio, Seiko, Sheraton, Toyota and Mars by Sean Snyder deals with the acceptance of consumer goods on both sides of the frontline in the Iraq war. The Brazilian short Man.Road.River won the Grand Prize of the festival in 2005. Shelly Silver’s 15-minute documentary What I’m looking for... was based on an internet ad requesting people to reveal something intimate. The programme closes with Nathalie Djurberg’s tantalisingly titled Tiger Licking Girl’s Butt.

(Marinus de Ruiter) De Balie, 20.30, €7. Also Saturday.

Club: Club ArtLaunch Amsterdam boring as a gay city? Hell no! Thanks to the inventive crew from ArtLaunch, the previous years have seen a plethora of interesting ideas materialising in various wicked new club nights. It all started with MAF, the Multiple Arts Festival, which combined up-and-coming DJs with underground performance and arty themes to make a dazzlingly different fun night out. Then there were the ‘Amsterdam meets...’ nights, where each incarnation had a link with another hip city like Barcelona, Berlin or Saõ Paulo. Now ArtLaunch—which also has a big finger in the Pink Grey nights and

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so doesn’t only cater for hipsters and the body beautifuls—has merged two of their Studio 80 club nights, Black Box and Electric Xchange, into one monthly party: Club ArtLaunch. The first one is again themed ‘Amsterdam meets Berlin’. Special guest DJ is Hanno Hinkelbein, spinning techno, electro, breakbeats and industrial noise, accompanied by outspoken techno, electro and minimal music from DJ Martijn. To top it off there are the well-known fab visuals from VJs AlexEtJeremy. And remember: anyone is welcome, whatever their sexuality, and long as they come equipped with the requisite ’tude. (Willem de Blaauw) Studio 80, 23.00-05.00, €7.

SATURDAY13 JANUARY Stage: Performances / Situations / Movement Events In a weekend of art performances, De Appel will look back on the legacies of feminism in art history through the eyes of young artists. Throughout the whole weekend, Will Holder will perform a recital of Gertrude Stein’s early 20th century novel The Making of the Americans. On Saturday at 17.30, Maria Pask and Esther de Vlam investigate the ins and outs of human reproduction in their performance The Birds and the Bees, which will be preceded by works of Hague Yang (16.00). Sunday’s closing event at 19.00 is provided by Berlin-based electronic musician and video artist planningtorock, AKA Janine Rostron, who rose to fame last year, impressing audiences with her operatic voice and her ‘cyborg from the Victorian age’ stage presence. Also presenting a performance on Sunday is Sarah Pierce (15.00). (Marinus de Ruiter) De Appel, 13.00-19.00, free (reservation required). Also Sunday.

Dance: The Whirling Dervishes of Damascus It all started in Paris in 1953 when Julien Weiss was born. He grew up to be a classically trained guitarist, but like many young people of his generation, Weiss questioned the values of Western culture and hit the road in the early ’70s. His travels took him to Cairo, Tunis, Istanbul, Beirut and Baghdad before finally settling in Syria. Weiss gradually became a virtuoso of the qânun (Arabic zither). He converted to Islam, learned Arabic and adopted the name Jâlal Eddine in honour of the founder of the order of the whirling dervishes Jâlal Eddine Rûmi. He bought and refurbished a 16th-century Mamluk palace in the historical part of Damascus that he has converted into a salon de musique and the base for the Al-Kindi Ensemble, which he founded in 1983. The group is currently considered among the best formations devoted to classical Arab music, steeped in the various musical traditions of the Near and Middle East. An oriental gem that is an absolute must-see. (Shafiq Aziz) Het Muziektheater, 20.15, €12.50-€25. Also Sunday.

SUNDAY14 JANUARY Photography: Bare Who are the people subsisting below the poverty line and how do they live? With this question as his starting point, photographer Geert van Kesteren travelled around the Netherlands recording the hidden existence of the poor on the fringes of a rich society.

Aptly entitled Bare, the exhibition portrays stark images of single mothers, pensioners, the sick, the unemployed and the unemployable, all of whom, for one reason or another, are now dependent on food banks and pitiful social security benefits to survive. The exhibition is part of the annual ‘Document Nederland’ photography assignment organised by NRC Handelsblad and the Rijksmuseum. Accompanying the photos are also ‘sound portraits’ featuring the voices of some of those affected by or working with poverty (a social worker, a pensioner, a debt counsellor, for example), as well as photos on the same theme taken by a group of teenagers aged between 13 and 17 years old. (Celia Layton) Huis Marseille. Until 4 March.

TUESDAY16 JANUARY Soul: The Funk Brothers When music aficionados are quizzed on the band that has amassed the greatest amount of number ones in the history of popular music, nine times out of 10, they answer incorrectly. Nope, it wasn’t The Beatles. Nor Elvis Presley. Give up? Okay, it was, in fact, The Funk Brothers, who backed up nearly every Motown artist right through the 1960s and 1970s, earning hundreds of chart toppers along the way. Recently, the band have stepped from the session floor into the spotlight, a consequence of the 2002 movie, Standing in the Shadows of Motown, which told their story, while a tour with Ben Harper and Sheryl Crow among others showed the world that, while the stars up front contributed intensely to Motown, it was these guys who pumped blood through the label’s veins. The touring continues still, and the band pitches up at the Paradiso tonight. Expect a slurry of Motown hits, from Stevie Wonder to the Temptations, and potentially everything in between. If it wasn’t for the Funk Brothers, that Motor City sound would not exist. Go show your gratitude for what these brothers did for popular music. (Shain Shapiro) Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 21.00, €25 + membership.

Send details and images for listing consideration at least two weeks in advance to agenda@amsterdamweekly.nl.

11-17 January 2007

Amsterdam Weekly

MUSIC Send listing suggestions at least two weeks in advance to agenda@amsterdamweekly.nl

Thursday 11January Rock: Emergenza Music Festival Yet another batch of eager rock acts are in store in this latest round of the international battle-of-the-bands contest. Chances are you won’t have heard of any though, unless your cousin is dating one of the drummers. Winston Kingdom, 19.30, €12 Noorderslag Weekend: Eurosonic What bands are going to crack Europe in 2007? The ones that dazzle the audiences and industry peeps in Groningen, of course. Acts lined up for the Eurosonic part of the festival include: Uffie, Ben Ottewell, Hot Gossip, The Je Ne Sais Quoi, Tunng and many more. Tickets are pretty scarce now, so if you’re unprepared, you’ll probably have to make do with the bands that added Amsterdam to their touring calendar. Various locations and times, Groningen, 20.00, sold out Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Joined

by Polish-Hungarian pianist Piotr Anderszewski, the orchestra will be performing works by Mussorgsky, Mozart and Tchaikovsky; conducted by Australian Alan Gilbert. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €47.50 Pop/Rock: The Magic Numbers It’s hard to hate them. Unless men with beards being cheery really makes you angry. See Short List. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 20.30, €15 + membership Jazz: Hans Teeuwen Dutch comedian turns crooner.

See Short List. Panama, 21.00, €15-€35 Jazz: Lovebites CD presentation. Badcuyp, Bovenzaal, 21.00, €8 Jazz: Reinier van Houdt In Pieces Off the Street, pianist Van Houdt—a member of the Ives Ensemble and the Maarten Altena Ensemble—performs work of composers who let through sounds from outside the academy: protest songs, dance music, free improvisations, hymns, collages, silences and soundtracks. The best known amongst them are Ives, Ligeti, Cardew and Alvin Curran. Bimhuis, 21.00, €12 Rock: Rock night With live sets from Pimpersticker and Greendive. Volta, 21.00, €5 Electronica: Der Tante Renate Bizarro beat-friendly electro pop from these German Poptrash favourites.

Melkweg, 23.00, €4

Friday 12 January Classical: Lunch Concert Featuring students from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Bethaniënklooster, 12.30, free Rock: Emergenza Music Festival (See Thursday) Winston Kingdom, 19.30, €12 Noorderslag Weekend: Eurosonic (See Thursday) Various locations and times, Groningen, 20.00, sold out

De Nieuwe Vrolijkheid (Noorderslag Weekend), see Thursday

head up to Noorderslag later this weekend. Maloe Melo, 22.00, €5 Rock: Prof Nomad’s AC/DC session For those about to rock, Bartel Bartels (Prof Nomad) and Ross Curry salute you. But can they do the Angus hop? Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 22.00, €7.50

Saturday 13 January Classical: Mozart & Mendelssohn Performed by soprano Caroline Cartens, clarinettist Joost Hekel, bass horn player Marieke Verkruisen and forte-pianist Riko Fukuda. Noorderkerk, 14.00, €10 Classical: Radio Filharmonisch Orkest With the Groot Omroepkoor, performing works by Debussy, Boulez and Wagner. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 14.15, €19/€26 Pop: Het Grote Zoen Feest A party marking the new year at Blijburg, featuring special guests, friends and beach regulars. Blijburg, 18.00, free Rock: Emergenza Music Festival (See Thursday) Winston Kingdom, 19.30, €12 Noorderslag Weekend: Noorderslag The premier showcase for Dutch bands and the place to be if you want to catch upcoming stars from the local scenes that can be found around the country. Bigger names like C-mon & Kypski, Johan and Ilse de Lange are on the list, but so are the likes of Matik, Alamo Race Track, Dicecream, Hospital Bombers and loads more. Various locations and times, Groningen, 20.00, sold out Pop: Söhne Mannheims This German bunch are tipped for big international success this year. Or at least, so says their press release. Representing the multicultural and multinational climate of modern Germany with their mix of pop, rock, reggae, hiphop and string arrangements, their future sounds bright.

But Amsterdam Weekly’s German correspondent is keen to add: ‘Don’t believe it! They’re cheesy Jesus freaks abusing R&B principles and have terrible lyrics overflowing with grammatical errors.’ Decide for yourself. Melkweg, 20.00, €20 + membership Singer-songwriter: Ben Ottewell A rare solo show from the Gomez frontman, travelling around the Netherlands this weekend to launch his one-man project. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 20.30, €10 + membership Latin: Orquesta Bembe 19-piece salsa big band devoted to original sound of Puerto Rican/New York salsa dating from 1950 to 1980. KIT Tropentheater, 20.30, €18

Hot Gossip Rock: Wasser Umsonnst Gazeuse! New wave dance punk and hardcore from Italian outfits Hot Gossip and Super Elastic Bubble Plastic, plus local outfit The Stutters. De Nieuwe Anita, 20.00, €6 Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (See Thursday) Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €47.50 Jazz: Sal Mosca A solo performance from the 79year-old pianist and master of cool jazz and post-bop.

Bimhuis, 21.00, €14 Heavy: Sunpower Hardcore and punk from Belgium, with support from Amsterdam street punks Heros and Zeros and Gewapend Beton. OCCII, 21.30, €5 Bluegrass: Blue Grass Boogiemen Traditional bluegrass, country and hillbilly sounds from the retro Dutch quartet who played Lowlands last summer and

Electro rock: Le Club Suburbia Funky synth electro rockin’ from lively fun Swedes The Je Ne Sais Quoi, who’re the perfect match for Amsterdam’s own variant of synth rock destruction, About, who you’ll see in support. OCCII, 21.00, €5 Jazz: Oliva-Raulin Pianists Oliva and Raulin and their ensemble will be collaborating in this project titled Echoes of Spring, which pays tribute to the masters of the Harlem stride—a popular piano style from the ’20s and ’30s, originally brought to life by the likes of James P Johnson, Fats Waller and Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith. Bimhuis, 21.00, €12 Rock: Subbacultcha! Featuring Italian psychedelic rock outfit Julie’s Haircut and as-glam-as-they-canmanage rockers Glameoki. Bitterzoet, 21.00, €6 Rock: The Gathering Dark, atmospheric rock as the promotional tour for their album Home rolls on. P60, Amstelveen, 21.00, €17.50 Blues: Twelve Bar Blues Band Old-style blues rocking in a Chicago style. Maloe Melo, 22.00, €5

Hiphop/R&B: Dutchsoil A jam session, but there’s no live band in sight. Instead, four DJs will be simultaneously dishing out sweet grooves. Plus the ticket price includes a Free Kings CD. Sugar Factory, 22.30, €10

Sunday 14 January Jazz: YPF Piano Competition Jazz 2007 Finals Competition for pianists between the ages of 13 and 27. Each gets to perform three contrasting songs, both solo and accompanied, and the winner will be given the opportunity to record a CD for the Gramercy Park music label. Bimhuis, 13.00, €10 Classical: Strauss Festival Orchestra A New Year’s gala performance of Waltzes, Marches and Polkas.

Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 14.15, €41.50 Classical: Jószef Lendvay & Klára Würtz Performing Beethoven’s first four sonatas. Muziekgebouw, 15.00, €25 Classical: Trio Burlesco Young trio with clarinettist Arno Stoffelsma, cellist Saskia Plagge and pianist Kathelijne Noorland. Bethaniënklooster, 15.00, €15 Pop: Rowwen Heze Limburgse mariachi rockin’. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 16.00, €20 + membership Classical: Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden Performing Mahler’s Ninth Symphony; conducted by Daniel Harding. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €75 Singer-songwriter: Paolo Nutini Coffee table acoustic pop star who’s set to take over the world of bland at the wee age of 20. Melkweg, 20.30, €10 + membership Jazz: Grand Wazoo Progressive, analogue, jazz-funk.

On their recently issued second album they integrated live electronics into the sound, and Grand Wazoo are continuing to seek out a soundscape where electronics, acoustic instrumentation, improv and grooves are welded into a distinctive whole. Sugar Factory, 21.00, €8.50 Rock: Rock ’n’ Roll Circus Electro punk ‘erockica’ from successful Suicide Girl Tying Tiffany of Italy. Joining in with this rock ’n’ roll party will also be a bundle of the Dutch Suicide Girls, so expect an audience that hasn’t ventured far from their computers in the last six months, sitting cross-legged round the perimeter.

Winston Kingdom, 21.00, €5 Jazz: Ready for Freddy Fresh grooves from Jos de Haas (New Cool Collective), Stefan Schmid (Zuco 103), Alex Oele (Yinka), Stefan Kruger (Zuco 103) and special guests. Badcuyp, Bovenzaal, 21.30, €5

Monday 15 January Big band: Konrad Koselleck Big Band Joined by Asturian singer Mapi Quintana. Sugar Factory, 20.00, €9 Classical: Beaux Arts Trio Piano trios by Beethoven and Schubert. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €32.50 Classical: Shir Ha-Shirim Performing works by Jeff Hamburg, Jacques Beers, Alexander Tansman, Henrietta Jacoba Witsen and Gerard van Brucken Fock, with help from tenor Marcel Beekman. Uilenburger Synagogue, 20.15, €15 Classical: The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir Revisiting the Baroque period via a series of works by the German-Danish organist and highly regarded composer Dieterich Buxtehude. Tagged on is the Bach cantata ‘Gott ist mein König’. Conducted by Ton Koopman. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €32.50/€38.50

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Amsterdam Weekly Pop/Rock: k-Tsjoem: Transformed Dreams Evening Transformed Dreams leader Marcel Hermans will be the first to admit he never expected the k-Tsjoem nights to reach number 50, so tonight is quite a landmark occasion. On hand to perform are TD electro pop regulars Persil, British singer-songwriter Lianne Hall and bouncy indie poppers Das Wunderlust. The question is: with a monthly flyer system based on playing cards, is k-Tsjoem going to go beyond 52? Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 20.30, €6 + membership

11-17 January 2007

CLUBS Thursday 11January Poppourri Student Night Pop hits aimed at stinking students. Club 8, 22.00-03.00, €5 Vreemd Outlandish electro and live performances from Vreemd, focused tonight on house and techno adventures. Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €7.50

Friday 12 January Ground Sound Drum & bass and jungle supplied by DJs Fire, Loco, Koldun and Iguana. Club 8, 22.0004.00, €5 The Zoo With DJs Frederik Abas and Joost Caliente.

The Zebra, 22.00-04.00, €10 The Automatic Pop/Rock: The Automatic More stomping indie rock that makes use of the ever popular ‘straight vocals’ backed by a screaming mentalist. Massive things are expected of the Welsh act this year, not least because their big hit ‘Monster’ is perpetually used as background music on British TV and the same is likely to happen here. Melkweg, 20.30, €13 + membership Jazz: Sanna van Vliet Trio Joined by sax player Ferdinand Povel, the pianist’s trio present their new album remembering Remembering Shirley Horn.

Bimhuis, 21.00, €8 Experimental: DNK-Amsterdam Featuring a set from lute player and electronics manipulator Jozef van Wissem. OT301, 21.30, €4

Tuesday 16 January Classical: Strauss Festival Orchestra (See Sunday) Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €41.50 Flamenco: Compañia Flamenca Andrés Marín Contemporary flamenco from this virtuoso star—the son of legendary dancer Andrés Marín and singer Isabel Vargas. Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €28 Jazz: Andreas Metzler’s New Solutions Quartet Modern jazz and improv as the contrabassist leads the quartet in this CD presentation. Badcuyp, Bovenzaal, 21.00, free Pop/Rock: Red Light Club Rebel jazz from Grote Prijs singer-songwriter finalist Barbara Breedijk and blues rock from Blue Shades. Winston Kingdom, 21.00, €5 Soul: The Funk Brothers This group of Detroit musicians performed on the backing tracks of almost every Tamla Motown Records recording from 1959 until 1972, so you should know what to expect tonight: the beating heart of Motown classics. See Short List. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 21.00, €25 + membership

Wednesday 17 January Classical: Lunch Concert Performance from the department of world music from the Rotterdams Conservatorium. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 12.30, free Singer-songwriter: Sandi Thom When people want to talk about the size of your bandwidth more than your songs, it’s never a good start to a supposedly meteoric rise to fame; the bedroom webcaster will doubtless play her historically inaccurate major hit single ‘I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)’ from her irritatingly titled first solo album Smile...It Confuses People. Expect to see punters wandering round looking for the flash adverts flickering away on either side of the stage. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 20.00, €10 + membership Classical: Beaux Arts Trio (See Monday) Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €32.50 Classical: Ebony Band Performing Eastern European works by Alexei Zhivotov, Gavriel Popov and Constantin Regamey. Felix Meritis, 20.15, €20.50 Jazz: TryTone Festival Experimental jazz projects and concepts. Tonight’s collection is programmed by sax player and experimentalist Esmée Olthuis. Her new quartet Olthuis 4 will headline, while reed player and electronics manipulator Jorrit Dijkstra will open the show. In between are new works-in-progress from film maker Fred Pelon. Zaal 100, 21.00, €4 Pop/Rock: Club 3voor12 Live radio and TV session featuring sets from Montevideo, Malle Pietje & the Bimbo’s and Storybox. Desmet Studios, 22.00, free.

Register for tickets at www.3voor12.nl

CRUNC: one2 A second birthday party for the nationwide touring dance specialists. Guests with party hats include Dekky, Denniz, Fedor Limjoco, Sunnery James, Leon Benesty, Robert Feelgood, Benjamin Brown, Franck, La Nina, Mike Scot, Xavi, Ajouad and more. Panama, 23.00-04.00, €15 Retro Deluxe Step back in time with DJs George Jacaranda and Roberto. Hotel Arena, 23.00-04.00, €10 Club Artlaunch Two underground favourites (Black Box and Electric Xchange) have merged into one mighty party tackling fresh electronica from around the globe. See Short List. Studio 80, 23.00-05.00, €7 Discocult A marvellous fusion of funk, jazz, electro, Latin, swing, ska, hiphop, and glam rock. Tonight’s special guest DJ Morpheus, in particular, will blast your leg warmers off with his stunning punk funk turntablism. Also with Graham B, Rubedo and Martin Duvall. Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €9 Timezone Pop, dance, new wave, italo disco and electro hits through the years. Odeon, 23.00-05.00, €10 Paradisoul Featuring Tom Trago and MC Melodee.

Paradiso, 23.59-05.00, €10

Saturday 13 January The Freshest Kids Giving young and upcoming DJs a chance to prove themselves. Sugar Factory, 01.0005.00, €8.50 Plan West Rock, pop, electro, hiphop etc. Starting off the night is a Pro Evolution Soccer gaming tournament, so get those thumbs in shape. Club 8, 21.00-04.00, €6 Bossa Boogie Funky soul and reggae cuts from DJs Dewey Sakitumi, Lubacov and TimTim. Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 21.00-late, €5 Sneakerz With DJ sets from Don Diablo, Baggi Begovic, Funkerman and Jip Deluxe. Panama, 22.00-04.00, €15 !Freakfunk! The Eat Concrete record label presents an eclectic line-up filled with freaky and funky electronics, beats, breaks, acid, electro and anything else with a sniff of funk. OT301, 22.00-late, €6 Molotov & The DirtyDirtyDirty Featuring the sounds of Kubus & Simon, Drunken Lion Soundsytem, Joseph Vanderbilt & Leen-Dirt Moneybags, Terry Toner, Philip Young and Victor Coral. Hotel Arena, 23.00-04.00, €15 Trash.com A new night promising a mixture of electro, breakbeat, drum & bass and a little bit of hiphop from DJs Smithee and Patrick from the Poptrash nights. Bitterzoet, 23.00-0400, €7.50 Cosmic Delight An astronomical electro experience, with disco sounds from Tako (CBS), Funknoir (Disco Exota) and Gstring (CBS), plus experimental and dub vibes from Alkaloid Desperado (Hidden Records), Obi1r (Dubkapital) and Rude66 (Bunker). Studio 80, 23.00-05.00, €7 Free Saturdays With DJs Laidback Luke, Rishi Romero, Chris Rox and Issie Star. The Powerzone, 23.00-05.00, free Passion Electro, Latin house and clubhouse with DJs Martijn van Dishoeck and We-be-1. Odeon, 23.0005.00, €10 Bassline With DJs Abstract and Cream, MCs Fit and Murth the Man-o-script. Upstairs DJ Gomes presents Oi. Paradiso, 23.59-05.00, €12 Dance Arena Alternative dance, pop and rock. Melkweg, 23.59-late, €7 + membership

Amsterdam Weekly

11-17 January 2007

Sunday 14 January WickedJazzSounds Jazz, hiphop, broken beats, nujazz, funk and Afro sounds, as classic vinyl collides with live musicians. Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €8.50

Monday 15 January

STAGE Thursday 11January

Cheeky Monday Jungle and drum & bass night. Winston Kingdom, 22.00-03.00, €6

Wednesday 17 January Mashtizo Fully mashed Latin gypsy reggae punk party with live music plus spinning from DJ Tommi (Que Pasa and Balkanbeatz). Winston Kingdom, 21.0003.00, €5 Rock the Pop! An intoxicating mix of cocktails and pop music, temporarily infused with a punky pop and rock spirit. Sugar Factory, 23.00-04.00, €5

GAY& LESBIAN Thursday 11January Everyone A new night for a new year, hosted by Nicky Nicole and, on the decks, Jodee, Brian S, Lin, Gene Farris, Natarcia, MC Nova. Unexpected live acts are promised and, of course, everyone is welcome. Exit, 23.00-05.00, €5

Friday 12 January Club ArtLaunch Electric Xchange and Black Box have merged into a once-a-week polysexual electro mashup. See Short List. Studio 80, €7 Vrouwenavond The biggest weekly women’s night in town, for lesbians and their friends of any gender or sexuality. Tonight with DJ Voytec. Café Sappho, 21.00, free

Saturday 13 January Half Year Party To celebrate the PRIK’s six month birthday and thank everyone who’s made the bar a great place to be, all drinks are half price all night. DJ Nookie’s on the desk from 22.00, and there’s a suprise act. PRIK, 16.00-03.00, free S.O.S. Men-only Sunday afternoon shagathon with a strict (un)dress code. The early finish means you can go out and get stuffed and still be bright ’n’ breezy for Monday morning. The Eagle, 16.00-20.00 Club Trash Smutty men-only night full of rubber, leather and uniformed delights. Party Centrum van Galen, 23.00-04.00, €20

Torch Song Trilogy Theatre: Torch Song Trilogy Follow the life and loves of Arnold, a feisty drag queen who knows how to sew, cook and fix the plumbing—but finding the right partner presents more of a challenge. In English. See Short List. Crea Theater, 19.30, €16 Theatre: Jungle This new performance by Theater Omega takes a light-hearted look at modern life in the urban jungle. Seen through the eyes of a monkey that escapes from Artis, it presents a fun and unusual view of Amsterdam life. In Dutch. Het Rozentheater, 20.00, €12.50 Dance: Txalaparta, Arcangelo, White Darkness Compañía Nacional de Danza presents three choreographic works by Spanish dancer and choreographer Nacho Duato: Txalaparta, Arcangelo and White Darkness. Het Muziektheater, 20.15, €15-€35 Theatre: Echt iets om naar toe te leven Out of the garden and back onstage, Arjan Ederveen wrote this bitter sweet fairytale in 2005 especially for Toneelgroep Amsterdam. In it he plays the dying lesbian author of the successful Pinkeloentje books. Her friend and manager wants one more book before she dies, but she’ll only agree to do it if they also publish her memoirs under the title Kutverhalen uit eigen doos. In Dutch. Stadsschouwburg, 20.15, €11.50-€22.50 Theatre: I Amsterdam Following nine characters from different cultural backgrounds and different neighbourhoods in Amsterdam, this play has them deliver intimate self-portrayals, as well as their opinions about their city. In Dutch. De Engelenbak, 20.30, €11

Friday 12 January

Sunday 14 January

Dance: Txalaparta, Arcangelo, White Darkness (See Thursday) Het Muziektheater, 20.15, €15-€35

Karaoke night Tonight, presented by Ruud Bos. Dust down your boa, exercise your vocal chords and choose one of the 500 karaoke classics to blast the audience’s ears off. Amstel Taveerne, free

Ballet: Swan Lake Tchaikovsky’s fairytale, as interpreted by the State Opera of Tartarstan. Meervaart, 20.15, €26

Monday 15 January After Weekend Sex Party Self-explanatory men’s erotic evening that’s popular with an older crowd.

Dress code strictly enforced: one piece only of underwear or lingerie, or shorts. Same Place, 20.00-01.00, €3 until 22.00; €5 after

Tuesday 16 January Movie Snack Night Tonight’s film, Krámpack—by aptly named director Cesc Gay—is a Spanish comingof-age story with a comedy twist. PRIK, Tues-Thur 16.00-01.00, Fri-Sat 16.00-03.00, free

Wednesday 17 January F*ng POP Queers Studio 80’s dedicated gay night seems to be doing jolly well, no doubt helped by the music policy. Everything’s permissable, from electro to Madonna, as long as it starts with a capital P.O.P. Studio 80, 23.00, free before 00.00; €5 after

Theatre: Echt iets om naar toe te leven (See Thursday) Stadsschouwburg, 20.15, €11.50-€22.50 Theatre: I Amsterdam (See Thursday) De Engelenbak, 20.30, €11 Dance: Burn Choreographer, dancer and composer Dylan Newcomb will performing his solo work Burn.

Fire effects everything and changes all it touches. The audience will be invited to sit around Newcomb in two circles, while a third circle will be made of sound.

Melkweg Theater, 20.30, €9 Theatre: The Last Gentleman Paul Clark was born in 1564. In the 19th century, at almost 300 years old, he becomes Timekeeper for Queen Victoria and accompanies her on a tour of Borneo where he meets people close to his own his age, who tell him his unusual situation is the consequence of a mistake made by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. The full story is told in this one-man show, a radical reworking of Clark’s 1987 piece, Time and the Man. In English.

Theater Bellevue, 20.30, €12 Performance: Placebo An improv and theatresport performance. In Dutch. Crea Theater, 20.30, €6 Comedy: easyLaughs Comedy improv in English.

13

Amsterdam Weekly

14 Two different shows every Friday night. Crea Muziekzaal, 20.30, 22.30, €10, €5 (late night)

Saturday 13 January

ART

Theatre: Torch Song Trilogy See Thursday and Short List. Crea Theater, 14.00, 19.30, €12, €16 (evening)

Opening

Performance: Talent Night 2007 For those hoping to show off their skills in dance, singing, rap, comedy, spoken word... you get the idea. Meervaart, 19.00, €5 Music/Dance: The Whirling Dervishes of Damascus Dancing dervishes glide in a trance, to the accompaniment of special religious music. See Short List. Het Muziektheater, 20.15, €12.50-€25 Theatre: Echt iets om naar toe te leven (See Thursday) Stadsschouwburg, 20.15, €11.50-€22.50 Theatre: I Amsterdam (See Thursday) De Engelenbak, 20.30, €11 Dance: Burn (See Friday) Melkweg Theater, 20.30, €9 Theatre: The Last Gentleman (See Friday) Theater Bellevue, 20.30, €12

Sunday 14 January Performances / Situations / Movement Events The legacy of feminism examined through the lens of performance art. See Short List. De Appel, 13.00-19.00, free

Crime Scene. Forensic Photography from Amsterdam’s Police Archive 1960-1986 True crime pictures. See article p.6. Foam (Sun-Wed 10.00-17.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), opens Thursday Frank Hannon: Upside Down Rabbit Country Irish artist Frank Hannon presents an featuring musical installations and collages. Galerie Juliette Jongma (Wed-Sat 13.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 17 February Jan van de Pavert Showing works by Dutch sculptor and painter Van de Pavert (1960). Galerie Paul Andriesse (Tues-Fri 11.00-18.00, Sat 14.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 17 February Nieuwe leden At the beginning of each year, Arti et Amicitiae traditionally exhibits works by artists who’ve joined the society in the past year. The exhibition shows a large variety of works including paintings, photos, projections, sculptures, objects and video art.

Arti et Amicitiae (Tues-Sun 13.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 28 January

Music/Dance: Wonderland #3 Featuring dancers Eileen Standley, Makiko Ito, Sylvain Meret and Alexandra Manasse, with music from Oscar Jan Hoogland, Eva Pfitzenmeier and other guests. OT301, 16.00, €4

If I Can’t Dance, I Don’t Want To Be Part Of Your Revolution The famous quote by anarchist Emma Goldman is the departure point of this travelling visual arts collection. This year’s programme borrows from the language of dance, music, theatre and archived visual material to create a series of performances rethinking the representation of women today. De Appel (Tues-Sun 11.00-18.00), closing Sunday

Theatre: De Stille Kracht Ger Thijs leads the Hummelinck Stuurman Theaterbureau in this interpretation of Louis Couperus’ classic novel about Dutch colonial life in Indonesia in the 19th century. In Dutch. Stadsschouwburg, 20.15, €11.50-€25

Foam_3h: Diederik Meijer—1900 Groom Road A series of vivid portraits of inhabitants of a New Orleans trailer park, whose belongings were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Foam (Sun-Wed 10.00-17.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 26 January

Dance: Burn (See Friday) Melkweg Theater, 20.30, €9

Monday 15 January

Theatre: Dogville Lars von Trier’s 2003 movie Dogville, about a woman on the run from gangsters, looked like it was written for stage, with its minimalist set (black spaces and imaginary buildings) and character-driven plot. Now adapted for the theatre by director Pieter Kramer (Theo & Thea), it’s performed tonight by the Ro Theater company. In Dutch. Stadsschouwburg, 20.15, €11.50-€22.50

Wednesday 17 January Dance: Human Figures/Das Wohltemperierte Clavier Expressive choreography from Dance Works Rotterdam’s artistic director Ton Simons in this physical interpretation of Bach’s Das Wohltemperierte Clavier. Stadsschouwburg, 20.15, €11-€20

performances—the result of her collaborations with various groups and communities—and contain social and political allegories with an almost purist and vivid visuality. bak (Wed-Sat 12.00-17.00, Sun 13.00-17.00), Utrecht, opens Sunday, until 25 February

Museums

Music/Dance: The Whirling Dervishes of Damascus See Saturday and Short List. Het Muziektheater, 20.15, €12.50-€25

Tuesday 16 January

Frank Hannon: Upside Down Rabbit Country, see Opening

Kunst in Exodus 2007 Artists in exile. This collection features works from Persheng Warzandegan, Shafiq Soroush, Raouf Saleh and Zenon Abdalla. De Levante (Wed-Sun 13.00-17.30), opens Sunday, until 24 February

Theatre: Torch Song Trilogy See Thursday and Short List. Crea Theater, 14.00, €16

Theatre: De Stille Kracht (See Sunday) Stadsschouwburg, 20.15, €11.50-€25

11-17 January 2007

Paradise Love Bar Paradise Love Bar A group exhibition featuring works by three young up-and-coming artists: installations and drawings by Aisling Hedgecock (Ireland); video art and photographs by Alice Finbow (England); and installations and paper cut-outs by Sangeeta Sandrasegar (Australia).

Galerie Gabriel Rolt (Wed-Sun 12.00-18.00) opens Saturday until 24 February Studenten van de Rietveld Academie Fifty students in their last year at the Rietveld present their works: from photography to installations, performances, paintings, drawings, sculptures, text and video art.

Oude Kerk (Mon-Sat 11.00-17.00, Sun 13.00-17.00), opens Saturday, until 28 January Althea Thauberger: Alone Again (In the Likeness of Life) Canadian artist Althea Thauberger’s first solo show in Europe, this exhibition presents five video and audio works, all of which are made up of collective

Room for Advertising Companies, governments and cultural institutions are becoming increasingly inventive in utilising public space for their products and services. Posters and billboards have always been around, but enormous banners and projected images, for example, are becoming increasingly obtrusive.

Here, ARCAM stimulates visitors to consider questions such as: what does the city do with advertisements?

And what do advertisements do with the city? ARCAM (Tues-Sat 13.00-17.00), until 27 January Henry Moore: And the Challenge of Architecture Showcasing the works of one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century, the exhibition focuses on the relationship between Moore’s sculptures with architecture and urban spaces. Kunsthal (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 11.00-17.00), Rotterdam, until 28 January Winter A series of photographs made in Hortus by Marnix Goossens, asking what does winter in the botanical garden mean? Hortus Botanicus (Daily 09.00-04.00), until 31 January Picasso: Master of Line In 1930, the world-famous artist began working on a series of prints commis-

sioned by the Paris art dealer Ambroise Vollard. The series spans seven years and is one of the key works of Picasso’s oeuvre. Here the complete set of 100 works, known as the Vollard Suite, can be seen in the Netherlands for the first time. CoBrA Museum (TuesSun 11.00-17.00), until 4 February Erik van Lieshout: This Can’t Go On (Stay With Me) An overview of the Rotterdam artist’s commentary on modern life in all its varieties, expressed in installations, films, drawings and paintings. Van Lieshout’s newest film, Rock, is shown in a drive-in cinema that has been erected in the museum’s hall. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 11.00-17.00), Rotterdam, until 4 February Geroofd, Maar van Wie? Hosted in the Amsterdam theatre that became a Jewish deportation centre during World War II, this exhibition’s focus is on works of art taken during wartime, and later returned, though remaining unclaimed. Hollandsche Schouwburg (Daily 11.00-16.00), until 4 February Paul Kooiker: Paradise Twenty-One Various photo sets from the last ten years and new video works made

by Dutch photographer Kooiker. Reflecting his fascination for perception, he focuses on the female form, which he produces in many different ways. His oeuvre is a contemporary continuation of a traditional theme: the relationship between artist and model, viewer and viewed, object and subject. Foam (Sun-Wed 10.0017.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 11 February Tour de France 1646 Drawings by Rembrandt’s student Lambert Doomer and his friend Willem Schellinks, made during a trip along the River Loire.

Rembrandthuis (Mon-Thur, Sat, Sun 10.00-17.00, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 11 February Facts, Fictions and Stories The first solo exhibition in the Netherlands by the South African photographers Adam Broomberg (1970) and Oliver Chanarin (1971), featuring their most recent work, Chicago . This collection shows various aspects of the war and propaganda in Israel, as well as the series Mr. Mkhize’s Portrait, which casts a glance at South Africa 10 years after the end of apartheid. Stedelijk Museum CS (Fri-Wed 10.00-18.00), until 25 February Anton Rooskens A tribute to Anton Rooskens (19061976), co-founder of the CoBrA movement and one of the Netherlands’ leading post-war experimentalists.

This extensive exhibition features painterly highlights from his body of work. CoBrA Museum (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), until 25 February

11-17 January 2007

Amsterdam Weekly

Photographer Gregory Crewdson teases out the extraordinary from his forever frozen stills of ordinary lives.

LITTLE DRAMAS IN SMALL TOWN AMERICA

By Marinus de Ruiter Although he uses increasingly larger movie-set-like environments, and casts celebrities like Jennifer Jason Leigh and Gwyneth Paltrow, artist Gregory Crewdson keeps his staged photographs as intimate and uncanny as they were from the start, as becomes clear from his career overview at Fotomuseum Den Haag.

At first, these pictures look like stills from American independent films— Crewdson’s photographs are even the same size as small projection screens.

But looking closer, the scenes seem so strange and fascinating that it would be a waste to see them flashing by at 24 frames per second.

‘I don’t have any interest in making movies,’ says Crewdson on the phone from his New York studio. ‘I love movies, but I’ll leave that to Hollywood. I consider myself part of a tradition that deals with the form of the still image.’

Set in the interiors of suburban homes, or outside in ordinary streets or natural environments, the 44-year-old artist’s images focus on people who are impacted in one way or another. We see a man digging for suitcases in the woods, a pregnant woman in pyjamas who’s about to cross the street, and a young man in his

front yard struck by a column of light falling from the sky. What actually goes on is never fully pronounced, but only expressed by the faces and bodies of the characters.

‘I’m interested in the impregnated moment,’ says Crewdson. ‘It’s a moment that is defined by a transition of some sort.

I like the idea of the moment being very quiet and contemplative, but I can honestly say I’m never quite sure what happens before or after the image. I’d like it to remain a mystery.’

Some pictures contain clues to the small dramas taking place. There could be a suggestion of a domestic fire or flood.

One picture shows a mother finding blood on her daughter’s bed sheets and in many pictures we see bottles of pills carelessly lying around. The main characters seem to be experiencing some kind of crisis. Or are they just imagining things?

‘I always see these moments as manifestations of something psychological, like an anxiety or desire,’ says Crewdson about the situations he depicts. ‘For me, the sense of the extraordinary is rooted in the psychological.’

Much is said about the photographer’s background: the son of a psychoanalyst who had his practice at home. Although he could never see his father’s patients, the young Gregory used to listen in on their

confessions through the walls, which may well have influenced the perspective of his images.

‘I would say that the pictures, without exception, have some level of voyeurism,’ he says. ‘The viewer might feel alienated from the subject, or the subject could seem removed from his surroundings, but there’s always the sense of looking in on something private.’

Whether Crewdson’s ‘victims’ are played by famous actors like William H Macy or Philip Seymour Hoffman, or by the average unknown people who Crewdson actually prefers working with, they often seem to be struck by an epiphany or revelation. ‘I think we all have had experiences like these,’ Crewdson says. ‘When you’re going through a very ordinary activity, and this could be something you’ve done many times like looking into a refrigerator or walking down a street, for whatever reason something turns on itself and becomes either strange or terrifying, or wonderful one way or another.’

He feels that in the end the experience of revelation bears similarities to artistic inspiration.

Crewdson prefers his extraordinary scenes to take place in environments that are familiar to him. His pictures are not intended as a critique on suburban America—he just happened to grow up there.

‘Actually, at this point my pictures are set in places that could be anywhere,’ he says about his latest series of photographs. ‘But I think that, forever, you’re stuck with who you are and that’s my subject matter. I don’t think that’s ever going to change.’

What has changed in the course of his career is the amount of production involved in taking a photograph. Crewdson’s first series of pictures were made on miniature sets—for his latest series Beneath the Roses (2003-2005) complete

15

Now where did I leave my shoes?

streets were fenced off and empty houses were burnt down to the ground. It was made with a crew of over 150 people.

When he started in photography, Crewdson never imagined his work evolving to such a scale. ‘It’s not really something I think about, it’s just the way I figured out how to make a picture that feel like mine,’ he says. ‘I know it sounds weird, but in a sense I don’t even know how to make a picture in any other way.’

Crewdson describes himself as a formalist, in that he’s always striving to achieve perfect lighting, colour and composition. Considering the people that influenced him—besides a photographer like Walker Evans—he includes a painter who can be considered a chronicler of modern American life as well: Edward Hopper. ‘I admire him strongly in terms of the way he tells a story.’

‘I’m trying to make the most beautiful picture I can and I always use light as a way of telling a story and to suggest meaning,’ says the artist. ‘With photographers there’s always an interaction with light, no matter what, because photography is essentially light on film.’

‘Photographs have a very particular kind of narrative capacity that is different from film and other forms of storytelling.

It’s a moment that is forever frozen and it’s necessarily open ended—it always remains a question in a sense. That limitation is one of photography’s strengths, because it allows the viewer to go back over and over again to the picture in attempt to resolve its meaning.’

Gregory Crewdson, Retrospectief 19852005, Fotomuseum Den Haag (Tues-Sun 12.00-18.00), Stadhouderslaan 43, Den Haag. Until 25 February 2007.

Amsterdam Weekly

11-17 January 2007

LEKKER BEZIG ‘I hope this will open a E W A S Z E P I E T O W S K A government introduced severe guidelines for few eyes,’ says Ewa Student non-profits seeking subSzepietowska, a stusidies in 2003, dent at the Vrije allochtone organisaUniversiteit about her tions have suffered the master’s thesis project, greatest financial loss. part of a larger social Of the women’s organiinnovation project the sations she interviewed, university is aiming either their financial at the city, ‘Big changes requests weren’t taken start small.’ The crux of seriously or, when they her proposal: several were, their Dutch was local black, immigrant openly criticised. ‘They and refugee women’s were pushed to talk in organisations are terms of business tarfighting a silent battle gets, not human life,’ to survive—silent, consays Szepietowska and, sidering the wider ultimately, their requests national debate over You can really trigger were denied. failed (and even much bigger changes Luckily, Mama forced) integration has when you start small.

Cash, an independent largely ignored them. fund that finances ‘In Holland, womwomen-only projects, en believe that has helped many of these organisations emancipation is done—it’s definitely not,’ stay afloat. ‘They said that if it wasn’t for says Szepietowska, who’s Polish. She Mama Cash, they don’t know what they decided to focus her research on the immiwould do to keep operating. Mama Cash grant/refugee community because their has helped them stay in the dialogue—it’s stories largely mirrored her own. She very important for women to self initiate,’ trailed organisations such as Chebba Meishe says. (Mama Cash kicked off its 88 denplaza, a group for young Moroccan and Day Campaign on International Human Turkish women, Steungroep Vrouwen ZonRights Day in December, to continue raisder Verblijfsvergunning, a support ing cash to help future projects, including network for women lacking resident perthe groups Szepietowska interviewed.) mits and Be at the Media, four young ‘I really believe in the ripple effect. You Moroccan documentary film-makers can trigger much bigger changes when you whose work has been shown at De Balie. start small,’ says Szepietowska, who hopes ‘These are women who aren’t Dutch, aren’t her thesis project will have that same effect blonde and spend most of the time balon Amsterdam by illuminating the silent anced on the edge of two distinct cultures. plight of immigrant women’s organisaThey are highly idealistic, work for nothtions. ‘I hope the winds are changing,’ she ing to help others, and want to improve says. society,’ says Szepietowska.

But in recent years, their work has sufBy Dara Colwell fered. According to Szepietowska, when the SIMON WALD-LASOWSKI

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Gregory Crewdson: Retrospective 1985-2005 Against the background of suburban America, Crewdson explores the fears, neuroses and desires that are deeply rooted in everyday modern life. See article p.15. Fotomuseum (Tues-Sun 12.00-18.00), Den Haag, until 25 February Bare Hidden poverty in the Netherlands. See Short Lists. Huis Marseille (Tues-Sun 11.00-18.00), until 4 March Bert Teunissen: Domestic Landscapes Taking more than 300 photos for this project over the last decade, Teunissen has been in search of the light that he remembers from his parental home, while also documenting an authentic way of life that is disappearing. Focused on houses built prior to World War II, before electricity started to have an influence on the rhythm of life, he has sought out the interiors of homes in which daylight still determines the furnishings, the atmosphere and the daily existence of their inhabitants. Huis Marseille (Tues-Sun 11.0018.00), until 4 March Collectors in St Petersburg A celebration of the cosmopolitan nature of early 20th-century St Petersburg, when the city was so prosperous that its art scene flourished and expansive collections were born. This exhibition introduces four key collectors from the period, each with their own preference for a particular school, country or period, be it Old Masters or contemporary art from the mid-19th century.

Hermitage Amsterdam (Daily 10.00-17.00), until 11 March French Passion During the early 20th century, private collectors in the Netherlands acquired many masterpieces by painters including Monet, Daubigny, Cézanne and other famed French artists. This exhibition provides an overview of the pieces united at the time. Centraal Museum (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), Utrecht, until 11 March

Just In Time The annual Municipal Art Acquisitions exhibitions allow for an overview of cultural activity in Amsterdam in the areas of visual art, photography, design and applied arts. Each year the show pivots on one discipline—or a combination of various disciplines—and works are acquired from it for the Stedelijk Museum collection. This year’s guest curator is Maxine Kopsa, freelance curator and associate editor of the contemporary art magazine Metropolis M. Stedelijk Museum CS (Fri-Wed 10.00-18.00), until 11 March In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni ‘First of all, the world must be changed’. Paintings, pamphlets, films, and letters by members of the Situationist International, a movement that rebelled against consumerism, mass media and existing social and artistic norms and pleaded for making art an integral part of everyday life. This exhibition will give an overview of the 20th century’s last avant-garde movement, including works by Guy Debord, Asger Jorn, Guiseppe Pinot Gallizio, Ivan Chtcheglov and others.

Centraal Museum (Tues-Thur, Sat, Sun 12.00-17.00, Fri 12.00-21.00), Utrecht, until 11 March Bodies Something of a controversial exhibition, though undoubtedly also hugely popular as it tours the world, this is one anatomy lesson you won’t forget.

Making use of dissected corpses in a range of poses, real foetuses and a large selection of human organs, the collection aims to educate and remind us how remarkable the human body is. Just think twice if you’re on the squeamish side. Beurs van Berlage (Thur-Sat 10.00-22.00, Sun-Wed 10.00-18.00), until 15 March Geef mij maar Amsterdam A melodious tribute to Mokum as AHM ventures into the musical past and present. From classic Amsterdam liedjes that reverberated from pub doorways to the modern beats and urban rhymes born from some of the city’s poorest districts, this is a chance to rehear some sonorant

moments and enjoy a singalong, too. Amsterdams Historisch Museum (Mon-Fri 10.00-17.00, Sat, Sun 11.00-17.00), until 18 March Kees de Kort A tribute to 40 years of painting, illustrating and designing by the Dutch artist. His work shows biblical inspiration but also a great fascination with animals. Bijbels Museum (Mon-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 11.00-17.00), until 18 March August Sander: People of the 20th Century A representative selection of vintage prints from the German photographer’s (1876-1964) world-famous People of the 20th Century project. Proposing to chart the entire structure of society of his day, the result was a sociological project, a historical document and a photographic masterpiece. Foam (Sun-Wed 10.0017.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 21 March Objects for Eternity: Egyptian Treasures from Antiquity Approximately 150 objects from ancient Egypt, detailing how intensively and carefully the ancient Egyptians prepared for the eternity they believed was in store for every decent person following death. Allard Pierson Museum (Tues-Fri 10.00-17.00, Sat, Sun 13.00-17.00), until 25 March Eva’s Story Showing paintings of Erich and Heinz Gieringer made while they were in hiding from the Nazi prosecutors. Verzetsmuseum (Tues-Fri 10.0017.00), until 6 April Aanwinsten 2005-2006 A presentation of recent purchases, including pieces by Francis Alÿs, Mike Kelley, William Kentridge, Philip-Lorca deCorcia, Aernout Mik and Thomas Ruff. Stedelijk Museum CS (Fri-Wed 10.00-18.00), until 9 April Istanbul From Byzantium to the Ottomans, from Constantinople to Istanbul: the pieces from the Nieuwe Kerk’s winter exhibition are born of one of the richest and most diverse histories in the world. The exhibition focuses on Ottoman heritage, displaying nearly 300 treasures of the sultans—including exhibits from Topkapi Palace Museum. Nieuwe Kerk (Thur 10.00-22.00, Fri-Wed 10.00-18.00), until 15 April Behind the Curtains Fifteen innovative architectural designs by Willem Jan Neutelings and Michiel Riedijk, whose expressive buildings are icons within cities that are appreciated equally by tenants and passers-by.

Museum Hilversum (Tues-Sat 11.00-17.00, Sun 12.0017.00), Hilversum, until 6 May Beauty and the Bead: From Madonna to the Maasai The first exhibition ever to focus on beads as a worldwide phenomenon, Beauty and the Bead features beaded costumes from every epoch and all corners of the earth. Among the exhibits are a royal robe from Congo, a parka from the North Pole and a mummy from Ancient Egypt, as well as a glamorous dress worn

by Marilyn Monroe, Madonna’s shoes and haute couture by Versace and John Galliano. Tropenmuseum (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 12.00-17.00), until 13 May

Galleries Fumus Fugiens The former Pathological Anatomical Laboratory is explored and deconstructed. The exhibition focuses on dissection, forensics and other elements that are relevant to anatomical practice.

SMART Project Space (Tues-Sat 12.00-17.00), closing Saturday Terry Rodgers: The Apotheosis of Pleasure Paintings showing a hedonistic vision of the upper classes.

Torch Gallery (Thur-Sat 13.00-18.00), closing Saturday Ron Galella: Disco Years A colourful collection of images by renowned American nightlife photographer Ron Galella. The exhibition reads as a visual diary of the New York club scene in the ’70s, with plenty of star-studded cameo appearances. Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen (Thur-Sat 12.00-18.00), closing Saturday Ghosts and Other Stories New drawings and mobiles from artist—and erstwhile Amsterdam Weekly columnist—Jan Rothuizen and collaborator David Miles.

Ellen de Bruijne Projects/Dolores (Tues-Sat 13.0018.00), closing Saturday Gallery Cover An installation by Ryan Gander, winner of this year’s Baloise Art Prize. Annet Gelink Gallery (Tues-Fri 10.00-18.00, Sat 13.00-18.00), closing Saturday Nick Ervinck The young Belgian multimedia artist combines technological ingenuity with creative experiments, resulting in striking sculptures and mesmerising 3D animations. De Brakke Grond (Mon 10.00-18.00, Tues-Fri 10.00-20.30, Sat 13.00-20.30, Sun 13.00-17.00), closing Sunday Monsters Recent drawings and collages by Tom Lenders, and new aquarelles by Reiko Nak. Suzanne Biederberg Gallery (Wed-Sat 14.00-18.00), closing Sunday De Kunstfabriek Goes Warhol! Exhibiting 30 realistic oil-on-canvas Warhol-style paintings inspired by well

Amsterdam Weekly

11-17 January 2007 known supermarket products. De Kunstfabriek (TuesFri 12.00-18.00, Sat, Sun 12.00-17.00), closing Monday

EVENTS Thursday 11January Poetry/Music: The Open Stanza A mishmash-up of poetry, spoken word, music and performance, which offers an international collection of literary guests, tonight. Hosted by Australian poet Prue Duggan. In English and Dutch. Sugar Factory, 19.00, €5

The Neglected The Neglected An exhibition by award-winning photo journalist David Gillanders about HIV victims in Russia and Eastern Europe. Melkweg Galerie (Wed-Sun 13.00-20.00), until 20 January Mayuka Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Matsuura Paintings by two Japanese artists. See Short List. Canvas International Art (Thur-Sat 14.00-18.00), Amstelveen, until 20 January Koen Delaere New paintings by the artist from Tilburg. Aschenbach & Hofland Galleries (Wed-Sat 12.00-17.00), until 21 January Hot Rod Kustom Art Exhibition Cars, tattoos and rock ’n’ roll. De Cantine (Daily 12.00-17.00, 18.0022.00), until 21 January Mixed Works Mixed media by Lace that’s influenced

by Viking mythology; oil paintings by Minne Vijver; and iron sculptures by Peter Glandorff. Galerie Jos Art (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.30), until 21 January

Art/Film: Es sitzt die Zeit im weissen Kleid German artist and performer Elke Mark has developed an exhibition stemming from a performance based on and related to the lyrics of the song ‘Es sitzt die Zeit im weissen Kleid’. The set-up includes a conveyor belt, a pile of sheets, colour images projected in the space of agentur and the action and movements of a woman’s body. Fragments of tonight’s performance will then be used as objects for an exhibition over the weekend. agentur, 19.30

Friday 12 January Art/Film: Es sitzt die Zeit im weissen Kleid (See Thursday) agentur, 15.00-18.00 Film festival: Best of International Short Film Festival Oberhausen A highlights package from the world renowned festival specialising in short films. Many films in English, but not all. See Short List. De Balie, 20.30, €7

Saturday 13 January

Lloyd History Graphical works by V Wiertz, the calligrapher of the Lloyd Hotel, and photo portraits of the builders of the hotel by S van den Horst. Lloyd Hotel (Daily), until 31 January Moscow Zandvoort Helsinki Photography of apartment buildings by Mieke Woestenburg. De Kijkkasten (Daily), until 1 February The Bridge: The Visual Language of Reza Abedini Platform 21 presents this overview installation of the Iranian graphic designer, who was recently given the Prins Claus Award in acknowledgement for preserving Iran’s artistic heritage while still making contemporary and innovative creations. Dutch graphic designers Irma Boom and Hans Wolbers assist Abedini in curatorship. Platform 21 (Wed-Sun 12.00-18.00), until 4 February Jonas Ohlsson Bold new works by the Swedish artist.

De Praktijk (Wed-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 4 February Von Zamla Mina Mannar (& Ida) Mixed works from ten Swedish artists. De Praktijk (Wed-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 4 February Bert Loerakker Recent works by the artist, who paints and displays dual images. On the left are expressive paintings, often inspired by landscapes. To the right are contrasting monochromatic and geometric concepts. Galerie Krijger + Katwijk (Wed-Sat 12.00-18.00), until 4 February Daniel Hofstede & Benjamin Roth Contemporary works from two young artists. Horse Move Project (FriSun 14.00-20.00), until 4 February

Es sitzt die Zeit im weissen Kleid

Kunsthal Museumpark, Westzeedijk 341, Rotterdam, 010 440 0301

agentur Witte de Withstraat 27a, 0641 487675

De Levante Hobbemastraat 28, 671 5485

Allard Pierson Museum Oude Turfmarkt 127, 525 2556

Lloyd Hotel Oostelijke Handelskade 34, 419 1840

Amstel Taveerne Amstel 54, 623 4254

Maloe Melo Lijnbaansgracht 163, 420 4592

Amsterdams Historisch Museum Kalverstraat 92, 523 1822

Meervaart Meer en Vaart 300, 410 7777

Annet Gelink Gallery Laurierstraat 187-189, 330 2066 De Appel Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 10, 625 5651 ARCAM Prins Hendrikkade 600, 620 4878 Arti et Amicitiae Rokin 112, 624 5134 Aschenbach & Hofland Galleries Bilderdijkstraat 165C, 412 1772 Badcuyp 1e Sweelinckstraat 10, 675 9669 bak Lange Nieuwstraat 4, Utrecht, 030 231 6125 De Balie Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10, 553 5151

Melkweg Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 531 8181 Melkweg Galerie Marnixstraat 409, 531 8181 Melkweg Theater LIjnbaansgracht 234A, 531 8181 Montevideo/Time Based Arts Keizersgracht 264, 623 7101 Motive Gallery Elandsgracht 10, 330 3668 Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Museumpark 18-20, Rotterdam, 010 441 9400 Museum Hilversum Kerkbrink 6, Hilversum, 035 629 2826 Museum van Loon Keizersgracht 672, 624 5255

Bethaniënklooster Barndesteeg 6, 625 0078

Muziekgebouw Piet Heinkade 1, 788 2010

Beurs van Berlage Damrak 277, 530 4141

Het Muziektheater Amstel 3, 625 5455

Bijbels Museum Herengracht 366-368, 624 2436

Nederlands Architectuurinstituut Museumpark 25, Rotterdam, 010 440 1200

Bimhuis Piet Heinkade 3, 788 2150 Blijburg Bert Haanstrakade 2004, 416 0330 De Brakke Grond Nes 45, 626 6866 Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina Veemkade 576, 419 3368

De Nieuwe Anita Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 06 4150 3512 Nieuwe Kerk entrance on the Dam, 638 6909 Noorderkerk Noordermarkt 44, 626 6436 OCCII Amstelveenseweg 134, 671 7778

Café Sappho Vijzelstraat 103, 423 1509

Odeon Singel 460, 624 9711

De Cantine Rietlandpark 373, 419 4433

OT301 Overtoom 301, 779 4913

Canvas International Art Fokkerlaan 46, Amstelveen, 428 6040

P60 Stadsplein 100A, Amstelveen, 023 345 3445

Centraal Museum Nicolaaskerkhof, Utrecht, 030 236 2362

Pakhuis de Zwijger Piet Heinkade 179-181, 788 4444

Club 8 Admiraal de Ruyterweg 56B, 685 1703

Panama Oostelijke Handelskade 4, 311 8680

CoBrA Museum Sandbergplein 1-3, Amstelveen, 547 5050

Paradiso Weteringschans 6-8, 626 4521

Concertgebouw Concertgebouwplein 2-6, 671 8345

Party Centrum van Galen Jan van Galenstraat 24

Consortium Veemkade 570, 06 2611 8950

Platform 21 Prinses Irenestraat 19, 344 9449

Crea Muziekzaal Turfdraagsterpad 17, 525 1400

The Powerzone Spaklerweg, 681 8866

Crea Theater Turfdraagsterpad 17, 525 1400

De Praktijk Lauriergracht 96, 422 1727

Desmet Studios Plantage Middenlaan 4A, 521 7100

PRIK Spuistraat 109, 06 4544 2321

Ellen de Bruijne Projects/Dolores Rozengracht 207A, 530 4994

Public Space with a Roof Overtoom 301, 06 1117 4239

De Engelenbak Nes 71, 626 3644 Exit Reguliersdwarsstraat 42, 625 8788

Oude Kerk Oudekerksplein 23, 625 8284

Rembrandthuis Jodenbreestraat 4, 520 0400 Het Rozentheater Rozengracht 117, 620 7953

Art/Film: Es sitzt die Zeit im weissen Kleid (See Thursday) agentur, 15.00-18.00

Felix Meritis Keizersgracht 324, 626 2321

Same Place Nassaukade 120, 475 1981

Foam Keizersgracht 609, 551 6546

Art/Music/Performance: Don’t Hit Mama This dance performance will take place in the midst of the construction of British artist Michael McMillan’s exhibition Van Huis uit, which centres on migrant families and the interiors of their homes. Inspired by this theme, Don’t Hit Mama mixes theatrical and dance elements, focussing on Afro-American traditions. Imagine IC, 17.00, €5

Fotomuseum Stadhouderslaan 43, Den Haag, 070 338 1144

SMART Project Space Arie Biemondstraat 107-113, 427 5953

Film festival: Best of International Short Film Festival Oberhausen See Friday and Short List. De Balie, 20.30, €7

Sunday 14 January Film/Music: The Sound of Music The sound of music or the sound of all the torture and abuse in the world encapsulated in 174 nun-filled minutes? This sing-along screening of The Sound of Music is likely to only attract those who believe, usually to the point of the religious fervour depicted onscreen, the former argument. Meervaart, 14.00, €17 Art/Film: Es sitzt die Zeit im weissen Kleid (See Thursday) agentur, 15.00-18.00 Art/Music/Performance: Don’t Hit Mama (See Saturday) Imagine IC, 16.00, €5 Film: Sprocket Sounds The latest batch of 1950s Dutch instructional films, nature documentaries and even more bizarre glimpses into the cinematic past from the Sprocket Sounds team. OT301, 20.30, €4

Monday 15 January

Nick Renshaw: Terrestrial Beings/Kupfernickel Figurative ‘human’ sculptures by the Yorkshire artist. In this current show, the emphasis is on the ‘clothed’ aspects of the human figure, alluding to how human beings protect themselves from danger. De Witte Voet (Wed-Sat 12.00-17.00), until 7 February

Lecture: Understanding Football Hooliganism A look at the darker aspects of being a football fan by Eric Dunning, author of the book Barbarians, Gentlemen and Players and a leader in sports sociology. In English. Crea Theater, 20.00, €5

Winterlicht A group exhibition from artists of the gallery. AdK Actuele Kunst (Wed-Sat 12.30-17.30), until 10 February

Discussion: Women Inc Esma Choho presents the self-help book (and website) Moslim Unlimited: (Over) Leven in het Wilde Westen. In Dutch. Pakhuis de Zwijger, 20.30, free

Beauty Unrealized A new research project dedicated to the investigation of beauty and the status of objects. During this project, the gallery space will become a library, containing lists of items (books, films, articles, music, etc) submitted by different artists, filmmakers, writers and composers, whose works have been influenced by those objects. Public Space with a Roof (Thur-Sun 15.00-19.00), until 8 April

De Kunstfabriek Polonceaukade 20 (Westergasfabriekterrein), 488 9430

AdK Actuele Kunst Prinsengracht 534, 320 9242

Bitterzoet Spuistraat 2, 521 3001

Dirk van Lieshout Models, drawings and video by the Rotterdam artist. Upstream Gallery (Wed-Sat 12.0018.00), until 22 January Jeanne Oosting Prijs An annual award given out in the name of artist Jeanne Bieruma Oosting (18981994). Exhibited works this year include the oil paintings of Rotterdammer Dora Dolz and the aquarelle works of Henri de Haas from Amsterdam.

Arti et Amicitiae (Tues-Sun 13.00-18.00), until 28 January

ADDRESSES

17

Wednesday 17 January Discussion: Café Europa: Europa in de Nederlandse democratie Examining the balance between European Union politics and Dutch democracy, now and in the future. In Dutch. Felix Meritis, 20.00, free

Stadsschouwburg Leidseplein 26, 624 2311

Galerie Fons Welters Bloemstraat 140, 423 3046

Stedelijk Museum CS Oosterdokskade 5, 573 2911

Galerie Gabriel Rolt Elandsgracht 34, 785 5146

Studio 80 Rembrandtplein 70, 521 8333

Galerie Jos Art KSNM-laan 291, 418 7003

Studio Apart Prinsengracht 715, 422 2748

Galerie Juliette Jongma Gerard Douplein 23, 463 6904

Sugar Factory Lijnbaansgracht 238, 627 0008

Galerie Krijger + Katwijk Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 198200, 627 3808

Suzanne Biederberg Gallery 1e Egelantiersdwarsstraat 1, 624 5455

Galerie Paul Andriesse Withoedenveem 8, 623 6237

The Eagle Warmoesstraat 90, 627 8634

Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen Hazenstraat 27, 06 5203 1540

Theater Bellevue Leidsekade 90, 530 5301

Gallery Vassie 1e Tuindwarsstraat 16, 489 4042 Hermitage Amsterdam Nieuwe Herengracht 14, 530 8751 Hollandsche Schouwburg Plantage Middenlaan 24, 531 0340 Horse Move Project Oosterdokskade 5 Post CS Hortus Botanicus Plantage Middenlaan 2A, 625 9021 Hotel Arena ’s-Gravesandestraat 51, 850 2400 Huis Marseille Keizersgracht 401, 531 8989 Imagine IC Bijlmerplein 1006-1008, 489 4866 Joods Historisch Museum Jonas Daniel Meijerplein 2-4, 531 0310

Torch Gallery Lauriergracht 94, 626 0284 Tropenmuseum Linnaeusstraat 2, 568 8200 Uilenburger Synagogue Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 91, 427 8347 Under the Grand Chapiteau Next to ArenA, 621 1288 Upstream Gallery Kromme Waal 11, 428 4284 Van Gogh Museum Paulus Potterstraat 7, 570 5200 Verzetsmuseum Plantage Kerklaan 61, 620 2535 Volta Houtmankade 334-336, 628 6429 Winston Kingdom Warmoesstraat 129, 623 1380 De Witte Voet Kerkstraat 135

De Kijkkasten Sint Nicolaasstraat

Zaal 100 De Wittenstraat 100, 688 0127

KIT Tropentheater Mauritskade 63, 568 8711

The Zebra Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 14, 330 5266

Amsterdam Weekly

18

Apocalyptok

TenaciousD

FILM

Edited by Julie Phillips.This week’s films reviewed by Lisa Alspector (LA), Shyama Daryanani (SD), Floris Dogterom (FD),Andrea Gronvall (AG), John Hartnett (JH),Luuk van Huët (LvH),JR Jones (JJ),Dave Kehr (DK),Terri J Kester (TJK), Anne Jongeling, MarieClaire Melzer (MM), Mike Peek (MP), Reece Pendleton (RP), Julie Phillips (JP), Jonathan Rosenbaum (JR) and Bregtje Schudel (BS).All films are screened in English with Dutch subtitles unless otherwise noted. Amsterdam Weekly recommends.

New this week Apocalypto Mel Gibson’s self-immolation after The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre was so spectacular that you couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t part of a shrewd marketing campaign. But after seeing Gibson’s latest gorefest, Apocalypto, I can only come to the conclusion that the man is bat-shit crazy. The film takes place in the lush rainforests of 16th-century South America, where a village is ransacked by a group of fierce warriors. The hero, Jaguar Paw, is taken prisoner and is about to have is heart torn out, but manages to flee with a Maya war party hot on his heels. After two hours of unrelenting violence and sadism—mostly occuring off-screen, thereby discouraging even the core audience of gorehounds from seeing Apocalypto—we’re shown something even more unsettling. Jaguar Paw leads his final two pursuers to a beach, where they are all shocked by the sight of two boats filled with rugged Spanish soldiers and saintly monks bearing crosses. Yes, Gibson says, the Maya were a vile people who deserved to be wiped out by the Spanish and their diseases, but their souls were saved by the Catholic Church! So, Mel Gibson supports genocide. Somebody better warn the Armenians. (LvH) 139 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé City, Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski The Fish Fall in Love After 22 years of absence Aziz returns to his birthplace to reclaim his family home, only to discover that it has been turned into a profitable restaurant by the woman he abandoned.

Purportedly inspired by The Thousand and One Nights, this Iranian movie plays more like a soap opera than like an inspired fable. The whole story hinges on a single misunderstanding which should have been resolved in two seconds. Instead it is drawn out for 96 minutes—-with obvious mind-numbing effect. In Persian with Dutch subtitles. (BS) Rialto Guru Guru Kant Desai (Bollywood superstar Abishek Bachchan) has big dreams. His father says dreams never come true. But Guru is not discouraged. In 1958, at a time when trade was conducted only by the rich and privileged, he leaves his village and goes to Bombay with just 15,000 rupees to start a business.

Celebrated Indian director Mani Ratnam gives us the story of a young man who refuses to take no for an answer, opens his own company in Bombay and is determined to take it to the top. This star vehicle also features the celebrated Aishwarya Rai as Guru’s wife, Sujatha, and no Ratnam movie would complete without music by AR Rahman. In Hindi with Dutch subtitles.

(SD) Pathé ArenA

Olivier etc, Director Sander Burger’s feature film

debut concerns a young man with a heart condition

11-17 January 2007

that could kill him at any moment. As a result he lives life to the fullest, never having to think about the future or make long-term commitments. But when his condition is cured, he suddenly has to take responsibility.

Olivier, who in his illness always appeared so strong, now—-in health—-behaves like a victim. A marvellous performance by Dragan Bakema gives depth to this heartfelt story. In Dutch. (BS) 92 min. Het Ketelhuis

Paris, je t’aime. Short films, by 18 different directors, about Paris and love. See review on p.19.

Still playing

4 Elements Documentarist Jiska Rickels portrays

the four elements by linking each one to man’s efforts to use—or fight—them. Each element has its own landscape, atmosphere, language and protagonists, hard workers making a living in the face of adversity. Earth is represented by a coal mine, water by crab fishermen in the Bering Strait, fire by firefighters in Siberia and air by a crew of astronauts in training. Narration and dialogue are in Russian, English, German and Kazakh, with sparing use of subtitles; but in this beautiful, thought-provoking film, the challenge to the audience is amply repaid.

(TJK) 100 min. Het Ketelhuis, Rialto ’N Beetje Verliefd Martin Koolhoven (Het Schnitzelparadijs) brings us another multicultural comedy with a multinational cast. Cute 19-year-old rapper Yes-R stars as Omar, who can marry his Turkish sweetie only if he oil-wrestles her brother (figure that one out). He goes for help to his grandfather Thijs (Ad van Kempen), who used to be a wrestling champion. Also with Plien van

Bennekom, Tjitske Reidinga and Sabri Saad El-Hamus.

In Dutch. 82 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Bhagam Bhag Last decade’s Bollywood hottie Govinda (now making a comeback) and up-and-coming comedian Aksay Kumar star in this romantic comedy, playing actors in an Indian theatre group that snags a tour in the UK. Their female lead, tired of Kumar’s romantic advances, refuses to go, so they find a new actress (Lara Dutta) in the UK. Two problems arise.

First, she’s lost her memory. Second, she gets it back.

In Hindi with Dutch subtitles. Pathé ArenA Dealing and Wheeling in Small Arms In Europe pistols are used primarily for sport, but in developing countries they function as real arms in numerous civil wars. Rich businessmen sell these weapons to local dealers, thereby helping to sustain the riots. Through the eyes of a weapons expert trying to identify the type of gun that killed Theo van Gogh, director Sander Francken gives a fair overview of the international ‘trade’ in small arms.

But unlike, for example, Darwin’s Nightmare (about the disturbance of the ecological balance in Africa’s Lake Victoria through European intervention), the film approaches its conflict from a Western perspective and fails to show the consequences for the developing countries at any serious length. Dealing and Wheeling is an interesting survey but lacks emotional depth. In Dutch.

(MP) 90 min. De Uitkijk The District This absurdist and über-funky animated film tells a Romeo and Juliet story amid rival Roma gangs clashing in Budapest. The kids decide they need money and travel back in time to put an oil field under their ‘hood. Eventually George Bush, the Pope and Bin Laden get involved. A warped comedy billed as ‘Hun-

Five-Word Movie Review

LONG RUNNING DEAD PEOPLE MOVIE Forever, De Uitkijk

gary’s answer to South Park’. In Hungarian/Romany with Dutch subtitles. 87 min. Filmhuis Griffioen Eragon Farm boy Eragon (Edward Speleers) happens upon a dragon’s egg and discovers he has been chosen to defend his land against the evil king Galbatorix (John Malkovich) in this adaptation of wunderkind Christopher Paolini’s best-selling medieval adventure fantasy. Sienna Guillory plays the elf Arya, the guardian of the dragon’s egg; Rachel Weisz is the voice of the dragon Saphira. 104 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Family Law Completing his trilogy of tales about fatherhood, Argentinean director Daniel Burman (Lost Embrace) offers this pleasantly breezy drama about a young law professor’s awkward relationship with his ageing father, a successful and beloved attorney whose dedication to his clients left little time for his son while he was growing up. Already struggling with his own identity as a new husband and father, the profes-

Special screenings The Apartment This 1961 Billy Wilder comedy stars Jack Lemmon, as a miserable cog in the wheels of a big office, and, as his love interest, the incredibly watchable young Shirley MacLaine. 125 min. Kriterion

Blood Simple Deep in the heart of Texas, the

sleazy owner of a honky-tonk plots revenge on his unfaithful wife. The agent of vengeance is a cynical divorce detective (M Emmet Walsh) who isn’t opposed to taking a little work on the side. The plot of the Coen Brothers’ first film—a bald pastiche of James M Cain—contains some ingenious, enjoyable reversals. (DK) 97 min. Het Ketelhuis

Calvaire Well looky here, them Belgians have done gone and made themselves a hillbilly horror movie.

Seriously, this Walloon Deliverance wannabe offered some intriguing and nasty visuals to the art-house audience who saw it at the 2005 IFFR. For true gore aficionados, though, the grim parable lacks an important quantity: namely, guts. Director Fabrice Du Welz chickens out more often than he should when it comes to dishing out the goods. For a film so obviously influenced by the classic survival horror subgenre, that’s not a good thing. The film isn’t completely without merit, though: the shiver-inducing and hilarious dance scene almost saves it. Almost. In French with Dutch subtitles. (LvH) 94 min. Rialto Fando and Lis The 1968 debut film of cult director Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo) apparently incited a riot at its first screening in Mexico and has rarely been seen since. Fando and Lis, the last people left after the apolcaypse, wander the earth in surrealist weirdness. Also screening: Dalí and Buñuel’s 1929 Un Chien Andalou. In Spanish with English subtitles.

96 min. De Nieuwe Anita Friends of Kim This 2005 Dutch documentary, directed by Raphael Wilking and Hans van Dijk, is the strange and funny account of a group of Western Kim Jong Il sympathisers on tour in North Korea. The group is led by a 29-year-old Spaniard determined to reject Western consumerism, but his idealism takes a beating in the troubled workers’ paradise. 71 min. Rialto The Gift A psychic (Cate Blanchett) is trying so hard to give guidance to her beleaguered neighbours in a small

Georgia town that she has put off grieving for her recently deceased husband. After being asked by police to help find a missing person, she realises that a man her visions have made the prime suspect in a murder may not be the killer. In this 2000 film, director Sam Raimi evokes her point of view with an audacious—not campy—use of sound effects, incidental music and old-fashioned subjective montage, drawing us into a vortex of barely repressed malevolence swirling around a woman whose gift is also a curse. With Hilary Swank and Keanu Reeves. (LA) 112 min. Cavia Una Giornata particolare Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, in a ‘together again’ appearance, generate more nostalgia than drama in this frail 1977 social parable by Ettore Scola. On the day of Hitler’s visit to fascist Rome, two loners (a homosexual waiting to be deported and a downtrodden housewife) enjoy a brief encounter. Scola smothers his wistful love story (and it has its moments) under the dead weight of gratuitous politics, overly coy narrative tricks and an ostentatious camera style. In Italian with Dutch subtitles. (DK) 110 min. Rialto The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael Thomas Clay’s controversial 2005 directorial debut, compared to A Clockwork Orange, centres on the frustration of young men in a depressing English seaside town. The title character, a talented cellist, gets caught up in a world of violence and what psychiatrists call ‘poor impulse control’. 96 min. Melkweg Cinema

Io non ho paura Director Gabriele Salvatores netted an Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1991 with Mediterraneo. In Io non ho paura (I Am Not Afraid), he again proves his expertise at putting characters in unusual situations and keeping the story believable and compelling all the way through. Ten-year-old Michele plays with his friends on the lush maize-covered plains of southern Italy. One day, he meets a mysterious figure in a ruined house. As he investigates the matter, he learns of the local grown-ups’ links to the mystery, and this visually stunning fairy tale of a film takes on a grim twist. Io non ho paura is an insightful study of a child confronted with the sometimes unpleasant world of adults. In Italian with Dutch subtitles. (AJ) 108 min. Pathé Tuschinski

O Brother, Where Art Thou? After making their two best features to date, the Coen brothers came up with their worst, a piece of pop nihilism about three convicts (George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson and John Turturro) on the run. Fargo dealt with their home state (Minnesota) and the present and The Big Lebowski with LA at the time of the Gulf War. But when it comes to Mississippi and the Depression, the Coens are so contemptuous that they can’t even come up with characters. A movie’s in trouble when its best sequence is a whimsical musical number featuring the Ku Klux Klan—which the Coens seem to regard as yet another antique. (JR) 106 min. Het Ketelhuis Papillon French safecracker Papillon (Steve McQueen) escapes from Devil’s Island in this big, long, melodramatic, escapist adventure from 1973, directed

by Franklin J Schaffner and co-starring Dustin Hoffman as Papillon’s prison buddy. 144 min. Filmmuseum Pygmalion A 1937 Dutch version of the play that became My Fair Lady. The flower girl Elisa Doeluttel (Lily Bouwmeester) speaks plat Amsterdams; other than that the film, directed by German hired gun Ludwig Berger, sticks close to George Bernard Shaw’s original. With Johan de Meester and the young Wim Kan. In Dutch with English subtitles. 97 min. Pathé Tuschinski

Rize Documentary about radical hiphop dance in LA’s South Central by David LaChapelle. (JJ) 84 min. Melkweg Cinema

Viva Laldjérie This 2004 French-Algerian feature by Nadir Moknèche offers an intriguing look at women in a changing Algiers. Lubna Azabal easily holds the screen as an independent young woman whose frustrating affair with a married doctor sends her to a local dance club in search of sex. Her ageing mother, a former cabaret star, dreams of the days when her physical charms brought her power over men. Less developed than these two characters is their downstairs neighbour, a blithe hooker who runs afoul of a local hood; her predicament fits the theme but pulls the narrative so far off course Mokneche can’t find the centre again. In French with Dutch subtitles. (JJ) 113 min. KIT Tropentheater, Kleine Zaal

11-17 January 2007

Amsterdam Weekly

19 Most likely, the smug blond in the back corner let one fly.

Forget Notting Hill. A new anthology film asks us to give the City of Love one more chance.

THE ONLYTHING THAT MATTERS

By Mike Peek Objectively speaking, Paris is a stinking dump full of rude people. Yet when you walk the streets, you can’t help but be seduced by its little alleys, its grand avenues and the undeniable mood of its bourgeois life. Countless films have been devoted to ‘the city of love’, but Paris, je t’aime is set apart by its diversity.

Eighteen directors were asked to make a five- to six-minute film with only two conditions: it had to be about love and it had to be set in Paris. Film-makers from Gus Van Sant and the Coen Brothers to Wes Craven eagerly accepted the invitation, thereby contributing to a remarkable piece of work.

Very self-conscious about what it sets out to do, Paris, je t’aime could be

described as ‘love from all sides’. It’s quite hip nowadays to make a film with multiple, intertwined storylines, but more often than not, this causes great problems. Paul Haggis’ Oscar winner Crash (2004), for example, is so busy creating a mirror of contemporary society that it forgets characterisation, reducing its protagonists to pieces of a puzzle. Love Actually (2003) does better in the character department, but overall, can only give a superficial view of love.

Paris, je t’aime has none of these problems, in particular because it takes the concept of love so much farther than most movies do. Yes, there are shorts about the love between a boy and a girl, but always with a twist.

In Tom Tykwer’s ‘Faubourg SaintDenis’, Natalie Portman falls in love with a blind guy. We pick up their story when Portman calls him, telling him that their relationship has quietly passed from

spring to summer and, without noticing autumn, has now landed in winter. Then, by means of Tykwer’s typical time-lapse photography, we follow the key moments in their affair. It’s poetic, bursts with adrenaline and ends on a beautiful note about the insecurities everyone has in a relationship. Equally good, but storywise more original, is ‘14th Arrondissement’, from Alexander Payne.

We see a middle-aged American woman travelling to Paris alone. She has been saving money for years to go on this trip and has learned to speak French, although with a very amusing accent. She visits all the hot spots, while talking about her life. We tend to feel sorry for her because she seems very lonely, until she sits down in a park and has a beautiful experience all on her own. Payne explicitly shows something that you don’t see visualised very often: self-love.

Inevitably, not all films are equally good. ‘Quais de Seine’, about the love a boy has for a Muslim girl, is so obviously trying to be politically correct that it fails to have a real emotional impact. Others are just funny, like the Coen Brothers’ ‘Tuileries’, or beautiful, like ‘Tour Eiffel’, from Sylvain Chomet, about a mime.

There are surprises (Wes Craven’s tender ‘Pére-Lachaise’) and disappointments (Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Parc Monceau’), but with all its wide-ranging visual and topical pleasures, it’s hard not to love Paris je t’aime.

Paris, je t’aime (in English and French with Dutch subtitles) opens Thursday at Pathé Tuschinski.

20

Amsterdam Weekly

sor (Daniel Hendler) isn’t sure how to respond when his father (Arturo Goetz) unexpectedly tries to draw closer. Engaging and well acted, the film is admirably low-key, yet Burman’s relaxed approach becomes a liability—everything goes down smoothly but leaves one hungry for something more substantial. In Spanish with Dutch subtitles. (RP) 102 min. Rialto

dian bard has had a beautiful blonde, Lian Lunson, shoot a documentary about him. The film contains footage of a recent concert in Sydney, as well as old material and interviews, both with Cohen himself and artists such as Nick Cave, Beth Orton and Rufus and Martha Wainwright, who all talk about his influence on their music. (MM) 105 min. Het Ketelhuis

Flushed Away A collaboration between DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Features, this delightful computer animation is less twee than Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, with more action. A posh pet mouse (voiced by Hugh Jackman) is booted down a Kensington sewer to an underground replica of London where he helps an intrepid rat (Kate Winslet) battle a loathsome gangland toad (Ian McKellen). Bill Nighy and Andy Serkis are the toad’s dim henchmen, and Jean Reno is hilarious as Le Frog, leader of some inept Gallic ninjas. But they’re all upstaged by the Greek chorus of stem-eyed slugs, who emit sound effects and chirp pop standards with insolent glee. (AG) 82 min. Het Ketelhuis, Pathé De Munt

Lights in the Dusk Aki Kaurismaki’s trilogy about Finnish despair (Drifting Clouds, The Man Without a Past) closes with this story of the lonely night watchman Koistinen (Janne Hyytiäinen), who gets caught up with a femme fatale. In Finnish with Dutch Subtitles 78 min. The Movies

A History of Violence A masterpiece by Cronenberg. Josh Olson adapted his script from a graphic novel, yet the story develops with a subtlety that’s entirely cinematic. (JR) 96 min. Filmhuis Griffioen The Illusionist In 1900s Vienna, the magician Eisenheim (Edward Norton) appears capable of the greatest feats, from slowing the movement of an object in mid-air to making an orange tree grow instantaneously from a newly planted seed. His wizardry confounds both Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell) and Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti), who, despite growing admiration, is ordered to shut him down. Trapped in a corner, Eisenheim hires a group of Chinese assistants and begins to dabble in the spirit world. When an apparition of the late Duchess Sophie van Teschen (Jessica Biel), his childhood love as well as the Prince’s betrothed, manifests itself onstage, the problems begin to get out of hand. Suddenly, both the monarchy and the magician are in danger. A romantic love story and intriguing political thriller, directed by Neil Burger, with an exceptional score by Philip Glass.

(JH) 110 min. The Movies, Pathé Tuschinski Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man The trick of a true ladies’ man is that he knows how to act out the part of a sad and lonely one. No woman with a heart can resist that. Leonard Cohen knows the trick: he has written numerous sad songs and slept with numerous beautiful women. And now, in his seventies, the Cana-

FILM TIMES Thursday 10 January until Wednesday 16 January. Times are provided by cinemas and are subject to last-minute changes. Film times also at www.amsterdamweekly.nl.

De Balie Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10, 553 5151 Oberhausen on Tour 2007 Fri, Sat 20.30.

Cavia Van Hallstraat 52-I, 681 1419 The Gift Fri 20.30 Simple Plan,A Thur 20.30.

Cinecenter Lijnbaansgracht 236, 623 6615 Babel daily 16.00, 19.00, 21.45, Sun also 11.15 Chinese Botanist's Daughters daily 19.30 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer daily 15.15, 21.45, Sun also 11.00 The Queen daily 16.15, 19.15, 21.45, Sun also 11.00, 13.45 La Tourneuse de pages daily 16.30, 19.30, 22.00, Sun also 11.15, 14.00.

Cinema Amstelveen Plein 1960 2, Amstelveen, 547 5175 Borat Thur, Fri 20.30, Thur also 15.00, Sat 21.30 Charlotte's Web (NL) Sun 14.00, Wed 13.30 Eden Tues, Wed 20.30 Flushed Away (NL) Sun 12.00, Wed 15.30 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek/Crusade in Jeans Sun 16.00 Tigers on Tour: Glue Sat 19.00 Tigers on Tour: La Perrera Sat 14.00 Tigers on Tour: Un Matin Bonne Heure Sat 16.15.

Filmhuis Griffioen Uilenstede 106, Amstelveen, 444 5100 A History of Violence Thur 19.00 The District Fri, Tues 21.00 Nachtrit Thur 21.00, Fri, Tues 19.00.

Filmmuseum Vondelpark 3, 589 1400 De GVR Sun, Wed 14.00 Oldboy Thur, Mon, Tues 17.00 Our Daily Bread daily 17.30, 19.30, 21.30, Sun also 15.30 Papillon Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed 19.15 Pettsons belofte Sun, Wed 13.45 Seven Invisible Men Fri, Sat, Wed 17.00 Sympathy for Lady Vengeance Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed 22.00, Sun also 16.15.

Goethe-Institut Amsterdam Herengracht 470, , Amphytrion Wed 20.00.

The Man Without a Past Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki perfects his trademark formula of deadpan humor and Arctic Circle pathos in this brilliantly ironic 2002 comedy.

After arriving in Helsinki by late-night train, a thuggish middle-aged man is beaten to a pulp, left unconscious in a park, and ends up an amnesiac shell in a waterfront squatters’ camp where Scandinavian practicality and rock ‘n’ roll thrive side by side. The drifters and bums, doleful losers all, make the stranger one of their own, and against this postindustrial vista his angel of mercy appears, in the form of a wispy Salvation Army volunteer who’s so devoid of hope that she rouses a spark of compassion from the bottom of his soul. Kaurismaki slyly builds to a funny and joyous ending, as his unlikely hero is transformed into a man with a sliver of a future. In Finnish with Dutch Subtitles 97 min. The Movies

Oldboy In this second instalment of Chan-wook Park’s Vengeance trilogy, a seemingly innocent Korean salaryman is kidnapped and held prisoner for 15 years. One might expect the good man to hold a bit of a grudge, so it’s no surprise when Dae-Su Oh goes on a rightous rampage of revenge in his quest to find out the who and why of his capture. When he eventually unmasks his nemesis, he’s drawn deeper into a game in which all the odds are against him. Although the influences of Miike, Fincher and Lynch are obvious, director Park manages to combine them, with remarkable vision and excellent craftmanship, into a refreshing tale of revenge gone wrong. Oldboy is not exactly a feel-good movie, but it received a welldeserved Grand Jury Prize at Cannes. In Korean with Dutch subtitles. (LvH) 120 min. Filmmuseum Our Daily Bread Our Daily Bread may remind you

of We Feed the World, the documentary by Erwin Wagenhofer that was released in the Netherlands last November. Like that film, it’s a behind-the-scenes look at how meat and produce make the transition from

Het Ketelhuis Haarlemmerweg 8-10, 684 0090 4 Elements daily 19.45, Sun also 15.45 Ave Maria Sat, Wed 13.30 Blood Simple Fri 21.00 Fargo Thur 21.00 Flushed Away Sat, Wed 13.15 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek (NL) Fri, Sat, Mon-Wed 16.15, Sat, Wed also 13.45, Sun 14.30 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek/Crusade in Jeans Thur-Sat, MonWed 18.45 Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man daily 21.15 Nachtrit Fri, Sat, Mon-Wed 17.00 O Brother,Where Art Thou? Sat 21.00 Ober daily 19.15 Olivier etc. daily 21.30, Fri, Sat, Mon-Wed also 16.45, Sun also 11.00 Pretpark Nederland Sat, Wed 15.00 Schoffies Fri, Sat,Mon-Wed 18.30 Wild Romance Sat, Wed 15.00 Zwartboek daily 21.15.

KIT Tropentheater, Kleine Zaal Linnaeusstraat 2, 568 8500 Viva Laldjérie Tues, Wed 20.30.

Kriterion Roetersstraat 170, 623 1708 An Inconvenient Truth daily 19.30 The Apartment Mon 22.15, Sat, Sun 14.00 Buddha's Lost Children daily 16.10 Little Miss Sunshine daily 20.15 Ober Sat, Sun 14.30, Fri, Sat 0.15 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer daily 16.45, Thur-Mon, Wed also 21.30 The Science of Sleep daily 18.00, Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed also 22.15, Fri, Sat also 0.30 Sneak Preview Tues 22.00.

Melkweg Cinema Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 624 1777 The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael daily 20.00 Rize Tues, Wed 22.00.

The Movies Haarlemmerdijk 159-165, 638 6016 Babel daily 16.30, 21.30, Sun also 11.30 Flushed Away (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 15.00 The Illusionist daily 17.00, 19.45, 22.00, Fri, Sat 0.00, Sun also 12.45 Lights in the Dusk daily 17.30, Fri, Sat also 0.15 Little Miss Sunshine Fri, Sat 23.30 The Man Without a Past Fri, Sat 0.30 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer daily 19.00, 21.45, Sat, Sun, Wed also 14.00 The Queen daily 19.30, 21.30, Sat, Sun, Wed also 14.30 Snow Cake daily 16.45, Sun also 11.45 La Tourneuse de pages daily 19.30, Sat, Sun, Wed also 15.30, Sun also 13.30.

De Nieuwe Anita Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 06 4150 3512, Fando and Lis Mon 20.30.

Pathé ArenA ArenA Boulevard 600, 0900 1458 Apocalypto daily 12.25, 15.30, 18.30, 21.30 Bhagam Bhag Thur 14.00, 17.15, 20.30 Casino Royale daily 12.10, 15.15, 18.15, 19.50, 20.40, 21.25 Charlotte's Web (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 13.20, 15.25, Sat, Sun also 11.05

soil to supermarket. But Our Daily Bread is far more experimental, abstaining from dialogue and even music. Alternating shots from the work floor of a meat packing plant with the same people silently eating their lunches, Austrian director Nikolaus Geyrhalter creates a mood of inevitability. He is not interested in opinions or politics, only in showing the bizarre, almost science-fictional way our food is produced in the 21st century. (MP) 92 min. Filmmuseum

Our Daily Bread Pretpark Nederland Director Michiel van Erp explores a weird phenomenon the Dutch call ‘leisure time’.

According to some, the Dutch are maniacally battling the boredom that lurks in every corner—whether it’s by attending a women’s magazine day out, shopping in giant mall Batavia Stad or watching the Gay Parade.

It’s refreshing to have a Dutchman self-reflect on habits without getting exploitative or malicious. The film is a bit overlong, yet it never gets boring. And apparently that’s what Dutch life is all about. In Dutch.

(BS) 90 min. Het Ketelhuis The Queen Helen Mirren’s flinty performance as Elizabeth II is getting all the attention, but equally impressive is Peter Morgan’s insightful script for this UK drama, which quietly teases out the social, political, and historical implications of the 1997 death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Shortly after the shocking news reaches Britain, Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) scores a PR coup by memorialising Diana as the ‘people’s princess’, while the royal family’s obstinate silence angers their grieving subjects.

But Blair is more sympathetic to Elizabeth than many of his staffers, and he instinctively understands what she cannot: that in the tabloid age, celebrities are dangerously usurping the monarch’s hold on the public imagination. (JJ) 97 min. Cinecenter, The Movies, Pathé ArenA, Pathé Tuschinski

The Science of Sleep Michel Gondry’s latest flick is a bit more lightweight than his previous efforts, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. The Science of Sleep is a rumination on love and longing, in this case Déjà Vu: D-4 daily 18.00, 18.45, 21.45, Thur-Mon, Wed also 20.50, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 13.00, 15.50, Thur, Mon, Tues also 12.20, 15.10 The Departed daily 21.10, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.15, Fri, Mon, Tues also 15.40 Eragon daily 16.15, 18.40, 21.00, Thur-Sun, Mon, Wed also 13.45, Sat, Sun also 11.15 Flushed Away (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 12.40, 14.40, 16.40, Sat, Sun 10.40 Guru Fri-Wed 14.00, 17.15, 20.30, Sat, Sun also 10.45 Happy Feet daily 12.35, 15.00, Sat, Sun also 10.10 Happy Feet (IMAX)daily19.00, 21.35, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also13.30,16.00 Happy Feet (NL) Fri-Sun, Wed 13.10, 15.35, Sat, Sun also 10.35 Happy Feet (NL) (IMAX)Sat, Sun, Wed 13.30, 16.00, Sat, Sun also 10.55 The Holiday daily 12.30, 15.25, 18.25, 20.15, 21.20 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 13.10, 15.50, Sat, Sun also 10.25 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek/Crusade in Jeans daily 17.35, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.05, 14.45 Leef! Tues 13.30 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer daily 17.25 Plop in de stad Sat, Sun, Wed 12.25, 14.05, Sat, Sun also 10.50 The Queen daily 18.50 Saw III daily 12.00, 14.30, 17.00, 19.30, 22.00 Sneak Preview Tues 21.00 Turks in Space daily 11.50, 14.20, 16.45, 19.15, 21.50 ’N Beetje Verliefd daily 17.45, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 13.15, 15.20, Sat, Sun, Wed also 15.40, Sat, Sun also 10.15.

Pathé City Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 15-19, 623 4570 Apocalypto daily 17.30, 20.30, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 14.30 Casino Royale daily 16.30, 20.00 Charlotte's Web (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 16.00, Sat, Sun also 13.15 Déjà Vu: D-4 daily 20.45 Flushed Away (NL) Sat, Sun 14.00 Happy Feet daily 15.00, 17.45, Sat, Sun also 12.30 Happy Feet (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 14.30, Sat, Sun also 12.00 The Holidaydaily 18.00, Thur-Tues also 14.45, Thur-Mon, Wed also 21.00 Plop in de stad Sat, Sun 12.15, Wed 15.30 Saw III daily 18.45, 21.30, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 16.00 Sneak Preview 21.15.

Pathé De Munt Vijzelstraat 15, 0900 1458 Apocalypto Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 14.30, 17.45, 21.15, Sat 10.30, 13.35, 16.40, 19.50, 23.00, Sun also 11.20 Babel Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 17.25, 20.35, Sat 18.35, 21.45 Borat Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 17.50, 20.00, 22.10, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 13.20, Thur, Sun, Mon, Tues also 15.35, Sat 16.40, 18.50, 21.00, 23.15 Casino Royale daily 18.20, 21.30, Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed also 20.30, Thur, Fri, Mon-Wed also 13.00, 16.15, Tur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.05, Thur, Mon, Tues also 15.15, Sat also 12.40, 15.50, 19.00, 22.15, Sun also 14.00, 17.15 Charlotte's Web (NL) Fri, Sat 15.00, Sat also 10.30, 12.45, 17.15, Sun 10.10, 12.25, 14.40, Wed 12.30, 14.45 Déjà Vu: D-4 Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 18.50, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.45, Thur, Mon, Tues also 15.55, Sat 10.00, 12.50, 15.45, 19.30, 22.30, Sun also 11.25, Wed also 14.30 The Departed Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 17.25, 20.45, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 14.00, Sat 18.40, 22.00 Eragon Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 14.15, 16.45, 19.35, 22.05, Sat 10.10, 12.30, 14.55, 17.20, 19.45, 22.10, Sun also 11.45 Flushed Away Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 12.20, Sat 11.20, 13.30, Sun also 10.10

11-17 January 2007 the love felt by the dopey Stéphane for his lanky neighbour Stéphanie, which he expresses by presenting all kinds of inventive doodads for her. While Stéphane is a cocksure and confident dude in his cardboard-riddled dreams, he turns into a clunky kid in real life.

Gondry’s inventive low-fi aesthetic is always appealing, as are the two leads, Gael García Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg. In Spanish/English/French with Dutch subtitles. (LvH) 105 min. Kriterion Snow Cake Director Marc Evans brings us a portentous tale of friendship, loss and uninteresting dark secrets. Depressed ex-convict Alex gets stranded in a sleepy Canadian town teeming with such quirky-yetlovable characters as high-functioning-autistic Linda and sex-crazed Maggie. Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver undoubtedly thought they were doing something special (and handicapped characters and Oscar nods tend to go hand in hand). Yet the developments feel forced, or unfocused at best. Weaver’s portrayal of Linda could have been the icing on the (snow)cake.

Instead, her performance is all quirks and no personality. (BS) 112 min. The Movies, Pathé Tuschinski

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance This final chapter of

Chan-wook Park’s Vengeance trilogy is more soulful and forgiving than the first, although it may feel a bit contrived at times. After spending 13 years behind bars for the alleged murder of a small boy, the vampish Geum-ja Lee sets an intricate plot into motion that has the narrative weaving back and forth through time and space while the real killer is slowly ensnared in her web of revenge. This film is slightly more upbeat than its predecessors, as redemption finally seems possible in Park’s universe without copious amounts of self-flagellation and sacrifice. Still, it doesn’t come easy. In Korean with Dutch subtitles. (LvH) 113 min. Filmmuseum Wild Romance With his greased quiff and tight leather pants, singer Herman Brood was the ultimate marketing concept: the boys wanted to be like him, the girls lined up to sleep with him. In Jean van de Velde’s biopic, Daniël Boissevain does a good job of evoking the self-proclaimed rock ’n’ roll junkie: half sweet, sentimental man, half big, selfish kid. But the real star of the movie is Marcel Hensema as Brood’s manager, Koos van Dijk, with his high energy and don’t-worry-I’llget-us-out-of-this approach. Wild Romance is not so much about the life and times of Herman Brood as it is about how his manager succeeded in keeping his unruly star on the right track—most of the time, that is.

In Dutch. (FD) 103 min. Het Ketelhuis

Flushed Away (NL) Fri, Wed 15.40, Sat 10.15, 12.20, 14.30, Sun 11.15, 13.25, Wed also 13.30 Happy Feet Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 19.05, 21.50, Thur, Fri, Mon-Wed also 13.15, 16.05, Sat 10.00, 12.25, 15.05, 17.40, 20.15, Sun also 11.15, 13.55, 16.30 Happy Feet (NL) Fri 16.15, Sat 11.45, 14.20, 16.55, Sun 10.40, 13.15, 16.00, Wed 13.30, 16.10 The Holiday Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 12.00, 15.00, 18.00, 21.10, Sat 11.00, 14.10, 17.20, 20.30, 23.30 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek (NL) Fri 15.20, Sat, Sun, Wed 12.40, 15.30, Sat also 10.05, Sun also 10.00 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek/Crusade in Jeans Thur, Fri, SunWed 14.35, Sat 15.45 Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Thur, Sun-Wed 17.00, 20.15, Thur, Mon, Tues also 13.30, Fri 12.00, 17.10, 20.20, Sat 19.30, 22.40 Plop in de stadSat 10.35, 12.30, 14.20, Sun 11.05, 12.55, Wed 13.35, 15.25 Rocky Balboa Sat 22.45 Saw III Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 13.45, 16.35, 19.15, 21.55, Sat 10.10, 12.40, 15.15, 17.50, 20.30, 23.10 ’N Beetje Verliefd Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 17.15, 19.45, 22.00, Thur, Fri, Sun-Tues also 14.45, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.30, Sat 16.15, 18.35, 20.50, 23.05.

Pathé Tuschinski Reguliersbreestraat 34, 0900 1458 Apocalypto daily 13.30, 17.00, 20.30 Casino Royale Thur, Sun-Wed 14.00, 17.30, 21.00, Fri, Sat 12.00, 15.00, 18.15, 21.30 Charlotte's Web (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 12.00 Happy Feet (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 12.30, 15.30 The Holiday daily 21.30, Thur, Sat, Sun-Wed also 12.00, 18.15, Fri also 18.40 The Illusionist daily 16.15, 19.10, 21.45 Io non ho paura Thur, Tues 13.30 Little Miss Sunshine daily 22.00, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 16.30 Paris, je t’aime daily 19.15, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 13.15 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer Thur, Sat-Wed 15.00, 21.15, Fri 15.30, 21.40 Pygmalion Sun 10.30 The Queen daily 19.00, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues, also 13.00, 15.45, Sat, Sun, Wed also 14.10, 16.30 Snow Cake Fri-Mon, Wed 12.45.

Rialto Ceintuurbaan 338, 676 8700 4 Elements daily 18.15, 20.00, 22.00, Sat, Sun, Wed also 15.45, Sat also 13.30 Calvaire Fri 16.00 The Cave of the Yellow Dog Sun 11.30 Family Law daily 19.30, 21.45, Sun also 16.15 The Fish Fall in Love daily 19.15, 21.15, Fri-Sun, Wed also 15.30, Fri, Sat also 23.10, Sat, Sun also 13.25 Friends of Kim Sat 16.00 Giornata particolare, Una Sun 11.00 Into Great Silence Fri, Wed 16.15, Sat 13.00, Sun 12.00 Seven Invisible Men Sun 11.00 The Story of the Weeping Camel Sun 13.30.

De Uitkijk Prinsengracht 452, 623 7460 After the Wedding Fri-Sun 21.15, Sun also 13.30 Dealing and Wheeling in Small Arms Thur, Tues, Wed 21.15 Forever daily 19.15 Zwartboek daily 16.00.

11-17 January 2007

Amsterdam Weekly

Sweetness and light Bromo Indah Elandsgracht 82, 625 2726 Open Daily 16.00-22.00 Cash After the excesses of the festive season were finally over, your Glutton lay supine. Reclining on his chaise longue, he was a twitching thing, a larva, with tiny arms and legs helplessly wiggling around, unable to move.

Zonked out, he was.

Thank heavens the dinners, the parties, the festivities had passed. The jingle-merry ho ho and thundering sky-rockets heralding a new year had fizzled to mush on the pavements—a little like how the Glutton presently felt.

Oh, yes. My poor stomach, full with windy resolutions like weight loss, diet and exercise and so on and so on. (‘Oh yeah?’ sneered my inner critic. ‘You can’t even tie up your shoelaces.’)

And so, it is now quite firmly 2007, aptly named the Year of the Pig. My greetings and respect to you for the times ahead. And although my girth has increased, my pocketbook has reduced, thanks to the season just past. No matter, dear reader. There are plenty of places that cater for schlemiels like me. One of them is Bromo Indah, opposite a pretentiously expensive coffee shop on Elandsgracht.

This street boasts some remarkable restaurants and shops for food lovers to browse among.

Some are pricey and some are cheap. But, well... you pays your money, you takes your choice.

From the outside, Bromo Indah looks noth-

THE UNDERCOVER GLUTTON The wolf within howls mournfully into the night, wailing for remembered flavours. Ginger? Lemon leaf?

Glutton’s eyes redden. Feeding time is now... ing special. The same goes for the inside, too. On one wall is a newspaper cutting giving the place a 7.5 rating. The mute fact that this bizz has been running for seven years testifies to many return-

ing and satisfied regulars, who know what to expect for a decent price.

The delicious dishes lie in state in the glass cases. You peruse and choose what you

21

want to feast on. Myself, I enjoy the sweet stuff.

Yellow coconut rice with chunky chicken breasts simmered in turmeric, lemon leaves and coconut milk, each bite my delight. Hot, spicy beef, and green beans with chillies. A boiled-then-fried egg in hot sauce atop mixed vegetables. Tempeh and tofu in soy sauce.

There are Surinamese rotis, too, for those who desire them.

The dishes here are cooked by the owner’s mother, and are herbed and spiced to perfection.

The meat is halal and of excellent quality to ensure the customers get the best. I find the owner is always warm and self-effacing.

Of course, each neighbourhood has an Indonesian takeaway which locals swear is the best in town. To be sure, it will be my Holy Grail trail to check them all out to see if it’s true. But for now, this one’s mine. There is fancy food and there is food and I know what I’m going to get at Bromo Indah—and so does my stomach.

I get all fired up, impatient to eat, too lazy to cook. On the box, Ready, Steady, Cook has finished and Anne Robinson is beginning to grill the luckless links to the sadistic delight of audiences, while hunger in turn gnaws sadistically at my tum. The wolf within howls mournfully into the night, wailing for remembered flavours.

Ginger? Lemon leaf? Glutton’s eyes redden.

Feeding time is now. He is up from his repose, saliva glands kick-started into action. Grabbing hat ’n’ coat he crash-dives down the stairwell.

He wants Indonesian flavours, now! A human torpedo streaking away on his mission. Glutton homing in. Thank heavens he lives in a neighbourhood where it’s polite to ignore people on the move. He is approaching comfort food station. Ah, sweet-sour relief!

‘Good evening. How are you?’

‘Yes, the usual, please. Ah, that smells good.’

Glutton feeds.

Amsterdam Weekly

22

WEEKLY CLASSIFIEDS Ads are free, space permitting. They will be posted both to the paper and online. Guaranteed placement is available for a small fee; see our website for details. Ads may be published in English, het Nederlands or whatever language is best for you to communicate your message. How to submit an ad: via our website at www.amsterdamweekly.nl, by fax at 020 620 1666 or post to Amsterdam Weekly, De Ruyterkade 106, 1011 AB Amsterdam. Deadline: Monday at 12.00, the week of publication.

AD OF THE WEEK SEEKING FURN APT. Canadian couple seek a furnished apartment from April 1 to June 20 (approx 3 months) in A’dam for working vacation. Broadband internet required. Contact remgeo@gmail.com.

HOUSING OFFERED AMSTEL RIVER Ground floor, 2 large rooms, spacious garden, internet, DVD, UPC Film Net, fully and classically furnished. Located on Amstel River, beautiful view. Walking distance to Amstel Station. Suitable for one person or couple. Available immediately. €900 all incl. One month deposit. Call 06 1294 1029.

100S OF APARTMENTS available in A’dam immediately.

From €450 p.m. www.xpatrentals.com/offers.

LOOKING FOR APT. Two 25 y.o. girls looking for a place to live.

One or(preferably)two-bedroom apt in the centre, approx. €800 p.m. Contact 06 1041 3623.

22/01/07 - 22/03/07 In Amsterdam, 2-bedroom quiet fur-

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NICE APT FOR RENT. Luxurious & calm 3-room apt (80m2) in Watergraafsmeer. Great neighbourhood, close centre and Amstel station. Tastefully renovated in 2006, wood floors. Poss to buy furniture. Rental contract with Ymere. €923 excl. p.m.

Available now. Photos on request. Contact 061808 9853 / miriam_mccabe@yahoo.com.

COSY, SPACIOUS ROOMRoom for rent available from Jan15th.

International house in Diemen.

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SUBLET FEB4-MAY4a cozy room in a spacious flat in middle of Rembrandt Park in the West.

Friendly roommates who cook and watch Japanese anime together. Looking for some nice mellow guy / girl to sublet this room from Feb 4 to May 4. Contact cinephilia@hotmail.com.

JORDAAN STUDIO For rent on edge of the Jordaan. Furnished studio apartment in perfect location. Bus and tram in front. 6 large windows. €700 p.m. incl. plus deposit. Contact 06 1294 1029.

HOUSING WANTED LOOK FOR A ROOM Reliable, responsible and clean 28 y.o. guy looking for a room to rent preferably in Amsterdam West.

Maximum €300 p.m. I am a non smoking guy from Mexico and work in Amsterdam. Contact 06 4249 0235 / octavio_gomez@yahoo.com.

ROOM OR FLAT Room or flat needed, preferably close to Centraal or Sloterdijk train stations.

Prefer to share. Late 40s male, working in an international NGO. Will be in Amsterdam mid-January until mid-December, with frequent travels overseas. Contact Marc +61 431 284 051 /

marc@deephumanity.org.

HOUSE SEEKINGI am Italian, 25 y.o. , polite, pretty, with degree, working for ABN AMRO Bank. I am desperately looking for a nice place to live. Prefer to spend under €400 p.m. Contact ambasciata@libero.it. Mauro ROOFOVEROURHEADSAFinnish and a Dutch girl (both 23) looking for a flat in Central A’dam from beginning of Feb. Working hard, studying hard, no time to party.

Just need a roof over our pretty little heads. Maximum €800 p.m. incl. Contact Minna 061876 4637 / Lindy 06 1125 1260.

APT./ROOM WANTED I am 22 y.o. male working student, Icelandic and desperately looking for a studio apartment or big room. Please help me out or i will be on the street! Can pay up to €500. Contact 06 1616 5936 / giu@badtemperdesign.com.

ROOM NEEDED Nice, 23 y.o.

Dutch, non-smoking, starting entrepeneur is looking for an apartement / room after break up with girlfriend. Have not got

high demands. I can afford €250 p.m. REWARD: 2 homemade apple pies. Contact 061418 9776.

STUDENT GIRL WANTSNice student girl in trouble because of lack of a staying place, looking for a room in A’dam for maximum €300 p.m. Help me! Contact 06 4367 0585 / elcinir@yahoo.com.

HOUSING TO SHARE ROOM IN AMS AMSTEL Zone 1, €500 p.m. Furnished room in fantastic location available Jan 15 to Jul 15. 80 m2 apt shared with English speaking male IT prof. 2 mins Amstel station, 5 mins from river. Washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, oven, microwave, wifi internet.

1 month deposit. Contact suj2007@hotmail.com.

OTHER SPACES PHOTO STUDIO TO RENT for amateur and prof photographers. Can also be used as meeting or gathering space.

100m2, €150/day. Also possible to rent photo equipment.

Studio has high ceilings, good natural light and located on WG Plein, adjacent to Overtoom.

For appt and more info, contact D. Ingel on 06 2883 4224.

STUDIO SPACEavailable by the hour. Reasonable rates. Contact 06 4194 2207.

WORK OFFERED TULIPANYAre you thinking about starting a business? Do you have a business but administration and papers are not your thing?

Contact Tulipany on 06 1021

11-17 January 2007 8271 / gierkelder@hotmail.com.

IT JOBS IN NLWe have over 650 IT and technical support jobs for non-Dutch speakers all over NL. www.xpatjobs.com.

(PARA) MEDICS WANTEDExpat doctor is looking for serious health professionals (psy/physio /giro etc) to join new expat health centre in central Amsterdam.

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Small 4 meter canal boat needs de-watering, cleaning, new rain shield and if possible fixing of motor. Contact Rick 061771 4131 / rickbridge@hotmail.com.

UNDUTCHABLES seek: Project Manager, supervising a number of projects related to photography and IT. 3 years project managementexperiencereq’d.Commercial Director TV Production, 5 years New Business Development and TV experience. Please check www.undutchables.nl or send your cv to Amsterdam@ undutchables.nl.

SECRETARIES BY ADAMSUrgently seeking a French Secretary for new opportunity in A’dam.

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Marketing company is looking forFrench,Italian,German,Spanish and Portuguese speakers.

Good rates of pay. If you are interested please contact Simon Roe 6351942/euroview@euronet.nl.

PROFESSIONAL SINGERSEntertainers sought for new, high profile dinner entertainment venue in center of Amsterdam.

Old school Motown, soul, Rat Pack. Prepare one up tempo and one ballad on CD or sheet.

Auditions 15 and 17 January from 14:00 to 17:00 at Studio 80, Amstel 80. Contact allison@the-mansion.nl.

FOR SALE ALL MUST GO 2 x Technics sl1210MK2, 1 x Yamaha RM1X, 1 x Yamaha AW16G, 2 x Berhringer TRUTH B2031. Contact djcure73@hotmail.com / 06 4652 8546.

HIGH-BED (FOR TWO) Not enough space, but high ceiling? Here is what you need - IKEA

TROMSÖ two person high-bed (140x200) in very good condition. Already taken apart for easy transport. Full instructions for assembly and all required bolts included. New price €149, asking price €80 (negotiable).

Contact 06 2868 2330.

SERVICES ENGLISH MAN WITH VAN can help with removals big or small, in or outside of country. Reasonable rates, quick service.

Contact Lee on 06 2388 2184 or isabelleandlee@planet.nl.

XPAT PAGES Looking for an English speaking plumber, dentist, lawyer etc? www.xpatpages.com WEB SITE DESIGN Stylish and high quality web sites that look great and work well. See www.oliversmithdesign.com for examples. Contact studio@oliversmithdesign.com / 06 1993 2780 for more info.

STEM IN BEWEGING Voor wie: Iedereen die nieuwsgierig is naar de mogelijkheden van stem, zang & beweging en die op zoek is naar diepgang in het werken met de stem. Contact info@steminbeweging.nl. Aanmelden: Voor meer informatie kijk op www.steminbeweging.nl of bel 020-4198389 SOUND / LIGHT RENTAL We at Soundandlights.nl are a professional team ready to give life to any event. The professional equipment we provide guarantees excellent sound and lights for live performance shows, media events or private

Amsterdam Weekly

11-17 January 2007 parties. Contact 06 4273 6998 or order online at www.soundandlights.nl.

DOCTOR SERVICE Cambridge Medical offers doctor service for expats and tourists in A’dam area. Dr. E Cambridge, huisarts, GP offers high quality consultations, home visits and emergency prescriptions. Contact 06 2723 5380 / 427 5011 or doctor@planet.nl. Address: 30 Rapenburg, Amsterdam.

DENTIST Are you searching for a dentist? Do not be afraid of the dentist! Please contact Avicenna Dental Practice in Amsterdam for your dental needs.

American trained dentist, gentle and caring with more than ten years of experience in all aspects of dentistry including cosmetics. Contact 612 6093.

HEALTH & WELLNESS FOOT REFLEXOLOGY Works through the feet on the whole body to rejuvenate and boost energy through deep relaxation.

Can shift long term complaints.

Treat yourself or a friend. Various locations in A’dam. www.peakexperience.nl. Paula Charnley 06 1489 6168.

HEALERLife coach, yoga teacher and reiki healer available for all types of sessions. Visit www.empowerall.eu.

HOME IMPROVEMENT PAINTER + HANDYMANI am available to paint inside and outside or lend a helping hand. Reasonable rates. Lots of practical and professional experience.

Good references available. Con-

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tact Dacho 06 4275 6045.

FREE FRENCH SESSIONSFrench conversation sessions for free!

Suitable for intermediate and advanced learners. A friendly opportunity to communicate in French. Contact marc@fermin.fsnet.co.uk.

HANDYMAN. Dutch, has been expat myself for 12 years. For all technical domestic / maintenance and rebuilding jobs.

Specialising in kitchens and creating storage space in hardly and non-used space in your house. Speaks fluent English.

De Bock Home Improvement.

Contact 06 1064 0697.

COMPUTERS PC GARAGERepairing windows, virus cleaning + virus protection, LAN, installing softwares, checking for errors, ghost image.

Lessons in photoshop, premiere, after effects, illusion, sound forge, reason. Contact 06 4524 5990 / nsroller@gmail.com.

CASE LOGIC LAPTOPIn new condition. 28 x 36 cm black case with cd compartments and pockets. Excellent quality. €20 ono.

Contact Mel 06 4805 6229.

MASSAGE THAI MASSAGE Please visit www.timeforthaimassage.com for more info.

CRANIOSACRAL, holistic massage and foot reflex at your place or in my studio. For stress, insomnia, tiredness, headache or backpain, ears and eyes problem, also for children and elderly. Treatments reimbursed by health insurances. Contact Unmani 06 3004 9738 / info@ilcielo.4t.com. www.ilcielo.4t.com.

HEALING MASSAGE Relax into the New Year. Offering relaxing massage using a variety of techniques, pressure points and oil.

Reiki and rebirthing also available. Please call 06-286-24-557.

es. Starting 20 Jan’07. Contact Lina 06 4274 6470.

COURSES

PORTUGUÊSLearn Portuguese with experienced teacher. Private and group lessons in A’dam. Costs: €11 p.h. private or €7 p.h. group. Contact online.portugues@gmail.com / 06 1115 5859.

SIVANANDA HATHA YOGABeginners course starting in A’dam at ABC Treehouse. Always wanted to experience yoga and didn’t know where to start? Join this 8-week course, starting Mon 29 Jan from 18.00-19.30. €100 incl textbook. Contact Susan Nicolas on 06 5176 4621/nicolas@planet.nl/www.yogaadvaita.org/amsterdam.

DRAWING AND PAINTINGDrawing and painting workshops by professional artist, various techniques, all styles. Contact 681 3067 / joneiselin@hetnet.nl.

ORIENTAL BELLY DANCE Introducing movement technique: developing arm, shoulders, hips & waist techniques & Isolations.

Giving attention to finding your centre, expression, & channelling your physical impulses & energy. Using different Oriental rhythms & dance phras-

VOICE OVERS Learn about microphone technique, radio & TV advertising, acting, character work and taking direction.

This short course will help you to get started in order to take advantage of the various job opportunities the voice industry has to offer. Visit www.voicetake.com for more info.

FIT FOR SUMMER!Ballet lessons in A’dam South. Contact 644 2431.

TAI CHI LESSONSTai Yang school is starting new courses now – beginners welcomed. Come train Body, Mind and Spirit. See website and sign up for free introduction lesson. www.tai yang.nl or 623 0835.

BELLY DANCE COURSE starts Thursday 18th January 7pm at dance studio in A’dam-West.

This timeless womans dance raises fitness levels and creates a positive body image, regardless of age or shape. Visit www.zerzura.info or contact 681 0072 for more info.

LANGUAGES SPANISH CONVERSATIONWant to practice your Spanish with a native speaker? Different fun topics: food, Latin America, music, literature etc & a glass of wine, tea or coffee. Individual lessons, €20 & group lessons (2-3), €15. If you have any further questions contact Natalie on 06 4299 9648 or nataliad37@hotmail.com.

INTENSIVE DUTCH COURSES €7/hr. 4 x 4 hrs per wk. 2, 3, 4 and 8 wk courses. Do you want to learn Dutch? Take your classes at Joost Weet Het! We have an unconventional and very clear learning method.

Emphasis on conversation and

inexpensive! www.joostweethet.nl. Contact info@aprenderholandes.nl / 420 8146.

SPANISH LESSONS Offered by a qualified teacher (native speaker). Easy and dynamic technique. All levels and subjects.

Grammar / Vocabulary / Conversation / Pronunciation. Flexible schedules. Private lessons and groups 2-4. Contact Octavio 06 4249 0235 / octavio_ gomez@yahoo.com.

ARABIC LESSONS For Individual and small groups. Conversation and writing both in Classical Arabic and spoken Dialect, if preferred. Lesson content is flexible to meet your needs.

Communicative and experienced teacher. Modest rates and flexible schedule. Contact 06 4274 6470.

SINGLISH! Sing and learn English. A CD of 20 original fun songs with lyrics enclosed. Ideal for children (4-10 years). For more information, email Brett at preissty@hotmail.com.

SPANISH COURSES Learning Spanish is easy! Lessons offered by 20 years (native) exp. KIT professional. Topics include literature, food, lifestyle and LatinAmerican Spanish for travellers. €16 for 2-3 people or €22 for private lessons. Flexible schedule. Contact yanodav9@ yahoo.co.uk / 06 1931 6130.

DUTCH LESSONSNew evening courses starting in February, centre of Amsterdam. €200 €250 for 20 hours. Visit www.mercuurtaal.nl or contact 693 4250.

LEARN DUTCH NOW! Weekly courses in small groups, in the east of Amsterdam (near Oosterpark). Beginners and Intermediate. Doing a Dutch course is FUN and a good way to get to know people! For more information contact Petra at 06 2803 6014 or look at www.englishat-work.nl/dutchcourse.

MUSICIANS SINGING LESSONS On Prinsengracht in beautiful atmosphere.

Classical voice training, breathing techniques, vocalisation, scalesetc.Forbeginnersandprofessional. From classic to jazz, pop or rock - all styles of singing.

Good prices + free intro lesson.

Contact Michael on 320 2095 / ajara77@ yahoo.com.

DRUMS/PERC. LESSONS Would you like to dive into the world of rhythm?Drumsetlessons,private and group lessons on percussion instruments such as Darbuka, DjembeandBrazilianinstruments.

Workshops for all ages. Music lessons for small children from 35yearsold.ContactYoav064281 3000 / yoavlacho@gmail.com.

VOCAL COACHINGSinger songwriter offers vocal coaching/ confidence and songwriting skills sessions. Contact 06 52101547 or visit www.dvoradavis.com.

PIANO LESSONSPiano and keyboard lessons with an open, creative and enjoyable attitude.

Various styles, for children from 4 y.o., youth and adults. English / Dutch. Contact Tal 06 4590 6554 / talkar@hotmail.com