Amsterdam Weekly: Vol 5 Issue 45, 20-26 Nov 2008 by Amsterdam Weekly

Volume 5, Issue 45

20 - 26 NOVEMBER 2008 The documentary issue

Fact, faction, ﬁction

FREE

www.amsterdamweekly.nl

Projecting reality At IDFA 2008, reality is represented by a ninja ﬁlm-maker, an animated Estonian and a whole lot of Indian hair. Page 7

FEATURE

REPORT

FILM

AGENDA

Why Youth for Christ has politicians in De Baarsjes mumbling certain expletives.

Why we should tolerate the new monument of homeboy Spinoza.

You heard it here ﬁrst: Blindness suffers from a lack of vision.

Paradiso Stills, Burmania, Andrew Bird, toko operas and a gameboy DJ.

Pages 5

Page 6

Page 18

Page 11 and onward...

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

In this issue and...

City Second

Rijksmuseum 16/11/2008 16.29

By Peter Cleutjens

You know the cliché about clichés: about them being mostly true. And you know the cliché about fact always being weirder than fiction. Not only does the line-up of documentaries being screened at this year’s IDFA prove this, it also supports a number of other clichés. The Agony and Ecstasy of Phil Spector supports the generallyaccepted theorem that ‘rock ’n’ roll is a dangerous game’. Afghan Girls Can Kick takes ‘speak softly and carry a big stick’ to the next level. How Hormones Changed My Life, about a 14-year-old balancing raging hormones with Hindu traditions, proves again that ‘idle hands do the devil’s work’. The comedy with a difficult subject matter, Pizza in Auschwitz, shows how ‘laughter is still the best medicine’. Here I Am about a boy named Ilij making music from various household items, like the beep of a microwave or the slamming shut of the silverware drawer, puts a new slant on the old but true, ‘if life gives you lemons, make lemonade’. The wonderful Surfing the Waste: A Musical Documentary about Dumpster Diving supports the old adage ‘waste not, want not’. And if every dumpster produces an edible apple, and the diver never goes to the doctor... Yep, two clichés for the price of one.

Features Inbox Owls, Sint and bikes . . . . . . . . 4 Nature Calls Hedgehog. . . . . . . . . . . 4 Feature Youth for Christ . . . . . . . . . . 5 Amstergraph Ofﬁce hours . . . . . . . . 5 A Quick Bike Fix Gone. . . . . . . . . . . 5 Street Fashion H&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Report Spinoza city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The People Versus IJburg . . . . . . . . 6 Main feature Documentaries. . . . . . 7 Lekker Bezig Gameboy DJ . . . . . . . 14 Film Review Blindness . . . . . . . . . . 18

Agenda Short List 11 / Music 12 / Clubs 14 / Gay & Lesbian 14 / Stage 15 / Events 15 / Art 16 / Addresses 17 / Film 18 / Film Times 20

Plus The Mouth Small World . . . . . . . . . . 21 Night in the Life De Wetering. . . . 21 Classiﬁeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Fokke & Sukke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

On the cover Carolin Reichert www.carolinreichert.com

Next week Single & desperate

Contact Amsterdam Weekly Publisher Yuval Sigler Director Todd Savage Editor Steve Korver Assistant Editor Steven McCarron Copy Editors Mark Wedin, Corbin Collins Film Editor Massimo Benvegnù Editorial Assistants Sarah Gehrke, Daria Cohen-Cairo, Jessica Hartman Editorial Intern Kim de Jong Art Director Kallen Yan .Designers Mattijs Arts, Aquil Copier, Russell Joyce, Karen Willey

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Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

AROUND TOWN

Inbox

Owl lover Submitted by: Elinor Shoham By: email Date 7 November Subject: Owl story

Nature calling By Mark Wedin

Hello there, Just wanted to say thank you for the little short and extremely funny story about owls... And naked Transylvanian farmers. Have a great weekend and keep up the great job, as I do not go a week without the weekly!

Sint lover Submitted by: Mike Phelps [stuurman, SPANJE (ex Christaan Brunnings)] By: email Date 15 November Subject: Sint Intocht Yes Pete, Sint Nic’s arrival is also my favourite day of the year. I most like the chaos on the water, as I’m either driving SPANJE or watching that the bearded one doesn’t fall over the side. The orchestras keep the noise level beyond shouting, as we try not to run over the pleasure boats. The ‘Pietzie’ boats keep thing in order, or so it seems. We start the coal ﬁred boiler at 15.00 today! Have Fun!

Bike lover Submitted by: Caren Harple By: email Date 14 November Subject: your column Just a note to say how much I enjoy your weekly ‘A Quick Bike Fix’ about biking in Amsterdam. I had often thought to write on that subject myself, but am happy to read your pieces and smile since there is really something amazing about the bike culture here. The day-to-day biking is more than the sum of its parts (wheels that is). Here are some of my own thoughts... When someone is riding with an extra empty bike beside them (I recently tried it myself, MUCH harder to do than it looks), is there a special name for this? It’s so common. Riding your wife’s bike home to her... Picking up your girlfriend’s bike because she was too drunk to ride it home last night... Bike logistical planning for commuters... I liked your words on the bike junction at the top of the Singel, and the corner where the bridge towards CS is. BUT, I think you could have expanded some on that particular place. I happen to walk through there every morning with my daughter on the way to school, AND that is one of the most amazing corners for the essence of morning bike commuters. If you were to stand there at around 7.30 or 8.30 in the morning, you would feel that bikes were running on some kind of power beyond the riders (most of them are still half asleep), and that anything or anyone not on bikes had better just bow down and pray to that bike being (it is downright dangerous trying to cross that skinny little bike lane). There is a steady stream of bikers that come in from the Haarlemmerstraat, from both directions on the Singel and from all directions. It amazes me every morning. I never even noticed the mirror you mentioned in your article and it doesn’t matter if it is foggy. There is so much happening there that if you were looking in the mirror, you are already toast. (My daughter has already had to save my sleepy self at that corner.) So, thanks for listening and for your column in the Weekly. Great stuff and much enjoyed.

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

Spiked man’s burden Hedgehogs are one of the most beloved wild animals around—irresistible because of their plumpness, cuteness and clumsiness. Wherever they’re found, flocks of hedgehog enthusiasts are always nearby, providing food, shelter, warmth and even medical aid when needed. True, any animal spotted in need can rely on the trusty dierenambulance, but the hedgehog does seem to get the lion’s share of our affection. Right now, for example, they’re all out there, foraging happily, eagerly stufﬁng themselves in preparation for winter hibernation. They’re quite good at this, grubbing on fatty worms, snails, mushrooms, mice, grass roots and a variety of other snacks. Yet people always come around, pouring small piles of cat food for them—not an uncommon sight at Amsterdamse Bos. And that’s ﬁne. The hedgers like it. And most people know, if the animal’s healthy, not to interfere beyond giving food and water. But occasionally someone’s a little too charmed by the rolypoly mammal, and tries to pick it up. Wild hedgehogs hate this, and they’ve got signals to let you know. Like growling.

But unless you’re the size of a mouse, their growl is hardly impressive. It could even offer encouragement. ‘How cute! He’s growling.’ You can imagine the hedgehog’s frustration at this point. Fortunately, the obstinate hog’s got other options. Like spittle. Occasionally, a hedgehog will foam at the mouth and then spread this foamy saliva all over its body. No one’s been able to deﬁnitively explain this behaviour. I thought I’d give it a shot. Perhaps, it’s a last line of defence against the wellmeaning, but misinformed hedgehog devotee. By coating themselves in foamy saliva, they are instantly transformed from a cute, chubby ‘forest friend’ into a repulsive, glistening spitball. At which point, the hedgehog will be immediately released, somewhat wetter than before, but free to resume its urgent business of fattening up for the winter. Special thanks to Egelopvang Amstelveen. Got nature tips? naturecalls@amsterdamweekly.nl

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

AROUND TOWN

State/Religion

By Laura Groeneveld

WHO OWNS THE FUTURE OF THE YOUTH? Is it smart to invest in a youth work organisation that hopes to bring young people in touch with Him? Political parties GroenLinks and D66 in stadsdeel De Baarsjes are upset. The Dagelijks Bestuur has assigned the majority of all youth work in the area, over the period of 2009 to 2012, to an organisation called The Mall. This organisation wishes to captivate teenagers, help them develop their own activities and cultivate their talents. The Mall has worked successfully in the Admiralen neighbourhood over the last three years and comes with good references from other large cities such as Rotterdam. The only problem: the organisation is part of Youth for Christ (YFC). Youth for Christ Netherlands wants to offer ‘safe places for young people where they can grow’, it states on their website. The organisation claims to support young people all over the world, unconditionally. YFC also wants to help young people meet Jesus and help them live according to His example. This is why some politicians are uneasy. Last May, organisations were invited to present their plans and a budget in a public outsourcing procedure for youth work in De Baarsjes. Prior to that, the stadsdeel’s Dagelijks Bestuur had consulted with the council on what should become the main focal points of youth work over the next four years. One of the key things agreed on was to create a more active role for teenagers within the youth (frame) work. The open call closed on 7 July and in October, the Dagelijk Bestuur decided to name The Mall as the core supplier of youth work

in their stadsdeel. Both parties signed a contract. According to a press release from 10 October, The Mall was selected because of ‘its appealing and personal approach and because the organisation is very familiar with the target group’. The organisation is then credited for its work in De Baarsjes over the past three years, applauded for its methods of getting youngsters involved and supplying them with a more active role. Council chairman Arco Verburg (PvdA) is quoted as saying: ‘Our aim is to provide youth work that’s attractive to all young people.’ But Coos Hoebe, chairman of opposition party GroenLinks believes that The Mall’s mission of bringing young people in touch with Jesus Christ makes it everything but an organisation where all young people feel welcome. ‘We want religion-neutral youth work,’ he says. ‘Youth workers are here to help young people ﬁnd their way into society, not to spread the Word. Youth work should not come in the shape of one religious viewpoint.’ Hoebe says he has received negative responses about the decision to name The Mall the leading supplier of youth work ‘from all sides of De Baarsjes’. And while he is willing to accept that The Mall may have seemed the best candidate for the job on paper, he thinks there were other arguments that should have been taken into consideration. He wonders, for example, how the

And if they hired in Youth for Mohammed?

Mall’s mission will affect its attitude towards (homo-)sexuality amongst youngsters. And he seriously doubts that non-believing homosexual youth workers would apply for a job with the organisation, or even feel welcome. Meanwhile, gay lobby group COC has shared its concerns with the executive committee, and national media have also picked up on the controversial topic. Hoebe says The Mall and its assignment ‘have been damaged’. Neither council chairman Verburg nor The Mall want to comment (‘we’re too busy doing our job,’ The Mall responded by email). Both parties are continuing talks and, until an agreement has been reached about the youth work that is supposed to begin in January 2009, they don’t wish to speak to the media. However, in a committee meeting transcript from 28 October, Verburg is quoted as saying that ‘there are explicit agreements that guarantee The Mall won’t be evangelising... Or offer youth work that’s solely based on a Christian character.’ Verburg is also quoted as saying that YFC wants to empower young people and help them make their own choices, including ones about their own sexuality. He says it’s not YFC’s policy to judge these decisions from a Christian point of view. Verburg acknowledges the separation between church and state, but says that ‘religious organisations can offer social activities funded by the government, as long as they stick to government expressed policies.’ According to Hoebe, ‘If The Mall really cares about young people and their work that much, they should just change their statutory and mission statement.’ Perhaps the new mission statement could say: Meet Him, but only after opening hours. More info at: www.yfc.nl www.baarsjes.amsterdam.nl

Illustration by Aquil Copier

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‘Osdorp weet meer dan Maxima’ Amstergraph How would you adjust your weekly work hours? Cleaners: +3.5 / Cobblers: +3.5 / Truck drivers: +3.1 / Horeca: +2.5 / Child/Senior care: +1.6 / Construction: -2.5 / IT: -2.5 / Industry: -2.5. (Based on this study, the ideal work week is considered to be 25-28 hours.) Source: TNO

Illustration by Nicole Martens

A quick bike fix By Pete Jordan

Gone For the third time, he said to me, ‘But it was right here.’ We were standing on the top deck of the Centraal Station ﬁetsﬂat. His perplexed expression had caught my attention as I’d walked past. So I stopped to help this young Mexican immigrant look for his bike. ‘Yesterday I put my bike here,’ he said, pointing to a row of bikes. After a couple minutes of fruitless searching, I broke the news to him. ‘It was probably stolen,’ I said. ‘No,’ he insisted, ‘it was locked.’ ‘How many locks did you have on it?’ ‘One,’ he said. ‘One lock?’ I asked. He nodded. His situation was worse than I’d feared. ‘How long have you lived in Amsterdam?’ I asked. ‘Two years.’ Two years. One lock. He’d already beaten the odds. I was tempted to say, ‘Consider yourself lucky.’ But he was still in shock. He still had to come to grips with the fact that he’d never see the bike again and that he’d have to ride the tram home and that he’d have to shell out money for another bike and lock(s). There was nothing more I could do for him. As I walked away, as if repeating the line some certain number of times would make the bike reappear, he mumbled, ‘But it was right here.’ React: bikes@amsterdamweekly.nl

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

AROUND TOWN

The people versus...

Street fashion

By Floris Dogterom

By Mo Veld

Illustration by Tomas Schats

Cult Comme cheap

Access all areas IJburg, Amsterdam’s new housing estate on seven artificial islands in the IJmeer, was supposed to be ‘a neighbourhood without borderlines’, meaning that it would be physically and socially accessible for all— physically and mentally handicapped people included. But this is not the case. Or so says Bart Weggeman, spokesperson for the Stichting Gehandicapten Overleg Amsterdam, a lobby group for handicapped people. ‘Bridges are too steep and pavements are difficult to negotiate.’ Then there is tram 26, IJburg’s principal public transport link. ‘The authorities have followed much of our advice. But the terminus stops are inaccessible because they haven’t been levelled with the tram entrances. And the dedicated spaces for wheelchairs in the tram are usually clogged by bicycles. That’s the result of commitments made in the past, at a stage when the tram was still going to be underground with room for wheelchairs and bikes.’ One of the main causes for the partial inaccessibility of IJburg, says Weggeman, results from too many municipal departments being responsible for IJburg. ‘There’s stadsdeel Zeeburg, Projectbureau IJburg and the Dienst Openbare Ruimte, to name but a few. With so many bodies responsible for something, they tend to feel less responsible. The biggest issue, however, is that the rules relating to accessibility have not been laid down clearly.’ In a response, spokesperson Leonie Peters, of Projectbureau IJburg of the City of Amsterdam, says that ‘the bureau is responsible for the planning and realisation of IJburg. But the city has to cooperate with many different parties, who all have their own interests and responsibilities.’ Which pretty much confirms Weggeman’s statement. ‘The ground level housing has been tested for accessibility by the National Bureau for Accessibility, who found the situation satisfactory,’ adds Peters. ‘As for the pavements: yes, they can be difficult to negotiate for handicapped people, but the stadsdeel wanted them this way with an eye on parking. But at the corners they are accessible. And only one bridge slightly rises, which is hardly noticeable. But given the fact that there are alternative routes, the bridge has been built anyway.’ Weggeman says that in reality the pavement access points are often clogged with parked cars. Or even with trees. ‘They’re not very useful this way.’

Something to report? thepeopleversus@amsterdamweekly.nl

Thursday 13 November was a much anticipated day for fashion fans. H&M launched its fifth high-end designer fashion collaboration, this time with Rei Kawakubo’s Japanese cult label Comme des Garcons. From its beginning in the early 1980s, Comme des Garcons has been a big favourite of fashion insiders with an arty taste and some cash to flash. Its rebellious grand leader Kawakubo has always kicked convention in the ass, be it with her often unfinished or otherwise norm-teasing garments; with her post-modern perfumes, lacking any hint of flowers or other conventional scent associations; or with her system-challenging retail adventures, like the pop-up guerrilla stores and the recently invented pocket stores, reminding us of those 24/7 mini supermarkets. So who would have thought she, of all designers in the world, would team up with H&M? Not least as fifth runner-up, after Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf and Roberto Cavalli. Okay, those were crowd pleasers, but Comme? Come on! Well, apparently both Kawakubo and H&M were up for some crowd teasing. The press grapevine assured us that the 66-yearold madam was in for zero compromise on design and quality, so the turn out on Kalverstraat last Thursday was massive. Although,

if my memory serves me, it wasn’t half as hysterical as the first time they pulled off this crazy stunt. I dragged myself over there, not being a huge fan of disposable fashion in the first place, and definitely not looking forward to seeing one of my favourite brands up for grabs. Arriving at 10.30, which was already the brink of too late, I took a deep breath and embarked onto the escalator, camera ready, drifting down into the basement floor. I was immediately approached by a security guard who tried to intimidate me into deleting the pictures I had taken— needless to say, I declined—and then I ran into some all-too-familiar fashion faces discussing their purchases. After a quick scan, I concluded that I already own most of the collection—the originals that is—so that killed my last bit of lustre. On the way home I felt slightly relieved though, thinking: ‘Who cares?’ Amsterdam will look a bit more ‘designer-goth’ this winter, and at Photo by Mo Veld least I know I paid even less for most of my real Comme stuff, since it’s all over Marktplaats already. Kawakubo isn’t for everybody anyway, try as they may, so we’ll see if H&M can change that. React: inandout@amsterdamweekly.nl

The Enlightenment

By Liz Farsaci

SPINOZA SPIN CITY You may have thought that Baruch Spinoza died in 1677, but as the birthday of Amsterdam’s great philosophical son— who preached freedom and tolerance— approaches, it seems you can’t turn around without bumping into him and his admirers. On 23 November, the day before his birthday, the Amsterdamse Spinoza Kring (ASK) is hosting a day of discussions at Paradiso. The foundation, whose aim is to promote the lens grinderturned-philosopher and his ideas, will be presenting their proposal for a Spinoza Centre, which they hope to build over the next few years, preferably on a site near Zwanenburgwal, where Spinoza was born. The following day, a monument of the philosopher, organised by a group of fans who unite under the Stichting Spinoza Monument and created by local artist Nicolas Dings, will be unveiled at Zwanenburgwal. Spinoza, who died at 44 in Den Haag, is notorious for being better known abroad than he is here in his hometown. And why should we care about him? After all, he lived over 300 years ago. Surely his philosophising couldn’t have any relevance to our own time?

Not true, argues Ed Boumans, secretary of ASK. ‘Spinoza and his philosophy were very important to the Enlightenment and in this way are very up-to-date,’ he says. ‘Spinoza promotes tolerance as one of the greatest values there is, and a system of respecting each other. ‘We still have discussions about what point of view we should take about foreigners; it’s a big issue, and the philosophy of Spinoza could be of great help.’ Spinoza himself was excommunicated from Amsterdam’s Jewish Community after expressing various critiques of Judiasm. He therefore seems more than relevant to the issue of freedom of speech as we know it today. Amsterdam’s alderwoman for arts and culture, Carolien Gehrels, has long been a Spinoza fan and was key in helping the monument move from idea to realisation. She also argues that Spinoza’s ideas are still being played out in our current political discussions. ‘Amsterdam is a city of freedom, of tolerance,’ she says. ‘Spinoza was the ﬁrst one in Europe who talked about freedom of speech and said this was more important than freedom of religion.’ She cites Geert Wilders’ ﬁlm, ‘Fitna’, or the Danish cartoons and the contro-

versies they sparked as examples of discussions today that are fundamentally about ideas that Spinoza struggled with. ‘These are still very relevant topics, and Spinoza was the first one in the world who said it’s very important that anyone should be able to say what he wants to say,’ she says. ‘Spinoza is still state-ofthe-art.’

More info: www.amsterdamsespinozakring.nl www.despinoza.nl

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

F E AT U R E

SHORT LIST The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam takes place 20 to 30 November at Pathé Tuschinski (Reguliersbreestraat 26), Pathé de Munt (Vijzelstraat 15), Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (OBA, Oosterdokskade 143) and Filmmuseum (Vondelpark 3). For full programme see www.idfa.nl. Single ﬁlms cost €8.50 (€6.50 with €20 discount pass). Purchase tickets through the website, by phone at 427 2778 or at the festival box ofﬁce at Cineac (Reguliersbreestraat 31-35).

A BIT OF SLUM IN YOUR HAIR The hair extensions of Great Lengths travel: from the slums of India, to a glitzy factory in Rome and finally to a hairdresser near you. By Marie-Claire Melzer Calling ET While the existence of life on other planets is a mathematical certainty, there is no official first contact with a real extra-terrestrial being (well, unless you count all those anally-probed rednecks). Local director Prosper de Roos introduces us to a select group of people who are planning all the best-to-worst case scenarios that could befall us when aliens come knocking at our door. Whether you want to believe that the truth is out there or you desire a giggle at the expense of tinfoil-hat-wearing conspiracy theorists, Calling ET is a fascinating look into another world. (Luuk van Huët)

Carmen meets Borat This documentary by Mercedes Stalenhoef starts out as a portrait of a Romanian Roma teenager called Carmen, whose dreams of Spanish romance are overshadowed when Sascha Baron Cohen uses her village as a location for the ﬁlm Borat. The townspeople are furious, and while her father is carted off to London by a shady lawyer to unsuccesfully sue the comedian, Carmen has to face challenges of her own. Stalenhoef manages to juggle these two storylines masterfully, documenting the funny and heartwarming aspects of Roma life and its clash with the Hollywood dreamkilling meatgrinder without ever becoming patronising or disrespectful to her subjects. (Luuk van Huët)

t all begins in India in Hindu temples, when religious followers donate their hair during puriﬁcation rituals. Until 1991, the temples would burn the unwanted cuttings. Then British businessman David Gold thought to buy them, starting a company called Great Lengths, which produces hair extensions. From his factory in Rome, the new manes are shipped to countries across the world—and even sometimes back to India. While the company proudly advertises its ‘Indian Temple Hair’, Gold’s son Thomas and his employees at the glamorous factory seemingly miss the irony of introducing ancient Indian traditions and spirituality into Western culture via hair extensions. The consumerist tale failed to slip past Italian directors Raffaele Brunetti and Marco Leopardi, however. Both have a keen eye for the many facets of contemporary Indian society, and, in their documentary Hair India, followed a poor, religious family from the slums of Calcutta on their journey to a Hindu temple to be shorn. In direct contrast, they also meet Gita, the beautiful young editor of a women’s magazine in Mumbai, who buys Great Lengths’ hair extensions. Ahead of the documentary’s opening at IDFA this week, director Brunetti speaks by phone from Rome.

The ﬁlm offers a glimpse of high society in Mumbai, which seems a hyperrealist copy of Western high society. Mumbai is very much oriented towards Western culture, but I wouldn’t use the term copying. They are importing it. I met loads of European fashion designers and models and other creative people in Mumbai. They just love it. Mumbai has everything. Even good pizza! You must know I am from Naples, and we Neapolitans are picky about our pizza. But Mumbai also adds elements of Indian culture. The city is a perfect setting for a documentary because people all pretend they are in a Bollywood movie. Take the magazine editor, for example. After she got her hair extensions, the ﬁrst things she exclaims is: ‘Oh, I feel like a movie star now!’

How did you stumble on the topic? It was actually Marco [Leopardi] who came up with the idea. At ﬁrst I didn’t see much in it. A story about the hair of poor people from India, used by rich and superﬁcial jetsetters from the Western world, just seemed too obvious for me. But once Marco took me to the Great Lengths factory in Rome, where I learned the hair was also being shipped back to India, I was intrigued. Now the story could become a vehicle for showing the contradictions in modern Indian society.

The scene where the family, after a long journey from the slums in Calcutta, ﬁnally get their hair cut off in the temple in Andra Pradesh, does have a genuine spiritual quality. Marco and I travelled with the family on the train, and it was a long and exhausting trip. By the end we were all tired, hungry and irritable—not in a spiritual mood at all. But in the temple you could really see the family go through a transformation. It was very special. I think they were even surprised by it.

Was it difficult to convince Great Lengths to collaborate? It was difficult because David Gold and his son Thomas, whom you see in the film, are very busy. And they were sceptical at first. But they also love publicity, so that won them over. They haven’t seen the film yet, though. You’ll have to phone me later to ask for their reaction [laughs].

You seem to look at her with a mix of admiration and pity. Yes, it is strange to hear a girl speak so superﬁcially while surrounded by such an ancient and rich culture. I am not saying she is stupid, though. She is very aware of things going on in society, like the cosmetics industry producing skin whiteners—something she opposes.

They didn’t seem to know what was going to happen with their hair... We told them afterwards and they didn’t care. For them the hair was something they got rid of, and whatever may happen to it afterwards is none of their concern. Hair India premieres at Tuschinski on Monday 24 November.

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

F E AT U R E

A Complete History of My Sexual Failures In this real-life High Fidelity, scruffy indie ﬁlmmaker Chris Waitt, afraid of ending up as ‘weird uncle Chris’, asks his surprisingly large array of surprisingly beautiful ex-girlfriends why every single one of them has dumped him. Those that do not set their attorney on him deliver feeble reasons like ‘you got really pissed at a wedding and kissed my mum’ or ‘you actually thought you were Jesus’. Chris then addresses the erectile dysfunction that perfectly complements his mental health issues by trying some S&M and swallowing a ﬁstful of Viagra. And, unbelievably, he still manages to craft a ‘sadder but wiser’ happy ending. (Rebecca Wilson)

Far From the Villages This warm, colourful and even humorous ﬁlm is set in a refugee camp in Chad near the border with Sudan. Rather then lingering on images of violence, however, it shows the consequences of war. Swiss director Olivier Zuchuat places his camera at a very low angle near the ground, as if to suck you into the camp—which eventually he does. Interviews with refugees, who talk about the horrors they’ve encountered, are alternated with scenes of everyday life. The ﬁlm is rather slow and static, but that’s life in a refugee camp. And Zuchuat’s calm approach works. Simply knowing their gruesome background makes a scene of children playing in a pool of water all the more moving. (Marie-Claire Melzer)

IS TALK CHEAP? How one wired activist is turning the art of documentary ﬁlm-making into a martial art. By Rebecca Wilson

Flying on One Engine The improbably named Dr Sharadkumar Dicksheet is a plastic surgeon in his 70s who lives on welfare in a mice-infested Brooklyn apartment. Since surviving a serious car accident, he has atoned for leading a previously carefree life beautifying Alaskans by returning to his native India, regularly performing free plastic surgery on children with disﬁgured faces. Undaunted by minor physiological problems of his own—partial paralysis, cerebral hemorrhage and esophageal cancer—he performs over 500 operations in one week. His saintliness is offset by amusing ramblings on whether or not he’s going to win the Nobel Peace Prize—since as he jokes, Mother Teresa sure didn’t deserve it. (Rebecca Wilson)

I.O.U.S.A Can talking heads and numbers and figures make for an interesting documentary? Yes they can! I.O.U.S.A. by Patrick Creadon is a disturbing, yet entertaining film about America’s rapidly growing national debt. The film follows the geeky Robert Bixby, director of The Concord Coalition, a grassroots organisation concerned with America’s fiscal policy, and David Walker, former head of the Government Accountability Office, on their ‘Fiscal Wake-Up Tour’. They are the first to admit the national debt is an unsexy topic. And the great accomplishment of this documentary is that it brings across its urgency, without falling into the trap of populist government bashing. Instead Creadon comes up with the facts, and many talking heads who actually have something to say. (Marie-Claire Melzer)

‘I

’m a ninja film-maker, seeking revenge on journalism and inspiring documentary makers,’ says Peter Wintonick. His mind seems to work like a small news network, continuously tuned in to the world, making connections and then spouting one-liners in return. The statement above casually shot from his mouth while talking about his path into documentaries. Wintonick started making films when he was in high school. Rather than writing essays, he picked up a camera, hoping the extra effort would earn him extra credit. Later, he abandoned his journalism course because he didn’t want to conform to the format of objective news stories, switching to the ‘more inspiring’ architecture and existentialist philosophy, then finally to film school. His time spent editing dramatic films finally expired when he met a documentary film-maker in a bar, decided that was what he wanted to do, and ‘took a vow of documentary poverty’. It paid off. He went on to make the most successful documentary in Canadian history, Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992). The last film he directed was Seeing Is Believing: Handicams, Human Rights and the News (2002), which explores how digital media can shape social movements. These films have made him the darling of activist film-makers everywhere. He sees himself as an activist too, and feels inspired by the anti-globalist movement. ‘But my main interest is the media. And peace.’ Since then he has been writing and producing, but mainly talking. As ‘there aren’t that many people making documentaries about documentaries’, he’s become the embodiment of his subject—and has been discussing it passionately at festivals all over the world. ‘I’m today’s documentary diplomat; the international ambassador of documentary film.’ But he’s not all hot air; he hosts workshops too— recently in Indonesia, China and Iran. ‘I like to give young film-makers tips on distribution, funding and ideas. But with all these beautiful mushrooms of documentaries emerging, from Armenia to Iran, challenging the Anglo-Saxon discourse of documentary, I’m just as much inspired as inspiring.’ Wherever the circuit takes him, he always knows that come November, he’ll be back in Amsterdam, working for IDFA as a ‘jack

of all trades’—as he has the last six years—and perfecting his pronunciation of the Dutch word for cheese grater. Fittingly, he programmes IDFA’s Media Talks section, where he’ll be MC at TV stars Daphne Bunskoek and Sophie Hilbrand’s free talk show in Escape (daily at 19.30). Then there are the master classes with documentary greats like Steve James, and two debates: one on the image of Africa, featuring Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour, and one focussed on the current economic crisis. But his most exciting moment this IDFA will be when his new film premieres on Saturday. He co-directed PilgrIMAGE with his 22year-old daughter Mira—whose name, Wintonick explains, means ‘to look’. Mira seems more interested in hearing than in looking— she studied film-making but is now moving more towards sound. ‘She says there are three halves to film: the images, the sound and what you get when you combine the two,’ says Wintonick, as always enthusiastic about the thoughts of the younger generation. The film is a dialogue between the two Wintonicks as they journey to places they feel are essential to their generation’s perception of media. Peter takes Mira to Charlie Chaplin’s grave, the Paris basement of the Lumière brothers, and has her film him in Nuremberg à la Riefenstahl. Mira takes Peter to a blog theorist in Vienna and the particle generator in Geneva, which, as it turns out, is where the world wide web was originally invented—reflecting how essential the internet and social networking are to the young. Before winding up, Wintonick offers one last theory on filmmaking: ‘Think of a triangle. At its three points are the pedantic, didactic documentary, the poetic, wild documentary and politics. The best ones combine all three. To succeed, you have to build a new Tower of Babel in the middle of the triangle.’ Sounds like the two Wintonicks have already laid the foundations. PilgrIMAGE premieres at Tuschinski on Saturday 22 November. A version of this article appeared in the Iran International Documentary Film Festival’s Nisimazine. This special project will also take place during IDFA. See www.nisimasa.com.

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

F E AT U R E

I think we’re alone now The 1980s pop idol Tiffany sure wished there wasn’t anyone around. But with two particular fans who share a tendency to stalk, that seems a wish not likely to be granted. This feature documentary follows Tiffany’s two self-proclaimed ‘biggest fans’ who are convinced they are the singer’s soulmates: Jeffery Deane Turner, a 50ish man with severe Asperger’s Syndrome, who thinks his beloved is an interdimensional time traveller, and hermaphrodite-in-transition Kelly McCormick. The story gets even weirder when the two super fans meet up at a Tiffany concert and become somewhat competitive. The ﬁlm shows the dark side of fandom, and has the potential to forever cure you from your ambition of becoming a few-hits wonder. (Laura Groeneveld)

Pets in Pots

FROM ESTONIA WITH KNOWLEDGE Semiotics and animation come together in Lotman’s World. By Luuk van Huët

DFA is traditionally a festival that shows off both entertaining and informative films about exotic countries, obscure practices and quixotic personalities. Falling perfectly in line with that tradition, the Estonian documentary Lotman’s World is a partly animated film about the Russian-born academic Yuri Lotman, who specialised in the study of semiotics, which is the all-encompassing study of signs, signifiers and meaning. As our average reader may not be completely in the loop concerning the finer points of Estonian academia, or semiotics for that matter, we were fortunate enough to have the chance to ask film-maker Agne Nelk about her feature-length debut. For example, who was this Yuri Lotman and why make a partially animated documentary about him? ‘He was a Russian-Jewish cosmopolitan and the size of his inner world is comparable to a galaxy,’ Nelk responds dryly. ‘Making a film about him was kind of a scientific task as well, since he did not fit into any preordained categories. He reached a mythical status in Estonia and in the world of semiotics, and as such, he deserves to be the subject of a film. Some of the people he worked with and who had great respect for him in his lifetime are still alive—even though Vladimir Toporov, one of the interviewees, died during filming—so it was high time to start this project. Also, many people who contributed to this film are from the younger generation who did not have a chance to meet him personally. But they’ve seen his lectures about Russian culture on television and have very fond memories of him.’ The documentary uses a mixture of archival footage, interviews and animation. This blend of techniques was selected for several reasons. ‘Since Lotman died in 1993 we couldn’t film him. Besides, he had a very good sense of humour and did not take life too seriously. So the main animator, Rait Siska, and I felt he would have found the animated format to be more entertaining as well,’ reasons Nelk. ‘And also, it gave us the possibility to adapt a sensibility that matched the theory of semiotics. Animation is perfect for representing an imaginary world.’ The film itself shows how Lotman ponders the fundamental questions that have been asked since the beginning of time, such as

‘What’s the meaning of life?’, and broods over the injustice and evil in this world, both on a personal level and on a global scale. But we also get to see some of the solutions Lotman proposed that might not solve those problems, but would certainly lead to a better, more just world. And through the magic of animation we see Lotman, decked out in a suit of armour or spinning intricate webs of meaning with eight spindly legs while standing up for free speech and intellectual liberty. Lotman’s legacy remains intact. Some of his family members are active in Estonian politics and Estonia has become a hotbed of semiotic discourse. But how have the family reacted to the film-makers interest? ‘His eldest son Mihhail was a consultant on this film and one of his granddaughters was a Director of Photography,’ responds Nelk. ‘The feedback that the family has provided us is that they’re happy that somebody out of their inner circle made this film. It’s allowed people a fresh look at the concept of semiotics and the legacy of Yuri Lotman.’ When asked about the continuing influence Lotman still has on the Estonian intelligentsia, Nelk replies, ‘Lotman’s theories and work are still in use. There is a faculty of semiotics in the University of Tartu and their purpose is to develop his theories and adapt them to contemporary life and culture. Some even say that they’re too Lotman-centric in Tartu. In any case, semiotics is a very accurate method to help analyse every phenomenon in an actual globally relevant situation.’ Besides a visit to the IDFA, Nelk has a longstanding fascination for the Dutch. Or as she puts it, ‘I’ve admired Dutch design for a long time and I like their respect towards creativity. I’d love to learn more about Dutch film and animation for that reason. The fact that my fiancé is Dutch is purely coincidental.’ All right, we won’t try to read too much into that then... But would Lotman consider it a sign of something? Lotman’s World premieres Wednesdat 26 November. Location to be announced.

Vogel op sterk water is a quirky short ﬁlm by Simonka de Jong about a 13-year-old girl who prefers animals over humans. The opening scene, a rat shufﬂing past jars with preserved animals, immediately brings to mind the world of Roald Dahl, where innocent, young characters dwell in a dark and cruel world. The fairylike girl amidst her stuffed animals makes for a striking picture, but De Jong also manages to get beneath the surface of this troubled teenager, with both great empathy and a good sense of humour. Part of the Kids & Docs programme. (Marie-Claire Melzer)

Shadow Festival 21-26 November, www.shadowfestival.nl

The scrappy independent documentary festival that offers a genuine alternative to the IDFA behemoth may have taken a financial kicking, but still keeps on ticking by taking its off-beat programming to a living room near you! To be precise, the living rooms of some of Amsterdam’s most renowned film-makers such as Frans Weisz, Kees Hin and Jan Wouter van Reijen are the new venues where the Shadow Festival will take place, offering a sumptuous dinner, a screening and the pleasant company of the film-maker to a selected audience. Besides this intimate way to experience edgy documentaries, appropriately titled Cinema d’Amis, the festival also has more conventional screenings in the Doelenzaal (Kloveniersburgwal 87). The festival opens with Chaiqian by JP Sniadecki, a film in which a demolition site in China is the sole location, preceded by the Polish short ‘Fechtmistrz’. Guests of honor are Sean McAllister and Pawel Pawlikowski, both of whom will introduce a film and lead workshops. Add a heap of idiosyncratic docs and you have more than enough reasons to stray from the beaten path. (Luuk van Huët)

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

AGENDA: SHORT LIST

SHORT LIST

Andrew Bird, Thursday, De Duif.

THURSDAY 20 NOVEMBER

SATURDAY 22 NOVEMBER

Film: Ravi Shankar Festival

Rock: Mercury Rev

Way before multi-culti went mainstream, many Western instrumentalists said the world’s best musicians come from India. And for decades, before he was outed by George Harrison, most Indian musicians proclaimed Ravi Shankar their polestar. Through 10 December, Filmmuseum will provide multiple angles on the sublime sitarist and composer. Part of Amsterdam India Festival, this nine-film tribute will show off Shankar as performer (in Monterey Pop and The Concert for Bangladesh), music director (for English-language features including Gandhi, Charly and Alice in Wonderland) and as subject of a 2002 BBC documentary (Between Two Worlds). Bet it gets your sympathetic strings humming. (Steve Schneider) Filmmuseum, 19.00. Until 10 December. See Film Times and www.ﬁlmmuseum.nl.

Last week saw the new guards of American squeaky-voiced indie space rock, MGMT, ﬂoat into town. Now see where it all began with Mercury Rev, who started the psychedelic journey back in the late ’80s-early ’90s with The Flaming Lips and Grandaddy by their side, giving mushroom-eating hippies with discerning music tastes a reason not to trip out to Phish. Their orchestral wall of sound lands at Paradiso and no doubt will be packed with songs from new album Snowﬂake Midnight, as well as wintry hit singles like ‘Goddess on a Hiway’ and ‘Opus 40’. Along for the ride will be Howling Bells and Aviv Geffen. (Colin Delaney) Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 19.30, €18 + membership.

World: Burmania Early Seventies: hippy cult and a fresh wind of mini-skirts, garish shirts and rebellion blowing through India’s film industry. Rahul Dev Burman (1939-1994) understood the pulse of the new era and ventured where no Indian composer had been before: he mixed traditional ragas with Latin percussion, Bollywood violins with the Wah-Wah pedal, and sitar with big band. RD, as he was known, made around 330 ﬁlms, creating some of Bollywood’s biggest hits ever. The list includes the ultimate hippy anthem ‘Dum Maro Dum’ from the ﬁlm Hare Rama Hare Krishna, a song once described as ‘a montage of creaking synthesizers, psychedelic guitars, and vocals nailed by Asha Bhosle, in an ear-piercing exposition of sound.’ Want to undergo this mind-blowing experience yourself? Bombay Connection’s homage to RD will be all strings, Indian percussion and the exquisite vocals of Najma Akhtar. All arranged and updated by Gerry Arling. (Sharida Mohamedjoesoef) Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 21.00, €12.50.

FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER Folk: Het Zeedijkkoor It’s been a long time since the Zeedijk was a sailor’s home away from home, a place where he could cure missing the missus and spend his hard-earned guilders. But this week the ladies (and men) of the Zeedijkkoor, at home at number 12 in cafe Verhoeff, will welcome him back for three cabaret performances celebrating their ﬁrst 15 years as Amsterdam’s most fun choir. Raunchier than your average levenslied and sexier than your average Ouwezijdse prostitute, they sing of fallen women and the men who catch them—or push them further into despair. Conductor Paul Tijink has dreamed up new—and beautiful—harmonies, which his girls and their gentlemen will deliver with the zest of a sailor back on the Amsterdam shore. (Marlous Veldt) Comedy Theater, 20.15, €22. Also Saturday and Sunday.

TUESDAY 25 NOVEMBER Singer-songwriter: Andrew Bird He may be an introverted fellow but Andrew Bird can’t resist the feeling of his songs living and breathing in front of an audience. Despite numerous promises that all touring for 2008 was over, recording studio cabin fever kept hitting, resulting in the violinist/guitarist/singer/all-round multi-instrumentalist continually taking to the stage with his ever-evolving band. See, between their samplers and just good ol’ improv abilities, Bird’s songs are never quite the same twice, reflecting both the moods of the performers and that of the room on any night—a reason why the ﬁnality of tape can feel rather claustrophobic to him. Anyway, the recording deed is done now, and his forthcoming album Noble Beast is due in January. Rather than relax, this recently announced treat sees him getting back to basics, taking his virtuoso violin playing to a beautiful Amsterdam church for a now rare solo show. (Steven McCarron) De Duif, 20.30, sold out.

WEDNESDAY 26 NOVEMBER Film: Paradiso Stills / Paradiso Stilllives In 1986 a photography book called Paradiso Stills by Max Natkiel appeared. It was a selection of the thousands of portraits he made of visitors—mostly snotty nosed punks—to the famed halls of pop temple Paradiso. In the years that passed, many of these photographs reached iconic status, and good luck to anyone trying to ﬁnd a copy of this book without paying a small fortune. Film-maker Marc Geerards ended up tracking down 200 of these people, asking them to pose again for a ﬁlm camera and in a setting of their own choosing. The result is the hypnotic and eerie film Paradiso Stills / Paradiso Stilllives which premiers tonight. See www.pllls.nl for the full visual scoop. (Steve Korver) Paradiso, 19.00, €6.50.

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

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

AGENDA: MUSIC

MUSIC

Must See: Rock

World: Bayadère Evening Two-part programme with compositions by Schubert and Mendelssohn inspired by the bayadère (temple dancer) hype unleashed by Goethe’s Der Gott und die Bajadere, and an Indian interpretation of the phenomenon by dance group Nrityagram from Bangalore. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €28 World: Tarhana meets the Rhythm of Rajasthan Another gig in the Rajasthan programme. Tarhana mixes folk music from the Balkans and Turkey with Western influences. And their music in turn shares common roots with the Sindh gypsy music played by Rhythm of Rajasthan. Which means more amazing instruments to see and hear. Afterwards DJ mps PILOT spins Indian, Desi, Bhangra and Bollywood. Bimhuis, 20.30, €16

Thursday 20 November Heavy: Satyricon This Norwegian group has been dishing up their blacker than black metal since the ’90s. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 19.30, €18 + membership Heavy: Slipknot Masks, vomit, noise and moshing. Yes, the Slipknot riot crew is back. Despite various retirement claims in recent years, when the masks come off, the solo careers just don’t offer the same sucker-punch or lucre. Support from Machine Head and Children of Bodom. Heineken Music Hall, 19.30, sold out

Blues: Walter Trout Blues rock singer/guitarist Trout released his latest, The Outsider, earlier this year—the ﬁrst without any Radical intervention. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 20.30, €20 + membership Reggae: Low Budgetarians All about the dub as the local crew present their new CD. De Cameleon, 21.00, €5

Singer-songwriter: Geoff Berner Canadian songwriter and accordion terrorist who performs moving Eastern folk and klezmer with a raw punk spirit. Patronaat, Haarlem, 20.00, free

Experimental: 3xLive Ambient improv jazz from Bram Stadhouders and Onno Govaert, post punk from Ithak (France) and experimental dark singer-songwriter vibes from Sexton Creeps. OCCII, 21.30, €5

World: Anup Jalota and Ensemble, Dhroeh Nankoe and Ensemble When workers left India for Suriname in the 19th century to work on the plantations, they brought along their music, baithak gana (literally: singing sitting down). Dhroeh Nankoe was taught the style by his grandfather. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €28

Soul/Hiphop: Liquid Spirits This eight-(wo)man soul band is one of Holland’s best-kept secrets. Consisting of four lead vocalists and some of the best musicians in the country, they’ve steadily been perfecting their soulful sound for years and along the way have performed with Michael Franti and Leon Ware. Their new album Music ranges from hiphop and soul to classic pop reminiscent of the ’60s and ’70s. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 21.30, €9 + membership

World: Rasalila The world-renowned Ensemble Modern, conducted by Kasper de Roo, performs with noted Indian vocalists. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15 (introduction at 19.00), €32.50/38

Jazz: Neco Novellas Afro, funk fusion and jazz. Badcuyp, Noordpool, 23.00, €8

Pop: Donovan Frankenreiter This surfer-songwriter’s laid-back, mellow songs bring the summer to the stage. His latest release is aptly titled Pass It Around. Think Jack Johnson, but less painful. Melkweg, 20.30, €25 + membership Contemporary: Ives Ensemble, Continuum The local contemporary ensemble are collaborating with Continuum from Toronto. James Rolfe’s ‘raW’ is the keystone of this programme, but there’s also exciting premieres from Mayke Nas, Guyla Czápö, Guus Janssen and Linda Bouchard. Part of the DutchCanadian collaboration that is Shift Festival. Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €31 World: Rajasthan Folkmusic Ensemble The Indian region Rajasthan is home to many genres of Indian music, from suﬁ to gypsy tunes and beyond, and Bimhuis is paying special attention to the region this month. First on the bill is the Rajasthan Folkmusic Ensemble, performing for the ﬁrst time outside of India. Bimhuis, 20.30, €16 Electronica: Bloemetjes Buiten This edition features the eclectic electro pop of Missilio. Winston Kingdom, 21.00, €6 World: Bombay Connection—Burmania Musical tribute to revolutionary composer RD Burman. Bombay Connection relives the genius of this Indian legend with resonating strings, movie clips, percussion and a sexy Indian siren. See Short List. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 21.00, €12.50 Singer-songwriter: Tim McMillan The greatest Australian to take to the stage ever? We’ll see. Cafe Soundgarden, 21.30, free

Saturday 22 November Photo by David Waldman

Fucked Up Paradiso, Saturday 22 November. Hardcore punk from Canada with frontman Pink Eyes at the helm. Their album The Chemistry of Common Life, out on matador, has made waves in unlikely places recently. Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €10 + membership

Pop/Rock: 3voor12 Live radio and TV session featuring sets from Liam Finn (singer-songwriter), Ane Brun (singer-songwriter) and Mad Trist (stoner rock). Desmet Studios, 22.00, free, tickets: www.3voor12.nl

ducting performance of the run, handing off to Steven Osgood. Het Muziektheater, 20.00, €15-€90

Friday 21 November

Pop: Róisín Murphy Dancing is on the cards, with the electro pop princess from Moloko still promoting her second solo album, last year’s Overpowered. Heineken Music Hall, 20.00, €30

Singer-songwriter: Flip Grater New Zealand songstress along the lines of fellow (further) Down Under peer Bic Runga. Winston Kingdom, 20.00, €10

Folk: Het Zeedijkkoor Love the levenslied? These locals won’t disappoint. See Short List. Comedy Theater, 20.15, €22

Opera: Marco Polo De Nederlandse Opera tackle Chinese composer Tan Dun’s 1996 ‘opera within an opera’, which portrays the Venetian explorer Marco Polo’s journey to the Far East as one of both physical and mental anguish. Tonight marks Dun’s ﬁnal con-

Classical: Limburgs Symfonie Orkest A romantic concert conducted by Roberto Benzi, with special guest pianist Jean-Philippe Collard, known the world over as a master at playing Ravel. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €25.50/€29.50

One of the most consistently loved Kiwi singer-songwriters promotes sheep-friendly music: Dave Dobbyn on Saturday.

Contemporary: Kiran & Zapp Rhythmic modern classical ensemble meets the beating heart of India in this special performance. Singer Kiran Ahluwalia is just one of the special guests. Noorderkerk, 14.00, €12 Rock: Mercury Rev From psychedelic indie rockers in the early ’90s to mainstream rock, there’s still lots of ambience on their tracks, but no going back to their roots. See Short List. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 19.30, €18 + membership Singer-songwriter: Dave Dobbyn A real mainstay of the New Zealand music scene, Dobbyn started off in Th’Dudes back in the late ’70s. His career arc saw him turn solo in the mid-’80s, and ever since he’s been responsible for some of the best-loved numbers from the southern hemisphere, even if he isn’t exactly a household name on this side of the planet. Sugar Factory, 20.00, €18 Folk: Het Zeedijkkoor See Friday and Short List. Comedy Theater, 20.15, €22 World: Sanjay Subrahmanyan and Ensemble, Ulhas Kashalkar and Ensemble Two of India’s best vocalists, Ulhas Kashalkar and Sanjay Subramaniam, performing the khayal style from Northern India and the Karnatic style from Southern India respectively. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €28

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

Pop/Rock: Dirty Pretty Things Ex-Libertines members Dirty Pretty Things show and prove that they can do without frontman Pete Doherty. Some say Romance At Short Notice, their latest album, is one of the year’s best. Still they’re calling it quits ‘to try new things’, so last chance to get your fix. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 20.30, €15 + membership Experimental: Pageturner A mix of performances and edgy poets. Guests include a.P.A.t.t. (multi-instrumental post jazz, UK), Chops (freaky electro rock, UK), We Be Naked (folky art rock), Sina Khani (singer-songwriter) and Ripping Yarns (indie rock, UK). Zaal 100, 20.30, €6 World: Yuri Honing Trio & Rajasthan Folkmusic Ensemble Part three in the Bimhuis Rajasthan special. For the second time this year, but for the first time in Holland, the Yuri Honing Trio team up with the Rajasthan Folkmusic Ensemble to deliver a special blend of jazz and Indian music. With Yuri Honing (saxophone), Tony Overwater (contrabass) and Joost Lijbaart (drums). Bimhuis, 20.30, €16 Rock: Los Tiki Boys Splashin’ surf rock. Pacific Parc, 23.00, free

Sunday 23 November Opera: Marco Polo See Friday. Het Muziektheater, 13.30, €15-€90 Folk: Het Zeedijkkoor See Friday and Short List. Comedy Theater, 15.00, €22 Classical: Sunday Casual Classics Informal and intimate Sunday performance featuring members of the Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra. Cristofori, 16.00, €25 Singer-songwriter: Tracy Chapman Twenty years after her debut album with the international hit ‘Fast Car’, this lady is still going strong. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 19.30, sold out World: Bollywood Bazaar The closing evening of Amsterdam India Festival’s music programme begins with a concert and ends in an all-out dance party. With Holland Symfonia conducted by Jurjen Hempel, and with Kumar Sanu and Saapna Mukherji on vocals, extra flavour from Dhroeh Nankoe & Ensemble, beats by DJ Bally Sagoo and dancing by Bollywood dancers and soloists from Het Nationale Ballet. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €38 Jazz: Cedar Walton Quartet Formerly a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and one of the musicians to take part in the legendary John Coltrane album Giant Steps, to name just some of his feats. He recently released new album Seasoned Wood. Bimhuis, 20.30, €20 Flamenco: Cuadro Flamenco A seated flamenco feast with the Spanish-Dutch company presenting the programme Het Godshuis. Melkweg, The Max, 20.30, €17.50 + membership Singer-songwriter: Jolie Holland Sparse acoustic folk with flashes of jazz, blues and country. Support act Sam Amidon isn’t exactly well-known yet, but his interpretations of traditional folk songs are dripping with character—and as seen at De Nieuwe Anita a few months back, he’s a master of folk breakdancing. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 20.30, €14 + membership Singer-songwriter: Mia Doi Todd Another ladywith-guitar, this classically trained singer is sure to deliver poetic justice. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €8 + membership

Monday 24 November Classical: Jerusalem Trio Piano trios by Mozart and Tchaikovsky, plus Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht (arranged by Steuermann). Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €36.50 Percussion: The Big Bang A percussion spectacular, featuring drummers and noise makers from Turkey, America, Mali, Iran, China and even little old Holland. Guests include Simon Phillips, Baba Sissoko, Carlo Rizzo, Arto Tunçboyaciyan and Pete Lockett, plus many more. Heineken Music Hall, 20.15, €25 Jazz: Queen Mab Trio Female contemporary jazz trio performing a mix of jazz, musique actuelle, rock, new music, early music and 20th-century classical music. Zaal 100, 20.30, €5

AGENDA: MUSIC Experimental: DNK-Amsterdam Electro acoustic session featuring Natasha Anderson (Australia), an artist who uses a unique combination of contrabass recorder, electronics, voice and mixed media. SMART Project Space, 21.30, €5 Soul/Hiphop: Ky-Mani Marley ‘My biggest obstacle was to come out of that box I was placed in. That I’m [a] Marley so therefore I have to sing reggae.’ So what does he make? His latest, Radio, delivers a mix of hiphop, soul, acid jazz and rock. Melkweg, The Max, 22.00, €20 + membership

Tuesday 25 November Blues: Grayson Capps and The Stumpknockers First non-solo gig in Holland for the troubadour from New Orleans with his trademark brew of Southern soul, blues and country. His recently released fourth album Rott ’N’ Roll—a phrase coined by his fans to characterise his music—features The Stumpknockers. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 20.00, €12.50 + membership Hiphop/Electronica: Le Club Suburbia Glitches, bleeps, sonic swirls, broken beats and rhymes from Californians Hawnay Troof and Anavan. Winston Kingdom, 20.00, €6 World: Divine Shadows Tunesian singer Dhafer Youssef has his roots in the mystical sufi tradition but also gets his inspiration from jazz, electronica and rock. Impressive vocals combined with poetic ‘oud playing and electronica conjure up a mystical brew. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €35 Pop: Andrew Bird One-man orchestra Andrew Bird incorporates the violin, a sampler, whistling, singing and much more into his ever-changing energetic live shows: ‘Every night I am rewriting all my songs for the audience.’ See Short List. De Duif, 20.30, sold out Rock: Opeth Raved about by critics, their new album Watershed is a blend of death metal, progressive rock, folk and blues. Melkweg, The Max, 20.30, sold out World: The Gypsy Kings and Queens In the wake of the wildly popular Gypsy Kings and Queens album, the ensemble, made up of legendary Romanian Roma brass band Fanfare Ciocarlia and some of the Balkans’ biggest stars, hit the stage in what promises to be a real spectacle. From heartwrenching ballads to straight-up party starters, with Esma Redzepova and a world renowned cast. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 20.30, €25 + membership Punk: The Real McKenzies Kilts, bagpipes and... punk. These Canadians pay tribute to their Scottish roots with drunken guitar swagger. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 21.00, €10 + membership

Wednesday 26 November Classical: Lunch Concert A sneak peak at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with fine-tuning by conductor Jaap van Zweden. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 12.30, free Pop/Rock: Elliot Minor Classical arrangements blended with punky guitars and poppy vocals to deliver a sound reminiscent of Muse. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 20.00, €10 + membership Opera: Marco Polo See Friday. Het Muziektheater, 20.00, €15-€90 Rock: Status Quo Not quite of the same calibre as the tribute act sending shivers down spines at Meloe Melo lately, but these Brits have apparently developed a bit of a following in some territories. Anyone remember them? Heineken Music Hall, 20.00, €39 Classical: Jerusalem Trio See Monday. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €36.50 Classical: Nederlands Kamerkoor They may be rocked by financial woes at the moment, but tonight the chamber choir are gonna rock with French songs from the 16th century in their programme Aan het Hof van François I, featuring works by Sermizy, Mouton, De la Farge and De Villiers. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €31.50/€37.50 World: Ethiopian Music Night An Ex-inspired Ethiopian programme, with sets from Le Tigre des Platanes and Etenesh Wassie. OT301, 21.00, €7 Jazz: Groove Night A Jazz Impuls special, providing a platform for turntablists, DJs and jazz cats. Pakhuis de Zwijger, 21.00, €7.50

Get your Balkan brass ﬁx: The Gypsy Kings and Queens.

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

A G E N D A : C L U B S / G AY & L E S B I A N Lekker Bezig

By Luuk van Huët

Hein Verhoeven Gameboys A GoGo ‘My love for electronic music began around 15 years ago when I discovered acid and techno music through friends from the Wirwar Soundsystem. We used to throw parties in empty factory buildings and scenic outdoor locations. I started using a Gameboy to make music around five years ago. I got the idea off the internet and from other musicians. It was a practical decision as well, as a Gameboy is small and that means I don’t have to drag a shitload of stuff to a gig. The fact that it looks snazzy and funky sounds come out is a deﬁnite plus! I don’t consider myself a DJ, it’s more of a performance actually. ‘During a show I typically use two Gameboys to play Little Sound DJ and Nanoloop—two pieces of software that were written by a couple of Gameboy enthusiasts. I synchronise these programmes, mix it and add some effects to spice it up. The music is partly programmed at home and partly improvised. I never know in advance what I’m going to produce, which is the most fun aspect of it all. ‘There are a couple of other people in the Netherlands who use Gameboys or Atari computers to make music, but the scene isn’t that big. And only a handful of those people actually perform in public. ‘My most memorable Gameboy related performance has probably been at one of the illegal WirWar parties. The atmosphere there is much more satisfying than say, a performance at Mysteryland. It’s really funny to see all the surprised looks, because people just don’t believe all the sound comes from two small Gameboys. And it makes you feel like you have a remote control for the crowd: you hold it in your hand and with a couple of button presses you can control the crowd! Press start, select, right, right, A, A and the crowd starts jumping around!’

CLUBS

Photo by Joost Benthem

Website: www.myspace.com/gbagogo

Minimaal Feestmaal As the title suggests, this party is all about minimal. The many acts include Pitto, Brent Rozendaal, Wesdex and Bert de Rooij. Studio 80, 23.00-late, €8 The DirtyDirtyDirty No need to take a shower before going here. Enter Dexter presents DJs Fanny West, Mr Wix and Flexican. Paradiso, 23.59-05.00, €15

Thursday 20 November WKND Ah, the new generation, proclaiming a school night to be the weekend using the strange language of SMS. Dancing to house music every Thursday. Studio 80, 23.00-04.00, €5 Nederlandse Molens zijn Vreemd met Feder Just when you thought it couldn’t get any stranger, those Vreemd people have apparently added some extra strange topping to their breakfast cereals. And so this party has something to do with mills and carrot cakes. With Federico Molinari, Boris Werner and Tom Ruijg. Sugar Factory, 23.30 05.00, €10

Versch Diverse live electro sets, from electrogrime-8bit to intelligent electronic dance. Yup, sounds a bit nerdy but it’s the final party of the Versch festival so it should be fun. With Taxi Nouveau, Dj Shirazi, Mark August and more. Sugar Factory, 00.00-05.00, €10

GAY&LESBIAN Edited by Willem de Blaauw.

Thursday 20 November Party: Stout Time for naughty boys (and some girls) to misbehave to DJ MBC’s vocal house and electro. Exit, 23.59-04.00, free

Saturday 22 November

Friday 21 November

Classic Material This edition of the hiphop/R&B/ dance club night has MC Lyte as a live act, various DJs, and even a dance showcase by The Soultrotters. Melkweg, The Max, 20.00-late, €20

DJ night: Friday Weekend Madness Start the weekend with a bang at this happy homo hangout. Audio host DJ Danny spins electric beats from today and yesteryear. Getto, 17.00, free

Blue Note Trip Weekly jazz and dance fusion featuring DJ Maestro and guests. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 23.30-late, €8

Awakenings See Friday. Gashouder, 22.00-07.00, €40

Friday 21 November

Gewoon Gastvrij Cosy party with Dirtcrew, Mike Ravelli and Mr Minoz. Flex Bar, 23.00-05.00, €10

Party: Flirtation Mysterious Edition of this women-only dance party. Line up includes La Ona, Eva on Vocals and Jane Doe. The balcony of Panama is reserved for those looking for a mysterious date (masks available). See www.letsbeopen.nl Panama, 23.00-04.00, €15/€20

Innovation Hefty drum & bass and jungle party, with two whole rooms dedicated to it. With Kenny Ken, Devious D, Andy C, Mampi Swift and many, many more. Melkweg, 21.00-late, €40

Rebellion A smorgasbord of DJs present techhouse, minimal, electro and techno. Studio 80, 23.00-05.00, €10

Burlesque Freak Out Rock ’n’ roll cabaret, burlesque starlets and more freaky glitter than you can shake a stick at. Club 8, 22.00-04.00, €10

Gemengd Zwemmen Melkweg’s classic diversity night. There’s the Classic Material bash in the Max, and as always, pop, rock, indie and alternative dance in the Oude Zaal. Melkweg, 23.59-late, €9

Sound Clinic Quality techno with Carlos Valdes, Wouter De Moor, Estroe, Tim Nieburg and many others taking over all rooms of the boat. Stubnitz, 22.00-05.00, €12 Awakenings Ultimate techno fest. Gashouder, 22.00-07.00, €40 Cosmic Disco Space age boogies with DJs Marco & Orpheo, Smokey Joe’s, Aardvarck, Cinnaman— and a special guest. Flex Bar, 23.00-late, €7

Earth House. Old and new, but always classic. With DJ Per, new DJ Reiss, and DJ Lucien Foort. Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €12.50

Sunday 23 November Fashion Outlet Party Drink, eat, party and buy clothes from brands like Kenzo, Moschino, Freeman T Porter and more at discounted prices; all in the same night. Part of the profits will go to the Haddasah hospitals in Jerusalem that treat people regardless of religion. Canvas, 22.00-late, €7.50

Vreemd gets vreemder on Thursday at Sugar Factory.

Party: Dance & Cruise Take off that shirt—or more—and dance and cruise at this fun men-only party. Admission fee includes a free drink. Church, 23.00-04.00, €10

Saturday 22 November Party: (Z)onderbroek This popular afternoon dance party is now held in the evening. It’s also known as boners in briefs as it’s all about dancing and fooling around wearing sexy jock-straps, Yfronts or boxers. Church, 22.00-04.00, €12.50 Party: UNK Dance party for fags, slags, hags, bags and straights. DJs Lupe, The Hey Kids (Katapult, Softcore) and Michael Nunes (de Trut), spinning electro, techno, minimal and baile funk. Club 8, 23.00-04.00, €8

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

Party: tripleXtreme No lazy Sunday afternoon if you head to this men-only fetish party. Strict dress code: leather, rubber, uniform. DJ Mo’Cum will get you in the mood. Church, 16.00-19.30, €7

A G E N D A : G AY & L E S B I A N / S T A G E / E V E N T S Must See: Performance

Tuesday 25 November Anniversary: Beer Bust Draft beer for only €1.40 a glass. Cheers! Spijker, 17.00-01.00, free Games night: Bingo Miss DelaVita, Kimberly Clark and/or Dolly Bellefleur get the numbers rolling at this fun wacky bingo night. Queen's Head, 22.00, free

STAGE Opening Comedy: Worst of the Eighties Ah well, decade irony... clothes-wise, it works best when you actually hadn’t been born back then. But comedy-wise, the jokes are obviously funniest when they trigger nostalgia—the embarrassment of which is pleasantly shrouded by romantic memories. And with the help of live music and video projections, this show might just turn out to be a collective therapy for all those who think the big hair and shoulder pads can just be laughed off. Comedy Theater, (Thur 20.30), €10 Theatre: Holland Tsunami—Drowning in Europe An onstage mockumentary about the question of what would happen if Holland would indeed drown. Or is the subjunctive really appropriate here? Anyway, those of you who had fun fantasies of swimming round the Noorderkerk tower, doing water gymnastics on the roof of Dam Palace or jetskiing all along Marnixstraat— it’s not going to happen. Instead, we’ll all be evacuated to Hungary. In Dutch. Theater Bellevue, (Thur-Sat 20.30), €13 Theatre: Bergen As three men, who’ve been friends since their childhood, embark on their annual walking tour, they have to face those nasty, nagging feelings that sometimes bubble up when comparing juvenile dreams with adult reality. But boys will be boys, so there’s still a few desires left over to talk about. By Toneelschuur Producties. In Dutch. Theater Bellevue, (Thur-Sat 20.30, Sun 15.00), €16 Theatre: 2019 (Droomspeel) This co-production of Productiehuis Brabant and Het Zuidelijke Toneel tells the story of three cashiers who meet up in the canteen of their buurtsuper, where they share their lunch, a coffee, a smoke and all their dreams and hopes. Theater Bellevue, (Tues, Wed 20.30), €13.50 Music/Theatre: Vrouwtje met grote jas A theatre-music-cabaret merger by Jurre Bussemaker, who presents several personas with the desire to live their lives in a grand way. Which can often be achieved with little things... Theater Bellevue, (Tues, Wed 21.00), €13

Ongoing Theatre: Ifigeneia in Aulis Timelessness— nobody does it as well as the Ancient Greeks. Set on the brink of the Trojan War, Euripides’ tragedy centres around a war that is justified with dubious arguments. Stadsschouwburg, (Thur-Sat, Tues, Wed 20.30), €10-€27.50 Theatre: Goal MC’s (Made in da Shade/Cosmic Theater) trademark mix of theatre, music and visuals tracks the rise and fall of star footballer Garra. No voetbalvrouwen allowed. Westergasfabriek, (Thur-Sat 20.30), €17.50 Comedy: easyLaughs Comedy improv in English. Two different shows every Friday night. CREA Muziekzaal, (Fri 20.30, 22.30), €8, €5 (late night) Dance: Borrowed Landscapes This performance by Anouk van Dijk’s dance company explores the freedom of the individual. De Brakke Grond, (Tues, Wed 20.30), €16

Photo by Hans van den Bogaard

Marco Polo in Amsterdam Zeedijk, Sunday 23 November. A side project of the Marco Polo opera, today you’ll find special musical and theatrical performances all over Zeedijk, with students unleashing original works inspired by the people of the area. See www.marcopoloinamsterdam.nl. Zeedijk, (14.00-18.00), free

EVENTS Lecture: Ora Joubert A public lecture by the leading South African architect, artist and academic. In English. ARCAM, (Thur 20.00), €7.50 Multidisciplinary: Flamingo Feest Books and music, featuring live storytellers and jazz/soul from Horses Again. De Nieuwe Anita, (Thur 20.00), free Conference: Walled Garden An international conference that will address issues of identity, mobile communities and networks by focussing on the tendency towards online gated and closed communities. How does this affect the (in)accessibility of information and knowledge? Breaking from the traditional conference format, structured group dialogue will be interspersed with inspirational presentations from artists, researchers and technologists. See www.virtueelplatform.nl. Lloyd Hotel, (Thur, Fri), €75/€150 Festival: Shift Although the main focus of this Canadian-Dutch double festival lies on contemporary music, presenting works by contemporary composers from the two countries, film and literature are also on offer. Highlights this week are Ives Ensemble and Continuum on Thursday, a cinematic soundtrack performance on Friday, and author panel discussions on Saturday. Muziekgebouw, (Thur-Sat various times), various prices Book presentation: Paradiso Posters 19682008 Forty years of cool Paradiso posters compiled in a new book. Should be a fun ride through time. Boekhandel Mendo, (Fri 17.30), free Film/Music: La Damnation de Faust The New York Metropolitan Opera’s production of the Berlioz opera, beamed live into Amsterdam’s

Forty years of Paradiso celebrated with a book presentation and ﬁlm premiere.

plushest cinema hall. Pathé Tuschinski, (Sat 19.00), €32.50 Party: The Psychedelic Session Artist space Plan B is celebrating the release of the new issue of the collaborative theme-zine The Session. This month’s theme is ‘Psychedelic’, and contains contributions by Experimental Jetset, Parra, Kalle Runeson, Jens Schildt and much more. Plan B, (Sat 19.00-00.00), free Market: Otherground Market Stalls buried in clothing, records, CDs, books, toys, arts & crafts, food and drink. To book a table, email othergroundmarket@gmail.com. OT301, (Sun 12.00-17.00), free Art Fair: pAn Amsterdam The Netherlands’ national art and antiques fair. There’s quite a lot of stuffiness surrounding pAn, but in the vast spaces of RAI, you will find attractive artworks from all periods, and in many different styles. Until 30 November. RAI, (Sun-Wed 11.00-19.00), €15 Festival: High Times Cannabis Cup Yes, it’s time for the 21st celebration of Amsterdam’s drug culture. As always, a diverse array of events make up the festivities but smoking is the number one choice (take that, smoking ban). From sampling to seminars and films you can giggle at, folks flock in from around the world for the event. Related live gigs include Ky-mani Marley, Rocker T, The Real McKenzies, Bushman and Steel Pulse. Various locations, (Sun-Wed), various prices Literature: Where Are We Growing? Journalists Frank Mulder and Freek Koster took a critical look at economic growth theory and their resulting book Moet Groei? is more entertaining than a series of interviews with leading Dutch economists has any right to be. This evening they present their findings. In English. Christ Church, (Mon 19.30), free Art/Film: Paradiso Stills / Paradiso Stilllives Celebrating Paradiso with a film programme inspired by the 1986 photo book Paradiso Stills by Max Natkiel. See Short List. Paradiso, (Wed 19.00), €6.50

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

AGENDA: ART

ART Opening Viviane Sassen: Flamboya This collection of photos by Sassen explores the memories of her youth in Africa, and poses questions on the constraints of the photographic medium and the regular Western stereotypes about Africa. It features both old and new work, including the images for which Sassen won the 2007 Prix de Rome. Foam (Sat-Wed 10.0018.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), opens Thursday, until 18 January 2009 Myra de Vries: Changing Landscapes In this new series of paintings, De Vries combines landscapes and figurative elements from her immediate surroundings with grim fairytale-like fantasy realms. AYACS (Fri, Sat 13.00-17.30), opens Friday, until 20 December No Reference Last year, Christophe Coppens was the first winner of the H+F Fashion Award. The Belgian designer received a €20,000 cash prize to realise a special project. This project encompasses an accessories collection, a forthcoming book, plus this exhibition, all tracking and revealing his unique process of creation. Platform 21 (Thur-Sun 12.00-18.00), opens Friday, until 18 January 2009 Renzo Martens: Episode 3 Tied in with the opening of IDFA, Episode 3 is the name of a film and exhibition that touches upon the construction of a documentary and the film-maker’s role. Set in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the objectivity of documentaries are explored by Martens, which is also the subject of this accompanying exhibition. Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (TuesSun 11.00-17.00), opens Friday, until 4 January 2009 Europa Neurotisch ‘What do artists think of Europe?’ is the question asked throughout this exhibition. Following an open call, works created in response were collated and can be seen presenting opinions from across the

continent. Petersburg Project Space (Thur-Sat 15.0018.00), opens Saturday, until 6 December It’s All Glamour and Glitter Exploring the evolution of the evening bag—from Fendi clutches to Leiber’s sparkly cupcakes. You’ll also be able to marvel at bags by designers such as Cartier, Valentino, Gucci, Lacroix and more. Tassenmuseum Hendrikje (Daily 10.00-17.00), opens Saturday, until 1 March 2009 Kalki, Tokarski and Hildebrandt The ﬁrst exhibition in the Netherlands of the work of three acclaimed German artists: Michael Kalki, Wawrzyniec Tokarski and Gregor Hildebrandt. Grimm Fine Art (Tues-Sat 12.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 3 January 2009 Koud Resident artists of De Service Garage, including the likes of Arik Visser, Benjamin Roth, Erik de Bree, Charlott Markus, Daan Hofstede and Frank Ammerlaan, help to celebrate the ﬁrst anniversary of the space. De Service Garage (Wed-Sun 13.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 21 December Nina Rave: Wasteland New paintings, inspired by the terrain around her and the development of the Westermoskee. Meneer de Wit (Thur 14.00-21.00, Fri, Sat, Wed 14.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 13 December The World of Painter Yajaira Salas New works by the artist originally from Aruba/Colombia. De Bonte Zwaan (Sat 17.00-20.00, Sun 14.00-18.00), opens Saturday

Museums Atlas Maior. De wereld van Blaeu Exquisite examples of Joan Blaeu’s maps, made in Amsterdam’s Golden Era, when the industry of cartography was in full bloom. UvA: Special Collections Library (Mon-Fri 10.00-17.00, Sat, Sun 13.00-17.00), closing Sunday Cy Twombly: Photographs 1951-2007 Photos by the renowned American artist, in celebration of his 80th birthday, As a photographer, Twombly still has the eye of a painter, who explores rather than captures his subjects—still lifes, ﬂowers, interiors, seascapes. His ‘dry prints’, a specialised version of colour prints from a copy machine, are being shown for the ﬁrst time in the Netherlands. Huis Marseille (Tues-Sun 11.00-18.00), closing Sunday

Last chance to catch the photos of artist Cy Twombly at Huis Marseille.

Javier Gómez, Sam Francis Glass art by Gómez and paintings by Francis. Jan van der Togt Museum (WedSun 13.00-17.00), Amstelveen, closing Sunday Usha Rappange Bhalla: Living glass Unique glass art that mixes Indian art with Western techniques. Jan van der Togt Museum (Wed-Sun 13.00-17.00), Amstelveen, closing Sunday De wereld van Christiaan Andriessen A chance to view a hundred pages from the sketch diaries of Dutch artist Andriessen, originating from 1805 to 1808. Stadsarchief Amsterdam (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 11.00-17.00), until 11 January 2009 Speaking Out Loud A multimedia exhibition dealing with the act of speaking, reading and writing. Includes diverse works by Tim Etchells (UK) and Vlatka Horvat (CRO), Mukul Patel (UK) and Manu Luksch (AT), Christoph Keller (DE), Jaromil (IT) and Jodi (NL), and many more. Montevideo/Time Based Arts (Tues-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 17 January 2009 Caspar David Friedrich and the German Romantic Landscape For the ﬁrst time ever, all the works by Caspar David Friedrich from the collection of the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg will be loaned for a special exhibition focusing on this renowned German artist. His paintings and drawings are at the centre of the exhibition, but they are surrounded by works by contemporaries, predecessors and followers. Hermitage Amsterdam (Daily 10.00-17.00), until 18 January 2009 125 Favourites The Rembrandt Association celebrates its 125th anniversary with a ﬁve-part exhibition: key purchases from its history; returned Dutch artworks; old (non-Dutch) masters; comparatively modern works (Chagall, Matisse and De Kooning); and acquisitions from the last ten years. Van Gogh Museum (Mon-Thur, Sat, Sun 10.00-18.00, Fri 10.0022.00), until 18 January 2009 Helen Levitt: In the Street A retrospective of work by the renowned American street photographer Helen Levitt, famed for portraying the dynamics of New York street life from 1930 onwards, paying special attention to the innocent and adventurous world of children at play. Foam (Sat-Wed 10.00-18.00, Thur, Fri 10.0021.00), until 18 January 2009

Galleries Régine de Festes: Creation & Mythology Paintings and sculpture by the French artist. Paule Carre (Mon 13.00-18.00; Tue, Wed, Fri 10.00-18.00; Thur 10.0020.00; Sat 10.00-17.00) Het Oog van de Flat An opportunity to look through the eyes of the ‘Egeldonk’, an apartment building in Zuidoost that is due to be demolished. You can also take in panoramic 3-D photos taken from its windows. Informatiecentrum Stadsdeel Zuidoost (Daily) Artists’ Biopic Cinema The first Dutch solo exhibition by French artist Matthieu Laurette. Transforming six gallery spaces into mini-cinemas, Laurette succinctly presents the mythologised life of world famous artists by screening 18 specifically chosen feature films each day. SMART Project Space (MonSat 12.00-22.00, Sun 14.00-22.00) Sanne Sannes Rare vintage works by Dutch photographer Sanne Sannes, who perished in a car accident in 1967. Renowned in the early ’60s for using photography as a means to create autonomous art, he was known as the ‘photographer of tomorrow’. Hup Gallery (Tues, Thur, Fri 10.0017.00), closing Friday Nobody in the Chair. Nobody in the Books. Nobody in the Rain Spacious and surreal oil paintings by Sebastian Burger and Heide Nord. Galerie Gabriel Rolt (Wed-Sat 12.00 -18.00), closing Saturday Tia Ryan: Absentia Photographic portraiture that tries to bridge the gap between familiar iconography and the social reality of living in a covertly sexuallystratified and overtly multi-ethnic culture. Gallery WM (Thurs-Sat 14.00-18.00), closing Saturday Renato Nicolodi: Beyond Mass A serene collection of architectonic cement sculptures, photographs, drawings and light boxes by the Belgian artist. Ronmandos (Wed-Sat 12.30-17.30), closing Saturday Karin van Dam, Ronald Noorman Sketches and installation by Van Dam; drawings by Noorman. Wetering Galerie (Wed-Sat 12.30 -17.30), closing Saturday

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

Group Exhibition Diverse works from the likes of Zilvinas Landzbergas and Alex Winters. Galerie Fons Welters (Tues-Sat 13.00 -18.00), closing Saturday Kumi Oguro: First Class Hysteric Young Japanese photographer Oguro looks at the relationship between film and photography, creating a mysterious environment, where time and place no longer seem to exist. Soledad Senlle Gallery (Mon-Sat 11.00-17.00), closing Saturday Aanwas4 Group exhibition featuring a huge cast of artists. Loods 6 (Daily 11.00-17.00), closing Sunday Olie en Onrecht in Nigeria Photography by Kadir van Lohuizen highlighting the injustice, largely created by the oil industry, in Nigeria. OBA (Daily 10.00-22.00), closing Thursday Aquil Copier: I Haven’t Sent You Any Air Mail Beautiful painted landscapes (diverse techniques) as seen from the air. 2x2projects (Wed-Sat 13.0018.00), until 29 November Iva Gueorguieva & Matthew McGarvey For the third episode of guest curator project CrossRoads, visual artist Iva Gueorguieva and her husband, sound artist Matthew McGarvey present the installation Echolalia, including large double-sided drawings, small paintings, a video projection and a sound installation. OUTLINE (Thur-Sat 13.00-17.00), until 29 November Amsterdam Bevalt! Black-and-white photos of 30 famous native Amsterdammers taken by Maarten Corbijn, AKA Corb!no. Faces include John Kraaijkamp Sr, Patrick Kluivert, Sacha de Boer, Simon Vinkenoog, Trijntje Oosterhuis, Ed van Thijn, Matthijs van Nieuwkerk, Jaap van Zweden, Clairy Polak and Danny de Munk. Melkweg Galerie (WedSun 13.00-20.00), until 30 November Ontferm U Translated as ‘Have Mercy Upon Us’, this is a multidisciplinary project by Elena Beelaerts in cooperation with Floris Tilanus and Henk Jan Bouwmeester. It deals with the rituals associated with the transportation of works from the artist’s workspace into the public eye. W139 (Daily 11.00-19.00), until 30 November

AGENDA: ART/ADDRESSES

Galerie Hof & Huyser Bloemgracht 135, 420 1995

Paule Carre Cornelis Schuytstraat 44, 675 6800

Galerie van Gelder Planciusstraat 9A, 627 7419

Plan B2 Herengracht 32

ABC Treehouse Voetboogstraat 11, 423 0967

Galerie Wies Willemsen Ruysdaelkade 25, 470 1073

Platform 21 Prinses Irenestraat 19, 344 9449

ARCAM Prins Hendrikkade 600, 620 4878

Gallery WM Elandsgracht 35, 421 1113

PRIK Spuistraat 109, 06 4544 2321

Aromatique Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 11b, 624 0044

Gashouder Klönneweg

Queen's Head Zeedijk 20, 420 2475

artKitchen Joris van den Berghweg 101, 622 3422

Getto Warmoesstraat 51

Radar Gallery Eerste Rozendwarsstraat 17-H, 06 2416 3300

AYACS Keizersgracht 166, 622 8579

GO Gallery Prinsengracht 64, 422 9580

RAI Europaplein 22, 549 1212

Badcuyp 1e Sweelinckstraat 10, 675 9669

Grimm Fine Art Hazenstraat 24, 422 7227

Rembrandthuis Jodenbreestraat 4, 520 0400

Bimhuis Piet Heinkade 3, 788 2150

Heineken Music Hall ArenA Boulevard 590, 0900 300 1250

Rijksmuseum Jan Luykenstraat 1, 674 7000

ADDRESSES

Bitterzoet Spuistraat 2, 521 3001 Blow Up Gallery Hazenstraat 67, 665 3435 Boekhandel Mendo Berenstraat 11

Hermitage Amsterdam Nieuwe Herengracht 14, 530 8751 Huis Marseille Keizersgracht 401, 531 8989

Ronmandos Prinsengracht 282, 320 7036 De Service Garage Stephensonstraat 16

Hup Gallery Tesselschadestraat 15, 515 8589

SMART Project Space Arie Biemondstraat 105-113, 427 5953

Jan van der Togt Museum Dorpsstraat 50, Amstelveen, 641 5754

Soledad Senlle Gallery Sloterkade 171, 615 1395

Cafe Soundgarden Marnixstraat 164-166, 620 2853

Joods Historisch Museum Jonas Daniel Meijerplein 2-4, 531 0310

Stadsarchief Amsterdam Vijzelstraat 32

De Cameleon 3e Kostverlorenkade 35, 489 4656

De Kijkkasten Sint Nicolaasstraat

Stadsschouwburg Leidseplein 26, 624 2311

Canvas Wibautstraat 150

Kortsluiting 1e Schinkelstraat 16

Canvas International Art Fokkerlaan 46, Amstelveen, 428 6040

Lloyd Hotel Oostelijke Handelskade 34, 419 1840

Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam Rozenstraat 59, 422 0471

Loods 6 KNSM Laan 143, 418 2020

De Stoker Witte de Withstraat 124, 612 3293

Chiellerie Raamgracht 58, 320 9448

Melkweg Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 531 8181

Stubnitz Odinakade, NDSM-werf

Christ Church Groenburgwal 42

Melkweg Galerie Marnixstraat 409, 531 8181

Studio 80 Rembrandtplein 17, 521 8333

Church Kerkstraat 50-52

Meneer de Wit Postjesweg 2, 616 3680

Sugar Factory Lijnbaansgracht 238, 627 0008

Club 8 Admiraal de Ruyterweg 56B, 685 1703

Montevideo/Time Based Arts Keizersgracht 264, 623 7101

Supperclub Jonge Roelensteeg 15, 344 6400

CoBrA Museum Sandbergplein 1-3, Amstelveen, 547 5050

Motive Gallery Elandsgracht 10, 330 3668

Tassenmuseum Hendrikje Herengracht 573, 524 6452

Comedy Theater Nes 110, 422 2777

Muziekgebouw Piet Heinkade 1, 788 2010

Theater Bellevue Leidsekade 90, 530 5301

Concertgebouw Concertgebouwplein 2-6, 671 8345

Het Muziektheater Amstel 3, 625 5455

Tropenmuseum Linnaeusstraat 2, 568 8200

Consortium Veemkade 570, 06 2611 8950

De Nieuwe Anita Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 06 4150 3512

CREA Muziekzaal Turfdraagsterpad 17, 525 1400

Noorderkerk Noordermarkt 44, 626 6436

UvA: Special Collections Library Oude Turfmarkt 129, 525 2141

Cristofori Prinsengracht 581-583, 626 8485

OBA Oosterdokskade 143, 0900-2425468

Van Gogh Museum Paulus Potterstraat 7, 570 5200

Desmet Studios Plantage Middenlaan 4A, 521 7100

OCCII Amstelveenseweg 134, 671 7778

De Veemvloer Van Diemenstraat 410, 638 6894

De Duif Prinsengracht 756

OT301 Overtoom 301, 779 4913

Ververs Gallery Hazenstraat 54

Exit Reguliersdwarsstraat 42, 625 8788

OUTLINE Oetewalerstraat 73, 693 1389

W139 Warmoesstraat 139, 622 9434

Filmmuseum Vondelpark 3, 589 1400

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

Walls Gallery Prinsengracht 737

Flex Bar Pazzanistraat 1, 486 2123

Paciﬁc Parc Polonceaukade 23, 488 7778

Westergasfabriek Haarlemmerweg 8-10, 586 0710

Foam Keizersgracht 609, 551 6546

Pakhuis de Zwijger Piet Heinkade 179-181, 788 4444

Wetering Galerie Lijnbaansgracht 288, 623 6189

Fotogram Korte Prinsengracht 33, 624 9994

Panama Oostelijke Handelskade 4, 311 8680

Winston Kingdom Warmoesstraat 129, 623 1380

Galerie Bart Bloemgracht 2, 320 6208

Paradiso Weteringschans 6-8, 626 4521

Witzenhausen Gallery Hazenstraat 60, 644 9898

Galerie Fons Welters Bloemstraat 140, 423 3046

Pathé Tuschinski Reguliersbreestraat 34, 0900 1458

Zaal 100 De Wittenstraat 100, 688 0127

Galerie Gabriel Rolt Elandsgracht 34, 785 5146

Patronaat Zijlsingel 2, Haarlem, 023 517 5858

Zuiderkerk Zuiderkerkhof 72, 552 7987

De Bonte Zwaan Houthavens (by Pont 13) De Brakke Grond Nes 45, 626 6866 Cafe Sappho Vijzelstraat 103, 423 1509

There really are many more art listings online at www.amsterdamweekly.nl/art.

Spijker Kerkstraat 44, 620 5919

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

AGENDA: FILM

Film review

By Luuk van Huët

Blindness Opens Thursday at Cinecenter, Pathé Arena and Rialto

BLAND OF THE BLIND Despite a great run of ﬁlms, Fernando Meirelles’ new movie lacks vision. According to Freud, being afraid of losing your sight or injuring your eyes indicates castration anxiety. Personally, I think it has to do with hating getting poked in the peepers, but one way or another, we humans mostly rely on visual stimuli to function in daily life. In The City of the Blind by Nobel Prize-winning Portuguese author José Saramago, the unnamed titu-

FILM Amsterdam Weekly recommends.

Festivals Amsterdam India Festival: Gay India Two special screenings at Rialto tackling the theme of homosexuality in India. My Brother ... Nikhil was the first Bollywood film which dealt with gay themes and AIDS (director Onir will be in Amsterdam to attend the screening), while The Journey (Sancharram) presents some daring lesbian overtones. Both films subtitled in English. Rialto Anna Magnani Retrospective A touring retrospective of some of the most famous titles in Anna Magnani’s filmography, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of this Italian star. A very strong presence on (and off-) screen, Magnani is most famous for her complete ease in comedy and drama, and for being one of the earliest foreign actresses to ever win the Oscar (She got the nod for The Rose Tattoo in 1956). Het Ketelhuis IDFA Founded in 1988 in order to ‘stimulate the national and international documentary culture’, IDFA has now become the largest documentary film festival in the world. See features on p.7-9 . For complete schedule see www.idfa.nl. Filmmuseum, OBA, Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski India Express While the 10th India Festival takes place in Amsterdam, you can head to De Balie to watch a series of documentaries that deal with the topic in many different ways, from travelogues to biographies (like In Search of Gandhi). De Balie Turkish Trash Weekend A Turkish Star Wars? Yes, it can be made. The folks at Filmhuis Cavia continue their own unique celebration of cinematic trash with a weekend devoted to the worst of the worst of Turkish film production. Gokay Gelgec, president of the Cetin Inanc fanclub in Istanbul will introduce a special programme highlighting the works of Inanc, the Spielberg of Turkish Trash. All films in English or subtitled in English. Cavia

lar city is visited by a mysterious epidemic that leaves the entire population blinded, with the exception of one single woman. This adaptation for the big screen is directed by Fernando Meirelles, responsible for the phenomenal Cidade de Deus, as well as the highly acclaimed The Constant Gardener. He tries to imbue Blindness with the same mixture of

New this week Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex Uli Edel vividly por-

trays the development of the most radical and aggressive left-wing movement in post-war West Germany: the Red Army Faction (RAF). Unfortunately, Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu), Meinhof (Martina Gedeck) and Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek) are just too likeable to be taken very seriously as bloodthirsty terrorists. Although the film paints a realistic picture of what it was like to be young and anti-establishment in the ’70s—music and all—it fails to answer questions that arise naturally. What was the ideology of the RAF? Why is it that violence seems to become an end in itself? And why, after the arrest of the initial leaders, is the second generation even more aggressive than the first? Still, the devastation caused by the desperation within and decline of the RAF is all there, in explicit and sweeping action scenes. In German with Dutch subtitles. (KE) 150 min. Cinecenter, Kriterion, Pathé De Munt Blindness Fernando Meirelles adapts The City of the Blind, by the Nobel Prize winning Portuguese author José Saramago, for the screen. You ain’t seen nothing yet. See review above. 90 min. Cinecenter, Pathé ArenA, Rialto Body Of Lies Just another spy flick about the already outdated War On Terror, this time courtesy of Ridley Scott. CIA-spook Leonardo DiCaprio uncovers an evildoing scheme in Jordan and tries to keep the world safe from evildoers with the help of his chunky boss/family man, played by Russell Crowe. It stands to reason why Carice van Houten had her part cut from the film: DiCaprio’s character would seem impotent, nuts, or queer as a show pony to rather spend his days hanging out with sweaty guys with beards, than to stay home for some old fashioned marital bliss with our Carice. (LvH) 128 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

Still playing And When Did You Last See Your Father Successful forty-something author Blake Morrison (Colin Firth) looks back on his relationship with his well-intentioned but selfishly boisterous and overbearing dad (Jim Broadbent) in the last months of his father’s life. Covering four decades, the story traverses the hero worshipping of a little boy, the resentment and embar-

despair and hope that the novel contained, but fails to marry these sentiments with an overarching, satisfying narrative drive. That doesn’t mean that Blindness is a complete dud: there’s plenty to enjoy, even if it’s plain to see how the film could’ve been much better. After the first onset of spontaneous blinding, the government enforces a hasty quarantine on the poor sightless saps, transporting them to a heavily fortified and strictly guarded clinic. The first group of patients includes an eye doctor (Mark Ruffalo) and his wife (Julianne Moore), who is apparently immune to the disease and still has her sight, yet hides that fact from her fellow victims. While the infection continues to spread around the globe, the clinic quickly fills up, leading to all sorts of general unpleasantness: trash piles up, offal fills the corridors, food and medicine are scarce and the tension mounts between the afflicted themselves and the trigger-happy armed forces that guard them. All the time, Moore’s character is trapped by her responsibilities as the one-eyed king in the land of the blind, forced to watch out for and look after all the helpless others. Meanwhile her husband grows frustrated by his own impotence so his wife has to nurse him as well. The situation becomes even grimmer when a parasitical sleazebag (Gael Garcia Bernal) crowns himself ‘The King of Ward Three’ and together with his cronies seizes control of the food distribution. The other

rassment of a teenager and the adult son’s acceptance of his dad as a person with as many strengths as annoying faults. And When Did You Last See Your Father is elegant and heart warming, but it leaves the raw pain of loss untouched. Directed by Anand Tucker. 92 min. Cinecenter The Bank Job Press materials say this British thriller was ‘inspired by’ the September 1971 robbery of Lloyds Bank in London, but screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais have been quoted as saying they drew on a ‘deep throat’ informer familiar with the hushed-up case to ‘incriminate high-ranking police ofﬁcers, the secret service, politicians and a prominent member of the royal family’. The movie’s heist plot tends toward the generic, with Jason Statham conned into assembling a crew of yobs to tunnel under the bank and rip off its safe-deposit boxes. But the elaborate conspiracy theory that unfolds around them, artfully choreographed by director Roger Donaldson (Thirteen Days), is fascinating: supposedly the crooks kept all the cash and jewellery, but their sponsors in the MI5 were really after sexually explicit blackmail photos of Princess Margaret and other aristocrats that were being held by the revolutionary Michael X. 110 min. Cinema Amstelveen

Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis A smash box ofﬁce hit

in France, this effervescent comedy is about prejudices and the differences between the north and south of France. To help his depressed wife, post office manager Philippe Abrams (Kad Merad) tries to cheat his way into a transfer to the Côte d’Azur, but when he’s discovered, he’s relegated to the dreaded Nord-Pas-de-Calais region with its freezing cold weather and inhabitants who speak the ‘Ch’timi’ dialect. But lo and behold, Abrams actually likes the North, and befriends locals, especially postman Antoine (Dany Boon, who also cowrote and directed the film). Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis loses parts of its fun for non-francophone audiences, but there’s still enough left to enjoy this gentle and hilarious story. In French and Ch’timi with Dutch subtitles. (GR) 106 min. Studio K Boy A Adapted from a novel by Jonathan Trigell, this wrenching drama fictionalises the notorious 1993 murder of toddler James Bulger by a couple of tenyear-old truants in Merseyside, England, and the public outcry over the killers’ release in 2001. A rehabilitated murderer (Andrew Garfield), trembling with

Never mind all these fiction features. It’s all about IDFA. Check out online docs at www.idfa.nl/idfatv

wards are initially forced to pay for their supplies, but soon the lecherous brutes demand females for food. After becoming a nurse, caretaker and de facto mother of the entire ward, Moore’s character finally has to become a destroyer of life to save her makeshift family. Julianne Moore is the saving grace of Blindness: she shows both the remarkable strength and the existential stress her character feels during her ordeal. Her character isn’t some superhero, but a normal woman who is forced to make extraordinary choices and barely manages to hold it together. Technically, Blindness is often beautiful to look at, full of vibrant colors and frequent whiteouts to symbolise or show the point of view of the afflicted. The biggest problem is the strict faithfulness to the structure of the novel, in which hope and hopelessness are carefully and artfully entwined. Meirelles adheres closely to the original story, but fails to establish the same gut-wrenching connection between characters and audience he masterfully achieved in his previous films. Maybe the whittling down from two hours of running time to 90 minutes is to blame, or maybe a little irreverence towards the original story would’ve paid off. As it stands, Blindness is neither an irritating eyesore, nor a grandiose vision of extreme importance. In the end it just feels like you’ve seen it all before. __

hope, is given a new identity and quietly paroled, but his heartfelt desire to start over is immediately threatened by the British tabloids, whose screaming headlines demand to know where the monster is hiding. The movie is taut with suspense but culminates in wise resignation as the hero comes to understand he’s running from a part of himself. (JJ) 100 min. The Movies, Pathé De Munt Bride Flight To escape personal drama and the suffocating environment of post-WWII Netherlands, three young families decide to emigrate to New Zealand. The husbands leave ﬁrst to look for work and accomodation, and their brides meet on a fateful 1953 trip from London to Christchurch. Directed by Ben Sombogaart from a script by Marieke van der Pol, with Karina Smulders, Anna Drijver and Elise Schaap as the three young women, and a special appearance by Rutger Hauer. 130 min. The Movies, Pathé De Munt, Studio K

Burn After Reading The latest offering of the Coen

brothers is many things at once: it’s a spy film spoof, a comedy of errors, a great metaphor for the paranoia brought about by the war on terror and a clever deconstruction of narrative film-making itself. But it’s the stellar cast including Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Frances McDormand, who all get to behave like knuckleheaded dumbasses, pompous nerds and slick sleazeballs, that will probably draw the bulk of the crowd, and rightfully so. If you don’t mind being subjected to a little cinematic horseplay by those rascally Coens, you’re in for a treat. (LvH) 96 min. Cinecenter, The Movies, Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt, Studio K Cloud 9 This German entry at the latest Cannes Film Festival presents the classic love triangle we’ve seen so often in other films, only this time we get to see old folks get down and dirty. Dressmaker Inge (Ursula Werner) has been married with Werner (Horst Rehberg) for more than 30 years. However, she falls for Karl (Horst Westphal), a 76-year-old customer. It’s a very touching and realistic portrayal of love and sex, that can apparently take you to ‘Cloud Nine’, no matter the age. It can also make a good double-header companion with recent documentary release Young@Heart. In German with Dutch subtitles. 98 min. De Uitkijk Eagle Eye Working in the finest tradition of brain-dead blockbusters, director DJ Caruso (Disturbia) and producer Steven Spielberg take a script riddled with absurdities and throw millions and millions of dollars

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

AGENDA: FILM

The Oxford Murders Martin (Elijah Wood) is an American student with a passion for math, especially the theories of eccentric British professor Arthur Seldom (John Hurt). When he travels to Oxford to ask him to become his promoter for a PhD, he gets involved in a series of mysterious homicides, that he tries to decipher along with Seldom. Inspired Spanish helmer Alex De la Inglesia delivers a rather enjoyable old-style mystery, in pure Cluedo style. For those nostalgic for some Sherlock Holmes-Watson interplay, Mr Wood and Mr Hurt deﬁnitely do try their best. (MB) 110 min. Melkweg Cinema

Special screenings 3:10 to Yuma Period westerns are so unfashionable and costly that they usually require a top-drawer script to get off the ground—and this one, adapted from an Elmore Leonard story and its 1957 movie version, travels with an arrow’s clean arc. Christian Bale is a one-legged Civil War veteran who can’t keep his ranch and young family solvent, Russell Crowe is the notorious bad man who steals his cattle (and most of their scenes together). When Crowe is captured, Bale signs on to help deliver him through Santa Fe’s striking Diablo Canyon to the prison train of the title, where the poor rancher will collect a $200 reward. 3:10 to Yuma harks back to the ’50s westerns of Budd Boetticher and Anthony Mann, with their elemental journeys and damaged men. Director James Mangold (Walk the Line) draws good performances from both leads as they wrestle with the predatory power structure of the old west. (JJ) 117 min. Filmhuis Grifﬁoen

8 Femmes A factory owner is found dead, and the finger of guilt passes from one occupant of his glamorous home to another: his coolly fashionable wife (Catherine Deneuve), his willful daughters (Virginie Ledoyen and Ludivine Sagnier), his morally loose sister (Fanny Ardant), his miserly mother-in-law (Danielle Darrieux), his neurotic sister-in-law (Isabelle Huppert) and the home’s two domestics (Firmine Richard and Emmanuelle Beart). The French screen royalty assembled by Ozon and the film’s sheer exuberance in its own artifice make this a delight from beginning to end. In French with Dutch subtitles. (JJ) 113 min. Rialto Chicago 10 At the 1968 Democratic Convention, protesters, denied permits for demonstrations, repeatedly clashed with the Chicago Police Department, who waged a week-long terror campaign, resulting in riots witnessed live by a television audience of over 50 million. Eight activists, including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin and Bobby Seale, were charged with conspiracy to promote riots and brought to court in a trial that had a polarising effect on the country. By using an original mix of archival footage and capture-motion animation to re-enact the courtroom scenes, Chicago 10 presents contemporary history with a militant perspective, and explores the build-up to, and unravelling of, the Chicago Conspiracy Trial. Written and directed by Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays In The Picture). 110 min. SMART Cinema Entre Les Murs The everyday problems of a teacher in a multicultural classroom in contemporary Paris. This year’s Palme d’Or winner by Laurent Cantet gets its Dutch premiere at the Rialto theatre, with a special event on Friday, when four of the students from the classroom portrayed in the film will be present for questions, while a public debate about the current state of education, moderated by Stefan Vervaecke, will follow another special screening on Wednesday afternoon. Entre les murs will be on

at it. Two Chicagoans who don’t know each other (Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan) are coerced into carrying out a terrorist plot by a mysterious and omnipotent organisation that communicates with them by cell phones, manipulates their movements with split-second timing, and controls almost every electrical device in their path. Caruso and Spielberg probably wanted to revive the paranoid style of ’70s political thrillers, but their story is so implausible it barely provokes a tremor. (JJ) 118 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt How To Lose Friends and Alienate People British everyman Simon Pegg plays Sidney Young, a cocksure London satirist who is inexplicably offered a job on New York’s fashion-defining Sharps magazine. Determined to forge a career on his own terms, he soon realises that integrity plays second ﬁddle in the world of American celebrities. Kirsten Dunst plays the colleague he eventually clicks with, and Megan Fox plays, err... a babe (what else?). Based on the real-life memoir of Brit-hack Toby Young. 110 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Il y a longtemps que je t’aime Kristin Scott Thomas is a talent who cannot be used often enough. Her characters are usually hard-as-nails socialites, who fanatically guard their real emotions with cynicism and acerbic wit. In Il y a longtemps que je t’aime (I loved you for so long), she has never been more brittle, or so tough. Her Juliette has just been released after 15 years in prison for a crime that seems beyond comprehension. Still, Juliette has refused to defend her actions, even to her younger sister Léa (Elsa Zylberstein), who desperately wants to understand. A strong, composed debut by novelist Philippe

The

Must see:

Entre Les Murs Rialto, Friday 19.30, Wednesday 13.30 and 14.45

general release next week. In French with Dutch subtitles. 128 min. Rialto L’Important c’est d’aimer On the set of an exploitation film, an actress (Romy Schneider) meets a photographer (Fabio Testi). He goes deep into debt to give her a role in his new play, but she remains in love with her depressed husband (Jacques Chevalier). Schneider was determined to get the part in director Andrzej Zulawki’s first French film (1974), but nearly had a nervous breakdown during filming. In the end she won a César, the French Oscar, for her performance as a starlet fallen on hard times. In French with Dutch subtitles. 110 min. De Nieuwe Anita L’Emploi Du Temps This powerful feature by Laurent Cantet probably generated more buzz in 2001—all of it deserved—than any other European feature shown at Venice and Toronto. With uncanny precision and concentration, it follows the progress of a middle-class, middle-aged French businessman (Aurelien Recoing) who gets fired and hides the truth from his family, pretending to be away on business trips while spending much of his time in or near Switzerland. Written by Cantet and Robin Campillo and based very loosely on a true story, it manages to register as a resonant contemporary fable while sustaining narrative interest. In French with Dutch subtitles. (JR) 132 min. Filmmuseum Monterey Pop The Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967 is usually cited as the first public flowering of the Summer of Love, but musically it was more important for demarcating the studio pop that preced-

Claudel. In French with Dutch subtitles. (BS) 115 min. Cinecenter, Het Ketelhuis

Into

the Wild Moving, if somewhat overlong, account of the life of Christopher McCandless, with a bravura performance from Emile Hirsch. At the age of 22, McCandless left his wealthy, dysfunctional family, gave his college cash to Oxfam and took off into the breathtaking beauty of the American wilderness. What starts as a run-of-the-mill road movie twists into an American Odyssey as, after two years away from it all, McCandless meets an untimely death in the wilds of Alaska. The usual Characters Met Along the Way include Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn and Hal Holbrook. McCandless won’t stick with any of them, and gradually begins to unravel in his determined solitude. The ﬁlm becomes a meditation on the human need for human company, framed against some of the most glorious scenery the world has to offer. A triumph for Sean Penn as a director, backed by a custom soundtrack from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. (AD) 140 min. Kriterion

Jar City Based on the award-winning novel Myrin (released internationally under the title Tainted Love), Baltasar Kormakur’s stark drama features a quietly commanding performance from Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson as a veteran inspector who must expose many skeletons in his pursuit of the truth. This Icelandic crime mystery connecting the murder of a reclusive lowlife to the natural death of a young girl thirty years earlier was a smash box office hit in its country of origin. In Icelandic with Dutch subtitles. 94 min. Het Ketelhuis Lake Tahoe A teenager crashes his family car and desperately looks for a way to ﬁx it before going home. On his way, he meets a bizarre parade of characters who

The chick flick? Thelma & Louise returns to Kriterion.

ed it from the live rock that would follow. Chart-topping acts like The Byrds, whose set was embarrassing, and The Beach Boys, who copped out at the last minute, were immediately eclipsed by artists who could deliver the goods in concert, fiery vocalists like Otis Redding and Janis Joplin and powerhouse bands likeThe Who and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released two years later, DA Pennebaker’s 88-minute sampler from the three-day festival intersperses scenes of the beatific festivalgoers, who now seem as archaic as tintype portraits, with the explosive performances mentioned above and many others. (JJ) 88 min. Filmmuseum My Brother... Nikhil Indian director Onir makes an auspicious debut with this sentimental but persuasive drama about a gay champion swimmer (Sanjay Suri) in late’80s Goa who learns that he’s HIV positive. His sister (Juhi Chawla) is the only relative to stand by him when he’s ostracised, arrested, and held without trial. The musical numbers may suggest standard Bollywood fare, but the subject matter and Onir’s sympathetic treatment are relatively new for a country whose constitution still outlaws ‘unnatural’ sexual intercourse. In English and Hindi with English subtitles. (AG) 120 min. Rialto One Night in One City This multiple award-winning Czech dark animation feature brings to life a surreal universe reminding of the best work of visionary stop-motion pioneers such as Jan Svankmajer and the brothers Quay. Combining poetic fantasies and humour, sorrow and nostalgia, Jon Balej’s mini-stories are about loneliness, secret dreams, friendship and finding one’s place in this world. 76 min. SMART Cinema

provide some mild, dry comedy bits. Borrowing heavily from the likes of Jim Jarmusch, Hal Hartley and Aki Kaurismaki, Mexican director Fernando Eimbcke is able to bring in a laugh or two, but ultimately his Lake Tahoe lacks the concrete sense of humor to be a successful comedy, while it doesn’t have enough depth for a strong social observation on Mexican youth. In Spanish with Dutch subtitles. 85 min. Filmmuseum Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Great, more animated talking animals and goofy antics! While the sequel to Madagascar is unlikely to change this cynical perspective, it’s not all bad. While the animation itself is not as dazzling as your average Pixar flick and the overall feel of the film is quite bland, the voice cast (including the last performance by the late Bernie Mac) is quite good, even though Sascha Baron Cohen as the Lemur King is becoming grating. While there’s not much to recommend besides the hilarious penguins, there’s not too much to fault here either. Like porridge or macaroni and cheese, kids will dig it. (LvH) 89 min. Cinema Amstelveen, The Movies, Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Max Payne After his wife and baby daughter are killed by a criminal group addicted to a new drug called Valkyr, New York City cop Max Payne (Mark Whalberg) swears revenge and joins DEA, the Drug Enforcement Agency. While operating undercover to infiltrate inside the drug lords’ organization, he is wrongly accused of murder, and both Mafia and Police are after him. Based on the popular videogame series by the same name, directed by John Moore (The Omen... the ugly remake). 99 min. Pathé ArenA Mirrors Kiefer Sutherland stars in this remake of the Korean horror flick Into the Mirror (2003). Like The Haunting (1963) and The Shining (1980), this is a

Party This 1968 movie is one of the most famous slapstick comedies ever made. Peter Sellers is at his best as inept Indian background actor Hrundi V Bakshi, who, after inadvertently destroying a very expensive movie set, gets invited by mistake to a posh Hollywood party, where he meets and falls for a beautiful starlet, but mostly turns the event into one chaotic, extremely funny mess. Legend has it that Sellers and director Blake Edwards came up with most of the film’s jokes by improvising on the set. After 40 years, they still work. (MB) 99 min. Filmmuseum Pather Panchali In 1955, the year Satyajit Ray’s beautiful first feature won the Grand Prix at Cannes, no less a humanist than Francois Truffaut walked out of a screening, declaring, ‘I don’t want to see a film about Indian peasants’. Time and critical opinion have been much kinder to this family melodrama— derived, like its successors in the Apu trilogy, from a ’30s novel by Bibhutibhusan Banerjee—than to Truffaut’s remark. Yet there’s no question that Ray’s contemplative treatment of a poor Brahman family in a Bengali village, made on a small budget and accompanied by the mesmerizing music of Ravi Shankar, is a triumph of mood and character rather than an exercise in brisk Western storytelling. In Bengali with Dutch subtitles. (JR) 115 min. Filmmuseum Thelma & Louise Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis take off for a weekend holiday and eventually find themselves fleeing the law and society in this buoyant semi-feminist road movie from 1991—the same year Linda Hamilton did all those chin-ups in Terminator 2. (JR) 129 min. Kriterion Vers le Sud In the late 1970s, a group of randy women past their prime, led by ice-cold Ellen (Charlotte Rampling), colonise—in all senses of that word—a holiday resort in Haiti, trading financial security for sexual favours with the local men. While each woman is here to define her own version of paradise, their paid-for paramours reveal the flipside of the bargain. Muscular, handsome Legba (Ménothy Cesar) is the most soughtafter of the men, but is so tangled up in Haiti’s ever-present corruption that it leads to his demise. Although director Laurent Cantet calls upon viewers to constantly question their moral standpoint, his film is threaded through with humanity. In French and English with Dutch subtitles. (KR) 105 min. Filmmuseum

5 word movie review

Pretty Fly For A Terrorist Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex, Cinecenter, Kriterion, Pathé De Munt

thriller in which a vulnerable character is menaced by a building that pulsates with malevolence. Sutherland plays a former detective, disgraced and alcoholic, who now works the night shift patrolling a fabled department store gutted by ﬁre. After he’s attacked by distorted images in the store’s many mirrors, the evil follows him across town to threaten his family. Director Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes) keeps the suspense tight for most of the movie, only to fritter it away in an overblown ending. The real star of the movie is the towering production design of Joseph Nemec III (Terminator 2). (AG) 110 min. Pathé ArenA The Mourning Forest This 2007 Japanese ﬁlm directed by Naomi Kawase won the Grand Prix of Jury at the Cannes Film Festival last year. A nurse (Machiko Ono), grieving for the death of her young son, grows close to

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

AGENDA: FILM

an elderly man (Shigeki Uda), one of her patients who suffers from dementia, and who takes her on a mystical quest into the forest in the mountainous region west of Nara. In Japanese with Dutch subtitles. 97 min. Filmmuseum Nights in Rodanthe A doctor (Richard Gere) estranged from his grown son and an innkeeper (Diane Lane) reeling from a failed marriage enjoy a weekend of passion, but can they find lasting happiness? This romantic stinker, based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook), is one of those films in which every plot development becomes a life lesson and every gesture is weighted with significance. The tragedy in the last act is so clumsily handled you can almost hear the air hissing out of the story. (JK) 97 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt El Olvido New documentary by director Heddy Honigmann (The Underground Orchestra, Forever) focuses on old waiters and bartenders working in Peru, telling stories from their lives and their country. We all know bartenders know a lot of jokes, but they are also masters in the art of surviving with style, dignity and poetry in a world which is out of control. Honigmann makes them talk about the gigantic inflation in Peru, the fall of the middle class, the corruption, the violence of Shining Path and that of the local Army. You’ll definitely feel like having a cocktail afterwards. In Spanish with Dutch subtitles. 92 min. Rialto, De Uitkijk

Quantum of Solace The second instalment of the

rebooted Bond franchise is chock-full of action, stunts and wanton destruction of elaborately designed luxurious sets. The ubiquitous product placement is somewhat negated by said wholesale destruction of it, and while the narrative is nothing to write home about, it moves the film along quite nicely. The selling point of the film is Daniel Craig in his incredible portrayal of James Bond and the understated, yet crucial connection with M, played by Dame Dench. It might be a blockbuster for the masses, but it was made by master film craftsmen with wit, style and intelligence. (LvH) 106 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Radeloos Paco (Marius Gottlieb) has to cope with the death of his father. Yara (Marloes van der Wel) wants to go to art school, but her mother (Renée Soutendijk) pushes for her to become a model and starve herself. The two try and look for comfort in each other. Adapted from Carry Slee’s novel , Radeloos brings a faithful portrait of troubled adolescents to the screen. 110 min. Cinema Amstelveen, Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

FILM TIMES Thursday 20 November until Wednesday 26 November. Times are provided by cinemas and are subject to lastminute changes. De Balie Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10, 553 5151 India Express Thur 20.30, Fri, Sat, Sun 19.30, 21.30. Cavia Van Hallstraat 52-I, 681 1419 Turkish Trash Weekend Thur-Sat. Cinecenter Lijnbaansgracht 236, 623 6615 And When Did You Last See Your Father? daily 16.30, 19.30, 22.00, Sun also 11.15, 14.00 Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex Fri, Sat 15.15, 18.30, 21.45 Blindness daily 19.15, 21.45, Sun also 11.00, 13.30 Burn After Reading daily 16.00, 19.15, 21.45, Sun also 11.00, 13.30 Il y a longtemps que je t'aime daily 16.15. Cinema Amstelveen Plein 1960 2, Amstelveen, 547 5175 The Bank Job Thur, Fri, Sat 20.30 La Graine et le mulet Tues, Wed 20.30 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Sat, Wed 13.30, Sun 13.45 Radeloos Sat, Wed 15.30, Sun 15.45 Sinterklaas en het Geheim van het Grote Boek Sun 11.30. Filmhuis Grifﬁoen Uilenstede 106, Amstelveen, 444 5100 3:10 to Yuma Thur, Fri, Tues 19.30. Filmmuseum Vondelpark 3, 589 1400 Alice in Wonderland Sun 19.00 Fietsmug en Dansmug Sun, Wed 13.45 Hoppet Sun, Wed 14.00 IDFA Lake Tahoe Thur-Sat 17.15, Mon-Wed 21.45 L’Emploi Du Temps Sat 19.15 Makdee: The Web of the Witch Sat 14.00 Monterey Pop Thur 19.00 The Mourning Forest Thur, Fri 21.00, Sat 21.45, Sun-Wed 19.45 The Party Fri 19.00 Pather Panchali daily 21.30 Shanghai Trance Sat 14.30, Sun 21.45 Tejut Mon-Wed 18.00 Vers le Sud Thur, Fri 19.15. Het Ketelhuis Haarlemmerweg 8-10, 684 0090 Aanrijding in Moscou daily 16.45, 19.15 Anna Magnani Retrospective daily 21.45, Thur 19.30, Fri, Fietsmug & Dansmug Sat, Sun, Wed 13.00

Shanghai Trance The feature debut of Dutch filmmaker David Verbeek is made up of three separate love stories edited together, all taking place in contemporary Shanghai. Poor boy Xu Yu watches his love interest leave when her suddenly rich family moves to a chic new district. Popular nightclub DJ Calvin and his girlfriend realize that their party lifestyle must come to an end. And Dutch architect Jochem (Tygo Gernandt) relocates to Shanghai and falls for the beautiful Zhang Yi. In Chinese with Dutch subtitles. 100 min. Filmmuseum Le Silence de Lorna Lorna is a young Albanian woman who just moved to Lieges. In order for her to obtain the EU citizenship, local criminal Fabio makes her marry Claudy, a junkie. Lorna’s dream is to open a bar along with her boyfrend Sokol, but in order to free herself from Fabio, she must get rid of fake husband Claudy and use her ‘European’ status to pass on her Belgian citizenship to a Russian maﬁoso. The Dardenne brothers move away from their minimalistic, 16mm handheld-style, with this grim contemporary drama that won them a well-deserved Best Screenplay award in Cannes this year. (MB) 105 min. Rialto

Sita Sings the Blues Nina Paley’s animated ﬁlm

won the award of Best Feature at the prestigious Annecy Animation Festival and was the opening ﬁlm at the KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival. A sort of autobiographical tale inspired by the director’s real life break-up with her husband, her reading of The Ramayana, the famous epic Hindu poem about the doomed love of King Rama and Sita, and a mix of old jazz songs and cartoons. It’s a highly entertaining ﬁlm. 82 min. SMART Cinema

Stranded This documentary looks at one of the most astonishing survival tales of all time. On 13 October, 1972, a rugby team from Montevideo, Uruguay, boarded a plane for a match in Chile, which crashed on the way. Sixteen of the 45 passengers resurfaced, after surviving for 72 days on a remote Andean glacier. Thirty-five years later, the survivors returned to the crash site to recount their harrowing story. Previously documented in the 1973 worldwide bestseller Alive (and the 1993 movie of the same name), this shocking true story receives the definitive cinematic treatment, crafted with riveting detail by documentary film-maker Gonzalo Arijon, and featuring a masterful combination of on-location interviews, archival footage and reenactments. In Spanish with Dutch subtitles. 130 min. Kriterion Il y a longtemps que je t'aime Fri-Wed 17.00 Jar City daily 121.30, Sat, Sun, Wed also 12.30 Het kleine spookje Laban Sat, Sun, Wed 14.45, Sun also 11.30 Ver van familie Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues 16.45, Sat, Wed 14.00, Sun 11.00 Vox Populi Thur-Tues 19.45, 22.00, Sat, Sun, Wed also 16.45. Kriterion Roetersstraat 170, 623 1708 Anubis en het pad der 7 zonden Sat, Sun, Wed 15.15, Sun also 13.15 Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex daily 18.00, Thur-Mon, Wed 21.00 The Darjeeling Limited daily 17.00, Sat also 0.00 Fietsmug & Dansmug Sat, Sun, Wed 13.30 Into the Wild daily 21.45 Het kleine spookje Laban Sat, Sun, Wed 15.00 Rocknrolla Fri, Sat 23.45 Sneak Preview Tues 22.15 Stranded daily 17.45 Thelma & Louise Mon 22.00 Vox Populi daily 20.00, Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed 22.00 W daily 19.15 Wall-E (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 14.45, Sun also 12.45. Melkweg Cinema Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 624 1777 Control Wed 19.00 The Oxford Murders Fri-Tues 19.00. The Movies Haarlemmerdijk 159-165, 638 6016 Anubis en het pad der 7 zonden See www.themovies.nl Boy A See www.themovies.nl Bride Flight See www.themovies.nl Burn After Reading See www.themovies.nl Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa See www.themovies.nl Waltz With Bashir See www.themovies.nl De Nieuwe Anita Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 06 4150 3512 L'Important c'est d'aimer Mon 20.30. OBA Oosterdokskade 143, 0900-2425468 IDFA . Pathé ArenA ArenA Boulevard 600, 0900 1458 Anubis en het pad der 7 zonden Fri-Sun, Wed 12.10, 14.15, 16.20, 18.30, Sat, Sun also 10.00 Avanak Kuzenler daily 16.55, 19.20, Thur, Mon, Tues also 15.25 Blindness daily 11.50, 16.25, 21.20, Sat also 23.40 Body Of Lies daily 12.30, 15.20, 18.10, 21.00, Sat also 23.45 The Bucket List Tues 13.30 Burn After Reading daily 18.05, 20.20, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 15.45, Thur, Fri, Mon also 13.20, Sat also 22.40 Eagle Eye Sat 0.00 How To Lose Friends and Alienate People daily 19.10, 21.40,

Vox Populi The latest film from Eddy Terstall (Simon) deals with an ambitious and flamboyant leftwing politician in a midlife crisis, Jos Fransen (Tom Jansen). Some weeks before the election, his daughter, young actress Zoë (Tara Elders) becomes involved with the simple and straightforward military policeman Sjef (Johnny de Mol). Not only is Tom whole-heartedly welcomed by his daughter’s new inlaws, he also becomes influenced by their outspoken ideas on immigrants and demagogic political views. Due to Fransen’s refusal to take a position in these matters he is losing votes, so he realizes that uttering the opinions of the common man could be a guarantee to political success. A satire on the current Dutch political scene. 100 min. Het Ketelhuis, Kriterion W Oliver Stone strives for Greek tragedy, but his take on Dubya’s life story and his first term owes more to Freudian psychoanalysis than to Sophocles. According to Stone’s overly sympathetic account, George W became president and invaded Iraq because of his troubled relationship with his daddy. While the fragmented narrative and the “psychobabble” don’t do the film any favors, the outstanding performances by the cast are a sight to behold. Josh Brolin’s performance in the title role, Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice and Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell manage to save the film from the dustbin its subject is destined for. (LvH) 131 min. Kriterion Waltz With Bashir The opening film of the Holland Animation Film Festival in Utrecht, Waltz With Bashir follows in the steps of Persepolis with its use of animation to deal with adult, political and contemporary themes—in this case the 1982 Lebanon war. Director Ari Folman attempts to share his personal experience of the war by interviewing friends and wit-

nesses, whom he turns into animated figures, thus creating a visual hybrid of documentary and ﬁction. In Hebrew and German with Dutch subtitles. 90 min. The Movies, Rialto Young @ Heart This documentary by British director Stephen Walker about a Massachusetts rock choir where the choristers’ average age is 81 could easily have become tacky and sappy, but instead Young@Heart is surprisingly humane and upbeat. Songs such as Should I Stay or Should I Go, Forever Young and Fix You take on new meaning when sung by people on the brink of death. The choristers’ humour, lust for life and determination are infectious, and the standing ovations at each show well deserved. Perhaps it’s not so bad, being old. (KE) 109 min. Rialto

La Zona A Mexican gated community is entered by three petty thieves trying to stage a robbery. Two are killed by the locals, while the third gets trapped inside La Zona and can’t escape. Moral and logistical dilemmas hit the community, as they try to cover up the events from the State Police to keep their status quo. Amazing feature film debut by Mexican film-maker Rodrigo Pla, definitely a name to watch. In Spanish with Dutch subtitles. (MB) 97 min. Studio K Edited by Massimo Benvegnù. This week's films reviewed by Massimo Benvegnù (MB), Angela Dress (AD), Kate Eaton (KE), Andrea Gronvall (AG), Luuk van Huët (LvH), JR Jones (JJ), Joshua Katzman (JK), Steven McCarron (SM), Mike Peek (MP), Gusta Reijnders (GR), Kim Renfrew (KR), Jonathan Rosenbaum (JR) and Bregtje Schudel (BS). All ﬁlms are screened in English with Dutch subtitles unless otherwise noted.

Web tip:

Holland Doc Kijk en Luister www.hollanddoc.nl/ dossiers/39626811/

Thur, Mon, Tues also 11.50, 14.10, 16.40 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa daily 15.10, 17.40, 19.50, 22.10, Fri-Wed 12.50, Sun also 10.45, Sat also 10.40, 0.15 Max Payne Sat 0.10 Mirrors Sat 0.10 My Best Friend's Girl daily 21.50, Thur, Mon also 12.10 Nights in Rodanthe Thur, Mon, Tues 11.45, 13.55, 16.15, 18.25, Fri, Sat 17.30, Sun 17.10, Thur 20.40 Quantum of Solace daily 12.00, 13.30, 14.30, 16.00, 17.00, 18.00, 18.30, 19.00, 20.30, 21.00, 21.00, 21.30, Thur, Fri, SatMon, Wed also 19.30, 22.00, Thur, Mon, Tues also 14.00, 15.30, 16.30, Sat, Sun also 11.00, Mon, Tues also 13.00, Fri, Sat also 20.00, Sat 22.30, 23.00 Radeloos Fri, Wed 11.45, 14.10, 16.40, Sat, Sun also 10.20, 13.10, 16.00 Rocknrolla Thur, Sun, Mon-Wed 19.45, 21.45, Thur, Mon, Tues also 16.35, Mon, Tues also 13.45 Sinterklaas en het Geheim van het Grote Boek Fri-Sun, Wed 13.00, 15.30, Sat also 10.30 Sneak Preview Tues 21.00 Space Chimps (NL) Fri-Sun, Wed 12.40, 14.45, Sat, Sun also 10.30 Wall-E (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 13.20, 15.50, Sat, Sun also 10.40. Pathé De Munt Vijzelstraat 15, 0900 1458 Anubis en het pad der 7 zonden Sat 11.45, 14.00, Sun, Wed 12.40, Sun also 10.15 Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 20.30, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.00, Sat 21.45 Body Of Lies Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 12.20, 21.30, Sat 13.15, 22.30 Boy A Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues 15.30, Sun-Wed also 18.00, Sun also 10.20, Sat 12.00, 17.30 Bride Flight Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 15.15, 18.15, Sat 10.20, 16.15, 19.30 Burn After Reading Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 19.30, 22.00, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.00, 16.45, Thur, Mon, Tues also 14.15, Sat 18.15, 20.45, 23.30 Eagle Eye Sun, Mon, Wed 20.45 How To Lose Friends and Alienate People Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 15.00, 17.45, Sat 16.20, 19.00 IDFA Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 14.45, 17.00, 19.15, Thur, Fri, Mon-Wed also 12.15, Sun also 10.15, 12.30, Sat 16.00, 18.30, 23.40 My Best Friend's Girl Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 13/30, 19.00, Sun also 11.00, Sat 10.30, 13.00, 18.45 Nights in Rodanthe Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 16.15, Sat 15.45 Quantum of Solace daily 20.00, Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed also 12.00, 13.00, 14.30, 15.45, 17.15, 18.30, 21.15, 21.45, Thur, Fri, MonWed also 12.30, Thur, Fri also 18.00, 20.45, Sat also 11.00, 12.15, 13.45, 15.00, 16.30, 17.45, 19.15, 20.30, 21.00, 22.00, 22.45, 23.15, Sun also

Like the real-life Bush, W lingers on even with the election fading into the background.

Radeloos Sat 14.30, Sun, Wed 15.30 Rocknrolla Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 21.50, Sat 21.30 Sinterklaas en het Geheim van het Grote Boek Fri 14.10, Sat 10.15, 12.45, 15.30, Sun, Wed 13.15, 16.00, Sun also 10.30 Sneak Preview Tues 21.00. Pathé Tuschinski Reguliersbreestraat 34, 0900 1458 Faust Sat 19.00 IDFA daily. Rialto Ceintuurbaan 338, 676 8700 8 Femmes Sun 11.00, Wed 19.30 Aanrijding in Moscou Sat, Sun 13.00 Amsterdam India Festival: Gay India Sat, Sun Blindness Thur, Sat-Wed 22.00, Fri 15.45, 22.30 Caos calmo Thur-Tues 17.30 Entre Les Murs Fri 19.30, Wed 13.30, 14.45 The Journey Sun 15.00 My Brother... Nikhil Sat 16.00 El Olvido daily 21.45, Thur-Tues 19.45, Fri, Sat, Sun also 15.30 Le Silence de Lorna daily 21.20, Thur, Sat-Wed 17.00, Fri, Sat, Sun 14.45 Waltz With Bashir Thur, Sun-Wed 17.45, Thur, Sat-Wed 20.00, Fri 17.00, 19.15, Sat, Sun also 13.15, Sun also 11.30 Young@Heart Thur, Sat-Wed 19.15, Sat, Sun also 12.30. SMART Cinema Eerste Constantijn Huijgensstraat 20, 427 5951 1000 Journals Sun, Tues 22.15, Mon 20.00 Chicago 10 Thur, Fri 22.00 One Night in One City Sat, Sun 22.00 Planet B-Boy Fri, Sat, Wed 22.15 Profit Motive And The Whispering Wind Thur, Sun 20.00, Mon 22.00 Sita Sings the Blues Fri, Sat, Tues, Wed 20.15 The Soundscape Sessions Sun 20.15 White Lies Black Sheep Tues, Wed 22.00 Wild Combination - A portrait of Arthur Russell Fri, Sat, Tues, Wed 20.00. Studio K Timorplein 62, 692 0422 Anubis en het pad der 7 zonden Thur, Sat-Wed 17.00 Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis daily 17.15 Bride Flight daily 19.45 Burn After Reading daily 20.00, 22.00 Het kleine spookje Laban Sat, Sun, Wed 15.30 Wall-E (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 15.30 La Zona daily 22.15. De Uitkijk Prinsengracht 452, 623 7460 Cloud 9 daily 17.00, 19.00 El Olvido daily 21.00, Sat-Wed 23.00 Wall-E (NL) Sat 15.15, Sun 14.30.

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

FOOD & DRINK

The Mouth

By Nanci Tangeman

Self-hatred at Small World Small World Binnen Oranjestraat 14, 420 277 Open Tues-Sat 10.30-20.00, Sun 12.00-20.00 Cash only It may be called Small World, but it has a big, big following. I hate myself for writing that, but there are times when a cheap cliché just feels good. And this one’s true. For a couple of weeks running, Small World has been a big part of my life. They cater my friend’s 40th birthday bash with hamburgers and stuffed mushrooms that stand up to a buffet line. Another friend begs me to meet her at Small World and feeds me her favourite dish—a sandwich of fresh tuna, red tapenade and rucola on rosemary foccacia (€8.25). It’s delicious. The next Sunday, I stop by with another group of friends for another sandwich, this time with goat cheese, rucola and balsamic-marinated red onions (€6.25). That’s when I realise Small World is one of the few places I’ve visited on a Sunday that’s not a compromise in some way. A week later, another friend, another birthday party. This time the table’s full of small foods (tortillas, sate) on sticks. Everything’s easily consumable with a big glass of wine in the other hand. Guess who the caterer is? I’m beginning to think it’s a Small World, after all. (I hate myself for writing that, too.) I’m also beginning to hate my friends for not dragging me into Small World sooner. The menu lists 18 kinds of sandwiches,

including warm pastrami, Emmental and coleslaw (€6.50); meatloaf, tomato and honey mustard (€6.25); and hummus, grilled vegetable and lettuce (€6.25). On one visit a friend mixes salads from the cold case: couscous with olives and cumin; a radish, carrot and orange slaw; and a couple of roasted vegetables from the wide choice of mushrooms, eggplant, artichokes, tomatoes, pumpkin, courgettes, peppers and balsamic red onions (€2.75, €4.25). The quiche selection always pairs goat cheese with a choice of broccoli, pumpkin or another vegetable (€6.95). The chowder on one of my visits is roasted sweet potato and corn (€4.25). For a winter sit-down, Small World is cramped, often standing room only with faxed-in pick-up traffic coming and going. Better weather opens up the benches outside. But, as my friends tell me, much on the menu is suited to heating up at home: grilled chicken in herb marinade (€6.25); baked penne with cheddar and zucchini (€6.95); and the big favourite at Small World—the lamb burrito (€7.95). For breakfast there are muffins: spiced carrot, banana chocolate and berry buttermilk (€1.25, €2.50). For the sweet tooth there are lemon tarts (€3.50) and tall slices of apple pie with vanilla sauce (€3.50). One friend cements her place in my heart by insisting that I share her carrot cake (€3.50). It’s a two-fork portion. The cake is moist, but not sticky. The flavour is not too sweet. In fact, I can taste the carrots and a hint of coconut. The frosting is buttery. I hate to admit it. Waiting this long to visit Small World has been a big mistake. (And I hate myself for writing that, as well.)

I’m also beginning to hate my friends for not dragging me into Small World sooner.

A night in the life...

By Sarah Gehrke

Local foreigners and foreign locals Café de Wetering Weteringstraat 37 Open Mon-Thur, Sun 16.00-01.00, Fri 16.00-03.00, Sat 15.00-03.00 Cash ‘So I came into that little village, a little boy, with my Amsterdam accent,’ says the guy who’s standing at the bar, ‘and then I also didn’t have a proper satchel. So obviously they realised it immediately—that I wasn’t one of them. It was a hard time. And it wasn’t exactly made easier by the fact that whereas in Amsterdam we were allowed to write with ballpoints, there we had to use real fountain pens...’ At this point the man standing next to him interrupts, shouting, rather unexpectedly, ‘Thank God for Tipp-Ex!’ Apparently he has had some traumatic experiences with fountain pens too. However, his sudden remark brings the conversation to a dead end, and after a short pause, the barman puts on the football. It’s a Wednesday, early evening, and apart from the group of regulars down by the bar, Café de Wetering is pretty deserted. It’s small with a miniature bar on the ground floor and tables on the slightly elevated bit. It is up here, too, that we find the fireplace. It adds both to the compelling charm of

Beer price: €2.10 for a vaasje (Heineken). Emergency food: Extremely old cheese. Special interior feature: Above the bar, directly underneath the ceiling, there’s a narrow balcony with a row of chairs on it. It’s the mezzanine for the TV. This interior feature is so special that even the lovely fireplace in the back of the bar can only come second in this category. Predominant shoe type: Paint sprinkled Timberlands. Typically ordered drink: Local beer. Smoking situation: The stereotypical bench outside. Tune of the night: None. The football was on. Mingling factor: Medium-high. State of toilets near closing time: The loos themselves are inconspicuous, but the way there is a right adventure trail: climb down the stairs! Jump over the empty crates! Proceed through the hallway, and take a left at the fruit machine! Then try to resist the Indiana Jones pinball! Phew—you’ve made it. Just.

the place and to our fun, as our pyromaniac instincts are re-ignited. Meanwhile downstairs, one of the men announces repeatedly that he will have to go to the fishmonger the next day. (The reason for the announcement is that on the TV, Ajax is playing Volendam, a fishing village.) We gather from this that he wants Ajax to win. But the more interesting part is the word he uses for fishmonger: visboer—fish farmer. It is a cute little feature of the Dutch language that in general, the people that sell you something are referred to as farmers. There’s fish farmers, cheese farmers, book farmers, shoe farmers. One time, when I asked someone where to buy a tram ticket, I was referred to ‘the cigarette farmer’. Immediately, fields of rows of freshly grown cigarettes formed before my inner eye, and for a while, sigarettenboer was my favourite Dutch word. At the bar, someone makes an unfavourable comment about Ajax. By way of a retort, the man that had to use fountain pens in the village asks where exactly do PSV stand at the moment? Where do they stand? The first man’s answer is to claim not to be interested in football anyway. When a third man, whose Dutch is heavily accented, tries to say something, he is immediately asked, albeit jokingly, to go back to his island, whereupon he looks dejectedly towards the ceiling and wails, ‘Brighton!’ __

Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

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Amsterdam Weekly_20-26 November 2008

S E RV I C E S

WEEKLY CLASSIFIEDS SERVICES

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