Amsterdam Weekly: Vol 4 Issue 12, 22-28 March 2007

Volume 4, Issue 12

22 - 28 MARCH 2007 Weekblad voor Handel, Industrie en Kunst

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The Travel Issue

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Travel, the NL Frontier Along the bikeways of industry page 6 Urban exploring in Lelystad page 9

Noord-Holland bubbles up as wine region page 10 Flying high and green page 4 / A Sunday stroll in Oaxaca page 4 On the road with a digital Babel Fish page 5 ART: Capa and Besnyรถ reunited p. 17 / MUSIC: The mixtape evangelist p. 14 / FILM: An Iranian sports comedy p. 23

Short List . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Music/Clubs . . . . . . . . .13 Gay & Lesbian . . . . . . . .15 Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Classifieds/Comics . . .25

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ATTACHMENTS In this issue Welcome back to marktkoopman Machiel Kuijt—he’s just returned from an extended 10-year vacation in a Thai prison. His story shines advantage on the idea of vakantie in eigen land.

Sure, it’s not as romantic as a nudist resort in Saudi Arabia, a ‘poorism’ tour of a Mumbai slum, or trekking Columbia’s cocaine trails, but it is the more environmentally responsible choice. And we got it all right here: even up-and-coming wine regions. Plus you don’t need a Babel Fish swimming in your ear to communicate. Last week’s news is also convincing: British Airways flight attendants strapped the body of a woman into a first-class seat after she died mid-flight, causing trauma for passengers when her family began their public grieving—apparently there was no room in economy.

Meanwhile, a man on a two-hour SkyWest flight to Utah was forced to urinate in an air sickness bag because the restroom was closed due to a faulty light. Signs of the times? Or just the final motivation to book a permanent spot at Camping Bakkum?

On the cover WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF BAGGAGE. Photo by Simon Wald-Lasowski www.iammyownfan.com

Next week Riding shotgun with the animal ambulance.

Letters Got an opinion? We want to hear it. inbox@amsterdamweekly.nl

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 Classifieds: classifieds@amsterdamweekly.nl PUBLISHER Todd Savage EDITOR Steve Korver ASSISTANT EDITOR Kim Renfrew AGENDA EDITOR Steven McCarron FILM EDITOR Julie Phillips PROOFREADER Karina Hof EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Sarah Gehrke COPY EDITOR Michael Martin ART DIRECTOR Bas Morsch PRODUCTION MANAGER Vela Arbutina PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Mattijs Arts, Rogier Charles SALES ASSOCIATES Alexander Gan, Simone Klomp, Simon Poole, Carolina Salazar OPERATIONS MANAGER Monique Gruter OPERATIONS ASSISTANT Desislava Pentcheva DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Patrick van der Klugt DISTRIBUTION/MARKETING INTERN Heini Suokari FINANCIAL ADVISER Kurt Schmidt, Veresis Consulting

CAN YOU DRAW THE MAP OF THE COUNTRY YOU LIVE IN? Eighty people of various nationalities were asked to draw the outline of the Netherlands without recourse to original or reference material, relying solely on their memory, and as precisely as possible.

PRINTER Corelio Printing Amsterdam Weekly is published every week on Wednesday and is available free at locations all over Amsterdam. Subscriptions are available for €60 per six months within the Netherlands and €90 per six months within Europe. Agenda submissions are welcome, at least two weeks in advance. New contributors are invited to visit Amsterdam Weekly’s website for contributor guidelines. Contents of Amsterdam Weekly (ISSN 1872-3268) are copyright 2007 Amsterdam Weekly BV. All rights reserved.

These attachments were originally a poster that is part of the project ‘Human Translation Machinery’ by Veronica Ditting.

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22-28 March 2007

AROUND TOWN Green is the new blue

A walk in the park Visit Oaxaca, land of beauty and uprising.

Will pricier flights mean cleaner horizons?

By Dara Colwell

The future, if left to environmental activists, may just be the worst nightmare to the vacation-crazed Dutch: no more cheap flights, with ticket prices double what they are now. But will the green movement be strong enough to convince travellers and the global airline industry that flying significantly less would save our planet?

‘Flying is responsible for roughly ten per cent of overall pollution,’ said Joris Wijnhoven, campaign leader for transport issues at Milieudefensie—the Amsterdam-based environmental group and member of the international green organisation, Friends of the Earth.

Last month, the newly formed Dutch cabinet came up with a proposal to charge around a €25 tax on every airline ticket purchase. While this plan received the expected criticism from the commercial branch, green groups were not entirely happy with it either.

The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (MNP), who analysed the proposal, concluded that the tax would have a negligible impact on the environment, reporting that while the number of people who would fly may decrease, it won’t decrease the air traffic at Schiphol airport. ‘The effect [of the ticket tax] on CO2 emission from flying would be marginal,’ the MNP report said.

The airline sector, needless to say, was not pleased. KLM president Leo van Wijk said the tax would distort competition. Benno Baksteen, chairman of the Dutch Airline Platform, disputed that the airline industry enjoys more competitive advantages compared to other transport sectors. ‘This competitive edge does not exist, and thus should not be used as a reason to charge the tax,’ he wrote in Luchtvaartnieuws, the website of the Dutch airline sector.

Wijnhoven, however, paints a different picture. ‘The airline sector pays no excise tax on kerosene. It is actually quite absurd that in this day and age, we still subsidise flying,’ he said. He compared flying to the automobile sector, another great polluter. ‘People pay tax on gasoline. The environmental damage caused by cars is reflected better in the taxes people pay for it compared to the situation in the airline industry.’

He is not alone in his criticism. In an opinion piece in the NRC Handelsblad, four professors in economics, sociology, environment and psychology stressed that ‘the tax system needs to be shaken

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By Linawati Sidarto

up.’ He explained: ‘Environmental costs of services and products must be reflected fully in prices. This is too bad for members of BOVAG [the organisation for the automobile branch] and Schiphol, but these de facto heavy subsidies for environmentally unfriendly behaviour are no longer of this time.’

Milieudefensie welcomed the government’s gesture of proposing the ticket tax. ‘It is good that the cabinet admits that flying is very cheap, and that the price the environment pays [for flying] isn’t reflected in the prices,’ Wijnhoven said. The proposal, however, is not nearly adequate. Milieudefensie suggested that the new cabinet proposal goes much further: a higher ticket tax, or some €200 for intercontinental flights, excise tax on kerosene and a freeze on Schiphol airport expansions.

But are these realistic goals? Wijnhoven admits that it won’t be easy. ‘The airline industry is one in which many regulations are done on a regional or global basis. They are difficult to change.’ The US, he pointed out, is known to be very resistant when it comes to implementing changes which may hurt its pockets. Without some kind

A growth industry in green taxes?

of a regional approach, Dutch politicians unhappy with the ticket tax suggest, taxing air travellers in one country isn’t going to do much good, pointing out that travellers would merely catch a flight at airports across the border.

Meanwhile, travellers who think they have to wait too long before flying becomes cleaner have the opportunity to ease their guilt by paying off the emission caused by their journey. Through organisations like Trees for Travel (www.treesfortravel.nl) in The Netherlands or Terra Pass (www.terrapass.com) in the US, one can pay an amount which largely coincides with the distance to be travelled, and that money in turn is invested in green projects like planting trees. ‘Use TerraPass to reduce your carbon footprint all the way to zero,’ it says on the TerraPass website. Trees for Travel, which became operational in 2001, has compensated for about 130,000 tonnes of CO2—‘comparable,’ says programme manager Sjaak de Ligt, ‘to one hundred thousand European return flights.’

In a ‘Sunday walk in Oaxaca’, a short video part of iLLUSEUM’s Visual Resistenz exhibition, the Mexican artist Gabriela Leon strolls casually with her dog, a rare hairless breed called a xoloitzcuintle, through the city’s crowded town square. Leon stares at the camera vacantly with one hand on her hip, where coils of singed mattress wire cascade off her dress, as her other hand clutches the dog’s leash.

While the artist’s meandering initially appears like a bleak, industrial fashion shoot, it quickly becomes ironic. As Leon moves past grey military vehicles and federal police stationed behind barricades, her expressionless stare takes on a whole different meaning—that of tacit resistance.

‘I was scared the whole time. I couldn’t sleep for a few days before or afterwards,’ says Leon, whose protest was in direct response to Oaxaca’s current political crisis. ‘But I had to do it. From the first day, I questioned my position as an artist in a painful conflict like this. I thought: “What’s my reality? What can I do?”’

For those on this side of the Atlantic who haven’t been following politics in the region, the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca was the scene of an uprising led by a collective of over 350 social organisations between June and November, 2006.

A teachers’ strike that extended into wider civil revolt, the rebellion was aimed at ousting state governor Ulises Ruiz, long accused of corruption and authoritarianism, and whose government has consistently retaliated violently against dissenters. After months of upheaval by indigenous groups, students and leftists, the then President, Vicente Fox, called in the federal police to occupy Oaxaca’s capital (of the same name), overtaking the square where Leon staged her walk.

‘It was like a surreal movie,’ says Leon, who was dressed as ‘Nuestra Señora de las Barricadas’—Our Lady of the Barricades—in materials scavenged from violently dismantled barriers and obstacles, including a barbed-wire necklace with a huge spike lodged through it and a corset fashioned from blown-out tyres. ‘I used to always say I lived in Paradise, but one day I woke up and my city looked like those shocking images you see on television of Iraq—with police everywhere, burning cars in the streets and absolute terror.’

Predictably, the government crackdown was extensive. According to Indymedia, an international collective of independent news organisations, 3,500 federal police and 3,000 military police were sent in to remove protesters, with

5,000 additional army troops stationed nearby as backup. Seeing Leon stoically poised beside dozens of baby-faced police officers, some eyeing her curiously, like potential bait, others oblivious or bored behind their shields, is an eerie juxtaposition—especially the more one learns about Oaxaca’s political situation.

For years, London-based Amnesty International and the New York-based Human Rights Watch have issued alarming reports about human rights violations there. The most recent uprising proved no different. According to the US-based Mexico Solidarity Network, 337 people were arrested, many of them by paramilitary groups working outside state authority; 61 were reported ‘disappeared’, 53 remained in jail as political prisoners and nearly 20 people died.

While the situation has calmed somewhat since then, Leon felt compelled to take her media installation on the road, thus opening in Amsterdam last week, alongside the work of fellow Mexican artists.

‘The government is pretending nothing happened. They’ve spent money buying television programmes saying how beautiful Oaxaca is, but they’re forgetting the dead,’ she says. ‘We’re fighting for their memory by showing what we lived,

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saw and were touched by.’

Visual Resistenz also includes work such as ‘Radio and the insurgency’ by Nadja Massun, a video shot the same day independent American journalist Brad Will was killed, and a project created by Mal de Ojo TV, a collective of independent reporters and audio-visual artists who recorded events related to Oaxaca’s social movement.

As it is, the situation in Oaxaca remains unsettled, but what Leon finds most disconcerting is that, despite the three-month occupation, international and commercial media reports have been scarce, if not dishonest. ‘The point [of my exhibition] is this isn’t just about Oaxaca or Mexico—this could happen anywhere in the world, it is happening in many places in the world. One day I woke up, and my life was suddenly a movie,’ she says. ‘It’s important to show that people won’t allow this. We cannot allow violence to grow.’

Visual Resistenz, until 14 April, iLLUSEUM, Witte de Withstraat 120, 770 5581, www.illuseum.com

Our Lady of the Barricades surveys the government crackdown.

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Global chitchat ‘Can you show me tiger?’

By Jaro Renout The ultimate goal of global communication has always been a major hang-up.

Remember Esperanto? When we desperately tried to make the world around us more comprehensible by convincing vast populations to master this ridiculoussounding language that lingered somewhere between Spanish and English?

Well, a new digital gadget lures us with the promise of communication abroad, only this time we will be able to access actual Japanese, Turkish or even hiphop slang!

The Steape Travel is a series of language modules that can be downloaded to your mobile phone, provided you own a fairly good one with internet capability. It provides us with a wide range of foreign languages; just pick the one you need.

Sound too good to be true? Perhaps too reminiscent of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’s Babel Fish, a creature that would nestle in your ear and translate all unknown languages? Well the big difference here is that Steape doesn’t listen. It talks.

It was time to put this science fictionlike product to the ultimate challenge: the street test. Armed with two modules, Japanese and Turkish, and a complete ignorance of both languages, I went to Centraal Station where the usual array of nationalities flock together in their mutual need for travel—hence the perfect spot to make new friends through gadgetry. Let’s begin by going Japanese.

The glitch arrives when it becomes apparent that this reporter resembles the description of muggers so vividly described in the Lonely Planet travel guide. Contact is frowned upon. Furthermore, the majority of distinctly Japanese-looking travellers aren’t actually from Japan, but rather Korea, or other Asian countries, or, um, the Netherlands.

And out the door goes the assumption that we, global citizens, can easily distinguish between one another. The shame...

But after finding some willing Japanese, we begin our test. By selecting a category, like travel, services or dating, you can then choose the sentence you want to use. ‘Where are you from?’ seemed appropriate, after our initial failure to recognise the real Japanese from the pretenders.

After pushing the button, a seemingly friendly woman’s voice ‘translated’ our query. The volume of our phone was cranked up to the max because of the noisy background and our subjects had to hold their ears close to the speaker to catch what was being said. But lo and behold, the message came across! Of course it would be silly to ask a newly arrived tourist for ‘the best hotel near the centre’, but it’s the principle that counts. I was James-friggin’Bond!

The police by now were assuming I

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Teletranslate your way around the world.

was hustling tourists into buying cellular phones made out of hemp, so it seemed prudent to move outdoors. But not before visiting Safir, the shoeshine king of Centraal Station. We loaded up the Turkish module and fired away. Oddly enough, the shorter the sentence got, the more difficulty Safir had in hearing what was being said.

‘I am tired’ or even ‘I love you’ didn’t come through as well as ‘Would you go out with me tonight?’ And if you realise that the surrounding noise of busy Amsterdam is enough to drown out a lot of digital oneway conversation, think of the background noise in the middle of Istanbul, or even Tokyo’s Narita Airport.

But outside at the famed CS taxi stand the sound cleared up. Local taxi drivers of Turkish descent were submitted to the test, much to the amusement of their Moroccan colleagues. Suddenly every word our cell phone utters is clearly understood. The first question we ask is: ‘Can you take us to the airport?’ We immediately went on to other, more irrelevant subjects, because everybody knows that Schiphol is about the only place a CS taxi will take you to.

We end up with a final ruling of a man I would trust my life with, as do many Japanese: the Kobe House restaurant chef.

He is obviously impressed with Steape’s achievements. I even get a pat on the back for referring to Kobe after the line: ‘Can you show me to a good restaurant?’ Gratitude for something you’ve never said.

So the Steape Travel translator works.

Of course, there’s a limited amount of possible remarks and questions, but the list will likely expand in time. After all it’s merely a spoken version of the old travel language guide, you know, those booklets full of useful sentences like: ‘You ruined my silk dress’, or the immortal ‘Can you show me tiger?’ Surely it is useful to be able to say ‘I want an English-speaking lawyer’ in Thai, but the problems start when the policeman replies that this is very well possible and it is your explicit right, but not until nine o’clock tomorrow morning. You wouldn’t have caught a single word. This is one of the loopholes—a tiny loophole, soon to be addressed by a 13-year-old Japanese whiz kid. Or Korean, for that matter.

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Visiting a museum is one thing. Walking an architecture route is another. But doing an entire cycle ride to check out some industrial plants? Well, that seems a bit... odd. And yet this is exactly what HollandRoute is all about.

There are a number of ways to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon. You could take your bike, head out west and, within an hour, you’re in the Kennemer Duinen on the coast. Or you could go north, and in no time you’ll be cycling through the utterly Dutch landscape of Waterland. But if you take the Route Erfgoed Fiets Oost leg of the HollandRoute, you’ll be in for something quite different.

Holland Route is a regional route developed as part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH).

ERIH is active in the development of routes that disclose the industrial her-

HollandRoute is a series of cycle rides one can take along landmarks of industrial heritage—through greens, dunes, locks and scenes of apocalypse. Lovely.

BY FLORIS DOGTEROM PHOTOS BY STEFANIE GRÄTZ

itage of a number of European countries. The routes in this country are created around anchor points and locations that played an important role in the industrial development of the Amsterdam-IJmond area. Think of the Corus steelworks in IJmuiden, the former sugar factory in Halfweg, and, closer to home, the Westergasfabriek.

Prosaic landscape According to HollandRoute, the Hemwegterrein industrial and military complex in Zaanstad is one of the most important locations of industrial heritage in the Netherlands, and it’s also the kickoff point for the HollandRoute’s eastern leg. But you need to get there first. On an (indeed sunny) Sunday afternoon, I cycle

down the long Hemweg in Westerpoort.

An endless chain of train cargo carriages filled up with coal is waiting alongside the power plant, whose huge pipes are belching out big, white clouds. Apparently, the emissions of this CO2-enhancing device belong to the cleanest on the planet. They certainly don’t look that way. The industrial installations, the enormous fuel or gas or whatever tanks, and the coal mountains make for a prosaic landscape.

Modern-style windmills cast moving shadows across the cycle lane.

At the ferry jetty at the Noordzeekanaal it’s overwhelmingly calm. Even the hydrofoil to IJmuiden seems to race by quietly. Anchor point Hemwegterrein, on the other side of the canal, is closed to the public. Again, according to HollandRoute, the area represents the complete industrial development of the 20th century. That

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‘On the right-hand side of the road, a string of unimaginative industrial buildings is trying to spoil my mood, but luckily, there’s a nice cemetery on the other side to lighten the atmosphere.’

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38 may very well be, but from the outside, it looks like just a heap of older and newer, rather unattractive buildings.

Ten minutes later, the centre of Zaandam shows an intriguing mix of typically Noord-Hollandse green wooden houses with white ridges, modern apartment blocks and everything in between. Canals and ditches are never far away. It’s nice, really.

Via the Zuiddijk and the Noorddijk, the route takes me in the direction of Amsterdam-Noord. On the right-hand side of the road, a string of unimaginative industrial building is trying to spoil my mood, but luckily, there’s a nice cemetery on the other side to lighten the atmosphere.

The nicest dykes in Amsterdam The route description for cyclists I printed from the HollandRoute website seems to have been put together with help of a

TomTom. In Noord, it leaves me in the lurch, and I end up among the gloomy tenements of Oostzanerwerf. Folks, everything they tell you about Noord is true. It’s depressing.

Without the aid of the route description, I make my way to the next anchor point: NDSM-werf. You can’t miss it: it’s huge, and it’s on the IJ. The former Nederlandsche Doken Scheepsbouw Maatschappij area now houses Kinetisch Noord which, in time, will be the biggest cultural broedplaats in the Netherlands.

This Sunday, on the top floor of the truly gigantic NDSM-loods, dozens of baggy clothed kids on skateboards are practising turns and jumps on the wooden ramps of Amsterdam Skate. Parents watch their offspring from a bar in a corner of the hall. A hand-written sign says ‘Wax is voor watjes!’

On Klaprozenweg, I pass by a silver-

coloured, oval-shaped construction which wouldn’t be out of place in a 1970s SF film. It’s one of the new booster stations for the sewage system. Now, this is the kind of industrial heritage-to-be I like.

But the best part of this trip has yet to come. On the northern shore of the IJ I encounter the three nicest dykes in Amsterdam: the Buiksloterdijk, Nieuwendammerdijk and Schellingwouderdijk. The string of old dyke houses looks unreal—it’s like being in a big dolls’ house. Try to ignore the apartment buildings that pop up in the background here and there, and you’ll be taken back in time by a couple hundred years. People are picnicking on their doorstep in the early March sun. It’s very peaceful.

Spitting at sheep After Schellingwoude, I negotiate the IJ by means of the Oranjesluizen, a solid

piece of hydraulic engineering. An information board says that special passages have been created in the locks to enable fish migration. It’s at these moments that I love this country most. After the Schellingwouderbrug, just before turning left to Zeeburgerdijk, I don’t forget to cast a glance towards the peculiar artwork in the pond on the right-hand side. From the eyes of a man, a jet of water spurts into the face of a sheep. Seeing is believing.

Now, the next anchor point of industrial heritage on the HollandTour is the Heineken Brewery. But I’m done cycling.

My chain guard is broken and my rear tyre is going flat. At the end of Zeeburgerdijk I turn right, to a far better brewery.

Honestly, who’d have a Heineken uilenzeik when they can have a Plzen at Brouwerij ’t IJ? www.hollandroute.nl

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EXPLORING URBAN WILDERNESS Flevoland, man. We’re fuckin’ goin’ to Flevoland! Woooo! OK, maybe that’s not the most commonly heard statement after a spontaneous holiday decision. But for an urban explorer, going places where others avoid is not only the norm, it’s the rule.

Wandering through abandoned buildings.

Scaling derelict towers. Opening manholes and crawling through underground drains.

Urban explorers scout for anything man has built and left behind: the old, decayed and forgotten remnants of civilisation.

Technically a new reason for travel, the term Urban Exploration (UE) was coined in the mid-1990s. Although curious souls have always gone where they’re not supposed to, it’s now become a genuine movement, somewhat akin to nature explorers. They’ve even adopted the Sierra Club’s motto: ‘Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.’ The obvious difference for the Urbex folks is that their explorations are usually illegal, and avoiding the cops can be part of the excitement.

However, far beyond the fear of being caught, it’s the thrill of charting new territory in old structures populated by nothing more than ghosts and mice.

Breaking the law, breaking the law ‘We’ve only been caught twice by security,’ says explorer Erik Plug. ‘The first time was in this abandoned mental hospital we went to in Bloemendaal. We were taking pictures of this old safe they had in the basement. I heard footsteps above us, and then two security guys came in. But they were cool. They didn’t call the cops. They just said we had to delete our pictures because they didn’t want to attract more people into the building. It was a weird old hospital though. In some rooms, the lights were still on, flickering.’

Plug, along with friends Maurice Wes-

Short of mountains and great expanses of nature, old abandoned structures are being embraced by a new movement for adventurous souls. If you don’t mind breaking the law, you may want to join.

Go on, take a hike.

BY MARK WEDIN PHOTO BY MATTHIJS GRINGHUIS

seling and Matthijs Gringhuis, regularly embark on urban explorations—sometimes in the Netherlands, but more often in Belgium. ‘It’s just easier to access buildings in Belgium,’ he says. ‘There’s less security there, and most of the empty spaces in the Netherlands are filled by anti-kraak.’

But one Dutch structure that awes him and his friends is an old hydraulic laboratory in Flevoland. It’s made up of three large hangar-like halls once used to simulate various scenarios where water meets land—research of obvious importance here. ‘Now they just do that with computers,’ explains Plug.

As with most urban explorers, Plug does not eagerly advertise the whereabouts of his visited sites. ‘Too often, people come to these locations just to vandalise them. In one building, we saw two kids inside throwing rocks at the windows.

The place was already falling apart; there was no need for that.’ He doesn’t, however, want to deter the non-delinquents from coming. ‘Usually, serious explorers will give clues on how to find [sites].’

Keeping in line with that, we’ll just say that the old hydro-lab resides in a small,

planted forest near the village Kraggenburg. (If you see five elephants made of stone, you’re going the right direction.)

No Entrance, Dangerous Area Once there, you’ll see the large lab resting peacefully among the trees. A sign in front of it reads ‘Geen Toegang, Gevaarlijk Terrein’. In Urbex language, this means ‘Welcome, step inside’.

The only obstacle blocking the path is a line of square stones, each one roughly half a metre high. ‘As you can see,’ smiles Plug, ‘it’s not that difficult to enter.’ There is no fence, and all the doors are open, some swinging loosely on their hinges.

Many windows are broken. It’s a good spot for the novice explorer.

The first hangar is a vast, empty space.

A large rectangular depression takes up most of the concrete floor, now partly filled with rainwater. Shards of broken glass and pieces of roofing are scattered about. The only clear evidence of the projects that occurred here is a few pieces of paper from an old user manual, evidently for one of the machines they used. Plug and his friends take photos of various angles, and then move on to the next hall.

There they find the floor covered with a thin black powder—possible remnants of a fire. Most of the floor is also filled with shallow pools of water, banked by short concrete walls in various shapes, perhaps used in tests to represent lakes or ocean beds. Everything is generally dirty and stagnant, but on a windy day, the entire building comes alive. Doors are blown open and then slammed shut at unpredictable intervals. Water drips incessantly from the ceiling. Loose pieces of metal make occasional rattling noises. And the walls moan when the wind blows hard. ‘It can be a bit spooky sometimes,’ says Plug.

Outside, the clouds blow by and for a moment, the entire hall is filled with sunlight via semi-transparent panelling.

The third hall is easily the biggest and most interesting to the explorers. The models of land and water masses are particularly detailed—something like a Madurodam for nature. Bright green ferns are planted where the land is supposed to be, stale water sits next to it, and huge pumps line the hall. One curved wall next to an apparently deep body of water is labelled ‘Noordzee’. Another reads ‘Zeeuwse Meer’. There is a model of a riverbed with a rocky bottom, and a dry canal with rivets along its base. In the back of the huge space are large sand pits, filled with synthetic sand. It looks real until you touch it. Each grain is a type of plastic, probably manufactured for specific tests.

‘It must have been cool to work here,’ says Plug. ‘It looks like they were quite expensive projects.’ Now, of course, it’s completely abandoned, prohibited for visitors, and regularly invaded by urban explorers: just one in a long list of great locales for getting away from it all. www.urbexforum.com

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WELCOME TO CHÂTEAU NOORD Let’s face it, Amsterdam’s main tourist attractions are the Red Light District and coffeeshops. But with the current downsizing of De Wallen and a possible no-smoking policy facing coffeeshops, it seems important to start looking for other ways to welcome tourists to our city.

And climate change might just be the answer.

Experts are predicting that the North Sea coast will become a top destination by the middle of this century. Due to the effects of global warming and climate change, Amsterdam will enjoy a Mediterranean climate with wet winters and hot summers—perfect weather for sunbathing and winemaking.

In fact, over the past few years winemaking in the Netherlands has become increasingly popular. Currently there are six professional wineries in Noord-Holland alone. And according to hobby winemaker HJ Cornelissen, it won’t be long before our country has developed a flourishing wine culture.

In the Dutch vineyards ‘I really believe winemaking in Holland has a future,’ he says, while taking a sip of his crisp home-made white wine. ‘There are about forty-five commercial vineyards in our country right now. At the same time, the Dutch association of winemakers counts over five hundred members. There are a lot of hobby winemakers and people who are interested in wine. It really is a growing industry.’

According to www.dewijnhoek.nl, the first website on Dutch vineyards, it is estimated that with the current growth in wineries there will be a hundred professional wine growers in 2010 who will be responsible for 150 planted hectares.

Cornelissen, a retired biochemist,

Don’t laugh: the future of Dutch wine looks happy and bright, and definitely gives a nice buzz.

BY LAURA GROENEVELD PHOTO BY WILLEKE DUYVEKAM

remains the only registered winemaker in Amsterdam. He first took an interest in winemaking back in 1977, when a friend presented him with a wine rack. ‘I didn’t really know anything about wine then and I wasn’t sure what wines to fill the rack with,’ he explains. ‘So I started doing some research on wine and eventually discovered winemaking.’

line for producing wine has shifted north, allowing for certain types of grapes to grow very well in this region.

Cornelissen, who served as a meteorologist in the army, was well aware of climate change and its possible importance for Dutch winemaking. In 1994 he wrote a letter to his stadsdeel asking for a special subsidy to start a professional

Cornelissen, who served as a meteorologist in the army, was well aware of climate change and its possible importance for Dutch winemaking.

In 1980 he planted the first grapevines in his backyard. Nine years later, when Stadsdeel Amsterdam-Noord handed out small pieces of land near Ring A10, Cornelissen seized the opportunity and set up his own vineyard. He now has 150 square metres covered with 80 grapevines.

A growth industry A few decades ago it would have been impossible to grow wine in Noord-Holland because of its challenging climate.

But due to global warming the critical

winery. The presiding commission had trouble taking the idea of winemaking in Amsterdam seriously and declined his request, though did credit Cornelissen for the original idea. It seems that the hobby winemaker was way ahead of his time.

Obviously, the rise of Dutch winemaking can’t totally be attributed to climate change. Advanced cultivating techniques and the cloning or crossing of wine grapes have made it possible to create new types of grapes that are better suited to our climate and less likely to

become infected with vine diseases. Still, without that certain inconvenient truth, we’d still only be drinking home-brewed beer.

So what could be considered a typical wine from Noord-Holland? And will it be able to compete with the likes of France or Germany? ‘Most wine grapes used in Noord-Holland are early-ripening German grapes,’ Cornelissen says. ‘They make for a good quality white wine—one that’s not too sour, but with enough body and a fresh, clean taste.’ Judging from his selfproduced wine (a bottle from 2005), the Dutch wine future looks happy and bright, and definitely gives a nice buzz.

Don’t give up your day job Although winemaking in Holland has a promising future, Cornelissen certainly wouldn’t advise everyone to give up their day job, and start growing wine. ‘It’s hard work and not easy,’ he says. ‘It takes three whole years to grow wine grapes, so it’s a big investment. And you’re always dependent on the weather. With a bit of bad luck you don’t make any money at all.’

Still, according to Cornelissen, it could definitely be worthwhile for tourist operators to organise daytrips from Amsterdam to wineries in Midden-Beemster.

‘These days an open day at a local vineyard easily attracts two hundred visitors,’ he says. ‘So there’s definitely a market for it, especially if there’s a restaurant near the winery.’ The winemaker and his wife frequently receive requests to entertain groups of people at their vineyard or to organise wine tastings. But the couple isn’t up for it. ‘I don’t want to entertain herds of Japanese tourists,’ his wife says.

‘No, we don’t really have time for that,’ Cornelissen agrees. Or maybe they just want to keep their wine to themselves.

22-28 March 2007

Amsterdam Weekly

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SHORT LIST

Robert Stadler at Le Paris Lounge, Thursday, Platform 21

THURSDAY 22 MARCH Event: Le Paris Lounge According to Sacha Baron Cohen’s character Jean Girard in Talladega Nights, the French invented democracy, existentialism and the blowjob. And those are just three little reasons why Platform 21 is hosting Le Paris Lounge, three days’ worth of Gallic goodness in which the hotspot for fashion and design will spread some Parisian je ne sais qua on the concrete jungle of Zuidas. Renowned Dutch designers and fashionistas have been asked to invite their favourite figureheads du jour of the Parisian fashion scene, who’ll be presented at Le Paris Lounge by the way of an interview, fashion show or discussion in which the audience is more than welcome to participate. For the occasion, the venue itself will be transformed into a swanky night club befitting of the city of lights, with libations and gastronomical delights to match, and guests including fashion designer Gaspard Yurkievich and graphic designer Rik Bas Backer. In the Platform’s sultry words: ‘Voulez-vous Paris avec moi?’ (Luuk van Huët) Platform 21, 20.00 – 01.30, €7.50. Also Friday and Saturday.

FRIDAY 23 MARCH Classical: Amsterdam Chamber Ensemble One of the nice things about—dare one even whisper the words any more?—high culture is that the profound and the popular often coincide. Take, for example, this gig by the Amsterdam Chamber Ensemble, a pick-up band that’s been leading a series at the Beurs van Berlage for the last 11 years. After a plucky middle-period quartet by Haydn, the group will favour us with two of the irrefutable masterpieces of the tradition— works that are as widely played as they are revered. Ravel’s sole String Quartet is a shimmering silken scarf, a shank of rapturous colour spurred by Spanish inflections, raging 5/4-time schemes and lustrous harmonies. And Schubert’s D.956 String Quintet, a product of the composer’s miracle last year, is simply one of the pinnacle achievements of the human mind, gutsy and knowing and straight-from-the-heart (all topped with slatherings of luscious melody). Either as a brilliant introduction to chamber music or as a return to two of its cloudless highpoints, this is one to get to. (Steve Schneider) Beurs van Berlage, 20.15, €17.

Jazz: I Compani Nijmegen-based I Compani are a multimodal entertainment group in the truest sense.

They merge myriad forms of entertainment, from music to Vaudeville to jazz and acrobatics. Why is this so? Well, it’s all for the love of the circus, of course. Circuses are one of the oldest forms of mixed-media entertainment, and I Compani have developed a sort of musical tribute to the circus ethos. Instead of clowns piling into a tiny car, Cir-

cusism presents the music of the circus, or the circus in the music. This melodic counterpart to the big top has been created by five different composers, and blasted out by a big band that reflects on, adds to and ignites the fiery themes of peripatetic tent life.

Bo Van de Graaf, descended from an Italian circus family, will conduct the orchestra.

Just close your eyes and you’ll see the fire-eaters and obedient elephants in every climactic brass punch. (Shain Shapiro) Bimhuis, 21.00, €14.

Rock: Sue What about Sue? Well, for one thing Sue is heading our way. Members and friends of this hip Hamburg four-man band decided to rent a rockstar-like bus and to tour Amsterdam and Paris. Although willing to perform everywhere—a birthday party, a snackbar—Sue have lucked out this evening chez contemporary wondercabinet iLLUSEUM. Singer Skip Danko describes their music as sensitive, melancholy indie pop influenced by electronica and acoustic music. Sue believes in the power of MySpace (www.myspace.com/gowithsue) rather than record labels; these guys are set to make any space their space. (Laura Groeneveld) iLLUSEUM, 21.00, €7.

Art: Kunst10Daagse Aimed at those who have rarely set foot in a gallery, the Kunst10Daagse invites all for 10 days of free visual art, plus the opportunity for visitors to win one of the USB memory sticks created by designer Marcel Wanders. Selected galleries throughout the country have joined forces with a host of visual arts foundations to promote local or regional artists and art libraries. Centrum Beelden de Kunst Amsterdam exhibits a photo series by Bert Nienhuis about the making of ‘The Scream’, Jeroen Henneman’s sculpture inspired by the death of Theo van Gogh. Gallery LL exhibits a new set of paintings by postmodernist Rob Scholte. De40eurogalerie Galerie 23 shows Rachid Koraichi works inspired by Islamic calligraphy, while Red Stamp Art Gallery continues its tantalising Black Mail group show. A total of 24 spaces in Amsterdam are participating. See see www.kunst10daagse.nl. (Marinus de Ruiter) Various locations, and times, free. Until 1 April.

Festival: De Week van de Populaire Cultuur If you still say ‘low culture’, thereby demeaning everything that doesn’t fit in with your elitist notions of art and culture, then you must’ve been living under a rock... on Mars... for the last 50 years. De Balie and Bitterzoet know better, and are devoting eight days to the most pervasive, unrelenting force in the world today. And if you can’t beat them, you might as well join them. Besides debates about the definition of ‘popular culture’ and how it’s affecting the Third World, there’s a chance to have an exotic night of staying in and experiencing the preferences of self-confessed satellite dish enthusiasts, who will take you on a remote-controlled tour around the globe. My personal tip would be to attend a screening of A Scanner Darkly by Richard Linklater in the Philip K Dick programme. It’s a hallucinatory rotoscoped film about loss of identity, the war on drugs and invasion of privacy which hasn’t managed to find a theatrical distributor in the Netherlands. Go: resistance is futile. (Luuk van Huët) De Balie, various times and prices. Until 30 March.

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Amsterdam Weekly

22-28 March 2007

SATURDAY 24 MARCH Jazz: Belmondo & Yusef Lateef Sextet I used to think two things about Yusef Lateef: he got there first, and he did it better.

Now I have to add another encomium to this world-class windplayer and composer: he’s outlasted everyone. During the course of a 50-year career, Lateef pioneered the use of Eastern instruments and modalities (Coltrane cited him as an inspiration), became a leading jazz theoretician and educator, published works of fiction, started his own record label—and recorded dozens of venerable discs. Now 86, Lateef is reported to be playing with as much command and conviction as ever—so much so that the French jazz quintet Belmondo, whose members are many decades Lateef’s junior, asked him to appear on their last CD, and were so taken with the result that they dragged the giant out on tour. So, improbably, Lateef is here—and so, unmistakably, should you be. (Steve Schneider) Bimhuis, 21.00, €26.

SUNDAY 25 MARCH Theatre: Heksen You read the book, you saw the movie, now go and see the play (provided you’re eight years old and up). Based on the novel by Roald Dahl, Heksen is a story of witches who loathe children so much they can’t even stand their smell. One such stinky source is an orphan named Boy, who lives with his grandmother. When grandma falls ill and the doctor calls for a vacation, they wind up in a hotel where, by chance, a witch convention is a-brew. Boy attends one of the meetings to learn that the head witch plans to turn all children into mice. To make things worse, he becomes their first victim but, undeterred by his mousehood, Boy takes on the witches. With a little help from grandma, of course. In Dutch. (Shyama Daryanani) Meervaart, 15.00, €20.00.

Gay: Just Scandal As if we don’t have enough gay scandals already! There’s the controversy about the first-ever teenage boat at Pride. Then there’s the right of civil servants to refuse to marry same-sex couples. And now we’re guaranteed a scandal every last Sunday in the month. Luckily, this one’s of an altogether different kind; regular Ibiza animals will know exactly what we mean, since Just Scandal is the most wanted extravagant club night on the party island, the place where a sexy, stylish crowd gathers to dance and flirt like there’s no tomorrow. Behind the decks at this first polysexual scandalicious night are DJ Benjamin (Orange and White Ball) and DJ Kae, a turntablist in residence at the Spanish original for years. Get a ticket fast and start choosing that outfit. Oh yes: and don’t forget to come up with a convincing excuse to tell your boss why you won’t be at work on Monday. (Willem de Blaauw) Sinners, 21.00-04.00, €15.

TUESDAY 27 MARCH Pop: Vaya Con Dios I always feel good when I write about a band my mother has recommended to me at some point in my life. This time, it’s Dani Klein and Vaya Con Dios, the venerable Belgian pop outfit that have been topping the mainstream charts since the early 1980s. Of all their albums—and there are several that did extremely well—1990’s Night Owls was the most successful and it was this album that introduced me to them. Yet, after that record, Vaya Con Dias disintegrated after some members left and others died, leaving Klein to pick up the pieces of her life and move on from music. Thankfully, the band reformed and, in 2004, began recording and touring with Klein at the helm. Hits from their golden age are still emphasised, but with maturity and experience comes spot-on musicianship and creativity. A blend of pop, folk, roots and light funk dominates, and Klein still sounds like the vixen she was in her heyday. Young and old, mother and son, this show will satisfy all. (Shain Shapiro) Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 20.00, €25 + membership.

Electronica: Air It’s not surprising that Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel—better known as the innovative French duo Air—asked Pulp’s former frontman Jarvis Cocker and Neil Hannon from the Divine Comedy to sing some tunes on their recently released CD Pocket Symphony. The Fab Frenchies haved joined forces with the Britpop stars before: on Charlotte Gainsbourg’s 5:55, one of the most talked about albums last year. And boy, what a gem that turned out to be, just like Air’s latest offering, which is very reminiscent of their groundbreaking debut Moon Safari. That said, like a lot of other French stuff—whether films or foie gras—you either like it or loathe it. Air’s lush melodies, sleepy soundscapes and dreamy vocals are not everyone’s tumbler of pastis. But one thing we can all agree on: there won’t be much dancing, let alone stage-diving, when Godin and Dunckel bring their eclectic wall of sound to our city. Their music is better as a companion for rainy Sundays or balmy summer nights. Or watching it being performed live, while holding hands with your loved one. (Willem de Blaauw) Melkweg, The Max, 21.00, sold out.

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

Amsterdam Weekly

22-28 March 2007

Rock: Amsterdam Beatclub With a live set from The Baboons, plus rockabilly and blues tunes from the Beatclub DJ team. Maloe Melo, 22.00, €5 Singer-songwriter: Declan de Barra Irish songwriter who used to be the driving force behind Australian band Clann Zú. These days he’s more of an acoustic soloist. Also performing tonight are Songwriters-United, a Dutch collective influenced by Americana, roots, blues and folk. Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 22.00, €7.50 Soul: Leona Boasting a huge soul voice, this woman racks up a modern mix in her music, touching on rock riffs, hiphop beats and big pop hooks. Badcuyp, Bovenzaal, 22.30, €8 Jazz: Fertile Ground Soulful jazz outfit from Baltimore. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 23.00, €15 + membership

Saturday 24 March Classical: Matthäus-Passion It’s that time of year when Bach’s Easter epic St Matthew Passion is resurrected. Performers tonight include the COV GrootNoord, RBO Sinfonia and Jongenskoor Rotterdam. The price ain’t bad either, but its duration still makes for sore bums. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 19.30, €27.50 Singer-songwriter: Anna Ternheim Earnest acoustic Swede. A previous winner of a Swedish Grammy Award, she’s now taking her sparse tunes to the rest of Europe. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 20.00, €8.50 + membership Opera: Madama Butterfly De Nederlandse Opera’s take on the hugely popular Puccini opera, about an American officer and a geisha who fall in love. As is the way of the operatic world, a tragic ending is inevitable. Het Muziektheater, 20.00, €20-€85 CJ Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band, see Monday

MUSIC

Jazz: Bunky Green & Eric Legnini Trio Alto player Green is a jazz legend. Perhaps not too famous, having spent many a year teaching sax rather than dazzling fans, but he’s certainly worshipped in many corners, and being treated like an icon by Joe Lovano says it all. Bimhuis, 21.00, €16

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

Jazz: Fugimundi Featuring guitarist Anton Goudmit, trumpeter Eric Vloeimans and pianist Harmen Fraanje.

Badcuyp, Bovenzaal, 21.00, €8

Thursday 22 March

Singer-songwriter: Jacek Intimate pop. Skek, 21.30, free

Rock: Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor and his travelling industrial rock circus of teen angst. The second of two nights in Paradiso, tonight sees the outfit preview material from new album Year Zero, but adding plenty of aggressive oldies, too. Last album With Teeth was relatively dull, but they do put on a mighty fine sensory rock show, so the lucky few who gain entry are in for a treat. Support from Ladytron—provided they weren’t bottled by hairy NIN fans the night before. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 19.30, sold out Singer-songwriter: Merry Pierce Lo-fi soundscapes in the style of Lou Barlow, Grandaddy and Will Oldham. Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 20.00, €5 Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Scottish conductor Donald Runnicles leads the Orchestra this week, with special guests, soprano Hillevi Martinpelto and baritone Bo Skovhus. The programme for this series includes Elgar’s Enigma Variations and Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €37.50-€52.50 Classical: Zehetmair Quartet A performance of works by Bruckner, Hindemith and Beethoven led by violinist Thomas Zehetmair. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €32.50 Singer-songwriter: Adam Carroll, Micheal O’ Connor Acoustic Americana, country, bluegrass and folk.

Pleintheater, 20.30, €10 Pop/Rock: Alamo Race Track, Coparck An intimate wee gig from two Dutch bands tipped for international success. ART are just back from SXSW in Texas, while Coparck have continued to roll onwards through Holland, trying not to be too boring. Patronaat, Haarlem, 20.30, €9 Rock: Little Man Tate Tub-thumpin’ Britpop. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 20.30, €11 + membership World: Liu Fang & Yoshio Kurahashi Japan and China align. Fang is a virtuoso player of the Chinese lute (pipa) and zither (guzheng). Kurahashi is recognised as one of Japan’s greatest players of the bamboo flute (shakuhachi). KIT Tropentheater, 20.30, €16 Singer-songwriter: Mooie Noten 2007 Competition for solo songwriters and small, semi-acoustic ensembles. Winston Kingdom, 20.30, €5

Friday 23 March Classical: Lunch Concert Students from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Bethaniënklooster, 12.30, free

Pop/Rock: Winston Popprijs Semi-final featuring Lemon, Leslie Grows, Picnik, Pek & Veren, Syzygy and Kitty Got Sued. Winston Kingdom, 20.00, €7 Classical: Johannes Passion Performed by Studenten Koor Amsterdam. Dominicuskerk, 20.15, €15 Classical: Zehetmair Quartet (See Thursday) Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €32.50 World: Ethnorhythmix A Turkey Now event, this crossover percussion ensemble features members from Turkey, India, Iran and the Netherlands. They are renowned for producing music as equally eclectic, but especially for tonight, they’re expanded with melodic instruments such as the santur, sarod, guitar and kemençe, adding an entirely fresh Turkish perspective to their repertoire. KIT Tropentheater, 20.30, €18 Heavy: Poison the Well Heavy as a heavy thing but also melodic, this bunch from Florida have been inciting mosh pits for 10 years already. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 20.30, €13 + membership

Classical: Amsterdam Chamber Ensemble A chamber concert not to be missed: Haydn, Ravel and Schubert. See Short List. Beurs van Berlage, 20.15, €17

Jazz: Belmondo & Yusef Lateef Sextet The 86-yearold jazz legend, tenor player and flautist Lateef played with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Mingus and Cannonball Adderley before founding his own groups.

Great admirers since their teenage years, French brothers Lionel and Stephane Belmondo approached him to participate on their album Influence. The fruits of the collaboration can be heard tonight, if you snag a ticket in time. See Short List. Bimhuis, 21.00, €26

Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (See Thursday) Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €37.50€52.50

Rock: Royal Duces American rock ’n’ roll, with support from the Germans Tri-Sonics. Cruise Inn, 21.00, €11

Pop: Dox Family Night The Dox Family is a tight unit, and when you show up to one of their parties, you know you’re in for a good time. Tonight’s specials include sets by De Toffen, Dean Tippet, Stije and Wouter Hamel. In what’s sure to be a warm, inviting party running through till early morning, the Easy Aloha’s and Rednose Distrikt crew will provide an impressive melange of sounds. Sugar Factory, 21.00, €9

Big band: Jazz Warriors Bigband Jazz standards.

KHL Koffiehuis, 21.30, free

Pop/Rock: Winston Popprijs Semi-final featuring Absinthe, John Carrie & Moor Green, Alura, Filterkick, The Stutters and Valerius Square. Winston Kingdom, 20.00, €7

Jazz: I Compani: Circusism A melting pot of music, theatre, modern jazz and vaudeville from this Dutch big band, led by Bo van de Graaf. See Short List.

Bimhuis, 21.00, €14 Pop/Rock: Portecho, Hayko Cepkin A Turkey Now special, with electro acoustic and electronic music from Portecho, and Turkish rock from Hayko Cepkin.

Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 21.00, €15 + membership Jazz: Terry Callier Jazz, soul or folk... You can put any label on this American guitarist, for he’s a bit of a special all-rounder, and not an artist stuck in the past either. In recent years he’s collaborated with the likes of Massive Attack, Beth Orton, 4 Hero and the local DOX Orchestra. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 21.00, €20 + membership Rock: Sue Four Hamburgers tour the town. See Short List. iLLuseum, 21.00, €7

Hiphop: MC Serch With a set from the old-school rapper—and now host of the TV series The (White) Rapper Show—as well as clips from this new reality TV sensation. Guest slots from Brainpower and Tim. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 21.45, €15 + membership Rock: Dick Dandruff & The Snowy Mountains Rockabilly from Eindhoven that’s head and shoulders above the rest. Maloe Melo, 22.00, €5 Soul: NNeka Nigerian singer gone global, balancing grooves somewhere between soulful hiphop and smooth soul. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 23.00, €13.50 + membership

Sunday 25 March Classical: Finale YPF Nationaal Pianoconcours Kids and young Dutch musicians have been giving their all this past week, with performances every day at Muziekgebouw. The competition has to end sometime, however, and today is the day. Winners may well go on to accompany some of the world’s biggest orchestras, and if you want to claim you saw them first, today’s your best opportunity. Muziekgebouw, 12.00, 14.30, 17.00, €20

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Amsterdam Weekly

22-28 March 2007

LEKKER BEZIG ed. And hopefully, to A new Amsterdam SCHOBBEJAK make them legal some record label called ’T Mixtape evangelist day.’

Nieuwe Werck was Many big-name recently launched for DJs have already the promotion of mixuploaded mixes to the tapes.

Like most site, and about two startups, this internetnew ones are added based label generates each week. Since startabsolutely no revenue, ing the label, they now and they’re proud of it. have 45 mixes avail‘Anyone can able for download. upload a mixtape to This may not seem like our label,’ explains the a lot, but considering founder, who goes by that most mixes conthe name Schobbejak. tain over an hour of ‘And anyone can music, there’s plenty to download it for free. listen to. And they’re We don’t release everything we get, of course.

‘They’re all different. We all different. ‘We have mix of sixteen We only want quality. have one mix of sixteen one minutes and another But there’s no limitaminutes and another of of three and a half tions to what we put hours. Some of the DJs out. You can be as free three and a half hours.’ turn in mixes that they as you want to. It just wouldn’t normally play in clubs. But not has to have some kind of theme, like all everyone who submits is a DJ. If you have songs from one label, or a mix with only an idea for a theme, you can tell us, and if songs where 50 Cent gets pissed. Any we like the idea, we’ll make it for you.’ theme is fine.’

‘Music is the main thing in my life,’ Mixtapes, which are simply personal Schobbejak continues. ‘I want to spread music compilations, were born in the ’60s music out there. I like to listen to lots of with the invention of cassettes, and later different styles. And this site can help peobecome popular in the early ’80s when ple get to know a lot of different music for seamless tapes were made by beat matchthemselves. You can try every mix. If you ing, or incorporating smooth fades don’t like it, you don’t like it. But if you do, between tracks. Today, though, they’re genyou can go buy the CDs in a store or go to erally made and distributed digitally, the a DJ’s performance. It’s a way to get to name ‘mixtape’ is still being used. And know what’s out there.’ because they normally use copyrighted material, they’re technically illegal. www.tnieuwewerck.blogspot.com ‘One of the main reasons I’m doing this,’ explains Schobbejak, ‘is to make mixtapes more common and more acceptBy Mark Wedin MONICA RAGAZZINI

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Classical: Amsterdam Viola Quartet Old and modern works performed on the viola. They’re joined by pianist Rie Tanaka for a little variation. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 14.15, €26.50 Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (See Thursday) Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 14.15, €37.50€52.50 Classical: Daria van den Bercken A ‘Young Professionals in Music’ piano recital featuring works by De Leeuw, Keuris, Prokofiev and Schubert. Bethaniënklooster, 15.00, €15 World: Spotlight on the Middle East A continuing series with Theo Loevendie and Ensemble Ziggurat.

Special guest is oud player Haytham Safia. Amstelkerk, 15.00, €15 Singer-songwriter: Chicks ’n’ Strings Sets from Leine, Dalâl Marouf and Kirsten. KHL Koffiehuis, 16.00, €5

Pop/Rock: I’m From Barcelona Though they have a pretty stupid title as far as band names go, at least they’re not The I’m From Barcelonas. From Sweden, comparisons with the Polyphonic Spree are gonna be hard to avoid, namely because of the 29 band members and eclectic selections of instruments— that’s gonna be some rider backstage. Anyway, cheerful indie pop is what’s on the cards, and they can be as twee as they like so long as they keep band uniforms at bay. Melkweg, The Max, 20.30, €15 + membership Jazz: Jason Moran and the Bandwagon Dynamic American jazz pianist with a lot to say and plenty of ways to play. Bimhuis, 21.00, €16 Jazz: Monsieur Dubois A modern jazz attack featuring elements of jungle beats, funk, soul and Afro grooves. Sugar Factory, 21.00, €8.50 Rock: Sideburns Stomp Rock ’n’ roll night with sets from street punks G.O.H. and Sidekick Bob. 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 26 March

Snoop Dogg Hiphop: Snoop Dogg & P Diddy Hiphop heavyweights in a surprisingly intimate room—by their standards. Fans are being promised plenty of old hits, as well as new material, from both stars. So the bass will be rumbling and it’ll be a full-blown case of hiphop glitz. Hype and complacency is the one big risk of it sucking horribly. Heineken Music Hall, 20.00, €52 Jazz: Thomas Böttcher Quartet Piano quartet. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €24

Flamenco: Color Caliente Andalucian flamenco courtesy dancers Federico Ordoñez and La Elquita, singer José Ligero and guitarists Michel Gillain and Alexander Gavilán. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €27.50 Classical: Orkest van de Achttiende Eeuw An authentic period rendition of Bach’s Johannes-Passion, with help from the voices of Cappella Amsterdam; conducted by Frans Brüggen. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €34/€40 Big band: Biggles Big Band Bigging up the Zeedijk as they do best. Casablanca Muziek, 21.00, free Folk: CJ Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band

Amsterdam Weekly

22-28 March 2007 There’s just not been enough zydeco in Amsterdam recently, so it’s a relief that the best of the best is coming to town to resolve the situation. Well technically, CJ Chenier was only the son of the king of zydeco, Clifton Chenier, but following his death in 1987, CJ was there to take up the reins. Since, the distinctive band has barely been off the road. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 21.00, €17.50 + membership Jazz: Sparks, Will Holshouser Trio That’ll be Sparks, the trumpet and bass New York improv players, not the Mael brothers—just to be clear. Accordionist Holshouser is another feature of the New York scene, who can start with raw jazz ingredients before heading off on tango, klezmer and Baltic folk tangents. Bimhuis, 21.00, €14 Experimental: Subbacultcha! Featuring the improv folk of Plan Kruutntoone, Klaske Oenema and De Reizende Verkoper. Bitterzoet, 21.00, €6 Experimental: DNK-Amsterdam Electro acoustic live sets. Tonight the saxaphone takes on electronics, with musical guests Michel Doneda, Alessandro Bosetti, Boris Baltschun and Serge Baghdassarians. OT301, 21.30, €4

Tuesday 27 March Opera: Koor en Orkest van De Koninklijke Muntschouwburg Someone left the door open and the Belgians crept in. So expect a powerful run through of one of the keystones of French Opera: Saint-Saëns’ Samson and Delilah. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 19.30, €50/€60 Pop: Bryan Ferry Suave pop from the Roxy Music star.

In recent years he’s actually devoted most energy to that old band, getting them back on the road and even preparing new material. It’s temporarily on hold, however, while Ferry flaunts an album of Bob Dylan covers that positively smooths the rough edges from the wellknown folk classics. And you can expect some extra covers from some of his other fave artists, just for fun.

Heineken Music Hall, 20.00, €43-€49 Pop: Vaya Con Dios Adult pop act from Belgium, whose success peaked in the early ’90s. See Short List. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 20.00, €25 + membership Classical: London Conchord Ensemble Performing works by Shostakovich, Stravinsky and Messiaen. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €28 Classical: Guitar Duo Katona Twins Hungarian guitar-playing twins, though in many press photos they look like Siamese twins—now that would be impressive. Even as individuals, they’ve won awards with ease and shone in the world’s grandest concert halls, so it should be a special recital. Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €25 Pop/Rock: The Sunshine Underground There really does seem to be a resurgence in Britpop this year— highlighted in part by the early sell-out of London Calling. Much of it is infuriatingly dull and annoying (just like the original Britpop waves). But credit where’s it’s due, The Sunshine Underground actually know a decent tune when they stumble over it. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 20.30, €11 + membership

Wednesday 28 March Classical: Lunch Concert Featuring Cordevento.

Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 12.30, free

Contemporary: Speaking in Tongues A fresh perspective on Chinese music, with a percussive jazz set led by pipa virtuoso Gao Hong. Backing her is Marc Anderson and Sowah Mensah—both on traditional percussion and drums—and bassist Enrique Tousssaint. Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €20

Funk: Chico Mann A one-man Afrobeat/funk/electronica monster from New Jersey, AKA Marquitos Garcia.

Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €10 + membership

CLUBS Thursday 22 March Poppourri Student Night Pop hits for students who’re thinking they should stay home and work on that dissertation, but just can’t help themselves. Club 8, 22.00-03.00, €5 Flex YourSpace With ’80s electro pop from Hasselhoff, followed by DJ Wannabeastar. Flex Bar, 22.00-late, €5 Franchise Featuring Steven Quarre, Billy the Klit and MC Lady Bee, apparently. Escape, 23.00-04.00, €10 Vreemd Outlandish electro and live performances.

Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €7.50 Dirty Disco Dancing for the unclean. Studio 80, 23.00-late, €5 Poptrash Three decades’ worth of rock, electro and hiphop with The Punchout DJs. Melkweg, The Max, 23.00-late, €5 ¿Que Pasa? Latin-crossover night with reggae, folk, ska, punk and mestizo. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 23.00late, €7

Thursday 22 March Fertile Ground

Everyone A night for, naturally, everyone hosted by Nicholas Carther and featuring Jodee, Brian S, Lin, Gene Farris, Natarscia, MC Nova—with unexpected live acts. Exit, 23.00-04.00, €5

Saturday 24 March

Friday 23 March

Fragile Breaks Breakbeat specialists, including sets from Kiki Toao (Fragile Breaks), Arrow (Loudspeaker), Dikkie D (NuGroundz), Philippo and Sozarno. Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 21.00-late, €7.50

Vrouwenavond Bust women’s night with DJ spun sounds. Tonight DJ Suna (wo)mans the decks to churn out a funky mix of jazz, ’70s and ’80s, R&B and hiphop. Café Sappho, 21.00-03.00, free

Q-dance presents: Promo Hard dance. Heineken Music Hall, 21.00-late, €37

Twisted Tunes Tonight’s DJing duo is Aue and Dermoff. PRIK, 22.00-03.00, free

Hed Kandi ‘The Twisted Disco Edition’, starring Paul Wilkins (UK), Andy Norman (UK), Steven Quarré, Frederik Abas, Marnix, Lex Empress (vocals), Andrei Russo (percussion) and Ace (sax). Hotel Arena, 22.00-04.00, €25

Club ArtLaunch It’s the second outing for the almost pristine club night and tonight, Amsterdam meets Paris. Behind the decks it’s homeboy Lava versus the City of Light’s Sex Machine. Visuals from Pixelpimp and Philippe Donadini. Ooh, as they say, la la. Studio 80, 23.00-05.00, €7

Subtronics A drum & bass party, doubling up as a new album celebration for MIST:I:CAL and their record The 11th Hour. Other guests ready to play head thumpin’ tunes include Marcus Intalex (UK), Calibre (Ireland), MC DRS (UK), Martyn, MSC and D Virus. 11, 22.00-04.00, €12 Utopia One room of house, one room of electro and another room with both—but from a live perspective.

Panama, 22.00-04.00, €15 Get Perlonized A new platform for minimal, techno and house. With Luciano (Perlon), Ramses and Peppe. Flex Bar, 22.00-late, €10 Blacktro Electro meets the fattest basslines. Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €12.50 House Arrest With DJs Sidney Samson, Afrojack, Skitzofrenix and Marc Benjamin let out early for good behaviour. The Powerzone, 23.00-05.00, €15

Friday 23 March

Passion vs D&M A special live edition, dealing out Latin-electro house, electro cuts and surprises.

Odeon, 23.00-05.00, €10

Penis in Vagina Amsterdam’s boldest indie disco rave party. Entertaining the loons tonight are Comanechi— a couple of racket-makers from London who turn the amps up to 10, scream and seem ready to molest the nearest audience member. Club 8, 22.00-04.00, €5 The Zoo Animalistic house grooves from Frederik Abas, Marnix & Sir Edward. The Zebra, 22.00-04.00, €10

Roots: La Luna on the Road Tour Featuring Satellite7 and Blackstrap. Bitterzoet, 21.00, €5

Streetbeatz Hiphop party. Bitterzoet, 23.00-04.00, €7.50

Electronica: Voidd Sessions It’s electronica, Jim, but not as we know it. For the emphasis is on live performance rather than just playback. Winston Kingdom, 21.00, €5

Club Artlaunch The ‘Amsterdam meets Paris’ edition.

It may mean we all shrug our shoulders a lot, pee through a hole in the floor and play boules in the weekends. Or it may be that the best of the Parisian underground electro scene is coming to town. With Paris’ Sex Machine and VJ Phillipe Donadini, plus some reliable locals. Studio 80, 23.00-05.00, €7

Retro Deluxe Trapped in the past or eclectic tunes built to last? Hotel Arena, 23.00-04.00, €10

Lugd A night for sexy house music, though its title hardly puts you in the mood. Odeon, 23.00-05.00, €15 Istanbul by Night With DJ Style-Ist. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 23.00-late, €5 + membership

Red Hot Salsa Latin night with Renata and Anita, for all their fabulous TV friends. Lellebel, free

Kindred Spirits Jazzy hiphop party continuing the flavour of tonight’s sets from Terry Callier and Fertile Ground. Paradiso, 23.59-05.00, €10

De Dixo Eclectic party tunes, including a live set from the ACS Band. Club Meander, 23.59-03.00, €4

Electronica: Air The Pink Floyd of the electronic pop world, Air are back. So hooray for broody French electro pop and guest slots from the likes of Jarvis Cocker, though he probably won’t be in Amsterdam tonight to help out. See Short List. Melkweg, The Max, 21.00, sold out

Americana: Goesting Folk and alt country inspirations from this acoustic quintet presenting their new CD, De Tiengemeten Sessies. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.15, €5 + membership

GAY& LESBIAN

Jazz: Erica Stucky Theatrical jazz from the SwissAmerican vocal star and accordionist. Tonight’s show is part of her Suicidal Yodels tour, serving to remind that you’re in for an expressive treat, even if it gets a little scary at times. Bimhuis, 21.00, €16

Crush Crowd-pleasers from DJ Wiebthroat, plus a CD release party for new dance soul project Touching Tongues. Club Meander, 22.00-04.00, €4

Pop/Rock: Wasser Umsonnst Featuring diverse sets from Soccer Committee, Machinefabriek and Wouter van Veldhoven. De Nieuwe Anita, 21.00, free

HipHopClub With live sets from Appa and Kingz Salomon, plus DJs Switch, Vic, Abstract, Lovesupreme, Cypfer and Rachid Larouz. Studio 80, 22.00-late, €5

Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (See Thursday) Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €37.50€52.50

Reggae: The Wailing Souls Old-style roots reggae, whose legacy dates way back to the ’60s. In support, Kongo Banga provide an African take on rock reggae.

Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 21.00, €20 + membership

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

Tuesday 27 March

Opera: Madama Butterfly (See Saturday) Het Muziektheater, 20.00, €20-€85

360 A birthday party for host Nuno dos Santos, with a live set from Hamburg’s own Lawrence and DJ Patrice Bäumel. 11, 22.00-04.00, €12

Air

Major League Featuring drum & bass legend DJ Hype, plus much more. Melkweg, The Max, 23.00late, €12.50

15

Inmotion Techno and house from Tokomak star Don Williams (Berlin), Shinedoe, 2000 and One, San Proper and Michelle Sars. Studio 80, 23.00 late, €10 Gemengd Zwemmen Two rooms of noise. In the Max it’s classic ’80s; in the Oude Zaal, expect a mix of indie, pop, rock and dance tunes. Melkweg, 23.59late, €8

Sunday 25 March

Reflexxx The grand opening (ooer) of a brand new gay night from the team that brings you Fresh and Rapido, which tells you all you need to know about the crowd to expect. Tonight’s special DJ is Paul Goodyear, whose done plenty of stints at Sydney’s Mardi Gras. Escape, 23.00-05.00, €15

Saturday 24 March Twisted Tunes Twisting it tonight is DJ Gina: she’s the hyper chick who makes you dance! PRIK, 22.00-03.00, free Furball Brand new location, same furry formula.

Tonight’s DJ line up brings you Miss Wendy and Mike Kelly, with visuals from VJ Zanne. Supperclub, 22.0004.00, €12.50 Unk Night for coolios at a great pool hall location under the sterling leadership of DJ Lupe. Club 8, 22.00-late, €7

Sunday 25 March Garbo in Exit Time again for the busy women-only once-a-monther: ’70s and ’80s tracks get the dancefloor frugging. Downstairs there’s an Indonesian buffet for the peckish. Exit, 16.00 22.00, €4.50 Shuffle Bubble A great excuse to cast Monday morning to oblivion in a 2-for-1 drinks happy hour. If the sun’s shining, it will be packed to the rafters. April, 18.00-20.00, free

Salsa Lounge A mix of classic and contemporary salsa music, climaxing with rowdy Latin house tunes.

Hotel Arena, 17.00-01.00, €18.50

Just Scandal A little bit of Ibiza in Amsterdam. See Short List. Sinners, 21.00-04.00, €15

E.N.D. Electronation’s new weekly Sunday night slot.

Tonight’s party features sets from Mason, The Maker (DJ set), Sjammie the Money and Generik. Bitterzoet, 21.00-03.00, €5/€8

Tuesday 27 March

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 26 March Club Sinas Dancefloor jazz from Wouter Schueler and a handful of other playful pals. MPS Pilot and Kareem Raihani will be DJing. Sugar Factory, 21.0002.00, €7

Movie Night Tonight’s movie is Brian Gilbert’s Wilde, starring Stephen Fry as the Irishman with a pen of pure gold. Jude ‘Phwoar’ Law is perfect as the over-privileged brat Bosie. PRIK, 19.00, free

Wednesday 28 March Balkan Night The sounds of Eastern Europe brought to you by the intrepid Dora Multinational. Lellebel, 21.00-03.00, free F*cking Pop Queers Trashy gays dance the night away. No pop = no style. Studio 80, 11.00-05.00, free before 00.00, €5 after

Amsterdam Weekly

16

Tragedie, Tragedie, Compagnietheater, Compagnietheater, see see Ongoing Ongoing

STAGE Opening Music/Theatre: The Beatles in Concert Clearly not the real thing, you’ll have to make do with four feisty women singing pop songs you don’t usually have to leave your head to hear. Meervaart, (Thur 20.15), €32 Theatre: Het Vierde Rijk Toneelgroep Oostpool present a dream many will relate to: leaving your life behind to restart everything on a secluded island, building your own delightful utopia in the process.

Nothing could go wrong, right? In Dutch. Stadsschouwburg, (Thur 20.15), €11.50-€22.50 Music/Dance: Music/Dance 301 Alexandra Manasse, Makiko Ito and Sylvain Meret do their dance thing, while improv maestros like Michael Vatcher, Oscar Jan Hoogland and Colin McLean provide a contemporary musical backdrop. OT301, (Thur 21.00), €5 Music/Dance: Hotel Mahler Songs by Mahler, with vocals from baritone Maarten Koningsberger and choreography and dance from Dries van der Post.

Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, (Fri 20.15), €27.50 Festival: Wereldreis door de Zaanstreek Centred in Zaandam, this exotic performance fest allows locals to take in all sorts of entertainment, while making imaginary trips to the likes of Angola, Peru, Lebanon, South Africa and Suriname. See www.wereldreiszaanstreek.nl. Various locations in Zaandam, (Fri-Sun), various prices Music/Dance: The Passenger A multidisciplinary collaboration between Eindhoven dance group United-D and rock band Sweet Assembler. Melkweg Theater, (Sat, Sun 20.30), €9 Theatre: Heksen Roald Dahl’s classic kid’s book brought to the stage. In Dutch. See Short List. Meervaart, 15.00, €20.00 Theatre: Een Spel voor Twee Part of the Turkey Now Festival, this intimate performance by DOT Theatre lets the audience take an emotional ride with a man and woman. But with very limited capacity, reservations are recommended: 553 5100. De Balie, (Mon, Tues 20.30), €12 Dance: THREE A trio of works from Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company. Bellus is danced to Bach’s Goldberg

22-28 March 2007

Aram Aram Tanis, Tanis, ACF, ACF, see see Opening Opening Variations. As if in a mirror, 10 dancers follow each other’s movements. At the beginning of Humus, a dancer comes on stage carrying a television that shows the dancer’s own grinning face, and five women dance to the ethereal music of Brian Eno. In Secus, all 17 dancers show an explosive release of movements in unparalleled solos and duets. Het Muziektheater, (Tues 20.15), €15-€30 Dance: Postscript A Lightfoot León production for Nederlands Dans Theater II. Featuring music by Philip Glass, the dancers move mechanically, as though part of an assembly line. Underneath those motions lie pain and melancholy, carefully forming a love tragedy. Stadsschouwburg, (Tues 20.15), €11.50-€20 Music/Dance: Miguel Angel Zotto Argentine tango legend. RAI, (Wed 20.30), €29.50-€39.50

Ongoing Dance: Points of View Het Nationale Ballet perform four premieres in one programme: Duets with choreography by Merce Cunningham and music by John Cage; Kammerballett by Hans van Manen and Kara Karayev/Domenico Scarlatti; New Choreography for Large Ensemble by Ted Brandsen and John Adams; and a world premiere from Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.

Het Muziektheater, (Thur, Fri 20.15, Sun 14.00), €20€32.50 Music/Theatre: Cats Miaow, miaow miaow, miaow... miew—with some Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff thrown in, too. In Dutch. Carré, (Thur-Sat 20.00, Sat also 14.00, Sun, Mon 14.00, 19.00), €15-€59 Theatre: Rok The setting is an English garden, the costumes Victorian robes, the soundtrack electric guitars, and the topic ‘women’. Suzan Boogaerdt and Bianca van der Schoot sharply analyse intrigues, secrets and the aggression of the fair sex. Includes lady fights on kitten heels. In Dutch. Frascati, (Thur-Sat 20.30), €14 Theatre: Tragedie A new play by Gerardjan Rijnders, written for a selection of actors from Toneelgroep Amsterdam. Tragedie is a montage of quotes, original texts and separate monologues, featuring a Greek chorus who watch with indifference as tragedies take place the world over. In Dutch. Compagnietheater, (Thur-Sat, Tues, Wed 20.30), €18 Festival: Tweetakt Holland’s national theatre festival which aims to bring young people and their families together in dialogue about contemporary life, art and culture. See www.tweetakt.net. In Dutch. Various locations in Utrecht, (Thur-Sun), various prices

ART Opening André Vannoord: Zelfportret met Windmolen Photography by the actor and top model. Lloyd Hotel (Daily 08.00-01.00), opens Friday, until 11 April Coming Up Going Down Turning Around A space transformation featuring installations, paintings and murals from three artists: Diane Moolhuysen, Erwin van der Werve and Guido Nieuwendijk. Chiellerie (WedSun 14.00-18.00), opens Friday, closing Thursday Anouk Kruithof, Aram Tanis Two solo exhibitions: Kruithof presents a study of the psychological and sociological aspects of angst, while Tanis provides images from Japan. Amsterdams Centrum voor Fotografie (Thur-Sat 13.00-17.00), opens Saturday, until 28 April Fahrettin Örenli Recent works from the Turkish-Dutch artist. Dubbelbee Galerie (Wed-Sat 12.00-17.30), opens Saturday, until 21 April Marc Ruygrok, Rob Regeer Sculptures and drawings

by Ruygrok and mixed artworks by Regeer. METIS_NL (Wed-Sat 13.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 21 April Rembrandt in Berlin Excerpts from the worldrenowned collection of Rembrandt drawings from Berlin’s Kupferstichkabinett. Rembrandthuis (Daily 10.00-17.00), opens Saturday, until 27 May SeaSideLight Artworks by Mathilde Cuijpers and Eric de Nie, inspired by the glorious light and atmosphere of the seaside. Arti et Amicitiae (Tues-Sun 13.0018.00), opens Saturday, until 22 April Sipke Huismans New works. AdK Actuele Kunst (Wed-Sat 12.30-17.30), opens Saturday, until 21 April Tim Ayres Ayres’ exhibition On the status of the glass of water at its halfway mark features large-scale paintings that mix bold colours with text and design. Vous Etes Ici (Wed-Sat 12.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 21 April

Museums Groene Vingers A close look at Amsterdam’s ‘green fingers’—the areas of the city pre-designed to pierce the urbanity. Found all over, they were created for var-

ious reasons, but by and large their function is to bring recreation in green space closer to the city dweller.

ARCAM (Tues-Sat 13.00-17.00), until 31 March Seeing is Knowing: Perspectives in Dutch Architecture An opportunity for locals to finally take in the Netherlands’ entry at the 10th International Architecture Biennale of Venice in 2006. Zuiderkerk (Mon 11.00-16.00, Tues-Fri 09.00-16.00, Sat 12.00-16.00), until 31 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 Systema Sculpturae New members of the Sculptors Collective ABK present their work in the garden and greenhouses of the Hortus. Hortus Botanicus (Mon-Fri 09.00-17.00, Sat, Sun 10.00-17.00), until 7 April Aanwinsten 2005-2006 A presentation of recent purchases, including pieces by Francis Alÿs, Mike Kelley, William Kentridge, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Aernout Mik and Thomas Ruff. Stedelijk Museum CS (Fri-Wed 10.00-18.00), until 9 April WassinkLundgren: Empty Bottles The latest exhibition by the photographer duo, taking a concentrated look at the daily ritual of China’s refuse collectors.

Foam (Sun-Wed 10.00-17.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 11 April Istanbul From Byzantium to the Ottomans, from Constantinople to Istanbul: 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 Steven Shearer The motifs for many of this Canadian artist’s colourful canvases come from the obscure, suburban subculture of the American heavy metal scene and its various Scandinavian offshoots. Not something you’d typically find in a gallery, the satanic imagery and scenes of violence are nevertheless fascinating. De Appel (Tues-Sun 11.00-18.00), until 15 April Erik Parker: Liner Notes Parker’s large-scale, colourful paintings stylistically fit into the tradition of ’80s graffiti, ’60s psychedelic album covers and comic strips. Often they depict a hallucinogenic world, but lying below is a sharp analysis of Western subcultures.

De Appel (Tues-Sun 11.00-18.00), until 15 April Oog—Eye Images from WM Hunt’s collection which all have one thing in common—the subject is never

Amsterdam Weekly

22-28 March 2007

Childhood friends Robert Capa and Eva Besnyö reunited as world-class photographers.

TALENT ISN’T ENOUGH. YOU GOTTA BE HUNGRY ART Robert Capa Retrospective Eva Besnyö Unknown Pictures Joods Historisch Museum, Until 20 May

By Iris Maher

There are some great photos on show in Amsterdam at the moment—and not in a place you might immediately connect with photography. But for the next few months, you can immerse yourself in the world of photo-journalist hero Robert Capa and the grand old lady of Dutch photography, Eva Besnyö, at the newly revamped Joods Historisch Museum (JHM).

A worthy tribute to Capa, the flamboyant co-founder of renowned photo agency Magnum, fills the ground floor of the museum’s New Synagogue. The show spans his entire career, starting with his big break in 1932 when he was sent to photograph exiled Bolshevik Leon Trotsky. Trotsky hated having his picture taken, however, so photographers carrying bulky equipment were generally halted at the door. Armed with a little Leica in his pocket, Capa was able to walk right in and record the revolutionary’s animated appearance in Copenhagen.

By 1938, Capa was being called ‘the greatest war photographer in the world’, and he’s perhaps best known for action shots—the unforgettable image of a soldier being gunned down during the Spanish Civil War, for example, and dra-

matic pictures of the American D-Day landing at Normandy during World War II. These photos so impressed Hollywood director Steven Spielberg that he modelled his opening shots for Saving Private Ryan on them.

Alongside the dramatic black-andwhite prints on the walls, two Dutch-flavoured examples of Capa’s work are also on display. One is a lighthearted photo reportage of the Dutch Royal Family at home in Soestdijk in 1951.

On a skiing trip, the photographer met Prince Bernhard, who invited him to ‘bang on the door’ if he was ever in the area. Capa took up the offer and was allowed free reign to photograph the family at their leisure, including the youthful future Queen Beatrix.

Another exclusive is the gritty 1945 series of a family struggling to survive in post-war Amsterdam. Capa knew the city well and was a frequent visitor, quite possibly because his good friend, the photographer Eva Besnyö, lived there.

‘He arrived with the Canadians for the liberation,’ remembers Besnyö fondly, in a video interview on view at the museum, reminiscing, too, about his gifts of film and chocolate on that occasion. The pair had known each other since childhood, and it was her influence that inspired him to take up photography when he fled Hungary for political reasons and moved to Berlin in 1931.

It was auspicious coincidence that led to the work of both artists being shown at the opening of the new JHM.

‘Immigrants from Europe arriving in Haifa, Israel’ (1949) by Robert Capa.

Curator Bernadette van Woerkom explains: ‘We were arranging a Robert Capa show, and then the Maria Austria Institute offered us a new exhibition of undiscovered photos by Eva. I started looking through the material and discovered they had known each other as children; they had actually grown up in the same street in Budapest!’

Besnyö left Budapest in 1930 to study photography in Berlin, and moved to the Netherlands in 1932 with film-maker John Fernhout, son of the Dutch painter Charley Toorop. Throughout her life, Besnyö pictured both people and places, with a talent for recognising perfect light in tandem with sharp, graphic angles.

Over the years she built up an extensive archive of material, which she donated to the Maria Austria Institute in 2002, a year before her death. The current show of previously unknown work reveals her discerning eye: a reclining woman gazes languidly out at the Amsterdam binnenstad with cat; a bather floats serenely on a diving platform in the midst of a busy swimming area; a child contorts herself in an impossible pose on the sand. Thirties chic is showcased on the ultra-modern ship SS Nieuw Amsterdam. Another treat is a series of portraits following the artist from wide-eyed girl to elegant grande dame. And the JHM’s new, well-lit but intimate Prentenkabinet provides the ideal setting for unhurried discovery.

After you’ve viewed the photos and witnessed the truth of Capa’s dictum— ‘It’s not enough to have talent. You also have to be Hungarian.’—don’t forget to have a stroll though the rest of the finely renovated museum. The whole place has been thoroughly reworked, doing the impressive interior justice, and the permanent exhibition highlighting the history of Jews in the Netherlands in the 20th century is well-designed and comprehensive.

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Amsterdam Weekly

18 looking into the lens. By showing people with their eyes shut or looking down, veiled or wounded, or with their face or body turned away from the camera, the photos prevent any sense of contact between the viewer and the subject, even in a close-up. Foam (Sun-Wed 10.00-17.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 15 April Ryan Gander: The Last Work A Docking Space event that sees Gander transform the space into a monochrome blue-painted room with an audio work playback. Visitors can experience a whispering girl express her thoughts on the nature of artistic practice and watch a video presenting the artist’s journey from his studio to his house. Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), until 22 April Politiek in prent 2006 Last year’s political dramas in print. Persmuseum (Tues-Fri 10.00-17.00, Sun 12.0017.00), until 29 April Jan van der Heyden The first monographic exhibition in the Netherlands since 1937 of one of the leading 17th-century painters of Dutch cityscapes. He was also fascinated by firefighting and is still remembered to this day by many as the inventor of the fire hose.

Rijksmuseum (Daily 09.00-18.00), until 30 April Architecture of the Night: Luminous Buildings A voyage into the dark night and the beautiful buildings and lighting designs that can transform the look and feel of cities. There’s an environmental message, too, with focus on light pollution and energy efficiency.

Nederlands Architectuurinstituut (Tues-Sat 10.0017.00. Sun 11.00-17.00), Rotterdam, until 6 May Behind the Curtains Fifteen innovative architectural designs by Willem Jan Neutelings and Michiel Riedijk, whose expressive buildings are icons within cities, appreciated equally by tenants and passers-by. Museum Hilversum (Tues-Sat 11.00-17.00, Sun 12.00-17.00), Hilversum, until 6 May Che! An analysis of the posterboy for the revolution, whose starting point is Korda’s 1960 portrait. Tropenmuseum (Daily 10.00-17.00), until 6 May Beauty and the Bead: From Madonna to the Maasai This first exhibition ever to focus on beads as a worldwide phenomenon features beaded costumes from every epoch and all corners of the earth. Tropenmuseum (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 12.00-17.00), until 13 May

Ten Klooster: A Man With Two Lives Showing over 50 works by the Indonesian-Dutch artist Ten Klooster, varying from paintings to wood engravings. Tropenmuseum (Daily 10.00-17.00), until 20 May Robert Capa: Retrospective A broad look at the work of the legendary war photographer and founder of modern photo-journalism. See article on p. 16. Joods Historisch Museum (Daily 11.00-17.00), until 20 May Eva Besnyö: Unknown Photos This exhibition presents a selection underscoring Besnyö’s reputation as one of the greatest photographers in the Netherlands.

See article on p. 16. Joods Historisch Museum (Daily 11.00-17.00), until 20 May Lucebert. Drawings Gouaches, drawings in Indian ink and works on paper in mixed media, dating from 1948 to 1993. There’s also an accompanying publication with text (in Dutch and English) by the Dutch author Cyrille Offermans. CoBrA Museum (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), until 3 June Flowers Under the Magnifying Glass: A Homage to Linnaeus A celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778), who studied and worked in the Netherlands from 1735 to 1738. In collaboration with the National Herbarium Nederland, this exhibition provides an overview of depictions of flowers, mainly by Dutch artists or artists who worked in the Netherlands. Teylers Museum (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 12.00-17.00), Haarlem, until 3 June

Lights & Drawings Light and shadow are the literal and figurative focus of this exhibition by the New Yorkbased artist and activist Paul Chan. His projections, together with charcoal drawings, collages and digital studies are presented in six rooms. The works all revolve around the digital animation series The 7 Lights, which Chan has been working on since 2005 and which will ultimately consist of seven pieces. This first major museum presentation in Europe presents all the Lights completed so far. Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), until 10 June

De Engelse Kerk op het Begijnhof: 1607-2007 Exhibition marking the 400th anniversary of the English Reformed Church. Amsterdams Historisch Museum (Mon-Fri 10.00-17.00, Sat, Sun 11.00-17.00), until 17 June

Galleries Konstruierte Landschaften Dramatic landscape paintings by Aquil Copier, with particularly vivid views from the sky. Saskia de Maree’s paintings represent an industrialised culture, but captured in bright and bold colours, a new perspective is offered. AYAC’S (Fri, Sat 13.00-17.30), closing Saturday Colours of Croatia Photographs by Ivo Pervan. ABC Treehouse (Thur-Sun 13.00-18.00), closing Saturday

Joan Colom: El Rava A selection of work by the Spanish photographer, featuring 84 black-and-white pictures from 1958 to 1961, all taken during Colom’s nearly daily visits to Barcelona’s Barrio Chino district.

Known today as Raval, the neighbourhood was once a centre of prostitution and crime. Foam (Sun-Wed 10.00-17.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 13 May The Rise A work by German artists Nina Fischer and Maroan el Sani, realised during their five-month residence in Amsterdam’s Zuidas. Dealing primarily in the medium of film, they concentrate on the complex relationship between the visual language of a building, its psychological effects and the political-economic reality in which it functions. Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), until 13 May Mapping the City This group exhibition focuses on the relationship between artists and the city from 1960 to the present day. The show revolves around the way in which artists perceive urban space, with emphasis on the city as social community, its behaviour, poses and urban rituals. Participating artists include Doug Aitken, Francis Alÿs, Stanley Brouwn, Matthew Buckingham, Philip Lorca diCorcia and many more.

Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), until 20 May

The High Mind of Lowbrow Pop surrealist Ray Caesar’s ‘Science Fiction Meets Victorian’ is accompanied here by works from other big names of the Lowbrow movement. Originated from LA’s underground garage and punk rock scenes, Lowbrow frequently likes to combine stylistic extremes like manga, religious kitsch and commercial art. KochxBos Gallery (Wed-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 1 April Blackmail The artists of Red Stamp Gallery present a series of photographs, collages and 3-D objects, all erotically charged and with a focus on fetishism and the female body. With works by Christian Zanotto, Simone Lucietti, Ketra, Damien Boyall and Sonia Arata. Red Stamp Art Gallery (Wed-Sun 14.00-18.00), until 1 April Istanbul Images Four photo reports highlighting elements of contemporary Turkey. Contributors include: Dandyland, Streetlab, European Children’s Eyes and Leaps of Faith. Pakhuis de Zwijger (Mon-Sat), until 3 April

Trees de Mits: After Image A series of sculptures inspired by medical apparatus and human organs.

Additionally, De Mits will be showing large format photographs. Galerie de Witte Voet (Wed-Sat 12.00-17.00), closing Sunday

The Stability of Truth The Stability of Truth Artworks with a disposition to ‘straightforwardness’, defiantly telling the truth from the artist’s perspective. Participants include Renaud Auguste-Domeuil, Seamus Harahan, Servet Koçyigit and Alon Levin. SMART Project Space (Tues-Sat 12.0017.00), until 5 April Classics Updated A collection set in the window displays of the former ABN AMRO building, restored as a public art space. Opening this project is painter Rae Witvoet’s series of 24 individual works, each referencing works by master painters. Rembrandtplein (Daily), until 6 April Patrizia Casamirra: Women in Wartime Taken in Guatemala, Palestine, Rwanda and Bosnia, these photos comprise a series of stories of women who suffered in war and who are today active in human rights promoters. Melkweg Galerie (Wed-Sun 13.00-20.00), until 8 April Dorothée Meyer: Yokus Mahalleler A new solo exhibition from German photographer Meyer, who captures Istanbul’s suburbs and city streets. A challenge to viewership, her photos range from large diptych works featuring sweeping, high-angle views of building blocks, to small images displaying details of street furniture. Motive Gallery (Wed-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 14 April Insitute of Nocturnal Light: Visual Resistenz Curated by multidisciplinary artist Gabriela León, this exhibition features photos, sculptures and a sound installation that documents the resistance movement last year in Oaxaca, Mexico. See article on p. 4. iLLUSEUM (Sat, Sun 15.00-21.00, Wed from 19.00), until 14 April

Jens Wolf New paintings from the German artist, whose latest series features experiments with concentric circles. Aschenbach & Hofland Galleries (Wed-Sat 12.00-17.00), until 21 April Sirens Exhibition tracing the development of the siren from an instrument initially created for sound analysis into the role of auditory alert we’re more familiar with.

Alongside a historical account, the exhibition looks at artistic appropriation of the machine, with participating artists presenting their own interpretation of sirens.

66 East (Fri-Sun 14.00-18.00), until 22 April Marketa Jirouskova Photography from her recent trip to the Ross Sea region of Antarctica on an ice breaker.

IISG (Mon-Fri 09.00-17.45), until 27 April

Van Huis Uit... The results of a research project by the Meertens Instituut about immigrant families and interiors of their homes. The project focuses on the influence that class, ethnicity and tradition have on way of life, and the resulting exhibition presents a collage of photographs and stories about migration, material culture, identity and cultural exchange. Imagine IC (Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat 11.00-17.00, Thur 11.00-21.00), until 30 April The New Black and White Four photographers with a refreshing take on traditional black-and-white techniques. Hup Gallery (Tues-Fri 12.00-17.00), until 1 May David Goldblatt: Intersections ‘Intersections’ is the term Goldblatt (1930) uses for the human and ideological crosscurrents that make up South African society and that he captures in his photos—sharp yet subtle images of the nation. It was only after technical developments in digital photography allowed him to achieve the same depth and graphical expression in colour as he could in black and white that he embarked upon a new, multi-hued journey. Huis Marseille (Tues-Sun 11.00-18.00), until 28 May W139/Basement Taking place in the temporary W139 space in the Post CS building—now deserted following the gallery’s return to Warmoestraat—this project aims to open more opportunities for young artists and young art collectors. The exhibition spaces are being let to artists and galleries at affordable rates for a one-month period; at the end of each month, the exhibits will be auctioned. See www.w139.nl/basement. W139/Basement, until 24 June Het Licht van Tunesië Multimedia installation by Maarten Rens and Anita Mizrahi. De Levante (WedSun 13.00-17.30), until 22 July

EVENTS Thursday 22 March Multidisciplinary: Le Paris Lounge Platform 21 gets transformed into a French club for three nights: discussions, presentations and performances by a selection of Dutch and French guests. See Short List.

Platform 21, 20.00-01.30, €7.50

Outlandish A presentation from the Antwerp photography collective Outlandish. De Brakke Grond (Mon 13.00-18.00, Tues-Fri 10.00-20.30, Sat 13.00-20.30, Sun 13.00-17.00), closing Sunday

Festival: Unheard Film In Amsterdam’s cornucopia of cinema events, the Unheard Film fest manages to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack with its innovative angle: a focus on the way soundtracks affect the film-viewing experience. Live soundtracks are planned, as are panel discussions, experiments and lots of parties. See www.unheardfilm.nl. Kriterion, various times and prices

Trialoog over Ruimte Albert de Wilde, Herman van de Poll and Fons Heijnsbroek explore the concept of space. Het Glazen Huis (Tues-Sun 12.00-17.00), closing Sunday

Laser 3.14: Today I Hired a Detective To Track Me Down The first-ever solo exhibition focused on guerilla poet Laser 3.14. You’ve walked past his street art, read about him in the paper, and now you can enjoy an

Boghe Works by the artist who helped paint the MTV Europe Pimp My Ride garage. Wolf & Pack (Sun, Mon 13.00-19.00, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat 12.00-19.00, Thur 12.00-21.00), until 20 April

ArtOlive Offline #2 Diverse works from three young artists: Erica Scheper, Marin de Jong and Douwe Dijkstra. ArtOlive (Mon-Fri 11.00-17.00, Sun 12.00-17.00), until 29 April

Kannibaal, Elitisme in de Kunst An investigation of elitism in art through Jonas Ohlsson and Kaleb de Groot. P/////AKT (Thur-Sun 14.00-18.00), closing Sunday

Wiebke Wilting: Ecotoerisme in Zuid-Afrika A yearlong photo reportage of eco-tourism in South Africa.

Wiebke Wilting devotes particular attention to the daily lives of the people who live there. News Photo (WedMon 11.00-18.00), closing Thursday

Bloeddorst Bloodthirsty comic art expo, a tie-in with a book of the same name. Galerie Lambiek (Mon-Fri 11.00-18.00, Sat 11.00-17.00, Sun 13.00-17.00), until 16 April

Group Exhibition Marc Bijl, Lucy Wood, Katrina Daschner and others. Upstream Gallery (Wed-Sat 12.00-18.00), until 28 April

Brave New World Works by contemporary Spanish, Russian and Dutch artists, who level criticisms at Western society and its democratic system in a disturbing, ironic or sarcastic manner. Participating artists include El Perro (SP), AES+F (Russia) and the Dutch artists Marc Bijl, Jeroen Jongeleen and Renzo Martens. CoBrA Museum (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), until 3 June

Sven Kroner: Witterung Contemporary paintings of natural landscapes balanced between the realms of the figurative and abstract. In the ‘Playstation’ gallerz, there’s also an installation by Ryan Parteka. Galerie Fons Welters (Tues-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 7 April

Joan Colom

overview of his cryptic works, while also checking out paintings, drawings and video art. WM Gallery (ThurSat 14.00-18.00), until 31 March

22-28 March 2007

De Nieuwe Oogst De Nieuwe Oogst Still life paintings for every desire.

De Kunstfabriek (Tues-Fri 12.00-18.00, Sat, Sun 12.0017.00), until 15 April

Festival: De Week van de Populaire Cultuur A dark voyage into the highs and lows of culture. See Short List. De Balie, various times and prices Multidisciplinary: Babelfestival The 12th annual celebration of migration, featuring theatre, music, film and more. See www.ostadetheater.nl. Ostadetheater, various times and prices

Amsterdam Weekly

22-28 March 2007

Friday 23 March

Festival: De Week van de Populaire Cultuur See Short List. De Balie, various times and prices

Multidisciplinary: Le Paris Lounge (See Short List) Platform 21, 20.00-01.30, €7.50

Multidisciplinary: Babelfestival (See Thursday) Ostadetheater, various times and prices

Art: Kunst10Daagse Art throws open it arms to welcome regulars and the timid alike. See Short List.

Various locations and times, free

Monday 26 March

Festival: De Week van de Populaire Cultuur See Short List. De Balie, various times and prices

Discussion: Women Inc Coach and adviser Marilou Keller offers tips for women on how to start up your own business. In Dutch. Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 20.00, free

Multidisciplinary: Babelfestival (See Thursday) Ostadetheater, various times and prices

Discussion: Broeinest Will there be a war against Iran? Some claim that such an outcome is growing more likely day by day. In this follow-up to last June’s Broeinest evening on Iran, speakers analyse the country’s current situation, regarding what it means for Iranian citizens and the role of peace movements. In Dutch with English translation. Plantage Doklaan 8-12, 20.00, free

Saturday 24 March Multidisciplinary: Le Paris Lounge (See Short List) Platform 21, 20.00-01.30, €7.50 Poetry/Music: Crime Jazz An eclectic and lively mix of poetry, hiphop, folk, nu-soul and jazz. In this special ladies’ edition, guests include Lennie St Luce, Tamar Kali (US), Jane Doe, Anne Budgen, Maaike Wijtinga and Medusa (US). Bitterzoet, 21.00, €8 Festival: De Week van de Populaire Cultuur See Short List. De Balie, various times and prices

ADDRESSES 11 Oosterdokskade 3-5, 625 5999 66 East Sumatrastraat 66, 06 4475 4773 ABC Treehouse Voetboogstraat 11, 423 0967 AdK Actuele Kunst Prinsengracht 534, 320 9242 Amstelkerk Amstelveld 10, 520 0060 Amsterdams Centrum voor Fotografie Bethaniënstraat 9, 622 4899 Amsterdams Historisch Museum Kalverstraat 92, 523 1822 De Appel Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 10, 625 5651 April Reguliersdwarsstraat 37, 625 9572 ARCAM Prins Hendrikkade 600, 620 4878 Arti et Amicitiae Rokin 112, 624 5134 ArtOlive Polonceaukade 17, 675 8504 Aschenbach & Hofland Galleries Bilderdijkstraat 165C, 412 1772 De Ateliers Stadhouderskade 86, 673 9359 AYAC'S Keizersgracht 166, 638 5240 Badcuyp 1e Sweelinckstraat 10, 675 9669 De Balie Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10, 553 5151 Bethaniënklooster Barndesteeg 6, 625 0078 Beurs van Berlage Damrak 277, 530 4141 Bimhuis Piet Heinkade 3, 788 2150 Bitterzoet Spuistraat 2, 521 3001 De Brakke Grond Nes 45, 626 6866 Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina Veemkade 576, 419 3368 Café Sappho Vijzelstraat 103, 423 1509 Carré Amstel 115-125, 524 9452 Casablanca Muziek Zeedijk 26, 06 1220 0519 Chiellerie Raamgracht 58, 320 9448 Club 8 Admiraal de Ruyterweg 56B, 685 1703 Club Meander Voetboogstraat 3, 625 8430 CoBrA Museum Sandbergplein 1-3, Amstelveen, 547 5050

Babelfestival Multidisciplinary: Babelfestival (See Thursday) Ostadetheater, various times and prices

Festival: De Week van de Populaire Cultuur See Short List. De Balie, various times and prices

19 Discussion: Sound Forum A spoken-word music magazine featuring lectures, discussions and presentations about contemporary compositions. Badcuyp, Bovenzaal, 20.00, free Lecture: Toppled A slideshow lecture about the fallen statues of Saddam Hussein, comprising a selection of approximately 400 images. Several narratives emerge about the statues’ transformation from manifestations of totalitarian power into icons for the regime’s defeat: their desecration, expulsion from the public sphere, appropriation into enemies’ museums and the symbolic reinterpretation for their use in anti-war protests. In English. De Balie, 20.30, €5 Festival: De Week van de Populaire Cultuur See Short List. De Balie, various times and prices

Wednesday 28 March

Party: Hafla Anissa An all-encompassing fest for the modern Moroccan woman. With music, dancing, workshops, comedy, fashion and more. Paradiso, 13.30, €17.50 + membership

Tuesday 27 March

Literature: Lof der Zotheid A Book Week interview and presentation about satire and humour in writing.

Guest for the evening is Moroccan-Dutch novelist and columnist Abdelkader Benali. In Dutch. Felix Meritis, 19.30, €10

Art: Spring Blossom 07 With Andro Wekua. In English.

De Ateliers, 17.00, free, reserve at office@de-ateliers.nl

Festival: De Week van de Populaire Cultuur See Short List. De Balie, various times and prices

Hortus Botanicus Plantage Middenlaan 2A, 625 9021

Soho Reguliersdwarsstraat 36, 422 9936 Stadsschouwburg Leidseplein 26, 624 2311 Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam Rozenstraat 59, 422 0471 Stedelijk Museum CS Oosterdokskade 5, 573 2911 Studio 80 Rembrandtplein 70, 521 8333 Sugar Factory Lijnbaansgracht 238, 627 0008 Supperclub Jonge Roelensteeg 15, 344 6400 Teylers Museum Spaarne 16, Haarlem, 023 516 0960 Torch Gallery Lauriergracht 94, 626 0284 Tropenmuseum Linnaeusstraat 2, 568 8200

Under the Grand Chapiteau Next to ArenA, 621 1288

Sunday 25 March

Hotel Arena ’s-Gravesandestraat 51, 850 2400 Huis Marseille Keizersgracht 401, 531 8989 Hup Gallery Tesselschadestraat 15, 515 8589 IISG Cruquiusweg 31, 668 5866 iLLUSEUM Witte de Withstraat 120, 770 5581 Imagine IC Bijlmerplein 1006-1008, 489 4866 Joods Historisch Museum Jonas Daniel Meijerplein 2-4, 531 0310 KHL Koffiehuis Oostelijke Handelskade 44, 779 1575 KIT Tropentheater Mauritskade 63, 568 8711 De Kleine Komedie Amstel 56-58, 624 0534 KochxBos Gallery 1e Anjeliersdwarsstraat 3-5, 681 4567 Kriterion Roetersstraat 170, 623 1708 De Kunstfabriek Polonceaukade 20 (Westergasfabriekterrein), 488 9430 Lellebel Utrechtsestraat 4, 427 5139 De Levante Hobbemastraat 28, 671 5485 Lexion Avenue Overtoom 65, Westzaan, 0900-BelLexion Lloyd Hotel Oostelijke Handelskade 34, 419 1840 Maloe Melo Lijnbaansgracht 163, 420 4592 Meervaart Meer en Vaart 300, 410 7777 Melkweg Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 531 8181 Melkweg Galerie Marnixstraat 409, 531 8181 METIS_NL Lijnbaansgracht 316, 638 9863 Motive Gallery Elandsgracht 10, 330 3668 Museum Hilversum Kerkbrink 6, Hilversum, 035 629 2826 Muziekgebouw Piet Heinkade 1, 788 2010 Het Muziektheater Amstel 3, 625 5455 Nederlands Architectuurinstituut Museumpark 25, Rotterdam, 010 440 1200 News Photo Prins Hendrikkade 33, 330 8400 De Nieuwe Anita Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 06 4150 3512 Nieuwe Kerk entrance on the Dam, 638 6909 OCCII Amstelveenseweg 134, 671 7778 Odeon Singel 460, 624 9711

Compagnietheater Kloveniersburgwal 50, 520 5320

Ostadetheater Van Ostadestraat 233 D, 679 5096

Concertgebouw Concertgebouwplein 2-6, 671 8345

OT301 Overtoom 301, 779 4913

Consortium Veemkade 570, 06 2611 8950

P/////AKT Zeeburgerpad 53, 06 5427 0879

Cruise Inn Zuiderzeeweg 29, 692 7188

Pakhuis de Zwijger Piet Heinkade 179-181, 788 4444

DanceStreet 1e Rozendwarsstraat 10, 489 7676

Pakhuis Wilhelmina Veemkade 570-596, 645 5941

De Engel van Amsterdam Zeedijk 21, 427 6381 De Looier Looiersgracht 40, 638 1412

Paleis van Weemoed Oudezijds Voorburgwal 15, 625 6964

Dominicuskerk Spuistraat 12, 624 2183

Panama Oostelijke Handelskade 4, 311 8680

Dubbelbee Galerie Gerard Doustraat 142-144, 623 2884

Paradiso Weteringschans 6-8, 626 4521

Escape Rembrandtplein 11, 622 1111

Pathé De Munt Vijzelstraat 15, 0900 1458

Exit Reguliersdwarsstraat 42, 625 8788

Patronaat Zijlsingel 2, Haarlem, 023 517 5858

Felix Meritis Keizersgracht 324, 626 2321

Persmuseum Zeeburgerkade 10, 692 8810

Flex Bar Pazzanistraat 1, 486 2123

Platform 21 Prinses Irenestraat 19, 344 9449

Foam Keizersgracht 609, 551 6546

Pleintheater Sajetplein 39, 665 4568

Frascati Nes 63, 626 6866

The Powerzone Spaklerweg, 681 8866

Galerie de Witte Voet Kerkstraat 135, 625 8412

PRIK Spuistraat 109, 06 4544 2321

Galerie Fons Welters Bloemstraat 140, 423 3046

RAI Europaplein 22, 549 1212

Galerie Lambiek Kerkstraat 132, 626 7543

Red Stamp Art Gallery Rusland 22, 420 8684

Galerie Rob Koudijs Elandsgracht 12, 331 8796

Rembrandthuis Jodenbreestraat 4, 520 0400

Het Glazen Huis Amstelpark, 777 0908

Rijksmuseum Jan Luykenstraat 1, 674 7000

Grasland Helmbrekersteeg, Haarlem, 023 5510067

Same Place Nassaukade 120, 475 1981

Grimm Fine Art Hazenstraat 24, 422 7227

Sinners Wagenstraat 3-7, 620 1375

De Hallen Grote Markt 16, Haarlem, 023 511 5775

Skek Zeedijk 4-8, 427 0551

Heineken Music Hall ArenA Boulevard 590, 0900 300 1250

SMART Project Space Arie Biemondstraat 107-113, 427 5953

Upstream Gallery Kromme Waal 11, 428 4284 Verzetsmuseum Plantage Kerklaan 61, 620 2535 Vous Etes Ici Lijnbaansgracht 314, 612 7979 W139/Basement Oosterdokskade 5 Winston Kingdom Warmoesstraat 129, 623 1380 WM Gallery Elandsgracht 35, 421 1113 Wolf & Pack 232 Spuistraat, 427 0786 The Zebra Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 14, 330 5266 Zuiderkerk Zuiderkerkhof 72, 552 7987

Amsterdam Weekly

20

Down the swanny river ’t Zwaantje Berenstraat 12, 623 2373 Open Daily 14.30-23.00 Cash, PIN, major credit cards Beware, beware: if you land at ’t Zwaantje, please go for the spare ribs.

I didn’t.

It was a big mistake on my part, and bah, readers! I must announce that I recently had one of my worst meal experiences. It reminded me of boarding-school fare. Today, you see, was the Ides of March, when Caesar was murdered by his close friends. I should have taken the hint.

The chef shattered my bovine complacency after the sanctity of Oma’s slow-cooked beef, that comforting Dutch traditional fare. Picture the little silver-haired granny, with softness of touch (and harsh pepper tongue if angered), adding depths of flavour with cloves and bay leaves to the aromatic pot. Quaint smartlappen sung as the sudderlappen simmered. Stew it slowly till the cows come home.

So, then, what’s my beef? Not the welcome, not the service: they were fine, top-notch even.

Alas, alack, for some mad reason, I wanted tourist fare. I wanted to taste traditional Amsterdam! So suddervlees, mash and veggies it was, with a side of apple compote to accompany it: €12.75 for the lot. It was one of the house specialities, and the waitress beamed at my choice, as I ordered.

A large plate arrived. It was heaped with mushy, overcooked vegetables and potato. They looked like they had died on impact. I sat there, caught in a ghastly school days daze. Egads! Pre-

THE UNDERCOVER GLUTTON Also present was my nightmare vegetable, my bête verte: overdone greeny-grey Brussel sprouts. Glutton went cross-eyed with shock. cooked carrots, beans and cauliflower, a shapeshifting third mound of instant mashed potato; all had been vigorously grated over with enough nutmeg to cause hallucinations. Also present was

my nightmare vegetable, my bête verte: overdone greeny-grey Brussel sprouts. Glutton went crosseyed with shock. The red cabbage, though, didn’t taste too bad.

22-28 March 2007

Now, there is mash and there is Smash, and the Glutton loathes catering mashed potatoes. No taste of butter, white pepper or, indeed, real potato here. A pity: mash is important. The suddervlees was, quite correctly, soft, succulent and falling to pieces. But alas, it was virtually flavourless. It missed depth due to under-spicing and using mass-produced horeca gravy to let it swim in. The colour was a dark, inviting brown, but it was gelid, sludgy and a disappointment.

Did I eat it? Oh yes. I smothered everything with the appelmoes before chewing away.

It would appear the average Dutch person has a horror of underdone vegetables and so boils them as ruthlessly as do the English. But to be fair to the fare, grills and other identifiable specialities feature on the menu: mussels, for example. And nothing can really go wrong with them. Right?

I couldn’t finish my plate, but I wanted to delve deeper into what was on offer. The chocolate mousse (€4.75) was merely alcoholic whipped cream, topped with a yellow Cape Gooseberry and a black grape. There was more chocolate in the accompanying stick-like biscuit than in the mousse itself.

All in all, ’t Zwaantje is a place patronised by regulars who return to enjoy the favourite dishes.

Not only is it a good location, but it’s been running under present ownership for the last 15 years, so it’s pretty successful. There’s a big bar with a fine beer and booze selection.

As a commercial formula, it works. But you never know who asks for what on the menu— that’s the trouble. And if it is an introduction to a national signature dish you’re after, you want it to dance deliciously on your taste buds and yodel on the high registers. You definitely don’t want it to croak like a dying duck singing her swansong.

Amsterdam Weekly

22-28 March 2007

Death of a President

FILM Edited by Julie Phillips.This week’s films reviewed

by Lisa Alspector (LA),Shyama Daryanani (SD), Angela Dress,André Dryansky,Laura Groeneveld (LG),Andrea Gronvall (AG),John Hartnett (JH), Luuk van Huët (LvH),JR Jones (JJ),Steven McCarron (SM),Vincent Moritz (VM),Mike Peek (MP),Jonathan Rosenbaum (JR),Martin Rubin (MR),Marinus de Ruiter (MdR),Bregtje Schudel (BS) and Albert Williams (AW).All films are screened in English with Dutch subtitles unless otherwise noted. Amsterdam Weekly recommends.

Festivals Isabelle Huppert retrospective The Filmmuseum continues its Isabelle Huppert retrospective this week, showcasing three decades’ worth of acutely intelligent and ravishingly beautiful performances. Catch Huppert as an incorruptible judge in Claude Chabrol’s 2006 crime comedy L’Ivresse du pouvoir, and as a married woman who runs off with Gérard Depardieu in Maurice Pialat’s Loulou (1980). She stars in Bertrand Tavernier’s bloody black comedy Coup de torchon

21

300

(1981) and in Michael Haneke’s post-apocalyptic thriller Le temps du loup (2003). She conveys JeanLuc Godard’s devastating honesty in Sauve qui peut (la vie) (1979), and more.

New this week 300 Whatever the fanboys were expecting when Zack Snyder, of Dawn of the Dead remaking fame, decided to adapt Frank Miller’s graphic novel about the Battle of Thermopylae for the big screen, it surely wasn’t him channelling Leni Riefenstahl and making war porn. The already risible contents of the book are magnified tenfold in the film, so that the Persians are portrayed as deformed (must be from all that uranium they’ve been purifying), bisexual fundamentalists, while the 300 Spartans are engorged, gleaming warriors for the Greek way of life. Spotting your favourite political agenda isn’t too hard, but ultimately imbues too much importance into a flick which has a character proclaim that ‘freedom isn’t free’, while we all know from Team America: World Police that it costs $1.05. Because the film often looks like a testosterone-fueled video game, it would be more apt to quote Tarantino: ‘If I’d wanted all that computer game bullshit, I’d have gone and stuck my dick in my Nintendo!’ The only way this film could even qualify as a guilty pleasure is if you watched it a porn theatre wearing a stained trench coat and going through a box of Kleenex. Even then, you’d have to sneak out halfway through. (LvH) 117 min. Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski

Five-Word Movie Review

Death of a President A pseudo-documentary, by British director Gabriel Range, about the assassination of George ‘Dubya’ Bush in October 2007.

Predictably, the nearest Muslim is found, charged and convicted on flimsy forensic evidence which the CIA is ‘encouraged’ to provide. Add a dose of religious self-righteousness and the toe-curling hokiness deployed by Bush in his public appearances, and you are ready to cheer when the fatal shots are finally fired. The film is sharply edited, and the combination of authentic footage and CGI tricks can be uncannily convincing. It captures the anger of American anti-war protest, but the predictability of the plot lends a going-through-the motions element to the proceedings. Made for television, it doesn’t transfer well to the big screen. (Angela Dress) 93 min. Kriterion

Still playing

Offside In this daring, insightful and funny film

12:08 East of Bucharest ‘Was there or wasn’t

from director Jafar Panahi (The Circle), six girls break Iranian law by attempting to attend a soccer match.

See the review on p. 24. In Farsi with Dutch subtitles.

(BS) 93 min. The Movies The Return A soporific ghost story about a young woman (Sarah Michelle Gellar) returning to the small Texas town where she was traumatised as an 11 year old. The spookiest motif is a soaring phrase from Patsy Cline’s ‘Sweet Dreams’ that repeats endlessly on a scratched album, though the loop far exceeds the longest revolution of a 12-inch LP. In this movie even the records take too long. With Sam Shepard, Adam Scott, and JC MacKenzie. (JJ) 85 min. Pathé ArenA

MY BIG FAT GREEK WAR 300 Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski

there?’ is the central question—and the original title—of this feature film debut by director Corneliu Porumboiu. Sixteen years after Romania was freed from communist rule, a pompous small-time television host decides it’s time for a televised discussion on the revolution. The only two guests he can find are an alcoholic history teacher and an old man, both of who claim to have been protesting on the streets before dictator Ceausescu fled, thus making the event an uprising. Insightful and funny, with spot-on performances, the film tells us more about current Romania than its light tone might suggest. In Romanian with Dutch subtitles.

(BS) 89 min. Filmmuseum

Amsterdam Weekly

22

Bamako In a courtyard in a slum in Bamako, the

capital of Mali, the World Bank and IMF are subjected to a mock trial, accused of creating poverty in Africa.

Meanwhile, Melé, a bar singer, and her husband Chaka break up; another couple get married; the residents of the courtyard work and play alongside the abstract discussion of Africa’s economic malaise. Intriguing in both content and structure, the film was directed by Abderrahmane Sissako. In French/Bambara with Dutch subtitles. 115 min. Rialto

Bir ihtimal daha var A Turkish romantic comedy involving a plot to kidnap Madonnna and a band (a sort of Turkish Blues Brothers) who reunite to uphold the glory of Turkish music. In Turkish with Dutch subtitles. Pathé ArenA Dennis P Like Frank Lammers before him, Edo Brunner seemed destined to act only in bit parts. But in Dennis P, inspired by the true story of a Dutch man who in 2001 walked out the door with a microwave oven filled with his company’s diamonds, Brunner gets his first shot at a leading role. He proves extremely likable as the jovial clerk who makes a heist of a lifetime and falls in love with an alluringly naïve nightclub dancer—though you would wish his character a less conventional outcome. Director Pieter Kuijpers (Van God los) shows us that chubby guys can indeed play engaging leading roles, but will never be romantic material. In Dutch. (BS) 90 min. Het Ketelhuis, Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Dreamgirls Elegant, unabashedly theatrical and packed with lush concert scenes, this musical by Bill Condon (Kinsey) is remarkably faithful to director-choreographer Michael Bennett’s Broadway hit about a black girl group of the ’60s and ’70s. It’s a soapy showbiz saga that also chronicles the turbulent era when black music (and the aspirations it expressed) crossed over to the cultural mainstream. Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose are the Supremes-like trio, Jamie Foxx is their controlling, unscrupulous producer and Eddie Murphy, in a solid performance, is an oldfashioned R&B (‘rough and black’) star who can’t make the transition to a smoother style. (AW) 123 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

Flandres Shy Démester lives a dull life on a farm. His only pleasure is occasional sex with free-spirited Barbe. Disaster strikes when he and a few of his friends are called up to serve in a (nameless) war.

They commit and undergo unspeakable crimes, leading to subtle but profound changes in the protagonist’s personality. French director Bruno Dumont’s films are hit or miss. His last, Twentynine Palms, was a definite miss, but Flandres, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes, is a hit. Its slow pacing and strong visuals allow us to get inside Démester’s head, even though he hardly speaks. However complex Dumont’s films may seem, his message is always simple: everyone, everywhere, wants to be loved. In Flandres, it takes the experience of evil to help the main character acknowledge this need. In French with Dutch subtitles. (MP) Rialto

Freedom Writers Freedom Writers Idealistic teacher Erin Gruwell has found a highly unconventional way to connect with her unruly students: actually listening to them. After she hears of their rough lives, she grabs their attention by teaching them about the Holocaust. (One of her texts is The Diary of Anne Frank, which leads to questions such as: ‘Will Anne and Peter get together?’ and ‘When will Anne smoke Hitler?’) The story has its fair share of sentimentality and may be too educational to connect with the target group, but the film redeems itself with sincerity and strong acting, especially from two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank and the young actors playing her students. (BS) 123 min.

Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

The

Good Shepherd Director Robert De Niro deglamorises the profession of espionage in The Good Shepherd, viewing the CIA through the personal life of a fictional co-founder, Edward Wilson (Matt

Damon). Almost by accident, Wilson becomes a key Agency figure, but his professional success is paralleled by his perfectly executed personal lapse into isolation and paranoia. People expecting an in-depth exploration of the CIA will be disappointed: The Good Shepherd is less a history lesson than a film about the influence of fate and coincidence on the course of each human life. (MP) 167 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski

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 score by Philip Glass. (JH) 110 min. The Movies Jimmy Rosenberg—de vader, de zoon & het tal-

ent Who knew that down a flat country road, in a group of Sinti caravans in a dead-end corner of a nondescript Brabant town, lives one of the Netherlands’ greatest musicians? At nine, Jimmy Rosenberg was hailed as the new Django Reinhardt. At 15, he signed a milliondollar contract with Sony. Then when he was 18, his father was sent to prison for murder and Rosenberg fell into a well of despair, heroin and mental instability.

This documentary by Jeroen Berkvens is a voyage of musical discovery and a tense father and son story, told with tenderness, insight and elegance. In Dutch.

(André Dryansky) 77 min. Het Ketelhuis, Rialto Kicks Albert ter Heerdt’s newest film is made up of various interlocking stories set against the backdrop of contemporary middle-class Amsterdam. It all revolves around the shooting of a young Moroccan

22-28 March 2007 rap artist called Redouan, said to have been racially motivated. Redouan’s death causes increasing friction between the Moroccan and Dutch community. In the middle of the emotional turmoil is Redouan’s brother Said (Mimoun Oaïssa), a professional kickboxer with a Dutch girlfriend, who feels he must choose between the two worlds he lives in. While Kicks aims to survey the state of racial relations and over-stimulation in our urban environment, it manages to do neither. The film’s structure is over-programmed and its characters fail to come alive. It’s at its best in its comic moments, but as a drama remains pretentious and even dishonest. And really, what’s up with those long soap opera glances into the camera? In Dutch and Arabic with Dutch subtitles. (LG) 112 min. Pathé ArenA The Last King of Scotland This compelling UK drama features a titanic performance by Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin, the brutal dictator who terrorised Uganda throughout the ’70s. A fictional young Scottish doctor (James McAvoy) follows his taste for adventure to Africa and becomes personal physician to the general, who’s just seized power in a military coup.

Alternately charming and sinister, vulnerable and vengeful, Amin draws the naive young man deeper into his murderous regime, and by the time the doctor fully grasps the depth of Amin’s evil he’s complicit in it. (JJ) 123 min. The Movies, Pathé ArenA Das Leben der Anderen Sebastian Koch plays an East German playwright being spied on by the state. Het Ketelhuis, Pathé Tuschinski, Rialto

Little Children Five years after his superb debut feature In the Bedroom, writer/director Todd Field returns with another story set in a close-knit community whose quietness makes the characters’ unhappiness seem like thunder. Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson, both disenchanted with their spouses, meet in a public park with their toddlers, and a series of carefully arranged playdates allows them to nurse their unspoken infatuation until it finally engulfs them. Meanwhile, a bitter ex-cop lets off steam by harassing a paroled paedophile who’s come home to live with his mother.

As in Field’s first film, the characters are drawn with

Special screenings Ascenseur pour l’échafaud The debut from Louis Malle, this stylish 1958 noir crime film stars Jeanne Moreau and boasts an improvised soundtrack by Miles Davis. In French with Dutch subtitles. 90 min. Kriterion Felice...Felice... This 1998 Dutch-language historical romance is set in 1895 Japan, where the Dutch-Italian photographer Felice Beato (Johan Leysen in a Gouden Kalf-winning performance) travels in search of his lost love O-Kiku. Director Peter Delpeut described the film as ‘a studio road movie’: the entire, evocatively filmed picture was shot in Amsterdam Studios on the Duivendrechtsekade. In Dutch/Japanese with Dutch subtitles. 99 min. Rialto For Your Height Only James Bond spoof from 1979 starring 83cm Filipino actor Weng Weng. OT301 Funny Games All Georg wanted to do was take his wife and son to their gated country house for a relaxing vacation. But in writer/director Michael Haneke’s deceptive moral universe, personality flaws and bourgeois notions of security are like the sexual curiosity of teenagers in slasher movies—they ensure that the characters get punished. Two backhandedly obsequious young men turn up uninvited, wearing white gloves that are only slightly dirty by the time they finish teaching the family—and us—a lesson. Some writers have described this 1997 movie by saying all the violence takes place offscreen, and it’s true that we see only the aftermath of the really bloody stuff.

But to suggest that what’s depicted on-screen isn’t violence is grossly inaccurate. In French/German with Dutch subtitles. (LA) 108 min. OT301 Hukkle In György Pálfi’s oddball first feature (2002), a symphony of rural sights and sounds—including the hukkle, or hiccup, of the title—provides the oblique framework for the investigation of a series of mysterious deaths in a sleepy Hungarian village. Palfi’s unfettered, omniscient camera slices across walls, soars upward for bird’s-eye views and dives

underground. Told almost entirely without words, Hukkle succeeds as a bravura technical exercise with some truly amazing images. (MR) 75 min. Kriterion Kids/Impaled Ever since he started out as a photographer in the late 1960s, Larry Clark has sought contact with groups of teenagers, gathering their stories and capturing their intimate moments. His debut film, Kids (1995, 91 min.), was a logical progression from his photography but was controversial in its uninhibited portrayal of teenage sexuality and substance abuse. Now Kids is showing along with his latest and most shocking film, Impaled (2006), a 38-minute documentary on amateur porn disguised as an actual audition, including a hardcore sex scene. (MdR) Melkweg Cinema King Kong Escapes The giant ape saves the world from an evil doctor, or was it the other way around, in this 1967 film by Ishiro Honda. In Japanese with Dutch subtitles. 96 min. Melkweg Cinema Lady Caroline Lamb This 1972 biopic, written and directed by playwright (A Man for All Seasons) and screenwriter (Lawrence of Arabia) Robert Bolt, chronicles the forbidden romance of Lady Caroline (Sarah Miles) with the poet Lord Byron (Richard Chamberlain). The screening will be introduced by the writer Arthur Japin (De zwarte met het witte hart), who notes: ‘This film expresses my whole sense of history, drama and romance.’ With Ralph Richardson as King George IV and Laurence Olivier as the Duke of Wellington. In English, no subtitles. 123 min. Rialto Minority Report Part of the Philip K Dick series at the Balie, Minority Report posits a future in which prophets wired to a supercomputer enable the cops to bust people for crimes they haven’t yet committed.

To a nation that wants potential terrorists detained indefinitely, this premise might not seem as dystopian as the film-makers seem to think, but Steven

Spielberg has turned the material into a highly effective thriller. Tom Cruise plays a police chief who considers the ‘pre-crime’ system infallible until he’s fingered for a future murder and has to prove his innocence. (JJ) 148 min. De Balie

Sufi Soul: The Mystical Music of Islam This 2005 documentary on the many forms of sufi music was directed by Brit Simon Broughton, who will be interviewed after the screening. 50 min. KIT Tropentheater, Kleine Zaal

Pink Flamingos This 1972 gross-out comedy by John Waters is a period piece now, but it’s a great monument to 1970s camp perversity. The plotline concerns a competition between the transvestite Divine and the Marbles—a couple of up-and-coming sleazoids who peddle black-market babies to lesbian couples—for the title of ‘the filthiest person in the world’.

95 min. De Nieuwe Anita

The Tibetan Book of the Dead Canadian documentary on death in Tibet, filmed in Ladakh and narrated

by Leonard Cohen. Includes early footage of the Dalai Lama. 46 min. OT301

The Sacrifice Andrei Tarkovsky’s last film (1986) is a fitting apocalyptic statement, made when he knew he was dying of cancer. It’s possible to balk at the film-maker’s pretensions and antiquated sexual politics and yet be overwhelmed by his mastery and originality, as well as the conviction of his sincerity. In Swedish with Dutch subtitles. (JR) 145 min. Kriterion

A Scanner DarklyRichard Linklater’s hallucinatory new rotoscoped film about loss of identity, the war on drugs and invasion of privacy. See Short List.100 min. De Balie

The Secret Life of Words A fire on an oil rig kills his best friend and leaves Josef (Tim Robbins) blinded and so badly wounded that he cannot be moved to shore. Coming to his rescue is Hanna (Sarah Polley, My Life Without Me), a nurse who chooses to leave her normal routine and her dark past behind her for a few weeks and spend time taking care of the injured man. At the heart of this 2005 film, written and directed by Isabel Coixet, is the developing relationship between the two people trapped in such close proximity—one deaf and one temporarily blind—while both attempt to hide elements of their life. (SM) 120 min. Cavia

Total Recall In Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 take on Philip K Dick, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a construction worker in 2084 who discovers that he’s been implanted with false memories and a false identity. To clear things up, he has to make it to Mars, now colonised by greedy capitalists who create and abuse mutants through their control of air. A worthy entry in the dystopian cycle launched by Blade Runner, with plenty of provocative satiric undertones and scenic details.

(JR) 109 min. De Balie Vengo In this elegant flamenco tragedy from 2000, as in all Tony Gatlif’s films, story supports music and dance instead of the other way around. In French/ Spanish with Dutch subtitles. (LA) 90 min. Rialto Wassup Rockers Larry Clark returns to the semidocumentary strategy of Kids (1995) for this woolly comedy about seven Latino skate punks in South Central LA. The director met some of the boys while doing a photo shoot and based his script on their lives, which makes for some genuine moments in the movie’s first half. Yet unlike the amateur cast of Kids—which included such future professionals as Rosario Dawson, Chloë Sevigny and Leo Fitzpatrick—these guys can’t act. In the second half, Clark makes an abrupt turn into wacky but more conventional fish-out-of-water comedy as the rockers journey to Beverly Hills and have a tough time getting home. (JJ) 105 min. Melkweg Cinema

22-28 March 2007

Amsterdam Weekly

23 No women allowed.

Director Jafar Panahi achieves the impossible: a light-hearted Iranian sports comedy about heavy-handed oppression.

WHO NEEDS WOMEN’S ROOMS HERE? FILM Offside Opens Thursday at The Movies

By Bregtje Schudel

The predicament of the young female lead in the British film Bend It Like Beckham, whose Sikh father forbids her to play in a football game, seems like a

such compassion their follies become our own and their desires seem as vast as the night sky. (JJ) 130 min. Cinema Amstelveen, Het Ketelhuis Mother of Mine Set at the outbreak of World War II, this intimate 2005 Finnish drama is simply constructed but resonates profoundly. A Helsinki boy (Topi Majaniemi in a memorable debut) loses his father during a Russian onslaught, and his mother sends him away with the thousands seeking haven in Sweden. He’s taken in by a foster couple on the rugged seacoast, but the husband (Michael Nyqvist of Lukas Moodysson’s Together) is more sympathetic to him than the wife (Maria Lundqvist), whose barely concealed grief prompts her to wage undeclared war against the boy’s natural mother. Klaus Haro directed. In Finnish/Swedish with Dutch subtitles. (AG) 104 min. Het Ketelhuis Notes on a Scandal A bitter old history teacher at a wild English high school (Judi Dench) befriends an attractive young colleague who’s just arrived (Cate Blanchett), only to discover she’s having sex with a 15year-old student. Adapted from a novel by Zoë Heller, this drama is both literate and urgently plotted, with a voice-over from Dench that cuts like broken glass. Her character is sly, controlling, desperately lonely and capable of anything, and when Blanchett’s secret gets out, a proper chamber drama explodes into something much more troubling. Richard Eyre (Iris) directed. (JJ) 91 min. The Movies, Pathé Tuschinski The Prestige With his fifth feature film, Christopher Nolan is back to the tricks he used successfully in Memento. The plot appears simple: it’s about the bitter rivalry between two magicians, with fatal consequences. But a keen observer will discover there’s a third man at play: Christopher Nolan himself, Master of Misdirection, who, with dazzling visuals, clever montage and intricate story lines, tries to divert our attention from the obvious. When you have such good actors at your disposal and such visual finesse, it’s a real shame to bet everything on one clever trick.

It’s a sad miscalculation in an otherwise well crafted movie. With Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, David Bowie and Scarlett Johansson. (BS) 130 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé Tuschinski

mere trifle compared to the quandary the Iranian girls find themselves in, in the offbeat comedy Offside. At least the British girl can watch a match in a stadium, a privilege the Iranians have never known.

As the movie opens, a worried father is looking for his daughter. She has gone to the stadium, and he has to find her before her brothers get hold of her. At the

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. Cinema Amstelveen

The Princess Half Japanese-style animation and half live action, this Danish cult film tells the violent story of a priest’s bloody quest through the sex film industry to avenge the death of his porn star sister and the abuse of her five-year-old daughter. Princess is relentless in its portrayal of porn as a life-ruining business, raising the issue whether its director, cartoonist Anders Morgenthaler, should have toned down his moral judgement. Highly recommended for those not allergic to controversy. In Danish with Dutch subtitles.

(MdR) 90 min. The Movies The Queen Helen Mirren’s flinty performance as Elizabeth II just won an Oscar, 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. Cinema Amstelveen, Filmhuis Griffioen, The Movies, Pathé Tuschinski

The Science of Sleep Michael 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 the love felt by the dopey Stéphane for his lanky neighbour Stéphanie, which he expresses by presenting all

same time, we see a girl pretending to be a boy on a tour bus filled with male supporters. They’re going to an important qualifying match between Iran and Bahrain. The men are all voluble and excited; the girl sits quietly, avoiding eye contact.

In these two simple scenes director Jafar Panahi (The Circle) manages to convey to us the whole background of the story. As it turns out, the girl isn’t the daughter the man is looking for, but her objective is the same: she wants to see the football match, an act forbidden to women by Iranian law. Security around the stadium is tight, and sure enough, the girl gets caught and is placed in custody, to await transfer to the vice squad. But she’s not the only one. Five other girls have been arrested trying to do the same thing.

Panahi’s strength lies in his broad approach. At first we think Offside is 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

Ten Canoes This indigenous morality drama, set in

Australia in the year 1000, begins with a young man who has taken a fancy to his older brother’s wife. To teach the youngster not to break the sacred tribal laws, the brother tells an ancestral story that directly relates to the delicate issue at hand. The story takes place in a mythical past and deals with forbidden love, kidnapping, sorcery and revenge gone deadly wrong.

Films about indigenous people tend to meet with a solemn approach. Director Rolf De Heer (born in Holland in 1951, raised in Australia) ventured far from this beaten path, mixing epic storytelling with cheeky humour in this mythic swamp comedy—a thoroughly entertaining film that will teach you how to live the proper way. In English/Ganalbingu with Dutch subtitles. (VM) 90 min. Rialto Transylvania Director Tony Gatlif likes to make gypsy road movies—his most famous one being Gadjo Dilo—and his latest film is no exception. This time we follow female protagonist Zingarina (Asia Argento) to the Romanian region of Transylvania to be reunited with her boyfriend. When he rejects her and their unborn baby, Zingarina is inconsolable. Yet love lurks in unlikely places. It’s uncommon for Gatlif to feature a female lead, yet actress Biro Ünel (the antihero of Gegen die Wand) steals every scene. What Transylvania lacks in narrative, it amply makes up for in vibrant music and raw emotion. In French/Romanian/English with Dutch subtitles. (BS) 103 min. Rialto La Vie en rose Any director would have had a hard time adapting Edith Piaf’s eventful life—filled with neglect, disease and death—into a 140-minute movie, yet Olivier Dahan eschews any pretence of coherence. Seemingly at random, he jumps through time, barely differentiating between important and less relevant events. We get to see the winning match of Piaf’s lover, boxer Marcel Cerdan, but not her role

about the father and the girl on the bus.

Yet Panahi’s engagement reaches much further. Instead of following one girl who bravely fights the system, he shows us that what seems an isolated incident is in fact a widespread phenomenon. Not only the women, but also the men seem stuck in an oppressive system, where a stadium is the only place you can let go of your inhibitions.

‘I go to matches to swear,’ an old man confesses.

Even the two military guards watching over the girls have no choice. They were drafted into the service and clearly feel uncomfortable carrying out orders they themselves don’t entirely understand. When one of the ‘gals’ tries to discuss the ‘no women allowed’ policy, they cut the argument short with platitudes: ‘Men and women are different.

Period.’

Despite all these heavy themes, the film remains light-hearted, deriving its light touch from the absurdity of the situations. When a girl is told she can’t use the restroom because the stadium only has men’s toilets, the ludicrousness brings to mind the immortal line from Dr Strangelove: ‘You can’t fight in here. This is the war room!’

You could almost forget that making a movie with this subject matter in Iran is risky business. Iranian authorities allowed Panahi to shoot a football match but banned him from filming women in a stadium, forcing him to work in secret.

Panahi’s rebelliousness comes at a cost.

His films thrive and are celebrated in Europe but have yet to be released in his home country.

in the French resistance. Both Piaf and Marion Cotillard (giving a remarkable, fragile performance as ‘The Little Sparrow’) deserve better. In French with Dutch subtitles.(BS) The Movies, Pathé ArenA, Pathé Tuschinski Walk the Line Rock-solid performances by Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon and a stellar supporting cast elevate this by-the-numbers biopic of Johnny Cash, his transformation into the iconic Man in Black and the smouldering romance that led to his marriage with soulmate June Carter. Even though the wellresearched production design and the rousing musical interludes make for a thoroughly entertaining viewing experience, both the mythical status of Cash as well as the formulaic approach of director James Mangold prevent the film from attaining the title of the Ultimate Johnny Cash Movie Ever. For once, a sequel might actually be in order. (LvH) 136 min. Pathé Tuschinski

The Way I Spent the End of The World After years of

change and culture shock, Romanian film-makers are finally starting to portray the chaos of the 1989 revolution. This utterly charming and well-acted family portrait

by Catalin Mitulescu is set in the last year before Ceausescu’s fall, when fear and repression were still part of everyday life. Small dramas are paralleled with the historical changes taking place in the background: teenager Eva falls in love with Alex, son of a Communist Party member, much to the dismay of her dictator-hating grandfather and her devious little brother. In Romanian with Dutch subtitles. (MdR) 106 min. Filmmuseum WWW: What a Wonderful World Casablanca. Kenza is a traffic policewoman who makes money on the side by lending her cell phone to neighbours and friends, including a prostitute called Souad.

Kamel is a hitman who calls Souad after each assignment, but often gets Kenza on the phone and falls in love with her voice. Director Faouzi Bensaïdi (Mille mois) creates his own style while mixing film noir, animation, romantic comedy, silent movies and other film genres to tell the story of Kamel and Kenza. His use of choreography, from how Kenza controls traffic to how people walk, makes this movie refreshing and playful. In French/Arabic with Dutch subtitles. (SD) 90 min. Rialto

Amsterdam Weekly

24

FILM TIMES Thursday 22 March until Wednesday 28 March 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 Minority Report Sat 20.00 A Scanner Darkly Fri, Sat 23.00, Wed 20.00 Total Recall Fri 20.00, Wed 23.00.

Cavia Van Hallstraat 52-I, 681 1419 After the Wedding Thur 20.30 The Secret Life of Words Fri 20.30.

Cinema Amstelveen Plein 1960 2, Amstelveen, 547 5175

Arthur en de Minimoys Sat, Wed 15.30, Sun 14.00 Beestenboel Sat, Wed 13.30, Sun 12.00 Little Children Thur-Sat 20.30 Pretpark Nederland Tues, Wed 20.30 The Queen Thur 15.00, Sun 16.15.

Filmhuis Griffioen Uilenstede 106, Amstelveen, 444 5100 Glue Thur, Fri 21.00, Tues 19.00 The Queen Thur, Fri 19.00, Tues 21.15.

Filmmuseum Vondelpark 3, 589 1400 12:08 East of Bucharest Thur-Sat 17.30, 19.15, 21.30, Sun 15.45, 21.15, Mon-Wed 17.30, 21.15 Grote Kleine Muis: Cirkelientje Sun, Wed 13.45 Isabelle Huppert retrospective Thur-Wed Our Daily Bread Sun 15.30, Mon-Wed 17.15 Wallah Be Sun, Wed 14.00 The Way I Spent the End of The World Thur-Sat 17.15, Sun-Wed 19.15. iLLUSEUM Witte de Withstraat 120, 770 5581 Touch of Evil Wed 20.30.

Het Ketelhuis Haarlemmerweg 8-10, 684 0090 De Avonturen van het Molletje Sat, Sun, Wed 13.45 Blind Thur-Sat, Mon-Wed 17.15, Sat, Sun 12.15 Dennis P. Fri-Wed 21.15 Forever Fri, Sat, Mon-Wed 17.45 Jimmy Rosenberg--de vader,de zoon & het talent Fri-Wed 19.30 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 14.30

Das Leben der Anderen Thur-Sat, Tues, Wed 16.15, 19.00, 21.45, Sat, Wed also 13.30, Sun 12.00, 14.45, 19.00, 21.45, Mon 16.15, 21.45 Little Children daily 21.30 The Monastery Mon 19.30 Mother of Mine daily 19.15 Ober Sat, Sun 12.00 Zwartboek Sat, Sun, Wed 15.00.

KIT Tropentheater, Kleine Zaal Linnaeusstraat 2, 568 8500 Sufi Soul:The Mystical Music of Islam Wed 20.30.

Kriterion Roetersstraat 170, 623 1708 An Inconvenient Truth Thur-Sat 18.00, Sun 13.30 Ascenseur pour l'échafaud Thur 21.00 Buddha's Lost Children Sun 15.15 Death of a President daily 20.00, Sun-Wed also 18.00 Flags of Our Fathers Sun-Wed 17.00 Hukkle Sat, Sun 15.30, Mon 22.00 Letters from Iwo Jima Sun-Wed 19.35 Little Miss Sunshine Thur, Sat, Sun, Tues, Wed 22.00 Munich Fri 16.00 The Sacrifice Sat 20.00 The Science of Sleep Fri, Sun, Mon, Wed 22.15, Sun also 13.15 Sneak Preview Tues 22.15 Unheard Film Thur-Sat. Melkweg Cinema Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 624 1777 Kids/Impaled Sun, Wed 20.00

22-28 March 2007 King Kong Escapes Mon 20.00 Wassup Rockers Thur-Sat 20.00.

The Movies Haarlemmerdijk 159-165, 638 6016 Babel daily 16.30 Beestenboel Sat, Sun, Wed 14.45, Sun also 13.00 The Illusionist Fri, Sat 0.00 The Last King of Scotland daily 17.00, 19.15, 21.45, Fri, Sat also 0.10, Sat, Sun, Wed also 14.30, Sun also 12.15 Notes on a Scandal daily 17.30, 19.30, 21.30, Sat, Sun, Wed also 15.30 Offside daily 19.30, 21.30, Fri, Sat also 23.30, Sun also 13.00 The Princess Fri, Sat 23.15 The Queen daily 16.45, Sat, Wed also 14.00, Sun also 12.00 La Vie en rose daily 18.45, 21.20, Sun also 14.00.

De Nieuwe Anita Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 06 4150 3512, Pink Flamingos Mon 20.30.

OT301 Overtoom 301, 779 4913 For Your Height Only Sun 20.30 Funny Games Sun 20.30 The Tibetan Book of the Dead Tues 20.30.

Pathé ArenA ArenA Boulevard 600, 0900 1458 300 (IMAX) daily 13.15, 16.00, 18.45, 21.30, Sat, Sun also 10.30 Arthur en de Minimoys Sat, Sun, Wed 13.55, Sat, Sun also 11.40 Beestenboel Sat, Sun, Wed 13.30, 15.45, Sat, Sun also 10.40, 11.15 Bir ihtimal daha var daily 16.15, 18.55, 21.20, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 13.45 Blood Diamond daily 21.10 Casino Royale daily 17.15, Thur, Fri, Mon also 14.15 Dennis P. daily 18.15, Sat, Sun also 10.20 The Departed daily 20.30 Dreamgirls daily 12.30, 15.25 Ernst, Bobbie en de geslepen Onix Thur, Fri, Mon 12.35, Sat, Sun, Wed 12.50, Sat, Sun also 10.50 Flushed Away (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 12.15, 14.15, Sat, Sun also 10.10 Freedom Writers daily 18.50, Thur, Mon, Tues also 12.45 Ghost Rider Fri, Sat 21.40 The Good Shepherd daily 20.15 Hannibal Rising daily 19.10, 21.50, Thur-Tues also 16.10, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 13.30 Happy Feet (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 12.25, Sat, Sun also 10.00 Kicks daily 12.55, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 15.45 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 11.55, 14.35 The Last King of Scotland daily 14.50, 17.45, Thur-Mon, Wed also 20.40, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.05 Music & Lyrics daily 12.10, 14.30, 16.55, 19.20, 21.45 Namaste, London daily 12.00, 15.00, 17.55, 20.50 Night at the Museum daily 14.00, 16.30, 19.00, 21.35, Sat, Sun also 11.25 Norbit daily 13.20, 14.40, 15.50, 17.10, 18.35, 19.30, 21.00, 21.55, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.15, Sat, Sun also 10.55 The Prestige Thur, Sun-Wed also 21.40 Prime Tues 13.30 Pursuit of Happyness daily 18.25 The Return daily 13.05, 15.15, 17.30, 19.50, 22.00, Sat, Sun also 11.00 Sneak Preview Tues 21.00 La Vie en rose Thur, Sat-Wed 15.35.

Pathé De Munt Vijzelstraat 15, 0900 1458 300 Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 18.00, 21.00, Thur, Fri, Mon-Wed also 15.00, Thur, Fri, Tues also 12.00, Sun also 12.30, 15.10, Mon, Wed also 12.15, Mon also 18.45, 21.45, Sat 11.15, 14.15, 17.15, 20.15, 23.15 Babel Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 21.20, Sat 21.00 Beestenboel Sat 10.45, 13.15, 15.30, Sun 11.15, 13.40, Wed 12.50 Blood Diamond Thur, Fri, Sun, Tues, Wed 13.30, 17.00, 20.15, Sun also 10.20, Sat 11.45, 14.50, 18.15, 21.30, Mon 12.40, 15.50 Dennis P. Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 13.10, 19.00, Sun also 11.00, Sat 11.10, 13.25, 19.15 The Departed Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 15.30, 21.10, Sat 15.45, 21.45 Dreamgirls Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 15.50, 18.40, 21.40, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.20, Sat 17.45, 20.30, 23.20 Freedom Writers Thur, Fri, Sun, Mon, Wed 20.30, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues 12.00, Thur, Mon, Tues also 14.45, 17.40, Fri, Sun, Wed also 17.15, Sat 16.00, 19.40, 22.30 Ghost Rider Sat 22.50 The Good Shepherd Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 14.00, 17.30, Sat 11.30, 15.00, 18.40 Hannibal Rising Thur, Fri, Sun, Mon 15.45, 18.30, 21.30, Sat 17.00, 19.45, 23.00.

Pathé Tuschinski Reguliersbreestraat 34, 0900 1458 300 daily 12.45, 21.45, Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed also 15.45, 18.45 Ernst, Bobbie en de geslepen Onix Sat, Sun, Wed 12.20 The Good Shepherd Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed 20.45, Mon 21.00 Das Leben der Anderen daily 12.00, 15.00, 18.00, 21.00 Miss Potter Fri, Sat, Mon, Wed 13.00 Music & Lyrics daily 12.30, 15.15, 18.30, 21.15 Notes on a Scandal Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed 19.00, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 13.45, 16.15, Sat, Sun, Wed also 14.20, 16.40 The Prestige daily 21.30 The Queen Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed 18.15, Fri, Sat, Mon, Wed also 15.30, Sun also 16.10 La Vie en rose daily 18.10, 21.20, Fri-Wed 15.00, Fri-Sun, Tues, Wed also 12.00 Walk the Line Thur, Tues 13.30.

Rialto Ceintuurbaan 338, 676 8700 Bamako daily 17.45, Sun also 11.30 Felice...Felice... Sun 11.00 Flandres Sat, Sun, Wed 16.30, Wed also 19.15 Glue Fri 16.00 Jimmy Rosenberg--de vader, de zoon & het talent Fri, Wed 16.15, Sat, Sun 14.00 Lady Caroline Lamb Sat 16.00 Das Leben der Anderen daily 19.00, 21.45, Fri, Sun, Wed also 14.45 Ten Canoes Fri, Sun, Wed 17.15, Sat, Sun 13.00 Transylvania daily 20.00, 22.00, Sat, Sun also 15.45 Vengo Fri, Sat 23.15, Sun 11.15 WWW: What a Wonderful World Thur-Mon, Wed 21.15, ThurMon also 19.15, Sat, Sun also 13.30.

De Uitkijk Prinsengracht 452, 623 7460 After the Wedding daily 19.00 Forever Sun 14.00 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer daily 21.15 Zwartboek daily 16.15.

Amsterdam Weekly

22-28 March 2007

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 HOME VIDEOS WANTED Will pay €1 for each video tape of a holiday, marriage, etc. Will be used for new Dutch movie. Can be VHS/SVHS/miniDV/DVD/hi8/digital8, etc. Must be amateur video. When used, extra compensation possible. 527 0479.

HOUSING OFFERED 2-ROOM APTS Near Rembrandt place, Paardenstraat 9-II & 9-III in A’dam for sale for €229,000 k.k. Or rent for 6 months from April €1100/ mth. 45m2, all renewed, brillant, tasteful, complete.

Kitchen, bathroom, central heating, warm water and ventilation. Contact 770 6039/06 2485 2267/www.gvoa.nl/pa9.

STUDIO FOR RENTLooking for reliable person to keep my studio. 40m2 with lots of light. Available for April and 1 week of May. €400 p.m. Internet full-time. A’dam Oud-West next to Vondelpark. Contact studioforent@yahoo.com.br.

APT FOR 6 MONTHS Spacious 85m2 apt for 6 months from 1 April. Fully furnished, 2 bedroom with great view, 20 min from A’dam CS. No pets, smoking OK. €350 p.m. incl g/w/e + €300 deposit.

Call Fred on 06 4873 4160.

HOUSE EXCHANGEHouse in Breukelen offered for exchange with apt in A’dam.

Looking to live in A’dam in exchange for my house in

Breukelen which has front and back garden and crazy pavement patio over 70m2.

Upstairs 2 big bedrooms plus attic and big shower room. €420 p.m. Contact angeliquevue@contentclix.com.

tact lupecere@gmail.com male expat looking for house or 06 1763 9455. or room in or near center.

HOUSE WANTED We are 3 Able to pay somewhere girls looking for 3-room flat between€300 to€450. If you in A’dam centre. Can pay are able to help, call Justin €1400 all incl. Contact on 06 5552 5048 or email jevans_6019@yahoo.com. milacere@gmail.com.

SUMMER FLAT I want a 2room flat for 1 week in July.

Max€300. Email jager.arlon@ tele2.be.

STUDIO LONG-TERM Single guy seeks studio for long-term rent. Can pay up to €450 p.m. in A’dam. The sooner the betHOUSING WANTED ter. Contact 06 2555 5272/ LONG-TERM RENTALKind robert_bruma @yahoo. com. couple looking for bright apt.

Long-term rental as of 1 June STUDIO or 1-bedroom apt at least 70m2. Preferably wanted in A’dam by profesunfurnished with hardwood sional female. Require wirefloors and including utilities. less internet connection and Contact franbula@web.de. completely funished. Can pay maximum€1000 p.m. ConHOUSE IN HAARLEM Pro- tact pearl24x@yahoo.com fessional couple with young with offers. child looking to rent 2- or 3STUDIO/1 BEDROOM bedroom house or apt in HaarSwedish interactive designlem. For 1 year initially. Near er/programmer looking for train station and outside small apt, studio or 1 bedspace would be a plus. Willroom. Would love it to be in ing to spend up to€1200 p.m. the Jordaan, De Pijp or just Contact daniellavloet@hotcentral. Contact hakan. mail.com. boqvist@gmail.com.

ROOM/STUDIO WANTED URGENT APT Couple look32 y.o. professional girl looking for apt or houseboat in ing for room or studio in A’dam as soon as possible. AnyA’dam, close to De Pijp area where, around€800 incl. Conif possible or city centre. tact covamail@gmail. com.

Am tidy and easy-going and plan to stay in A’dam for at HOUSE OR ROOM NEEDleast 1 year. Interested? Con- ED Hi. Australian, 33 y.o.

EMERGENCY Employed couple looking for one bedroom, self-contained flat. Can afford up to€700 plus 1-month deposit in and around A’dam from 1 May. Please, if you have something to offer us, that would be nice. Tel: 06 1775 8828.

HOUSING TO SHARE FLAT TO SHAREHi. We are looking for female flatmate or couple to share flat in old house close to CS on Prinseneiland. We are a couple and Italian guy between 25 and 29 y.o. If interested please send email to igoroner@hotmail.com.

renters (friends/couple) to live in our beautiful 3-room apt in A’dam Oost, 5 min from Oosterpark. Completely furnished including Senseo, computer, internet and large shared garden. Close to tram, metro and shops. Contact shadi.mg@gmail.com.

YOUNG GAY GUYlooking for studio or flat-share in city.

Fun, outgoing, clean, great cook and good company.

Working fulltime in centre for facility management company. Maximum€450 p.m.

Contact 06 2465 2515.

OTHER SPACES PHOTO STUDIO TO RENT for amateur and professional 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 appointment and more info contact D Ingel: 06 2883 4224.

SHARED OFFICE SPACE Looking for like-minded freelance or self-employed person to share our office space.

Located on Singel canal in heart of A’dam. Professional but relaxed environment.€390 p.m. all incl. ConURGENT: ROOM WANTED tact Zena on 06 2182 4873 or Clean, neat 22 y.o. student email zena@timessence.biz. female looking for room ASAP. STORAGEFORRENT5 cubic Preferably in A’dam. Con- metres of 100% secure, clean, tact leenetia@hotmail. dry, accessible at any time, com/06 1271 1538. short- or long-term storage BEDROOM FOR RENT in now available in neighbourspacious, shared, 2-person hood of Reguliersgracht. Make apt, 10 min from CS. Semi- an offer for monthly rental to furnished, 340 p.m. plus last copyproofing@yahoo.com. month. Contact Chris on 06 OFFICE SPACE for rent in 1192 7945 after 19.00. centre of A’dam & very close SUPER APT from end April to Leidseplein, 45m2 with toito end July. Looking for 2 let and kitchen.€800 incl.

25 Contact Michele 06 2552 6883. security officer to work withART SPACE IN DE PIJP in small team. Monthly salary Great studio space for rent and conditions available on in De Pijp. Rent€375 plus€375 request. If interested and do deposit. Located at A’dam not mind working outside Oud Zuid. Tram lines 3, 12, please make contact via email 25 and 4 to RAI. Call to see with your current CV to location. Sean: 06 1406 1397. peter.woods@fco.gov.uk.

ADULT FILMWe are looking for couples interested in making new style of adult film.

BIOLOGIST NEEDED Can adultproductions@gmail.com. you help me domesticate Plas- UNDUTCHABLES Recruitmodia? You should be expe- ment Agency Amstelveen rienced with nutrient medi- looking for Accounts Receivums and breeding in artifi- able (Judith Engels), Logiscial environments. You will tic Sales Assistant (Wesley get a chance to participate Felida), Accounting Adminin unique and challenging istrator AP speaking French parallel interface project. (Christine Schroeder). Please Please email minimachines@ mail amstelveen@undutchgmail.com. ables.nl. For more positions GRAPHIC DESIGNERWAN- see www.undutchables.nl.

TED Photographer urgent- OPPORTUNITY Imagine ly looking for graphic design- helping people save money er to help out w/ making of a and earning money each time book(let). Material of docu- someone uses their telephone, mentary nature. Project was internet or mobile. This in 19 done in museum in small vil- countries. Just click on more lage in Georgia, Caucasus. information and we will get Looking very much forward in touch with you. www.reneto meet someone who can heeren.acnrep.com. offer expertise. 06 4170 5501/elkeroelant@planet.nl. MECHANIC NEEDED Can you help me build small and THIN CHINESE GIRLArtist simple functioning machines looking for thin Chinese girl for interesting and chalto make pictures of in biki- lenging parallel interface proni/underwear. No nude. Con- ject? You should be reliable tact laraeven@yahoo.com. and creative and available VOLUNTEERS WANTED for a few hours a week durFor project in De Balie, ing the coming months. Email www.generatie7080.nl. We minimachines@gmail.com. are looking for students for BIKE TAXI DRIVER Wielvarious activities (flyer, chat erTaxi Amsterdam is lookmoderator Worldchat). ing for new, motivated, Max 10/hr per project. Offer: responsible drivers. Comfree entrance at program bine making money with stay7080 evenings, interesting ing fit. We work all year round, international network. Infor- 12 months a year. The earlimation: generatie7080@ er you start, the better pregmail.com. pared you are for summer.

SECURITY OFFICERBritish Contact 06 3882 2683/www.

Consulate A’dam looking for wielertaxi.nl/info@wielerNot for living space.

WORK OFFERED

taxi.nl for more information.

SALES MANAGER Young company specialising in European Business Summits looking for sales manager. Experience in telephone sales, selling to C- and Directorlevel executives. Ambitious, hard-worker, hungry for money. Great earning and promotion opportunities. Send letter + CV to ans@endeavourevents.com.

CHEF Experienced chefs wanted to join the team in buzzing brasserie in center of A’dam. Email huby_xl@ yahoo.com.

NATIVE FRENCH Looking for flexible job in the center of A’dam for 10/hr? Up to 45 hours per day, at least 2 days per week? Then Guidion can offer you an interesting job in our international team.

Interested? Please send email to bmartens@guidion.nl.

PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTEDSugar Factory looking for photographers enthusiastic about going out in our club & making high-quality pictures to grasp spirit of the night. Will put you on guestlist + 1 & all used pix used for promotional goals will have your name on it. Interested?

Contact sanne@sugarfactory.nl w/ work samples.

WORK WANTED MUSIC INTERNSHIP I am a 19 y.o. boy from Germany and searching for an internship in music industry.

Internship should be scheduled from 1 Feb till end May 2008. I speak German, English, Polish and learning Dutch. Already have experience in the business.

Contact david@switchstancerecordings.de.

Amsterdam Weekly

26

22-28 March 2007

HOUSECLEANING Young man looking for housecleaning jobs: window-cleaning, ironing, etc. With references. Call 06 2377 0134/bigabossey@hotmail.com.

all.eu or contact 06 5210 1547. All belief systems. ShamanMEANINGLESS? The fish- ic and energy work also availtrap of consciousness? How able. Confidential and to learn to live with the almost enlightening. Contact nick@ certain knowledge of your collectivethinking.com.

BIOGRAPHY Selling hardback copy of Gordon Ramsay’s new autography ‘Humble Pie’. Was 18.99 GBP. I want 12. I work in A’dam and you could arrange to pick up ORNAMENTAL FISH/PETS at CS. Email me if you’d like Biologist with wide experi- it: natashabuurman@hotence working with orna- mail.com. mental fish looking for any VEHICLES kind of job related to fish or MOTOR YACHT FOR SALE pets in A’dam and surrounding areas. Contact ernaxo@ Kruiser Duncan 1974 10.7 X 3.2 X 1.2 meters. Steel yacht, hotmail.com. sleeps 5, gas stove, water HOUSECLEANING Young heater, shower, WC, 2 fridges, guy looking for cleaning job.

2 TVs, Peugeot 60PK diesel.

References available. ConBow thruster, 2 bikes, tools, tact 06 2537 1716. bedding, etc. All complete to BABYSITTER AVAILABLE cruise the canals of Holland Looking for babysitting job for or live aboard. Price 27,000. my 26 y.o. female Polish Contact Mike on 679 0704. friend. She does not speak SERVICES English, only Polish and German and coming to A’dam on WANNA BE GEISHA? Do 21 April. Contact Magda on you want to learn how to be 06 4136 3552/mag.kowa- a Geisha? Lectures includlik@gmail.com. ing serving, belly dancing, PART-TIME JOBRomanian masters student in finance, looking for part-time job either in finance field or related (secretary, translation Romanian-English). Serious, practical and committed.

Contact lorelei_ro2002@ yahoo.com.

months at companies. Contact Creative Beauty 488 9346/06 5576 7491. TouchPro Practitioner and Bodyformer Specialist.

message, tarot, etc. Friendly prices. Register now! Contact 06 4367 0585/elcinir@ yahoo.com.

NEED A STUNNING WEBSITE? Experienced web designer builds professional, unique sites for very reasonable prices. Online links to past projects a vailable. JorFOR SALE dan: jordangcz@yahoo.com, INDIAN SILVER jewellery, 06 3034 1238. stones, silk, wool, carpets, Tibetan tankas, singing bowls, FREE PET-MINDING Going hangmats, perfumes, bud- on holiday? We take care of dhas, leather, batiek, blan- everything! Experienced, relikets, bed covers, shawls, able couple available to care incense, spices. All for sale for your pets and home while now. 50% discount on all Indi- you are away on holiday. We are an products. Order now and responsible, love all animals pay later. Contact 412 0993/06 and come with excellent references. Call us now! Martijn 4035 8511. vanEijkelenborg:0613492061.

DARK ROOM EQUIPMENT I am giving away my photo- XPAT PAGES Looking for graphic darkroom equip- English-speaking plumber, ment. No enlarger but almost dentist, lawyer, etc? www. everything else you would xpatpages.com. need to start a small dark- GRAPHIC DESIGNERoffers room. You just need to come creative services: T-shirts, and collect it. Contact Chris biz cards, flyers, logos, stickon 06 4629 1343. ers, etc. Contact 06 2816 3169.

ACER LAPTOPfor sale. Travelmate 2424, Intel Celeron, 80GB. Bought last June, still with guarantee.€250. Contact 06 4277 4518.

CAUSE YOU NEED IT! Foot reflexology for women. 25, near Jordaan. Call Lucia for appointment on 618 5119.

BODYFORMER SLIMMING Three years Academy of NatElectro-therapy. 10 x 50 min ural Health. 17 years experion pre-programmed tech- ence. nology. For beginners or PERSONAL YOGA TEACHadvanced. Muscle build-up, ER Professional & friendly lymph-drainage, cellulite, yoga teacher, Jeroen, gives tenseness, etc. Used within affordable yoga classes in physio. Safe, easy and fast. English, German and Dutch.

Excellent results within 3 Certified in Hatha/Ashtanweeks. Contact Creative ga yoga, RSI and stress solvBeauty 488 9346/06 5576 7491. ing. Exercises adjusted to CHAIR MASSAGE at your your personal needs. The workplace, home or group practice will vitalize and events. A’dam area. 10-90 per- strengthen your body and sons. By contract 3, 6 or 12 spirit. Contact 06 4138 725. own conscious annihilation.

Jack Milton, Metaphysician.

Helping you to help yourself.

Call 06 1488 9377.

HAIRDRESSER English mobile hairdresser in A’dam.

Have your hair done in comfort of your own home. Haircuts starting from€15. Please call for appt. on 773 6095.

COPY WRITER For voiceover, TV/radio scripts and all in-house content. Call 06 2626 0310 or thethinktank@ mail. com.

USABILITY, AUTHORING Services: Usability consultation/user interface design/ web design/information design/technical writing/editing/proofreading. Full CV & references available on request. Contact synchronydesign@gmail.com.

CHAUFFEUR STATIONCAR Chauffeur met station auto, vanaf 17,50 per uur.

Voor meer informatie: 618 9506/06 1636 7838/evliegen@ AT YOUR SERVICE Need help? I am your girl! ChildGORDEN RAMSAY AUTO- hotmail.com.

care, house and pet-sitting, errand-running and more.

Amanda at Your Service! Contact 06 2523 1611/a.atyourservice@gmail.com.

FRED'S PET CAREFriendly dogwalker with references, available from 07.00-20.00 to take care of your pets. Also possible to keep them durCOMMUNICATION Free- ing the day and overnight. lance English Communica- Reasonable rates. Call Fred tion Specialist. Writes, edits 06 1649 1359. and proofreads your English BEST MOVING SERVICE language content for web- IN TOWN Driver with van site, brochures, annual (10m3) or truck (40m3) availreports, etc. Very competi- able. Plus extra moving men, tive rates. Call Helen on 06 hoisting rope and elevator.

1350 1570 or visit www.word Any combinations possible. affairs.com.

Call Taco on 06 4486 4390, ENGLISH MAN WITH VAN email info@vrachttaxi.com can help with removals big or check out www.vrachtor small, in or outside of coun- taxi.com. try. Reasonable rates, quick HEALTH & WELLNESS service. Contact Lee on 06 2388 2184 or isabellean- OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS Do you have a probdlee@planet.nl.

lem with food? Maybe we can help. English-speaking Overeaters Anonymous meetings: Tues 19.00, 3de Hugo de Grootstraat 5. Thur 20.00, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 282A. Contact 408 3283 or 06 4874 9590.

DREAM DENTISTCitizen of the world & American-trained.

Lasting relationships with patients is important to me. I pledge excellence in all I do and look forward to helping you make the most of your smile & your mouth’s well being. For now and years to come. Contact 612 6093/www.avicennadental.com.

FEELING STUCK? Energy therapy is a relaxing session which can remove mental/emotional imbalances, unproductive patterns, traumas, personal issues and blockages and re-align the energy flow in your body and bio-field. Move the energy and move on with your life.

Contact Misha 06 4669 4556/ www.soul-weaving.com.

EXPAT COUNSELING, coaching and therapy in English and Dutch in A’dam, Haarlem and The Hague areas. We care because we know. For expats by expat. For more information go to www.expatriatecounseling THINKING ABOUT THER.com or contact Robert on APY? Heighten your quality 023 573 5249. of life and improve your relaHYPNOTHERAPYcan help tionships with the help of a you! Stop smoking? Weight native English-speaking therloss? Stress? Anxiety? Panic apist. My 20 years of profesattacks? Phobias? OCDs? sional experience and underDepression? Regression? Full standing can help you better member British Society of cope with feelings and sort Clinical Hypnosis. For more through stressful thoughts. information please visit Contact Sagar 06 4626 5412. www.self-hypnotherapy.com MASSAGE or contact nick@self-hypnotherapy.com. Change is TANTRA MASSAGESacred, sensual massage created to closer than you imagine. arouse, circulate and increase COACHING/THERAPY sexual energy throughout CERTIFIED Have been liventire body. Moving erotic ing and academically eduenergy throughout the body cated in the UK for 6 years. not only enhances awareness Look for more info: and capacity for pleasure, it www.corakoorn-praktijk.nl. can also be a powerful healSPIRITUAL COUNSELING ing experience. Individuals & through the tarot. Under- couples. Contact 06 4277 3290. stand patterns in your life.

Deepen in self-understand- THAI MASSAGEwww.Timeing. Clarify decisions. Find ForThaiMassage.com.

HEALERLife coach and yoga teacher available for all ses- healing. Connect with guid- FULL BODY massage in sions. Visit www.empower- ance. 10 years experience. A’dam for men only by 1 or 2

Amsterdam Weekly

22-28 March 2007 masseurs, Latin and European. Solo or duo treatment.

Phone 06 2389 1289 or 06 2332 2767.

HOME IMPROVEMENT NEED A CONTRACTOR ??

For all your electrics, kitchen works, installations of bathrooms and toilets, roof repairs, garden works, technical advice, painting, renovation and reconstruction, restauration, tiling, toilets, floors, carpentry, plumbing and much much more, call the Klus Bus on 06 1899 1782 or www.klusbus.net.

ing, breathing techniques, vocalization, scales, etc. For beginners and professionals.

From classic to jazz, pop or rock, all styles of singing.

YOGACAFE.ORGNew begin- Good prices + free introner’s course starting 5 April. duction lesson. Contact Michael on 320 2095 or For more information about ajara77@yahoo.com. the course and other weekly on-going classes, please IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES visit www.yogacafe.org or con- with certified Iyengar yoga teacher Cristina Libanori, tact info@yogacafe.org.

Tues 19.30 to 21.00 at TrainIMPROV COURSES Do you ing Centrum, Europaplein like to laugh? Easylaughs offers 127 near RAI. Tram 4 (stop courses for beginners and Dintelstraat).€8 p/class; with advanced in improvisation in yoga strippenkaart€7.50.

English. Courses beginning Individual therapeutic classSat afternoons in April. All es arranged by appt at€20/hr. shows end with student show cristina@the-wheel-of-yoga. at easylaughs. For more inforLearn the choreographies of mation: www.easylaughs.nl/ com/773 5307. the best videoclips. Go-go courses@easylaughs.nl.

LANGUAGES dancing classes, pole dancYOGAYOGA.NLoffers Hatha, PRIVATE CHINESETEACHing, cardio striptease, belly dancing, bachelor parties, Iyengar and Vinyasa Flow ER Do you want to learn Chietc. Check our studio in the classes. Daily morning and nese with native Chinese heart of A’dam on www.sexyin- evening, in English, in A’dam speaker? Qualified private structors.com. Email info@ close to Jordaan. Also class- teacher with 2 years experies in the weekend: 3 on Sat ence will help improve your sexyinstructors.com. as well as monthly Sun work- Chinese significantly within 3 GUITAR LESSONS Group shops. Visit www.yogayoga.nl mths. Individual€10 p.h. Group and individual lessons on or call 688 3418. study€8 p.h. Contact 06 1453 Prinsengracht. For begin1365 or tracy1304@hotners and advanced players. NEW HATHA YOGA Yogamail.com.

All styles, all ages (also for Garden/Dancestreet. Enjoy kids). Free introduction les- benefits of real yoga with ENGLISH TUTOR WANTED son. More info call Michael friendly, experienced teach- Asian man already with good on 320 2095 or mail ajara77@ er. Beginners welcome. Flex- English background. Am lookibility class on Sun 12.00; ing for private native English yahoo.com.

Yoga Calm with heart med- tutor to learn to speak English PIANO LESSONS Experiitation Tues 14.00; Energy in more European way. Once encedpianistandteacherfrom & Balance Thur 14.00. Con- or twice a week, 1.5 hours.

Latin America available to tact 06 5080 5589 Amys Willing to pay good hourly teach Spanish and English HathaYoga@yahoo.com. 5 rates. Would like to start right speakers. If you ever thought trial lesson. 1e Rozend- away until summer months. of studying piano and haven’t warsstraat 10.

Please call 06 5126 1384. done so, now is a good oppor-

HOUSE RENOVATIONS!Do you need cost-effective and high-quality full house renovation? Professional experience and good references.

Online links to past projects.

Contact 06 4451 7410/ INTRO WORKSHOP DSLR karol_rajczyk@hotmail.com. Learn to love your digital camera. If you have digital COMPUTERS SLR and want to spend a PC HOUSE DOCTOR Spe- weekend learning how to cialised in virus/spyware make it work, attend our removal, H/W, S/W repair, data introduction to digital workrecovery, wireless, cable/ADSL shops on 21 & 22 April. See installation and computer www.JohnHindmarsh.com/tr lessons from friendly and expe- avelworkshop.htm or email rienced Microsoft professional John@JohnHindmarsh.com for reasonable price. Contact or phone 06 2127 6246.

Mario 06 1644 8230.

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE! NEED HELP WITH YOUR MAC? MAC-lover helps you with basic setups, minor troubleshooting, install, networking, basic MAC lessons, setting up programs, MS Word, QuarkXpress, etc.

Help with purchasing the right MAC. Contact Sagar at 779 1926.

APPLEComputer help, solutions and general troubleshooting. Contact Jay on 06 4094 1991.

COURSES

ED Looking for pair of goodquality curtains for a room.

Need to be ready to hang, and 245cm long and about 625cm650cm wide. Need to be INTENSIVE DUTCHCOURS- cream-coloured. Maybe you’re ES at Joost Weet Het! 4x4 selling? Email natashabuurhrs/wk. We have an uncon- man@hotmail.com. ventional and very clear learn- WEBPAGE TEACHER I ing method. Fun classes, need to learn how to make a emphasis on conversation and webpage! Do you wanna teach inexpensive! Visit www.joost- me? In exchange, I can cut weethet.nl or call us at 420 your hair, teach you how to 8146 or email info@ joost- make a risotto or to play guiweethet.nl. tar. If interested email sinIMPROVE YOUR DUTCH! audio@gmail.com.

all levels and real quality. Visit our website www.joostweethet.nl or call us at 420 8146 or email info@joostweethet.nl.

HEALING WORKSHOPS Starting March in Mirror Center in A’dam Oost. Il Cielo offers foot reflexology, craniosacral workshops and holistic massage courses. Interested? Check courses/programs on www.ilcielo.org or contact 06 3004 9738. Treatments reimbursed by health insurance.

BEGINNERS MEDITATION Weekend w/ Swami Atma.

Learn about meditation including benefits, techniques & how establish dedicated daily practice. Free intro lecture 30 Mar, 19.0021.00. Workshop 31 Mar & 1 Apr, 14.00-17.00:€65/weekend A’dam center. Susan Nicolas 06 5176 4621/nicolas@ planet.nl/http://amsterdam. yoga108.org.

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DRAWING AND PAINTING workshops by professional artist. Various techniques, all styles. Contact 681 3067/joneiselin@hetnet.nl.

BIBLE EDUCATION English-language, part-time Bible education offered bi-weekly on Saturdays in A’dam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Eindhoven. For Christians eager to study the Bible and be active in their church. Low course fee. See www.dewittenberg.nl/bee, email bee. tunitytobegin!InA’dam,atyour SINGING LESSONSOn Prin- ITALIAN LESSONSVuoi pardewittenberg@hccnet.nl or residence. 06 2745 8027/aley- sengracht, beautiful atmo- lare italiano? Group or indisphere. Classical voice train- vidual lessons for all levels da_alva@yahoo.com. call 078 674 7339.

with experienced native speaker. Located in De Pijp and costs€10-€15 p.h. For further information email parlitaliano@yahoo.it or call 770 2677/06 4663 7586.

LANGUAGE EXCHANGE I am a Spanish girl interested in improving my English. If you speak good English and you want to improve your Spanish, we can meet and have language exchange. Contact me by mail on milacere@ gmail.com.

ITALIAN 4 DUMMIESWant to learn/practise Italian with native speaker? All levels, all topics, from art to food. Only for dummies! Individual lesson =€20, group lessons€15.

Send email to italian4dummies@gmail.com.

SPAANS U wilt uw Spaans opfrissen voor vakantie, stage of werk? Ik (met Spaans als moedertaal) ga ervan uit dat u al wat Spaans spreekt, maar dat u graag uw spreekvaardigheid zou willen verbeteren. Bel of SMS naar 06 1750 8331 of mail violeti@hotmail.com.€12/uur.

NEW IN AMSTERDAMStill not found the right environment for learning Dutch? Try us: C&C Language Support.

Lessons in relaxed atmosphere, for individuals and small groups. Concentration on practical use and conversation. For details, visit www.lasu.nl.

CHINESE LESSONSAre you planning a vacation to China or conducting business with the Chinese. Contact 06

Link Taal Studio, a profes1738 3313 or yliumistry@hotsional way to learn Dutch, primail.com to learn Chinese vate lesssons, small groups, language and culture. intensive course, etc., startIMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH ing every week, Vijzelgracht through study & conversation 53. Contact linktaalstudio@ of American and British dra- gmail.com or 06 4133 9323. ma. Featured authors David SPANISH CONVERSATION Hare, Arthur Miller, Caryl Want to practise /learn SpanChurchill, and Tennessee ish with a native speaker?

Williams. Read and discuss in Different fun topics: foods, correct English. British-AmerLatin America, music, litican theatre teacher. 15-20 erature, glass of wine, tea p.h.Geminirise@gmail.com/06 or coffee. Individual les1677 7520. son€20 & group lessons €15, LEARN SPANISH Do you all levels. Further questions want to learn or improve your contact Natalia on 06 42 999 Spanish with professional 648 or nataliad37@hotmail. native? Speaking, grammar, com. etc. What do you want? PriMUSICIANS vate 20 and groups of 2-3, 15 each. Contact 06 4384 5642. DRUMMER WANTED Band Y habla español! from A’dam and looking for a SPAIN in the kitchen! First drummer. We have some gigs a grammar lesson with nice lined up and need someone books, comics and maga- fast.Styleisrock/pop/blues/anyzines. Later we cook an thing. Please contact jjtparauthentic Spanish dish ry@ gmail.com. together whilst talking in STEM IN BEWEGING Voor Spanish, listening to Span- wie: Iedereen die nieuwsish music and learning about gierig is naar de mogelijkheSpanish culture and gas- den van stem, zang & bewegtronomie. Private€20 p.h. ing en die op zoek is naar Two friends€15 p.h. Contact diepgang in het werken met 06 1681 7171. de stem. Contact info@ stemPRACTICAL ENGLISH Do inbeweging.nl. Aanmelden. you want to improve your Voor meer informatie kijk op English? Conversation class- www. steminbeweging.nl of es or private lectures. Friend- bel 419 8389. ly prices. Contact James_ VOCAL COACHING singer/ buisson@hotmail.com/06 songwriter offers vocal coach4367 0585. ing/confidence and song writLEARNING DUTCH?JOOST ing skills. Visit www.dvoraWEET HET! We offer inex- davis.com or contact 06 5210 pensive evening classes 2x2 1547. hrs/wk. Improve your Dutch ANNOUNCEMENTS fast at Joost Weet Het and have loads of fun. Courses on CREAM CURTAINSWANT-

INTERNET C@FE We are modern internet café near famous shopping street.

Email underworld.amsterdam@gmail.com.

DANIEL JOHNSTON Who has an extra ticket for Paradiso on 14 April? I need to see Mr Johnston or who is willing to drive over to Groningen to see his concert. Contact me! m.c.rosaly@live.nl.

KUNSTENAARSKRAAK! On 28 March join the kunstenaarskraak! For professional artists, dancers, musicians, architects and designers. Find the code and win€1.000. Check out www. kunstenaarskraak.nl.

NEW CLEAN PLANET Wouldn’t that be nice? Move to a new clean planet and call it home. No pollution.

No mess. Unlucky for us, a new one is light-years away.

So, we are stuck on this rock. It seems not as disposable as we treat it. It’s a GoodDay to care for the planet. A globalwellness.org message.

NATURAL PARENTING event on Sun 25 March in A’dam for families looking for network of like minds.

Speakers include Bernadette van Zuidam, from Attachment Parenting International and Beatrijs Smulders, well-known Dutch midwife. Go to www. xs4all.nl/~gbregman/Natural_Parenting_Event.pdf.

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