Amsterdam Weekly: Vol 4 Issue 48, 29 November-5 December 2007

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Volume 4, Issue 48

29 NOVEMBER - 5 DECEMBER 2007 Girls are great

‘I gave my favourite spasm a chair’ page 4

FREE

www.amsterdamweekly.nl

The Three Degrees of Feminism page 6

A call for female ball kicking in Amsterdam page 4 A recall for grandma’s old vibrator page 4 Where has all the luxury gone? page 5 ART: Seeking a universal language of smileys p. 11 / FILM: Cronenberg retains his disturbing Eastern promise p. 23

Short List . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Music/Clubs . . . . . . . . . .13 Gay & Lesbian . . . . . . . .17 Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Classifieds/Comics . . . .25



29 November-5 December 2007

Amsterdam Weekly

ATTACHMENTS In this issue and... As women get set to discuss—among many other things—different attitudes towards combining work and parenthood at this weekend’s Women’s Inc festival, children are rioting nationwide. Both schools and police were taken by complete surprise this week since the students had organised themselves via MSN and text messaging. Those little rascals! But in fact, they are just exercising their right to strike and demonstrate against 1040 class hours. Sure, they’re going a little nuts and they probably shouldn’t be throwing rocks at cops. But cops shouldn’t be hitting kids with billy clubs as they did in Middelburg. Didn’t those adults learn anything at school? And should parents be concerned about what’s up with the youth of today? Are things getting out of control? Well, probably not. The real moral of this story is probably more about how far things have gone in the adult world that we have to look to 12-year-olds nowadays to get inspired about some proper social activism. Oh, the shame.

On the cover THREE WAYS OF FEMINISM Illustration by Claudie de Cleen www.claudiedecleen.com

Next week Nesting

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

Amsterdam Weekly BV De Ruyterkade 106, 1011 AB Amsterdam Tel: 020 522 5200 Fax: 020 620 1666 www.amsterdamweekly.nl General info: info@amsterdamweekly.nl Agenda listings: agenda@amsterdamweekly.nl Advertising: sales@amsterdamweekly.nl Classifieds: classifieds@amsterdamweekly.nl PUBLISHER Todd Savage EDITOR Steve Korver ASSISTANT EDITOR Nina Siegal AGENDA EDITOR Steven McCarron FILM EDITOR Julie Phillips PROOFREADER Mark Wedin EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Sarah Gehrke ART DIRECTOR Bas Morsch PRODUCTION MANAGER Karen Willey PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Mattijs Arts, Rogier Charles SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Carolina Salazar ACCOUNT MANAGERS Florrie Beasley, Marc Devèze, Simone Klomp OPERATIONS MANAGER Monique Gruter FINANCE ASSISTANT Simone Choi DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Patrick van der Klugt FINANCIAL ADVISER Kurt Schmidt (Veresis Consulting) PRINTER Corelio Printing Amsterdam Weekly is published every week on Wednesday and is available free at locations all over Amsterdam. Subscriptions are available for €60 per six months within the Netherlands and €90 per six months within Europe. Agenda submissions are welcome, at least two weeks in advance. New contributors are invited to visit Amsterdam Weekly’s website for contributor guidelines. Contents of Amsterdam Weekly (ISSN 1872-3268) are copyright 2007 Amsterdam Weekly BV. All rights reserved.

10 WOMEN by Arnoud Holleman

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29 November-5 December 2007

AROUND TOWN Curl it like Cruijff Why doesn’t Ajax have a women’s football team?

A buzz about buzzin’ Adult toys for girls get rrrrrrecycled. By Suzanne Schreve Last Sunday, there was a buzz in the air. Around 100 women of various ages, shapes and sizes, lined up to bin their old joystick and trade up for a newer version during the first ‘Trade In Your Vibrator Day’ at Mail & Female, a mail-order sex toy and gift shop, on the corner of Nieuwe Vijzelstraat and Weteringschans. The event, which was essentially a PR stunt for the shop, was meant to educate women about the newest, safest and most advanced toys. Women could trade in their old wood for something high-tech, like an apple green Pi. Pi is waterproof and has a cone-like ribbed body with a worm-shaped head that likes to wriggle about in the dark, making it easy to adopt as your new favourite bath time pet. But there were many more toys to choose from if that didn’t tickle your fancy. Participants included an 83-year-old grandmother from Oud-West and her 28-

year-old granddaughter. Both brought shiny silver rods that had definitely passed their use-by date. ‘I just thought that after eight years, it was time for a new one. My granddaughter had heard about it as well, so we signed up together. She knew I have a vibrator, but we don’t share all our bedtime secrets. I live alone, so besides my cat, I need some sort of company,’ says Oma as she fondled a pink dildo with a fluffy, furry tail. Demand is clearly revving the vibrator market. Research performed by Durex in 2005 showed that 45% of Dutch women own a vibrator and over one million vibrators were sold that year. But even though many women felt open about using and discussing their personal satisfaction, none of the women interviewed on Sunday wanted their names in print, suggesting that there’s still some social taboo. Indeed, the Durex research also found that the main reason for a woman not owning a vibrator was that they felt too ashamed to buy one. Hanni Jagtman, who founded Mail & Female in 1988, remembers when people used to call it a ‘sex help article’ or ‘massager’. Jagtman says, ‘there are still women out there who see it as dirty, but the research we did through our website shows that the average woman using a vibrator is well-educated, confident and independent—and very capable of making her own decisions.’ Sex toys may no longer be just the preserve of the Red Light District or the secret goody drawer,

Just throw ’em in the lustbin.

but Jagtman thinks women don’t buy vibrators because they aren’t wellinformed enough about what to buy and how to use it. For example, women who are only in for a short ride can experience problems reaching an orgasm quickly after prolonged use—but that’s where different pulsating settings can come in handy. Checking a vibrator for quality is a bit like doing a wine tasting—you can do a simple nose test to detect unwanted chemical ingredients. As Jagtman explains the advantages of silicone rubber, she demonstrates how you can check it for a firm body. As one woman squeals at the touch of a rather large and realistic dildo, another woman nostalgically remarks how the silicone smell reminds her of her first play doll—not to be confused by her first play pal. ‘I liked my old pal and I am a bit sad to part with it. I used it for either vaginal or anal stimulation, but I am glad to get one that can do both at the same time. And the new ones feel so much nicer,’ she observes. And, just in case you were wondering, the bin full of old pals will be recycled by artist Rietje Jongsma, who plans to create an artwork entitled ‘I gave my favourite spasm a chair’, which will likely evoke some penetrating thoughts if you don’t watch where you sit.

You may be a walking encyclopaedia of international football, but you can still get confused. There you are, happily zapping through the TV channels, looking for ye olde leather monster being kicked around the pitch by 22 testosterone driven athletes. Then you hit a match—Brazil is playing! Who is that number 10? Amazing player! You listen to the commentary voice, but the names of the players don’t mean anything to you. Confusion sets in. Have I been asleep for years? Did aliens abduct me? Did I slip into some parallel universe? After a few minutes you realise you’re watching women’s football. And believe me, it’s not as you imagined. Since the beginning of the football competition in August this year, the Netherlands have their own Premier League women’s division. Initially, nine clubs were interested in setting up a team and giving it a go after talks with the Dutch Football Union (KNVB). Among them was Ajax Amsterdam. But as time went by, Ajax pulled out, and only six were left: FC Twente, ADO Den Haag, SC Heerenveen, FC Utrecht, Willem II (Tilburg) and AZ Alkmaar. All of them are

LEO SOETERS

ELZAJO VAN REENEN

By Jaro Renout


Amsterdam Weekly

29 November-5 December 2007

Heads up! Ajax is behind.

The devil tears Prada The unsavoury fit of a fast-fashion nation. By Karina Hof Dana Thomas, a veteran cultural correspondent for Newsweek magazine, once stepped into a $500 pair of cotton-poplin blend Prada trousers to find ‘they were literally falling apart at the seams.’ Last Tuesday evening at the Felix Meritis, Thomas described that revelatory moment, and explained that it was the inspiration for her new book, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Lustre. The book, published in August by Allen Lane, is a muckraking 384-page magnum opus examining every sprocket of the modern-day machine known as fashion, from Miuccia Prada’s fennel tea-serving Milan office to a sweatshop in Guangdong, China, where eight-year-olds glue together counterfeit Versace handbags. After jetting through a history of selfadornment, Deluxe lands heavy in the mid-19th century. Thomas describes this as the era before the fall of luxury, when designers and artisans worked side by side, to swaddle their customers in threads for a lifetime. With these halcyon days inspiring her definition of luxury, Thomas then flashforwards to the 21st century, where true luxury is rare. Today, manufacturers focus on quantity rather than quality and social status is achieved through the brandishing of brand names. This is what Thomas calls ‘the democratisation of luxury’. Thomas’ talk held an attentive audience, mostly of women who, like her, were well-accessorised yet understated in dark clothes and loose cuts. Based largely on excerpts from her book, the delivery was one long lament on the impoverishment of luxury. ‘Consumers no longer buy luxury items for what they are, but for what they represent,’ Thomas stated. To summarise Deluxe’s favourite case study, Louis Vuitton was once a family-run business with one store in Paris, opened in 1852, and one in Nice. In 1977, it earned $12 million. Today, with $3 billion in annual revenues, according to Thomas, Louis Vuitton has 370 stores and the LV monogram is as recognisable as McDonald’s Golden Arches, feeding masses hungry for a quick fix of Super Size couture.

ELZAJO VAN REENEN

serious (top) clubs, with serious dames playing very decent pro ball. But what in Maradonna’s name happened to Amsterdam? If anyone else seems to be able to bend it like Beckham, why can’t we curl it like Cruijff? Cold feet? Ajax press spokesperson Riske Betten tries to explain: ‘Actually, Ajax is very positive about the KNVB’s idea of a full scale women’s league. But we want to see how it develops first. We think it’s great that clubs are experimenting with the format.’ But when might Ajax take the plunge? ‘We first have to establish what a women’s premier division would mean for Ajax’ structure, so no decision has been made yet.’ So nothing is certain... And in the mean time, the present six teams are building up experience, and getting stronger in the process. Barbara van Ijzeren, Ajax season ticket holder and author of the recently published football-thriller Open Doel has two possible explanations for the phenomenon. ‘It’s a pity that Ajax is not prepared to run a risk in this matter. Because that’s what I think it is. Ajax is not your average club. The pressure to win is huge. A women’s Premier League team would create another problem, because they are expected to have a great season, every season. It would be quite impossible to imagine Ajax dangling in the lower regions of this league. ‘Another thing is the club structure. Where others might be able to get a female team up and going fairly quickly within an existing network, Ajax would have to conjure up a new and fully operational department, and a “directeur vrouwenvoetbalzaken”.’ So we have two plausible reasons for lacking a great Amsterdam all-female football team. But if we are to believe managing director Maarten Fonteyn, safety may play a role as well. In March this year he stated in Het Parool: ‘We have to consider the safety of the girls. It’s very dark here at night.’ Yes, and women don’t drive cars. Meanwhile, Ajax’s prize horse, the (male) premier team, has been losing face since the Golden Years in the mid-1990s, and internationally they are nowhere to be found. The last couple of years, when people talk about Ajax, they talk about downfall. Fans feel that their club is taken away from them—by the stock market, by the business suits, by the money. The boys made a mess of it. So maybe it’s time to start all over again. And let the ladies have a go.

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In print, Thomas comes across as engaging and well-researched. What made her talk unpalatable though was the lack of explicitness about why she wrote Deluxe, and hence it came across as a mere rallying for a global quality control to ensure that cultivated consumers like her get the luxury items they pay for. Her accounts of deplorable working conditions found in developing nations don’t seem motivated by concerns to stamp out child labour or correct other human rights violations. Nor was her book written to stimulate social consciousness, as suggested by Volkskrant fashion writer Milou van Rossum when she asked Thomas if there would be an end to ‘handbags [as] a new form of slavery for young women.’ ‘There’s a dark side, a very dark side to this democratisation,’ said Thomas in a hushed tone. ‘And that’s counterfeit.’ She described child factory workers in Thailand whose legs had been broken by the plant owners, their shins tied to their thighs to prevent healing. Thomas also spoke of ‘nice Chinese girls’ age 18 to 26, who she witnessed assembling 30,000 ‘middle-range’ handbags a month for ‘a British brand’ in a football stadium-size factory. The employees’ monthly salary was $120, the production cost of a single bag, which sells in a Hong Kong department store for $1,200. But she took her argument even farther. Thomas also blamed the counterfeit industry for financing Hezbollah, the IRA and the Colombian Rebel Army FARC. She

Luxury is becoming a luxury item.

even traced the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers to earnings made from a Manhattan imitation T-shirt shop. And who is complicit in all this terror? According to Thomas, it’s ‘suburban women [who] converge in well-appointed living rooms for wine, hors d’oeuvres, gossip and fake Vuitton or Gucci handbags.’ She stated soberly, ‘Purse-party ladies are the drug dealers of the counterfeit world.’ Clearly, Thomas is not a Goodwill Ambassador, though it is regrettable that the only injustice seeming to inspire her is the injustice of getting ripped off. She concluded her talk by saying: ‘If we lose the art of hand-crafted items made with love and passion, and if we lose the integrity it takes to produce and sell them, then we will lose the soul of our culture.’ Besides addressing the soul of culture, she would have done well to address the heart of humankind. The author said she is often approached after lectures by women sobbing about the tortured children they have just learned make their faux Fendis. At the end of Thomas’ talk in Amsterdam, upon thanking the guest speaker, the director of The John Adams Institute, Corine Krijgsman, announced that she would be disposing of her own made-inChina pocketbook. The audience laughed politely. The exchange of gestures seemed suspect as a knock-off.


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Replacing old boys networks with new girls This weekend’s Women Inc Festival brings out all three sides of modern feminism: the womanly, the powerful and the femanists. BY REBECCA WILSON ILLUSTRATION BY CLAUDIE DE CLEEN


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oos Wouters, a 32-yearold public relations specialist, never thought of herself as a feminist. Feminists, she thought, were man-hating women of her mother’s generation who wouldn’t rest until they’d gotten their husbands to slave away at the ironing board, while they dominated corporate boardrooms. ‘Feminists of the second-wave wanted to turn men into fifties’ housewives, and women into men,’ she says. Wouters made a more traditional choice: motherhood was most important to her, so she had her first child before finishing her degree in political science and her second before the age of 30, an atypical strategy for a Dutch university-educated woman. Yet this weekend Wouters is leading one of three think-tanks trying to address contemporary feminist issues at the second Women Inc Festival. Even she is surprised at this. Women Inc isn’t an organisation or a women’s group, says program coordinator Meinke de Veer, but rather a ‘platform’ for social change organised by Cultuurfabriek, a company whose projects address social cultural concerns. Its aim is to inspire change by bringing women together to learn from each other. Founded in 2005, the biannual Women Inc Festival was created to celebrate ‘women with guts’ with a weekend of music, debate, workshops and culture. Princess Máxima will attend the opening ceremony of this year’s festival on Saturday morning at the Beurs van Berlage. Among the events scheduled for the weekend are a mass-dance workout, a black hair workshop and a seminar on negotiating a salary, led by Agnes Jongerius, chair of trade union FNV (Federation of Dutch Labour Movements). The documentary festival IDFA will also present a few women-themed movies, including Dolls, about the Lebanese Barbie, and Bachelorette, 34, where the film-maker is hounded with potential husbands by her mom. Standing for change This year’s festival theme is ‘women who stand for change’. The three think tanks, called ‘New Girls Networks’, are aimed at creating new strategies for this change. Conceived as an antidote to the Old Boys’ Networks that help men advance in the professional world, each New Girls Network is designed to address home and workplace issues that today’s women deem most relevant. ‘We wanted to organise something that can generate actual results,’ says De Veer. ‘The networks should come up with concrete plans for media campaigns, petitions and other strategies for change.’ The first network, led by Lilianne Ploumen, chair of social-democrat party PvdA, will address home violence and the importance of women’s economic independence in escaping that violence. The one Wouters will lead, is called the Emancipation of Parenthood. She thinks the burden of raising children is an issue of both men and women, and wants to find new ways for society to facilitate such cooperative responsibility. She calls her new brand of feminism, ‘femanism’—signifying that men should be welcomed into the movement, rather than seen as the enemy. Her philosophy for change is the result of personal experience. Growing up in the

Amsterdam Weekly post-feminist 1980s, Wouters always assumed it wouldn’t be difficult to balance a career with family, and expected to find a job in her field that would allow her enough time with her kids. ‘But I kept ending up in part-time, low-level jobs,’ she says. ‘In starter positions, employers are looking for people willing to prove themselves and put in those extra hours, not mothers who are less flexible with their time.’ She wanted to shift the traditional division of labour—men as bread-winners, women as home-makers—but it was difficult. ‘My partner really wants to help raise our kids,’ says Wouters. ‘But he is constantly pressured into putting in more hours at work.’ And, like many women of her generation, Wouters was still taking on more of the child-care. She was not alone. Research from the government agency Social Cultural Planning Bureau in 2005, the most recent data available, shows that women spent 21 hours a week ‘caring for others’. Compared to 1975, that number hasn’t changed much, when women reportedly averaged 30 hours a week caring for others. When she tried to manage a full-time job as a producer at local TV station, AT5, with full-time parenting, Wouters ended up having a nervous break-down. Her doctor prescribed a couple of months ‘in the

Fleur Jurgens, 35, a freelance journalist and mother of two with a third on the way, represents the counter-position, advocating the stay-at-home mom. ‘I think we need to move towards a more womanly feminism, acknowledging that the motherly instinct does exist,’ says Jurgens. ‘Mees only takes economics into consideration, not what women actually want.’ Her position was influenced by the birth of her first child, when she found that her goals in life changed dramatically. ‘I never thought I’d be this bourgeois,’ says Jurgens, ‘but when my daughter started school I immediately left my stable job to be able to wait for her at the school gates.’ In response to Mees’s book, Jurgens wrote Leve de burgertrut!, [‘Long live the bourgeois housewife’] (Meulenhoff), published this week, about ‘the importance of a stable home life, that has been too easily cast aside by sexually liberated secondwave feminists.’ Jurgens, one of many children of divorce, writes that ‘civilisation begins in the home. That’s where you learn to postpone your own needs and be considerate of others. A good society rests on well-functioning families.’ Wouters, who now works part time for the Council for Public Health, wanted to find a middle ground. She agreed with Jurgens that feminism has been too derogatory of the importance of home-

Still, economic independence is a long way off for the majority of Dutch women. sandbox,’ and she followed his advice. ‘I thought I was a failure,’ Wouters says, ‘always wondering how everybody else did it. But when I spoke to so many people who ran into the same problems, I realised I wanted to do something about it.’ Power feminism vs the new bourgeois But Wouters didn’t find a comfortable middle ground between the two opposing views of womanhood that seemed to be available to her. On one side was ‘Power Feminism’, a movement best-articulated by Heleen Mees, 39, columnist for NRC Handelsblad, economist and legal professional who lives and works in New York. She will lead the third New Girls Network of the festival, which will explore ways to promote gender balance in the top echelons of business, science and government Her much-discussed book, Weg met het deeltijdfeminisme! [‘Away with part-time feminism!’] (Nieuw Amsterdam Press, April 2007) argues that the unambitious women of the Netherlands with their oldfashioned ideas on motherhood stand in the way of achieving full emancipation and a well-functioning economy. ‘It’s high time that women in the Netherlands de-mother,’ Mees writes. Pointing out that more women than men attend university in the Netherlands, Mees says it’s a waste of Dutch talent that less than 10 per cent of Dutch mothers work full time, according to government statistics. ‘Ninety per cent of working men work full time, and the arrival of kids doesn’t change that,’ Mees told feminist magazine Opzij in a recent interview. ‘The “one and a half earner model” has become the standard.’ But she doesn’t like that model. ‘Women need to finally really get to work,’ she says.

making. ‘I think raising children well is one of the most important jobs in society,’ she says. But she also felt that women should get more support for building their careers. Work and motherhood: the numbers Still, economic independence is a long way off for the majority of Dutch women. The Dutch minister for Education, Culture and Science, Ronald Plasterk, wrote in a report released in November, titled ‘More chances for women. Emancipation policy 2008-2011,’ that only 42 per cent of women in the Netherlands were fully independent financially, using 2004 statistics. Two years ago, the government set an objective of helping 60 per cent of women achieve economic independence by 2010; Plasterk says that goal won’t be reached within three years, but he now hopes that it will be possible by 2016. The way to do it is by focusing on economic participation of women, getting those not working into the job market while increasing the hours of women who work part time. According to the Emancipation Monitor, a national biannual survey conducted by the Social Cultural Planning Bureau and the Central Bureau for Statistics, 84 per cent of women say they would work longer hours if certain conditions were met. Those conditions included the opportunity to work from home, and time off if a family member falls ill. Women also said they would work longer hours, for example, ‘if I could pay someone to take over the housework,’ or ‘if I had a nicer job.’ Plasterk has created a task force, ‘parttime-plus’ to look into supporting these reforms. Returning to work after her time in the sandbox, Wouters started writing about

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her views in various national newspapers including De Volkskrant and NRC Next. She was invited to speak at a Monday evening discussion at Pakhuis de Zwijger organized by Women Inc. ‘I was frightened at first; I had that scene pegged as traditional feminist,’ she says. ‘But my “femanism” CQ was a hit from the start.’ Plasterk’s policy shares Mees’s objective of getting more women in high level jobs, where they are currently underrepresented. Only 13 per cent of senior management positions in the Netherlands are held by women, whereas the global average is 22 per cent, according to a 2007 Grant Thornton Business Report. But according to statistics culled by two leading women’s magazines, Dutch women don’t seem to mind that they don’t hold top-level jobs. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the publication of Joke Smit’s ‘Het onbehagen bij de vrouw’ [‘The discomfort of the woman’], the article that launched Dutch feminism, Opzij magazine and its former rival, Margriet, a ladies journal, asked Dutch women to weigh in on the state of feminism. A total of 245 Opzij subscribers, 259 Margriet subscribers and a representative crosssection of 504 women were polled on work, motherhood, housework and other traditional feminist issues. In answer to the question, ‘Is it important to you to climb up the career ladder in your job?’ only 37 per cent of the crosssection polled, and 55 per cent of the Opzij-readers polled, said Yes. The Opzij poll results divided respondents into four categories: the career woman, the family woman, the woman who had chosen to remain childless and the ‘combination woman’. The first three groups rated their happiness at 7.9 out of 10, but the ‘combination women,’ facing all those balancing problems, were one tenth less happy. If these results indicate that most women are happy in low-level part-time jobs, what’s the fuss, asks Jurgens? ‘In my humble opinion, the choice for (part-time) motherhood should be seen as a choice for accepting responsibility for others.’ Mees argues that accepting responsibility for others means ensuring there are enough women in powerful positions to help realise change, as she pointed out in an interview with Volkskrant Magazine earlier this year. ‘Only there [at the top end] can we help make decisions and show that we aren’t the second sex.’ Wouters and her network will have their work cut out for them this weekend—not only in regards to women’s issues. They’ll also have to find ways of making it easier for dads to turn good intentions into good practice. Wouters is planning is a campaign for longer father’s leave. Now, fathers get two days off when their child is born, but the GroenLinks party is asking for a two-week leave. ‘Longer leave means men can get involved with caring for the child right away, whereas now, the mother gets a head start that makes it hard for fathers to catch up,’ says Wouters. Anyone interested can pick ’n’ mix from womanly feminism, power feminism or femanism. Then, find like-minded ladies at this weekend’s festival. Just don’t make the same mistake as minister Plasterk. Bring the husband. Women Inc, 1-2 December, Beurs van Berlage, various times and prices (€45 weekend pass), www.women-inc.nl.



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SHORT LIST

Black Black Soil Soil Film Film Festival, Festival, Friday, Friday, Bitterzoet Bitterzoet

THURSDAY 29 NOVEMBER Symposium: The Future of Sexuality When you think how much sexuality has changed in just the last 40 years, and how the internet, like everything else it touches, is accelerating this change, it takes a brave prognosticator to put their head above the parapet and tell us how sex is going to be practiced, depicted and talked about in the future. Nonetheless, the cool-but-a-bitnerdy Club of Amsterdam is gathering to discuss the Future of Sexuality on Thursday. Providing a wealth of steamy food for thought: Marie-Louise Janssen, lecturer in gender studies at UvA’s Department of Political Science talks about ‘Paid Sex and Public Space’; Melissa Gira, editor of San Francisco-based Sexerati.com (‘The Story of i’: Sex in the Information Age), and cyber-entrepreneur Luc Sala no doubt dishing out his usual techno-shamanic iconoclasm with sexuality: the back door into our essence. Moderated by Mirjam Schieveld, head of the Summer Institute, International School for Humanities and Social Sciences. Reservations: 615 4487. (Jules Marshall) Club of Amsterdam, 19.00, €30.

Film: Surreal Is Me I really wanted to write something about this Surreal film festival at filmhuis Cavia this weekend, but when I woke up I was turned into this big-ass bug and it took me a while to roll back onto my scrawny legs. Then I noticed I had overslept because my alarm clock had melted, so I took some leftover chicken from the fridge for a quick breakfast, but it started twitching and bleeding all over the place. I decided to have a quick shave, but accidentally cut my eye in half, and this brought out the ants in my hands in swarms. So I put on my black hat, jumped on my horse, only to land on a rotten donkey. Cursing, I fled out the door, where a family of deformed midgets was telling the lady that lives in the radiator to stop singing that annoying song. And then I woke up and it was all a dream. Or was it? See www.filmhuiscavia.nl for the full twisted lineup. (Luuk van Huët) Cavia, 20.00, €6. Until Saturday.

Classical: Nederlands Kamerkoor Polyphony means musical lines moving in parallel, but polyphony also points to a chapter in music history that is immensely significant but infrequently explored. In the 15th and 16th centuries, composers centered in Flanders developed supple and com-

plex polyphonic techniques, raising Western music to new feats of expressivity. Before long, Flemish polyphony became the rage all through Europe – think of it as the first hit parade—and is now considered a seedbed of Western composition, influencing almost everything that followed. Tonight, the ever-resourceful Netherlands Chamber Choir will treat us to a far-spanning overview of the form, from a work written by a composer whose one known datum is that he was alive around 1380 to the world premier of Saskia Makris’ ‘Soleil, Coeur du Monde’. There’ll be madrigals and motets and ballades and more, in an evening that should move its audience in all the right directions. (Steve Schneider) Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €20.

Experimental: MuziekKapotMoet! Once again, Amsterdam welcomes Portland, Oregon’s inimitable space folk orchestra Jackie-O-Motherfucker. In their decade long career, the free form collective shifted between mellow free country jams performed on fiddle, banjo, saxophone and percussion, and psychedelic electric guitar tunes, characteristically sung in indecipherable, mumbling vocals. Their warm, medicated bath of sound seems primarily influenced by Grateful Dead songs like Dark Star and could remind alternative music listeners of the early records of Mercury Rev or Flaming Lips. At the other end of the free rock music spectrum resides Fat Worm of Error, also on the bill tonight. With their unlistenable improv records, including songs about six foot squids and picnic mayhem, the Deerhoof-connected ensemble are not there to please, but to cause chaos, shock and disorder. Expect the colourful troupe to go out on a theatrical limb. Amsterdam-based and special effects-enhanced vocalist Patrizia Oliva, aka Madame P, is a fitting opener to this night of deep weirdness. (Marinus de Ruiter) OCCII, 21.00, €5.

Jazz: Alexander von Schlippenbach Trio The oldest working trio in European improvised music—pianist Alexander von Schlippenach, reedist Evan Parker and percussionist Paul Lovens—has done as much as anyone to define what free jazz sounds like on this continent. Utilizing a broad arsenal of extended technique—from Parker’s peerless circular breathing to Lovens’ paradoxically flowing clatter—the group have managed to perfectly balance individual expression with a singular ensemble sound for nearly four decades. The roiling intensity of last year’s Winterreisse (Psi) proves that their vitality remains undiminished, pianist and saxophonist switching between a sonic tug-of-war, tag-team blowing and a blustery united front, while the drummer alternately prods and disrupts the proceedings. The trio favors lengthy excursions that revel in organic ebb-and-flow,


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arc-and-skitter conversations. While the group knows one another’s musical language intimately, surprises are always lurking around the corner. Hold on tight. (Peter Margasak) Bimhuis, 21.00, €16.

FRIDAY 30 NOVEMBER Art/Music: Opening Kopstoot The ‘head butt’ exhibition Kopstoot, 30 Years of Antwerp postpunk and new underground opens with a suitably noisy and arty concert featuring Club Moral, a collective that has spent the last 20 years surfing that wave between art, performance and industrial music and hence the perfect backdrop to get lost in the weirdness on the walls and archives that document Antwerp’s inspired do-it-yourself scene that brought new meaning to the terms ‘alternative’, ‘interdisciplinary’ and ‘collectivisation’. The broadness of the exhibition is thanks to the cooperation between the art historian Johan Pas and the artists Dennis Typhus, Vaast Colson and Nico Dockx—hence, it also surfs the wave between art history and art art. Long live hybridization! (Steve Korver) De Brakke Grond, 17.00, free. Until January 2008.

Theatre: Levende Doden Maid falls in love with a corpse found in a hotel room. With this arresting opening scene, British playwright Laura Wade immediately draws the audience into Breathing Corpses, her award winning 2004 thriller. The four-part play, which is filled with humor of the darkest kind, is successfully adapted into a Dutch setting by the Nationale Toneel company. The various characters are all severely effected by the death epidemic haunting the story. A warehouseman, played by Pieter van der Sman, becomes depressed to the point of suicide after he finds a body. A similar find by a businesswoman, convincingly performed by Anniek Pheifer, causes her to slip into a fit of aggression which brings her on the verge of murder. Despite some excellent acting, it’s the vicious circle of the storyline that is the ultimate star of the piece. (Marinus de Ruiter) Theater Bellevue, 20.30, €15-€17.50. Until Sunday.

Film: Black Soil For the fifth time around, the Black Soil film festival will offer a representation of hiphop culture that goes beyond the dumb, lump and famous radio stars of the moment. Although the main part of Black Soil took place in Rotterdam last weekend, its offshoot in Bitterzoet doesn’t leave much to be desired: kickoff is on Friday at 20.00 with the b-boy documentary Inside the Circle—and the main cast will be present to rock the floor afterwards. Saturday is dedicated to hiphop from Africa, with screenings of African Underground (about youth, music and politics in Senegal), Hip Hop Revolution, and I Love Hip Hop in Morocco as well as Bomb It, a documentary about graffiti artists. When all four elements have been taken care of, it’s time for a hiphop showcase and an afterparty. On Sunday: Okaymentary, a film about a hiphop online community starring ?uestlove of The Roots. and Common. Also screening is Wu: The Story of the Wu Tang Clan. The blaxploitation-themed closing party, Coffy, is hosted by OntFront, and stars the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. (Sarah Gehrke) Bitterzoet, various times and prices. Until 2 Dec.

SATURDAY1DECEMBER Art: The Service Garage A new cultural platform opens this evening. The initiators are those inspired folks behind the tiny Horse Move gallery located under a bridge by CS. But here at this new location in east they have plenty more space: 2000 square meters of it, complete with 12 studios, an artist in residence space and a roof terrace. The first exhibition presents the works of the core group of 13 artists: Frank Ammerlaan, Thijs Rhijnsburger, Arik Visser, Maurice van Daalen, Oscar Peters, Zoro Feigl, Nathan van Heynsbergen, Linda Nieuwstad, Benjamin Roth, Daniel Hofstede, Dafna Maimon, Charlott Markus, Michiel Schuurman and the Artist in Residence, Eric von Robertson. Follow the developments at http://deservicegarage.blogspot.com. (Steve Korver), De Service Garage, Stephensonstraat 16, 20.00, free. Until 23 December.

Gay: Love Dance Yep, it’s that time of year again. No we don’t mean Sinterklaas or Santa Claus, though they have already been seen lurking around the corner. Today, 1 December is World Aids Day. Apart from remembrance services and symposiums about the current state of HIV and AIDS, there are also parties to commemorate and celebrate. This is by far the best one, with three stages, four dance floors and over 100 performances. And that, for a mere €25. Expect performances from the usual suspects like Vera Springveer, Willeke Alberti and Bondy Boy, plus shows by Bearforce1 (woof, woof!!), Chicks on Speed, and DJ sets by the likes of Lupe (UNK), Martijn and Toon (from the fab ArtLaunch), Jezz the Lezz and entertainment by GLOED and Lange Frans en Baas B. In fact, this benefit party is just one big choc-a-block thrilling and exciting event, which will see you running up and down to all the different areas to see or hear your fave artists/DJs. If you haven’t got a ticket yet, get one now. As this fifth edition is held on a Saturday it’s sure to attract more party people than ever. (Willem de Blaauw) Paradiso, 20.00-05.00, €25.

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


29 November-5 December 2007

Amsterdam Weekly A picture’s worth a thousand words; a pictogram just one.

In the name of finding a universal language, pictures are pitted against words at the biennale for social design.

DOES THE WORLD NEED A PICTOGRAMMAR? ART Utrecht Manifest Various locations around Utrecht Until 19 February 2008 www.utrechtmanifest.nl By Marinus de Ruiter

Otto Neurath and Gerd Arntz have saved us from many an awkward situation. The Austrian philosopher and the German designer, respectively, created the symbols for ladies and men that successfully guide people all over the world toward the right toilets.

In addition to these pictographic mainstays, Neurath and Arntz created about 4,000 international symbols for people, animals and objects, from policemen to cars and boats. Their 80-year old system, known as the Vienna Method, will be on display at Utrecht Manifest, the second biennale for social design, offering visitors an opportunity to ponder the question: Is it possible for artists and designers to manufacture a universal visual language today? ‘People today are participating in that process,’ says Amsterdam artist and scientist Koert van Mensvoort, co-director of

the All Media Foundation, a non-profit organisation that produces events and lectures and publishes books and DVDs on contemporary visual culture. ‘They appropriate existing images to create their own means of communication. The smileys on the internet are an example of that.’ Van Mensvoort exhibits at the biennale as part of the group exhibition Lovely Language at Centraal Museum, the hub of the biennale. Together with designer Arnoud van den Heuvel, he contributed Corporate Alphabet, a floor with 26 tiles that form the alphabet with the first letters of wellknown corporate logos. Corporate Alphabet includes the D of Disney, the F of Ford and the M of McDonald’s, for example. One of the other participating artists is All Media co-director Mieke Gerritzen, who updated the generic WC symbols—Mr Men has Nike-feet, Levi’s-legs and Ray Ban-eyes while Mrs Ladies has Hema-legs, Sanexarms and a dress made out of Diesel logos. So far, the artists haven’t experienced major problems using corporate iconography. ‘I think most companies see it as a form of flattery,’ says Van Mensvoort. With the alphabet floor, Van Mensvoort wants to raise awareness of how large corporations aim to determine the way people think. ‘I use familiar images, because I’ve experienced that this makes it easier to get a discussion going,’ says Van Mensvoort. At the same time, the artist questions the validity of the method of modernist designers from the early 20th century, such as Arntz and Neurath. ‘The modernist way of designing dictated a way of thinking that was very coercive,’ said Van Mensvoort. ‘Everything was classified into systems that were considered lasting and practical. I think that this idea of the feasibility of an ideal world is completely gone nowadays.’ Neurath and Arntz started developing their system for visual communication in 1928 in Vienna. Of the two, Neurath was the most convinced that the system was going to be useful to society. The philosopher imagined that the less literate part of society would benefit and learn from the simplification of complex facts and statistics. It was Arntz who designed the pictograms in a simple style, similar to woodcuts. His concise range of symbols,

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depicting every aspect of society, made an impression worldwide. Stalin invited Arntz to Moscow, where the designer taught Russian colleagues the Vienna Method. After the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1934, Neurath and Arntz, who were communists, fled to Den Haag. Around that time they renamed the Vienna Method ISOTYPE (International System of Typographic Picture Education). When WWII broke out in the Netherlands, Neurath fled to England where he died a natural death in Oxford in 1945. After the war, Arntz continued to work in his style for Dutch museums and publications. In a VPRO radio interview before his death in 1988 he confessed that he felt the Vienna Method had become outdated since the division between the classes had blurred, and thereby making it harder to simplify the economic differences between people through images. Computer artist Charles Sandison, who participates in the Lovely Language exhibition, agrees that the ISOTYPE system was not built to last, but it still intrigues him. ‘It’s a totally fascinating concept,’ he says on the phone from his home in Tampere, Finland. ‘The utopian idealism behind it speaks about the impossible things that we as human beings ask from our reality,’ he says. ‘Even though we know [making a universal language] is probably not going to work, we try anyway. Every artist is chipping away, creating their own visual language in the hope that it will communicate to someone other than themselves.’ Sandison’s video installation entitled People, projects life size human-like figures onto a wall. These figures are built up from words generated in real time by a computer. Instead of emphasizing the difference between text and visual language, Sandison focuses on the parallels. ‘I believe that all language derives from a pictographic form,’ he states. ‘Even in today’s languages, you see the traces of human existence. For example, if you turn the A upside down, you see that it is derived from the symbol for an ox. It varies from language to language, but the human presence is actually in there.’ Thinkers and designers like Neurath and Arntz have tried their best to create a universal visual language. Although they did a wonderful job, as can be seen in the Lovely Language exhibition, history proves that it’s ultimately in the people’s hands. Language purists, make room for the emoticon.


Amsterdam Weekly

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Free tickets!

29 November-5 December 2007

Go to www.amsterdamweekly.nl to win tickets to one of these nightlife events. To advertise your club night or concert, contact Simone Klomp at 020 522 5200 or Simone@amsterdamweekly.nl.


Amsterdam Weekly

29 November-5 December 2007

Le Club des Chats (Muziek Kapot Moet!), see Saturday

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

Ska: The Cat Empire Politically infused party ska jazz rock fusion. Melkweg, The Max, 23.00, sold out

Friday 30 November Heavy: Machine Head Trashy metal, with support from Shadows Fall, Trivium, Arch Enemy and Dragonforce. Heineken Music Hall, 18.00, €42.50

Thursday 29 November Rock: The Hives Still selling out halls and still sounding precisely as they did back in 2002 when their Swedish rock ’n’ roll bravado saw them take on the world and convince us they were the best live band around. Support from Dan Sartain and Quit Your Dayjob. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 19.45, sold out Rock: Acid Mothers Temple Experimental and psychedelic noise riots from the original Japanese collective. Support from cult Finnish band Circle and English outfit Failsafe. Stubnitz, 20.00, €10 Opera: Daphne Richard Strauss’ 13th opera, based loosely on a myth from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and also including elements of The Bacchae by Euripides. Het Muziektheater, 20.00, €15-€105 Pop: Joe Cocker This gritty voiced Englishman has enjoyed numerous hits since the mid-’60s. Also famous for his reworkings of songs by The Beatles, he can be heard doing just that again in 2007 for the soundtrack of the hit cinematic musical Across the Universe. Heineken Music Hall, 20.00, €42 World: Maliblu An enlightening musical project featuring top musicians from Mali, the Netherlands and Cuba. Ethiopian singer Minyeshu KifleTedla brings an Eastern African Arabic card to their repertoire, while Zoumana Diarra is a master of the kora, amongst other instruments. KIT Tropentheater, 20.30, €16 Classical: Nederlands Kamerkoor Ultimate polyphonic spree. See Short List. Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €20 Experimental: Toot Electro-acoustic goodies from international trio comprised of Phil Minton, Axel Dörner and Thomas Lehn. There’s also a set from Clare Cooper (AU/DE), Clayton Thomas (AU/DE), JeanPhilippe Gross (FR), and Daniel Schorno (NL/CH). STEIM, 20.30, €5 Jazz: Alexander von Schlippenbach Trio European improv greats. See Short List. Bimhuis, 21.00, €16 Experimental: Muziek Kapot Moet! Sound-shifting glory. See Short List. OCCII, 21.00, €5

Julie Doiron Singer-songwriter: Julie Doiron A former member of cult Canadian indie band Eric’s Trip, Doiron has been releasing solid solo collections for more than a decade. Atmospheric and sometimes folky, her most recent album Woke Myself Up sees her get back into deep bass grooves and lyrical introspection. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 18.30, €6.50 + membership Classical: Bach Choir and Orchestra of the Netherlands Tonight it’s a vocal Baroque love-in, with their jubilant take on Händel’s Messiah. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 19.30, €40 Hiphop/R&B: BO! Showcases & Open Mic The best of urban vitality, with a mixtape release from Black Glove and fresh sounds from both Noord and Zuidoost. Grolsch Music Cafe, 20.00, €5 Pop/Rock: Dutch Delight With dance pop band Moodak and more. Club Meander, 20.00, €6 Pop: Ellen ten Damme Reprising her successful theatre tour Von Kopf bis Fuss, with support from ex-Daryll-Ann member Jelle Paulusma. Patronaat, Haarlem, 20.30, €12.50 + membership Heavy: Enemy Alliance Fast and political punk rock from Sweden. Support from Antillectual and Smash the Statues. Winston Kingdom, 20.30, €7 Pop: Kate Nash She might only be two letters away from Kate Bush, but Nash is very much the pop sound of 2007—albeit with a Lahndan twang. If you’ve somehow missed the hype thus far, she’s the latest in the MySpace promo line, a la Lily Allen. Melkweg, The Max, 20.30, €15 + membership

Enon (Subbacultcha!) Rock: Subbacultcha! Enon are back. As one of the most exciting American indie rock bands to emerge in the past decade, it’s been way too long since they headed out here. About to spend the next two months slogging across Europe, get out there and remind them it’s all going to be okay. Support from the mysteriously titled The White Beer Belly Butchers. Apparently they have quite a voice. Bitterzoet, 21.00, €8 Rock: The Fiery Furnaces Psychedelic noise pop from Brooklyn. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €8 + membership

Hiphop: Freestyle voor de GRAP Freestyle MC battle. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 21.00, €10 Latin/Jazz: Nueva Manteca With a masterful cross between Cuban salsa and hot bebop, set in subtle and ingenious arrangements, Nueva Manteca is an international group adored by Latin experts and loved by jazz cats. Their new programme Motown Mambo is inspired by the music of the legendary soul label. Bimhuis, 21.00, €16 World: Soirée Senegalaise Always a delightful celebration of the rhythms and melodies of Western Africa, tonight’s guests include Ebou Gaye Mada & Boka Halat de Banjul and the Sams Ngoni Band. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 21.30, €18 + membership

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Amsterdam Weekly Experimental: Muziek Kapot Moet! Noise pop from San Franciscans Sic Alps, electro-acoustic blips from Antwerp’s Zim Zim Zim and percussive psychedelia from Den Haag duo Mean Motion. OCCII, 21.30, €5

29 November-5 December 2007 help from Javier Girotto. Bimhuis, 21.00, €14 Rock: Living In Oblivian With the gothic post punk of Rotterdam’s Gotterdammerung and the regular afterparty of black-hearted dancing. Winston Kingdom, 21.00, €6 Ska: The Slackers Sharp and suited Brooklyn ska from this long-running outfit. Blending the classic ska sound with punk, rocksteady, reggae, swing and soul. Fronted by Vic Ruggiero they’re are always dazzling live. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 21.00, €13 + membership

Monday 3 December Sic Alps (Muziek Kapot Moet!) Rock: Prof Nomad goes The Ramones A one-twothree-four... Cafe Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 22.00, €7.50 Rock: The John Gration Combination Blending jazz, blues and Latin styles. Skek, 22.00, free Rock: The Reno Brothers Good ol’ rockabilly and country rock. Maloe Melo, 22.00, €5 Jazz: Kiss Me Kill Me New Amsterdam 8-piece DIY funk ensemble. Support from the Rundfunk DJ Collective. Badcuyp, Noordpool, 23.00, €8

Saturday 1 December Classical: De heilige stad Jeruzalem An orchestral visit to the Middle East, with contributions from Ensemble Ahl Fas, Huelgas Ensemble, Groot Omroepkoor and Schönberg Ensemble. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 12.00, €23.50/€28 Country: Sam Baker A little bit of acoustic. A little bit of country melancholy. A little bit of line dancing? C’mon, you know it’s a good idea. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 16.00, €9 + membership Pop: Himesh Reshammiya A Bollywood pop spectacle fronted by the composer, actor and now singing star. Heineken Music Hall, 19.30, €45 Classical: Schuberts Laatste Levensjaar A wintry wonderland of Schubert works performed by baritone Christopher Maltman, violinist Liza Ferschtman and pianist Inon Barnatan. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €33.50 Pop/Rock: 1984, The Talks Diverse indie noise from the UK. Winston Kingdom, 21.00, €5 Jazz: Doran, Stucky, Studer & Tacuma Reworking Hendrix. It’s been done before, but these new arrangements and new combinations of musicians will take a more raw and dirty turn. Bimhuis, 21.00, €16

Pop/Rock: Efterklang Dreamy ‘folktronica’ from Copenhagen. Along with a computer, they form their own little orchestra when performing live, and may be one of Denmark’s best kept musical secrets alongside peers Under Byen. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 19.00, €10 + membership Opera: Daphne (See Thursday) Het Muziektheater, 20.00, €15-€90 Experimental: DNK-Amsterdam Sergio Luque breeds a computer with an accordion, plus a set from Joel Ryan and Keir Neuringer with bits, bytes and sax. OT301, 21.30, €5 Rock: Howlin’ Rain The lighter side to stoner rock, if there is such a thing. Not so much thunderous as lost in their bluesy groove, it features members of Comets on Fire and Sunburned Hand of the Man. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €6 + membership

Tuesday 4 December Big band: Metropole Orkest A jazzy family concert featuring Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite (reworked by Ellington & Strayhorn), Schuller’s Thomas en zijn trompet and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf (reworked by Schuller). Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 19.15, €31 Pop/Rock: Pop Up 32 pop students from the conservatory get broken into six bands then told to make some (hopefully nice) noise. Tonight we get to see and hear if it was worth all that blood, sweat and tears. Sugar Factory, 19.30, €5 Contemporary: Brooomm! Modern classical experiments with the bonus of laptops and singing saws. Badcuyp, Noordpool, 20.30, free Reggae: Fantan Mojah Contemporary Jamaican reggae star who attempts to spread messages of positivity, morality and faith in his lyrics. Melkweg, The Max, 21.00, €24.50 + membership Hiphop: Paul Wall Texan freestyler. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 21.00, €19 + membership

Reggae: Maxi Priest Brit reggae star who made an international name for himself in the late ’80s and early ’90s with hits like ‘Wild World’ and ‘Close To You’. Melkweg, The Max, 21.00, €20 + membership

Heavy: Gallows Raw punk noise from the UK. Think Black Flag and Dead Kennedys. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.15, €9

Latin: Rodrigo y Gabriela A Mexican duo—based in Europe—mixing Latin harmonies with typical rock structures. Already huge in Ireland, Rod and Gab are aiming for the rest of the continent, throwing in covers of Led Zeppelin and Metallica amidst their own rapidly strummed Latin grooves. Support from Mikah Sykes. Melkweg, The Max, 21.00, €10 + membership

Wednesday 5 December

Experimental: Muziek Kapot Moet! Bizarre dance tunes from DJ Triomphe (France), garage trash noise from Yeah!!!, plus sets from Le Club des Chats (France) and Oso el Roto (France). OCCII, 21.30, €5

Sunday 2 December Folk: Romania Festival Eastern folk with Taraf Costel Vasilescu and Cornelia Catanga & the Mihai Turcitu Sextet. Bimhuis, 14.00, €16 Classical: Trio Lumaka & Quintet Works by Hindemith, Fauré, Scarlatti, Mendelssohn, Berio and Jongen. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 14.15, €25 Cabaret: Tiger Lillies London-based trio renowned for their dark but humorous Brechtian performances. Seated concert. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 15.30, €15 + membership Jazz: Warm Bad With the atmosphere of a New York piano bar, top vocal guests will join pianist Amir Swaab and DJ Rudy. Sugar Factory, 17.00, €10 Classical: Arcadi Volodos A master pianist recital from this virtuoso Russian star. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €44/€55 Contemporary: Nieuw Ensemble ‘New Music from the Middle East’ with traditional guest musicians from Syria and Iran. Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €22 Big band: Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw Contemporary jazz meets tango with a little outside

Pop/Rock: Fine Fine Music An evening celebrating the Dutch music website Fine Fine Music and a host of local guitar pop. Veterans of the scene Johan will be on hand for an acoustic set, while Hospital Bombers and Scram C Baby provide backup. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 20.00, €10 + membership Heavy: Jesu Metal meets shoegaze meets aural magnificence. He’s fondly remembered for aiding death and grindcore with Napalm Death, then invigorating the industrial scene with seminal band Godflesh. But Justin Broadrick’s Jesu is a different proposition altogether, with subtlety, melody and thick layers of noise. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 20.00, €7 + membership Rock: Porcupine Tree Contemporary English prog rockers. Support from ultimate purveyors of poetic doom, Anathema. Heineken Music Hall, 20.00, €32.50 Classical: Modigliani Kwartet Frenchies tackling string quartets by Haydn, Ravel and Beethoven. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €35 Gospel: The Golden Gospel Singers Exploring the passionate roots of gospel music from classical spirituals through to modern gospel and R&B. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €35 Jazz: Waterland Trio Long-running outfit led by pianist Loek Dikker. This time he’s joined by saxophonist Leo van Oostrom and drummer Pierre Courbois, and while the compositions are drenched in pure jazz, you can also find elements of folk, classical and cinematic soundtracks. Bimhuis, 21.00, €14 Rock: Monotonix Noisy riff-rockers from Israel who followed Queens of the Stone Age at Paradiso earlier this year. OT301, 22.00, €7 + membership


Amsterdam Weekly

29 November-5 December 2007

Orgue Electronique (Clone we Are), See Friday

CLUBS Thursday 29 November Arty Funky With MarkJunior, Chries Set, Miss Brown, Chereen and Ann. Club 8, 22.00-04.00, €5 Little Sexmachine With the might and power of Edu K (Brazil), Joao de Bellem, Wanna-be-una-Estrella & Miss B-Have. Flex Bar, 22.00-04.00, €10 Poptrash 2nd Year of Disaster Yes, it’s been two years of Thursday night student-y chaos. Pissing up the walls and marking their territory tonight are MSTRKFRT, Guns ’n Bombs and elements from the Club Rascal and Robotrock parties. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 23.00-05.00, €7 Wildvreemd With Redshape from Germany. Expect Detroit influences, techno from Steffi, and Sandrien will drive the floor with house, minimal, techno, deephouse and a lot more. Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €8

Friday 30 November Fok Stijl And while we’re at it, fok da police. Club 8, 22.00-04.00, €5/€7 Hertz A Frietag special, with high frequency oscillations from Mark August, Melon, Marcus, Jama, Victor Bakhuis and Madou. Flex Bar, 22.00-05.00, €10 Milkshake Benefit event for World AIDS Day 2007 featuring a wide variety of bands, performers, rappers and DJs. Sugar Factory, 22.00-05.00, €10 IDFA Dance Nights Think 3Doc12. Studio 80, 22.00late, €5 Clone We Are With a live set from Orgue Electronique (Clone, Bunker), plus DJs Omar S (Detroit) and Serge. 11, 22.30-04.00, €12 Hed Kandi Commercial survivalism with David Dunne (UK), Steven Quarré, DiscTwins, Frederik Abas and Lex Empress. Jimmy Woo, 23.00-05.00, €20 Nauticool vs Chronic Beware of a drum & meltdown sinking the ship tonight. With three dance arenas, there’s something for everyone into contemporary urban electronic sounds. Stubnitz, 23.00-late, €10 Odeon’s Countdown Hitshow Another spin for all those old dancefloor hits. Odeon, 23.59-05.00, €10 The Basement Urban sounds from Eminem’s official DJ, Alchemist. Melkweg, The Max, 23.59-late, €15 + membership

Spencer Product and Joost van Bellen. Westergasterras, 23.00-late, €15 Farewell MS Stubnitz ‘This is the end. Beautiful friend. This is the end. My only friend, the end.’ So said a chipper young man outside the ship last week. Anyway, the likes of Quazar and Jason and the Argonauts lead this party, and if the boat happens to set sail while you’re slumped over in the toilet, so be it. Stubnitz, 23.00-late Opening Club Edel New club. New dance sounds? Edel, 23.59-04.00, free Gemengd Zwemmen In The Max, it’s a scaled up WickedjazzSounds special, in the Oude Zaal, there’s alternative dance, pop, rock and indie hits, as always. Melkweg, 23.59-late, €10

Tuesday 4 December Funky Junkie A wild cross-section of funk sounds from DJ Koldun, who invites a talented selection of live musicians to improvise while he works the decks. Winston Kingdom, 22.00-03.00, €5

GAY& LESBIAN Edited by Willem de Blaauw.

Friday 30 November Club: Showtime Don your wig, stilletoes and frock and slap on some make-up. All performances will gain you €10 booze money. Performace times: 23.00 and 03.00. Lellebel, 20.00-05.00, free Sex club: XXX Leather Men-only dance-cruise-sex party with a strict dress-code: leather, rubber, skin, sportswear or uniform. Also: go-go boys and pumping house tunes to lift your spirits, arms and other things. Party Centrum van Galen, 22.00-05.00, €23

Saturday 1 December Party: Love Dance Fifth World Aids Day benefit party. See Short List. Paradiso, 20.00-05.00, €25 Club: Danserette Fun, attitude-free, mixed disco party with delicious dance ditties from Donna Summer to Scissor Sisters. Akhnaton, 21.00-03.00, €7,50

Saturday 1 December Addicted To House Music. The Cube Guys, Erick E and Baggi Begovic lead the Addicted Arena. Over in the Deep & Dirty corner it’s Jean Cedric, Philip Young and surprise guests. Panama, 22.00-04.00, €18 RobotRock All that favourite indie rock to dance to and electro to rock to. Club 8, 22.00-04.00, €5 Jungstar: Cats and Dogs Dance eclecticism brought to you by resident DJs Rogerseventytwo & The Walk, and very special guests Deadbots (Dublin). Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €10 Passion vs E.T.D.H. That’s Electric Tech Deep House. Odeon, 23.00-05.00, €10 Washmachine A mix of spicy space disco, electro and house with spin cycles from the likes of Lupe, Alex & Nina Polak, Showbizliz, Sascha Bloem and Mike Lunes. De Kluis, 23.00-11.00, €10/€12 Andy Warhol Club Revisiting the Studio 54 days in this collaboration between Meubel Stukken and the Stedelijk. Guests include Zubrowka International,

Sunday 2 December Sunday Brunch With fab food, games, films, musicals and guest DJs. At 17.00 drink €5 cocktails. Also, tarot readings by Mystic Bhasha. Getto, 13.00 Social: Tijgertje 25 Years Anniversary Party Gay and lesbian sportsclub Tijgertje invites old and recent members to this reunion. The Tijgertje Award, which promotes gay sports, will be presented as well. Schreierstoren, 16.00-20.00, free

Wednesday 5 December Film: Gay Classics Todo sobre mi Madre (All about my Mother), Spain, 1999. Pedro Almodóvar’s bittersweet masterpiece. As usual, you get two drinks for the price of one at April’s after the film’s screening when you show your ticket. If you want to eat before the film, BIHP Art Food Drinks, Keizersgracht 335, offer a €19,50 3-course menu. Reservations: 622 4511 or 06 2467 2595). Pathé De Munt, 21.00, €7

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Amsterdam Weekly

29 November-5 December 2007


Amsterdam Weekly

29 November-5 December 2007

Zhuang Hong Yi East and West ideals collide in this exhibition by the Chinese artist. Galerie Roger Katwijk (Wed-Sat 12.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 22 December

STAGE

Baukje Spaltro: Heimat Portraits of chairs, representing that ‘homely feeling’. Beeldend Gesproken (Mon-Fri 09.00-18.00, Sat 14.00-17.00), opens Sunday, until 15 December

Opening Dance: Telling Time Double programme featuring Kate McIntosh’s Loose Promise (performed in Melkweg Theater at 20.00) and David Weber-Krebs’ The Words Jonathan Said (performed at the Gasthuis at 22.00). (Thur, Fri 20.00), €8

Isn’t it Enough? De schizofrene wereld van Pyongyang en Beijing Photography by Joost van Buul, Geertjan Cornelissen, Jan Dijkshoorn and Maarten Noordijk, cataloguing their journeys through China and North Korea during spring 2007. Galerie 37 (Thur-Sun 12.00-17.00), Haarlem, opens Sunday, until 6 January 2008

Festival: Lust en Vraatzucht A paradoxical theatre festival about greed, perversion, beauty, irresistible yearning, aggressive desire and the emptiness that is filled. Included are three short plays by young writers Hekelien van den Herik, Anouk Smit and Jibbe Willems, plus some special extras. In Dutch. Rozentheater, (Thur-Sat 20.30), €12.50 Comedy: Jim Speelmans Colourful sketches and absurdism from the Dutch star. In Dutch. Comedy Theater, (Fri, Sat 20.30), €14 Dance: Betonhotel Vloeistof’s modern tale of two people living the same life. Melkweg Theater, (Sat, Sun 20.30), €5 Comedy: Comedy Lounge Comedians include Chris van der Ende, Rashid Larouz, Clarence Creebsburg, Crazy Stacey and Jumoken Vreden. In Dutch. Melkweg, The Max, (Sun 19.00), €10 + membership Dance: Menske Dutch premiere of this piece by Flemish choreographer Wim Vandekeybus. Expect an intense performance charged with aggression and eroticism. Stadsschouwburg, (Mon 20.15), €12-€25 Music/Theatre: I Am a Mistake Live music, dance, film and speech are all equal activists in this new work from theatrical Belgian master Jan Fabre. With the help of German composer Wolfgang Rihm, who created the score for this adventurous and subversive piece, and the members of Ensemble Recherche, each piece of the puzzle compliments and excites the others. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, (Mon 20.15), €35 Theatre: Oblomov Franz Xavier Kroetz’s theatrical reworking of the well-known Goncharov novel, tackled this time by Het Zuidelijk Toneel. In Dutch. Stadsschouwburg, (Tues 20.15), €12-€23

Ongoing Festival: RISK: Beeldend Theaterdagen Festival celebrating visual theatre, offering recent works from the field of Dutch and Flemish puppet and object theatre. Until 2 December. See www.ostadetheater.nl. Ostadetheater, (Thur-Sun), various prices Comedy: easyLaughs Comedy improv in English. Two knee-slapping shows every Friday night. CREA Muziekzaal, (Fri 20.30, 22.30), €8, €5 (late night) Comedy: Now&Lauw: Urban Improv Comedy Weekly ha-ha with Wilko Terwijn and Nabil Aoulad Ayad. In Dutch. Comedy Theater, (Fri 23.30), €10 + membership Performance: Improfiësta A shameless theatre sport programme. In Dutch. Comedy Theater, (Sat 20.30), €8 Music/Dance: Monday Match A dynamic monthly event in which a dancer invites a musician (or vice versa) to form the basis of a unique improvisation lab. With the invitation of even more guests onto the stage, original one-time works will be born left and right. Bimhuis, (Mon 20.30), free

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Isn’t it Enough? De schizofrene wereld van Pyongyang en Beijing, see Opening

ART Full listings at www.amsterdamweekly.nl.

Jacqueline Hassink: The Power Show A retrospective from this New York-based, Dutch photographer in which power is the predominant theme. Here you can find her most recent series of works: Arab Domains, View, Kyoto and Haute Couture Fitting Rooms, Paris. Fans can find more current work at the Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam. Huis Marseille (Tues-Sun 11.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 24 February 2008

Opening

Well-Cast: 5000 Years of Bronze Archaeological exhibition highlighting the origins and use of bronze over the ages. Allard Pierson Museum (Tues-Fri 10.0017.00, Sat, Sun 13.00-17.00), opens Friday, until 2 March 2008 25 Jaar HIV/AIDS Exhibition about the World AIDS Conferences held in Amsterdam in ’82 and ’92, including photos by Jan Carel Warffemius and video archives. Centrale Bibliotheek (Sat, Sun), opens Saturday, closing Sunday China Now Now The latest sideshow of the contemporary Chinese art circuit currently in the Netherlands. With paintings, sculpture and photography from a diverse selection of modern avant-garde artists from China. Canvas International Art (Thur-Sat 14.0018.00), Amstelveen, opens Saturday, until 5 January 2008 Femke Hiemstra: La Fenêtre Secrète A debut solo show from Hiemstra featuring paintings and drawings from her fantastical imagination. KochxBos Gallery (Wed-Sat 13.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 26 January 2008

Museums Andy Warhol - Affiches A selection of posters from the pop artist. Centrale Bibliotheek (Daily 10.0022.00), closing Saturday Doride/Ultramarine Underwater photo expeditions from Maura Biava and Elspeth Diederix. Foam (SatWed 10.00-18.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 9 December Bert Grotjohann Glass artworks. Jan van der Togt Museum (Thur-Sun 13.00-17.00), Amstelveen, until 9 December

KADO A light-hearted mixed media exhibition bringing warmth to the winter months. Photography, painting, ceramics and more were especially selected for their quality and suitability as gifts. Buy a work of art for yourself or someone else, and your gift will result in a donation to War Child. ABC Treehouse (Thur-Sun 13.00-18.00), opens Friday, until 13 January 2008 Kopstoot! In this multimedia project, De Brakke Grond honours 30 years of Antwerp post-punk and new underground music. The present dynamics of this vivid alternative scene are charted while simultaneously looking back on its recent history. Curated by Johan Pas, with artists Dennis Tyfus, Vaast Colson and Nico Dockx. De Brakke Grond (Mon 10.00-18.00, Tues-Fri 10.00-20.30, Sat 13.00-20.30, Sun 13.00-17.00), opens Friday, until 20 January 2008

De Service Garage Amsterdam’s newest artistic space, from the people who brought you the HorseMoveProjectSpace. Contributing artists include Frank Ammerlaan, Thijs Rhijnsburger, Arik Visser, Maurice van Daalen and many more. De Service Garage (Wed-Sun 13.00-18.00), opens Wednesday, until 23 December

Roelof Frankot Diverse paintings by the late Dutch artist. Jan van der Togt Museum (Thur-Sun 13.0017.00), Amstelveen, until 9 December

Jacqueline Hassink: The Power Show Masao Yamamoto A site specific installation of numerous small photographs by Japanese artist Masao Yamamoto and a selection of framed individual works that he recently made. Typically these consist of photographs of birds, trees, mountains, skies and nudes, and can be viewed as visual haikus. Galerie Gabriel Rolt (Wed-Sat 12.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 5 January 2008 Rembrandt, the Etcher Around 100 portraits, landscapes, figure studies and bible scenes showcasing the famous etching techniques of the old master. Rembrandthuis (Mon-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 11.0017.00), opens Saturday, until 10 February 2008 Rijksakademie Open Meet and greet with not only the artists of now, but the artists of the future. There are 50 studios in the Rijksakademie complex, hosting artists from around the world, who’re working here for stretches of one or two years. This open weekend allows a rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of these upcoming artistic talents and their work, and to gain access to areas usually closed off to the public. Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten (Sat, Sun 11.00-19.00), opens Saturday, closing Sunday To Another Commonplace Group show. Mart House (Thur-Sat 13.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 12 January 2008

Heringa/Van Kalsbeek: Cruel Bonsai The first ever major museum solo exhibition by artist duo Heringa/Van Kalsbeek. Their extravagant sculptures appear at once poetic and slightly morbid and are inspired principally by nature in all its capricious irregularity. Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), until 6 January 2008 Josef Strau Enchanting installations using language and light from the enigmatic German artist. In his innovative environments, lights, text and sound recordings are linked with the likes of ribbons, threads and Tipp-Ex. Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), until 6 January 2008 Rosa Barba: Center of Fringes A new film installation by Barba, recorded at the Mojave Desert in the US. In this desolate resort you can find lots of ruins of different projects, illustrating the technocratic, militaristic and (lost) utopian aspects of the American society. Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), until 6 January 2008 Andy Warhol. Other voices, other rooms With a cornucopia of films, photos, video and typical Andy icons (soup cans, Mao, Marilyn Monroe), this exhibition offers a glimpse into the mind of the famous pop artist. Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), until 13 January 2008 The Spider Anansi: A Web of Tales and Images Fourteen artists from the Netherlands and Ghana have created works for this exhibition inspired by the stories about the spider Anansi. These will be displayed in combination with videos of storytellers recorded in both countries. Tropenmuseum (Daily 10.00-17.00), until 13 January 2008


Amsterdam Weekly

20 Johannes Schwartz: Paintbox Johannes Schwartz takes photographs but does not restrict himself to the so-called ‘mores’ of photography. His ‘Paintbox’ exhibition introduces two new works. The first is a wall installation comprising an exact painted replica of his ‘Rembrandt’, a photograph he made of a wall in the Rijksmuseum, which was where the Old Master’s ‘Night Watch’ had hung until major rebuilding. The other new work is a series of large-scale photographs of an art storage space in a Ministerial building, entitled ‘Art Archive’. CoBrA Museum (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), until 13 January 2008 Barcelona 1900 Celebrating the astonishing transformation of this vibrant city between 1880 and 1909. In this period Barcelona underwent an impressive architectural development and flourished socially and artistically, reflected in paintings, drawings, sculptures and designs by the likes of Picasso, Isidre Nonell, Santiago Rusiñol, Alexandre de Riquer, Ramon Casas and Gaudí. Van Gogh Museum (Mon-Thur, Sat, Sun 10.0018.00, Fri 10.00-22.00), until 20 January 2008 The Birds of America It’s officially the most expensive book in the world, and since you probably don’t have a copy of John James Audubon’s masterwork to flick through at home, Teylers Museum is showing off the engravings and prints of their copy—new pages displayed every day. Teylers Museum (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 12.00-17.00), Haarlem, until 20 January 2008

seemingly hopeless state as the cities that are currently undergoing rapid growth. In that relatively short space of time, Bogotá has triumphantly managed to deal with the problems caused by such growth. ARCAM (Tues-Sat 13.00-17.00), until 26 January 2008 Alberto De Michele: Adriano An installation focused on an Italian bank robber, who for a period of time was hiding in Amsterdam. De Appel (Tues-Sun 11.0018.00), until 3 February 2008 Richard Hawkins: Of Two Minds, Simultaneously Presenting the first comprehensive retrospective in Europe by the American artist Richard Hawkins. The exhibition follows his almost inimitable development: starting with his collages from the 1990s; intriguing because they show how a powerful artwork can originate from very few visual means, right up to his recent dolls’ houses transformed into brothels. De Appel (Tues-Sun 11.00-18.00), until 3 February 2008 Moderne meesterwerken uit Moskou Paintings and drawings made by Russian-Jews living under the rule of Stalin, displayed for the first time in the Netherlands. Joods Historisch Museum (Daily 11.00-17.00), until 10 February 2008 Bisj Poles—Sculptures From the Rainforest An exhibition of 58 bisj poles from New Guinea. These meters-high wooden sculptures are used during centuries-old ancestor-worship rituals of the Asman from New Guinea. These rituals, still performed today, are brought to life in a thrilling combination of light, sound and film. Tropenmuseum (Daily 10.00-17.00), until 13 April 2008

Galleries

The birds of America Bogotá—The Proud Revival of a City The explosive growth of cities worldwide is receiving enormous media attention, with alarming views and images of the social, economic and spatial consequences of this growth. Against this background, this exhibition focuses on the dramatic regeneration of Bogotá. Some 20 years ago, the Columbian capital was in the same

Utopia Exploring the future of cities and urban landscapes with architectural concepts by the likes of Luc Schuiten, Paolo Soleri and Jacques Ferrier. Maison Descartes (Mon-Thur 10.00-19.00, Fri 10.00-17.00), closing Friday Target Art in the display boxes of the former ABN AMRO building, featuring a body of work by Klaas Weert and Rae Witvoet. Rembrandtplein (Daily), closing Friday Schietschijf Public art window displays featuring ready mades by Klaas Weert. Vijzelstraat (Daily), closing Friday

Desert Generation A touring exhibition featuring Palestinian and Israeli artists from around the world, Desert Generation includes hundreds of drawings, paintings and photos created in response to 40 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Alongside the artworks, the gallery is also running a busy programme of talks, workshops and film screenings. See www.desert-generation.nl for schedule. Meneer de Wit (Wed-Sun 14.00-18.00), closing Sunday Alicia Framis Portraits by the Spanish photographer. Annet Gelink Gallery (Tues-Fri 11.00-18.00, Sat 13.0018.00), until 8 December Peter Struycken Solo exhibition by the 68-year old Dutch artist. Galerie de Expeditie (Wed-Fri 11.00-18.00, Sat 14.00-18.00), until 8 December Be like Rudi Fuchs: Make Your Own Expo Four beer tables, excerpts from the private art books and catalogues of Ritsaert ten Cate, and a photocopier encourage the public to get interactive with art and create their own exhibition. Lloyd Hotel (Daily), until 10 December Kiosk7: OudWestKiosk A project by Gavin Wade with Simon & Tom Bloor, wherein they took a kiosk design from Dudley Zoo by the Russian architect Berthold Lubetkin, and began exporting it to new locations, providing innovative functions each time. Amsterdam’s winning kiosk proposal will be number seven, and is due to be realised in the public space of Oud-West in 2008. SMART Project Space (Tues-Sat 12.00-17.00), until 15 December Noord-Korea: onbekend maakt onbemin Photos from Frans Boom’s trip to the commie country. IISG (Mon-Fri 09.00-17.00), until 21 December Lydia Lambrechts: Embrace the Distance Paintings from the upcoming Dutch artist, typically showing still and sober landscapes and figures. AYAC’S (Fri, Sat 13.00-17.30), until 22 December C.A.R.L. Center for the Advancement of Recreation and Leisure Which is a long way of saying diverse works by Eric von Robertson. W139 (Daily 11.0019.00), until 2 January 2008 Mounir Fatmi: In Search of Paradise Installations and photography from the acclaimed Moroccan artist. Galerie Ferdinand van Dieten-d’Eendt (Thur-Sat 11.0018.00, first Sun of month 14.00-18.00), until 12 January 2008

29 November-5 December 2007

Harry Merry (A Shot in the Dark)

EVENTS Debate: The Future of Sexuality It’s all talk tonight. There will be no live demonstrations—and you should be ashamed for even asking. See Short List. Club of Amsterdam, (Thur 19.00), €30 Contest: Schweppes Shake en Suite Freakshow All you Tom Cruise wannabe’s, listen up. Tonight is the biggest cocktail competition in town (though, the focus is probably on unique or strange flavours, but a little bottle flipping never hurt anyone—at least, not when done properly). Those coming just to sample and watch, be sure to don an outfit harking back to the roaring twenties. Odeon, (Thur 21.00), free Book fair: Boekenfestijn A popular event that travels across the country, bargain-book hunters will be out in force hoping to pick up newish books at a snip of their retail price. It certainly isn’t a pretty or peaceful sight: there’s line upon line of tables, and piles of books so askew that it would drive anyone with OCD crazy. But as you focus, you start to appreciate how much content there actually is—and at a decent price. Filled with all the stock publishers need shot of, you can pick up almost anything: novels, classics, comics, computing, science, travel, art, coffee-table titles and much more. Plus, there are huge selections both in Dutch and in English. Don’t weigh yourself down with the freebies, which typically aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. RAI, (Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00, Sat, Sun 10.0018.00), free Symposium: South African Family Stories Real and fictitious stories of South African families, read by writers from the region: Marlene van Niekerk, Marlene


Amsterdam Weekly

29 November-5 December 2007 Dumas, Zoë Wicomb, Maxine Case, Adriaan van Dis, Barbara Henkes, Ena Jansen and Gerrit Olivier. In Dutch, Afrikaans and English. Tropentheater, Kleine Zaal, (Fri 10.00-17.30), €7.50 Debate: Wiardi Beckman Stichting—In Search of Progressive America Writers and intellectuals ponder the future of a ‘progressive USA’. In English. De Balie, (Fri 20.00), €10 Film/Music: Black Soil Film Festival Hip and hopping movies with beats to match. See Short List. Bitterzoet, (Fri-Sun), various prices Dining/Party: Chocolate Club Toxicity-free dining and partying that’s all about raw food, cocktails and the only vice in the venue: chocolate. Dinner begins at 18.00, while a chilled party follows from 20.00 onwards. See www.chocolateclub.nl. DanceStreet, (Sat 18.00), €5, €35 incl dinner Festival: Women Inc ‘Girls, girls, girls...’ sang Mötley Crüe. And this weekend they’re up to plenty. See article on p.6. Beurs van Berlage, (Sat, Sun 10.00-20.00, Sat also 20.00-01.00), €20 day tickets, €15 party, €45 weekend pass Literature: Write Now! Amsterdam 2007 Local round of the national writing contest for those between the ages of 15 and 24. Think you have something to say? Is it good? Only the best can proceed to the final in Rotterdam in January. In Dutch. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, (Sun 15.30), free Performance: A Shot in the Dark Dining, magic, Burlesque, exotica and live music. A monthly event at the circus tent, this edition includes the Van Dijck Sisters, De Formatie Rock, magician Ramana, the ever inscrutable Harry Merry, and much more. Casablanca Circus at Strand West, (Sun 18.00-01.00), €7.50 Event: Sinterklaasgala voor Volwassenen The Sint comes to town and this time, it’s strictly for grown-ups. And just who will win the Zwarte Piet Award 2007? Stadsschouwburg, (Wed 20.00), €15 + gift costing at least €5 Quiz: MusicMind? Think you know everything about music? Think you can spout your knowledge at the drop of a hat, even in high-pressure situations? Then this music quiz night may be for you, and if you can find some worthy mates to be at your side, you might even walk away with a nice prize. Sugar Factory, (Wed 20.00), €15 for competing teams, free to watch

ADDRESSES 11 Oosterdokskade 3-5, 625 5999 ABC Treehouse Voetboogstraat 11, 423 0967 Akhnaton Nieuwezijds Kolk 25, 624 3396 Allard Pierson Museum Oude Turfmarkt 127, 525 2556 Amsterdams Centrum voor Fotografie Bethaniënstraat 9, 622 4899 Annet Gelink Gallery Laurierstraat 187-189, 330 2066 De Appel Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 10, 625 5651 ARCAM Prins Hendrikkade 600, 620 4878 ArtOlive Polonceaukade 17, 675 8504 AYAC'S Keizersgracht 166, 638 5240 Badcuyp 1e Sweelinckstraat 10, 675 9669 De Balie Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10, 553 5151 Beeldend Gesproken Borgerstraat 102, 612 1847 Beurs van Berlage Damrak 277, 530 4141 Bimhuis Piet Heinkade 3, 788 2150 Bitterzoet Spuistraat 2, 521 3001 ‘t Blijvertje Derde Oosterparkstraat 64h De Brakke Grond Nes 45, 626 6866 Cafe Pakhuis Wilhelmina Veemkade 576, 419 3368 Cafe Sappho Vijzelstraat 103, 423 1509 Canvas International Art Fokkerlaan 46, Amstelveen, 428 6040 Casablanca Circus at Strand West Centrale Bibliotheek Oosterdokskade 143, 523 0900 Cineac Reguliersbreestraat 31-33 Club 8 Admiraal de Ruyterweg 56B, 685 1703 Club La Kerkstraat 50-52 Club Meander Voetboogstraat 3, 625 8430 Club of Amsterdam Sint Antoniesbreestraat 16 Club Stereo Jonge Roelensteeg 4 CoBrA Museum Sandbergplein 1-3, Amstelveen, 547 5050 Comedy Cafe Max Euweplein 43-45, 638 3971 Comedy Theater Nes 110 Concertgebouw Concertgebouwplein 2-6, 671 8345 Consortium Veemkade 570, 06 2611 8950 CREA Muziekzaal Turfdraagsterpad 17, 525 1400 DanceStreet 1e Rozendwarsstraat 10, 489 7676 Edel Postjesweg 1, 799 5000 Escape Delux Amstel 70, 030 231 1577 Flex Bar Pazzanistraat 1, 486 2123 Foam Keizersgracht 609, 551 6546 Frascati Nes 63, 626 6866

Galerie 37 Groot Heiligland 37, Haarlem, 023 551 8432 Galerie de Expeditie Leliegracht 47, 620 4758 Ferdinand van Dieten-d'Eendt Spuistraat 270, 626 5777 Galerie Gabriel Rolt Elandsgracht 34, 785 5146 Galerie Hof & Huyser Bloemgracht 135, 420 1995 Galerie Juliette Jongma Gerard Douplein 23, 463 6904 Galerie Paul Andriesse Withoedenveem 8, 623 6237 Galerie Rademakers Prinsengracht 570-572, 6225496 Galerie Roger Katwijk Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 198-200, 627 3808 The Gear Nieuwe Teertuinen 23 Getto Warmoesstraat 51 Grolsch Music Cafe ArenA Boulevard 242, 365 2035 Heineken Music Hall ArenA Boulevard 590, 0900 300 1250 Hermitage Amsterdam Nieuwe Herengracht 14, 530 8751 Huis Marseille Keizersgracht 401, 531 8989 Hup Gallery Tesselschadestraat 15, 515 8589 IISG Cruquiusweg 31, 668 5866 Jan van der Togt Museum Dorpsstraat 50, Amstelveen, 641 5754 Jimmy Woo Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 18, 626 3150 Joods Historisch Museum Jonas Daniel Meijerplein 2-4, 531 0310 KIT Tropentheater Mauritskade 63, 568 8711 De Kluis Prins Hendrikkade 194 KochxBos Gallery 1e Anjeliersdwarsstraat 3-5, 681 4567 Lellebel Utrechtsestraat 4, 427 5139 Lexion Avenue Overtoom 65, Westzaan, 0900-BelLexion Lloyd Hotel Oostelijke Handelskade 34, 419 1840 Maison Descartes Vijzelgracht 2A, 531 9500 Maloe Melo Lijnbaansgracht 163, 420 4592 Mart House Prinsengracht 529, 627 5187 Mediamatic Post CS, Oosterdokskade 5, 638 9901 Melkweg Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 531 8181 Meneer de Wit Postjesweg 2, 616 3680 Motive Gallery Elandsgracht 10, 330 3668 Museum van Loon Keizersgracht 672, 624 5255 Muziekgebouw Piet Heinkade 1, 788 2010 Het Muziektheater Amstel 3, 625 5455 Nederlands Architectuurinstituut Museumpark 25, Rotterdam, 010 440 1200 Nederlands Instituut voor Mediakunst Keizersgracht 264, 623 7101 OCCII Amstelveenseweg 134, 671 7778 Odeon Singel 460, 624 9711 Ostadetheater Van Ostadestraat 233 D, 679 5096

21 OT301 Overtoom 301, 779 4913 P/////AKT Zeeburgerpad 53, 06 5427 0879 Panama Oostelijke Handelskade 4, 311 8680 Paradiso Weteringschans 6-8, 626 4521 Party Centrum van Galen Jan van Galenstraat 24 Pathé De Munt Vijzelstraat 15, 0900 1458 Patronaat Zijlsingel 2, Haarlem, 023 517 5858 Persmuseum Zeeburgerkade 10, 692 8810 The Powerzone Spaklerweg, 681 8866 RAI Europaplein 22, 549 1212 Rembrandthuis Jodenbreestraat 4, 520 0400 Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten Sarphatistraat 470, 527 0300 Rozentheater Rozengracht 117, 620 7953 Schreierstoren Prins Hendrikkade 94-5 De Service Garage Stephensonstraat 16 Skek Zeedijk 4-8, 427 0551 SMART Project Space Arie Biemondstraat 107-113, 427 5953 Stadsschouwburg Leidseplein 26, 624 2311 Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam Rozenstraat 59, 422 0471 Stedelijk Museum CS Oosterdokskade 5, 573 2911 STEIM Utrechtsedwarsstraat 134, 622 8690 Stone Valley Amsterdam Hoogte Kadijk Stubnitz Odinakade, NDSM-werf Studio 80 Rembrandtplein 70, 521 8333 Sugar Factory Lijnbaansgracht 238, 627 0008 Suzanne Biederberg Gallery 1e Egelantiersdwarsstraat 1, 624 5455 Teylers Museum Spaarne 16, Haarlem, 023 516 0960 Toomler Breitnerstraat 2, 670 7400 Torch Gallery Lauriergracht 94, 626 0284 Tropenmuseum Linnaeusstraat 2, 568 8200 Tropentheater, Kleine Zaal Linnaeusstraat 2, 568 8500 Under the Grand Chapiteau Next to ArenA, 621 1288 UvA: Special Collections Library Oude Turfmarkt 129, 525 2141 Van Gogh Museum Paulus Potterstraat 7, 570 5200 Volta Houtmankade 334-336, 628 6429 Vrankrijk Spuistraat 216 W139 Warmoesstraat 139, 622 9434 Westergasterras Klönneplein 3, 475 1412 Winston Kingdom Warmoesstraat 129, 623 1380 Witzenhausen Gallery 2 Elandsstraat 145, 644 9898 Zaal 100 De Wittenstraat 100, 688 0127


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Amsterdam Weekly

Elegant dining Nassau Wittenkade 105A, 684 3562 Open Mon-Thu 08.00-01.00, Fri 08.00-03.00, Sat 09.30-03.00; Sun 09.30-01.00 Cash, PIN Hello fellow feeders. I recently discovered the elegant cafe-restaurant Nassau, situated on a corner, just across the waters from the Stadsliederbuurt night shop. And a true delight it was. The outside terrace has long tables complete with lit candles to attract the passing eyes of potential customers. A burning garden torch near the door beckons as a glowing ‘come-hither’. And if that doesn’t offer enough enticement, there’s a chalkboard proclaiming the weekly special to the economically challenged—this time, it was a ‘beef stew with mash, €12.50’. Regardless of what initially attracts, once you enter this stylish eatery, you know someone has taken special care to supply all the creature comforts. A wall alcove with a comfortable leather settee and soft cushions in yellow, black and white is situated next to the mirror mosaic bar. Another wall is decorated with Jimmy Cliff record sleeves before it gives away to a photography exhibition. As a huge space, Nassau is able to cater to both the hermit who wants to read the paper in peace, or a party group out for boisterous fun. But I just came to eat. I had heard wonderful things about their chefs’ new autumn menu, and thus spent the ride over on Tram 10 salivating in anticipation. The bar ladies smiled as I studiously poured through the varied menu choices. It was already

THE UNDERCOVER GLUTTON The gratin crust was strong enough for poached Elstar apple slices to rest upon. And all of it was surrounded by a rich gravy moat. What a pretty picture! obvious from the ingredients that made up the dishes that there was a love and passion for creative cooking at work here. Sure, they’ve got the usual starters like bread with olive oil and a well-

aged balsamic vinegar (€2.75). But there are also more adventurous offerings, like the option to open with a half dozen oysters (€11.40). Or the alluring chestnut and spicy merguez sausage

29 November-5 December 2007

soup (€6). Or—my goodness!—a lightly fried swordfish with grapefruit segments and olive dressing (€9.50). My eyes, however, flitted down to the choices of mains, pausing at the fried sea bass with wild spinach and pureed mashed potato (€15.00), and a risotto with smoked Portobello and forest mushrooms and fennel and parma ham (€14), before settling on the seemingly perfect-forautumn wild boar stew (€15.00). The waitress beamed in approval at my choice. It wasn’t long before my supper arrived in the form of a large, round soup plate with a stack for presentation towering above the stew. The buttery soft meat strands were topped with a creamy mashed puree of root celeriac and potato. The gratin crust was very thin but strong enough for poached Elstar apple slices to rest upon. And all of it was surrounded by a rich gravy moat. What a pretty picture! I tucked in, taking my time. The boar had been slow stewed with the mushroom juice from the reconstituted forest mushies, along with lots of red wine and herbs. There were deep lingering aftertastes resulting from every mouthful. The apples added sweetness, while the topping of watercress provided a sobering edge of tartness. A very memorable dish. In fact, as I write this, I find myself experiencing a flashback drool. For dessert, I had a piece, a taste-cube really, of their homemade chocolate tart, with a sliver of caramelized orange slice to give flavour depth to this marvel. One could also opt for an apple tart tatin with cinnamon créme fraîche (€5.50) or an enticing slice of one of the cakes from the vitrine (€3.50). The comfort levels of this restaurant allow one to rest and reflect in style after eating some delicious grub. My compliments to the chefs’ lovely results and the warm welcome from the ladies who work there.


Amsterdam Weekly

29 November-5 December 2007

23 Cronenberg can still fiddle with our minds.

In David Cronenberg’s latest film, Naomi Watts goes in search of a bowl of borscht. Don’t miss the fight in the bathhouse.

A BABY,A DIARY,A SCENE OF VIOLENCE FILM Eastern Promises Opens Thursday at Cinecenter, Kriterion, The Movies, Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt By Luuk van Huët

Looking at his body of work, you would be hard pressed to call David Cronenberg an ‘accessible’ director. His films are

widely appreciated by cinephiles, but the Canuck isn’t exactly a household name for your multiplex-lurking average Joes and Joans. It might be because some of his films are too icky, like his visceral The Fly. It might be because they’re just too weird, like his adaptation of William S Burroughs’s Naked Lunch. Or perhaps it’s because of his often complex storytelling, like in Spider. Sometimes, like in Exis-

tenz, it could be all of the above. But even though his most recent film, 2005’s A History of Violence, contained a hefty amount of bone-crunching mayhem, it was a critical and commercial success. Eastern Promises, its thematic sequel, should now consolidate Cronenberg as a genuine auteur who also pulls in the crowds. If you’re a faithful fan who fears he’s gone soft or sold out, do not worry. Eastern Promises is still very much vintage Cronenberg, a film that meditates on the nature of identity, is fascinated with the human body and contains some unsettling scenes. When Tatiana, a young Russian girl, dies in childbirth in a London hospital, she leaves a bawling infant in the arms of the nurse Anna Khitrova (Naomi Watts), along with a diary. Determined to find Tatiana’s family to give the baby girl a proper home, Anna has her overbearing

Russian uncle Stepan (Jerzy Skolimowski) translate the diary. Meanwhile, a clue leads her to the restaurant of the seemingly good-natured patriarch Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Semyon acts as if he’s merely a simple stirrer of borscht, but in reality he’s the Godfather of the local Russian mafia, the vory v zakone. Soon enough, Anna is hassled and threatened by Semyon’s hot-headed son Kirill (a fearless Vincent Cassel) and his taciturn driver Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), as she slowly discovers Semyon’s darkest secrets. Anyone with half a brain cell will discern that, while Nikolai dryly informs Anna, ‘I am driver. I go left, I go right, I go straight ahead. That’s it,’ he’s much more than meets the eye. Just as in A History of Violence, Mortensen is masterful in depicting a character with conflicting loyalties and a multi-layered identity, as well as bringing an intimidating physical presence to Nikolai. Watts is a perfect counterpoint as a caring, gentle but determined woman with a few scars of her own. In the film’s philosophical look at the nature of duality, Anna represents life while Semyon stands for death. Nicolai is a morally ambiguous agent who works the grey area in between. While the superb acting across the board and the meticulous production design and directing are worthy of abundant praise, Eastern Promises will most likely be remembered for a fight scene in which Mortensen battles two Chechen heavies in a bathhouse. Cinephiles will describe it as ‘audacious’, but I’m hoping that casual movie-goers will flock to the film and just call it ‘ballsy’.

Five-Word Movie Review

FILM Edited by Julie Phillips.This week’s films reviewed by Massimo Benvegnù (MB), Shyama Daryanani (SD), René Glas (RG),Andrea Gronvall (AG), Luuk van Huët (LvH), JR Jones (JJ), Dave Kehr (DK), Marie-Claire Melzer (MM), Mike Peek (MP), Julie Phillips (JP), Gusta Reijnders (GR), Jonathan Rosenbaum (JR), Marinus de Ruiter (MdR) and Bregtje Schudel (BS).All films are screened in English with Dutch subtitles unless otherwise noted. Amsterdam Weekly recommends.

Festivals Black Soil Festival The annual festival of hiphop music also features some great music docs. See Short List. Bitterzoet IDFA This major documentary film festival continues this week with a programme of new and recent films plus a conversation with Werner Herzog. For complete schedule see www.idfa.nl. Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski Rialto Sinterklaas special On December 3, 4 and 5, Rialto will accept payment for every second ticket in chocolate coins. Surreal Is Me Three days of weirdness. See Short List. Cavia

New this week Earth This full-length documentary version of the British TV series Planet Earth follows a polar bear family, a herd of elephants and two humpback whales in their daily struggle for survival. Directed by Alastair Fothergill (Deep Blue) and Mark Linfield. 96 min. Cinecenter, The Movies, Pathé Tuschinski, De Uitkijk

ELEPHANTS, WHALES AND POLAR BEARS Earth The Movies, Pathé Tuschinski, De Uitkijk

Earth

Eastern Promises Viggo Mortensen plays a member of the Russian mafia in David Cronenberg’s sequel to A History of Violence. See review this page. Cinecenter, Kriterion, The Movies, Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

exterior beauty. Especially funny is Stacey Dash, who— at age 39—pokes fun at her own image as an eternal teenager. (BS) 97 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

Hitman Don’t be alarmed! The baldy in the suit is not the reanimated corpse of Pim Fortuyn, hell-bent on revenge, it’s Agent 47 from the video game Hitman. And while most films based on games have been thoroughly lame, Hitman the movie manages to titillate and entertain. Steely-eyed Timothy Olyphant provides just the right mixture of ruthlessness and style to the genetically engineered assassin, and even though Olga Kurylenko was brought in solely to model slinky outfits, that’ll be enough for the intended audience of this flick. If the inevitable sequel focuses more on 47 and less on convoluted plotting, I’m game. (LvH) 93 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

Still playing

I Could Never Be Your Woman There’s only one word to describe director Amy Heckerling’s latest feature: zany. Forty-year-old scriptwriter Rosie (Michelle Pfeiffer) is being pestered by age and Mother Nature (Tracey Ullman). Her ex has left her for a woman half his age and all romance seems over. But then she meets 29-year-old Adam (Paul Rudd). In Clueless, Heckerling cast a satirical eye on Beverly Hills high school life; this time she points her acerbic arrows at a society obsessed with

30 Days of Night Horror + comics + vampires, but

also Sam Evil Dead Raimi + David Hard Candy Slade: 30 Days of Night couples Y2K’s hottest movie themes to the hottest producer/director duo in suspense. And it must be said, Slade’s cult comic film delivers on the promise. This harsh tale of an Alaskan village community plagued by vampires during a 30-day period of darkness instantly ranks among horror classics, despite its lengthy running time and its overt genre clichés. Graphic scenes of beheadings and half-devoured human bodies didn’t stop the film from topping the US box office in its first week. Essential shock treatment. With Josh Hartnett, Ben Foster, Melissa George. (MdR) 115 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt 4 maanden, 3 weken en 2 dagen Romanian cinema seems to have found a niche for sober, socially committed dramas. After The Death of Mr Lazarescu (the failing health care system) and 12:08 East of Bucharest (the revolution of 1989), Cristian Mungiu’s 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days focuses on the ban on

abortion under Ceaucescu. Student Otilia agrees to help her roommate Gabita with the preparations for an illegal termination of her pregnancy. But to see 4, 3, 2 only as an anti-abortion film would be to miss the point. Their act is merely the tool with which the two women’s friendship is tested and proven. The film won this year’s Palme d’Or in Cannes. In Romanian with Dutch subtitles. (BS) Cinecenter, Rialto American Gangster Two of Hollywood’s acting juggernauts, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, star as bad guy and supercop; Ridley Scott was the lucky guy who got the directing job. The film follows the maneuvers of Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas (Washington) and narc Richie Roberts (Crowe), who is trying to nail him for his crimes. It’s hard at times to tell good guy from bad: Roberts’s workaholism and womanising are wrecking his marriage, while heroin dealer Lucas is portrayed as a devoted family man and hero of the people. The result is an ethically dubious but cinematographically impressive look at New York in the corrupt 1970s. With Ruby Dee (as Frank’s mom) and Chiwetel Ejiofor. (RG) 157 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Brad Pitt delivers his performance as James with exactly the right mix of magnetic charm and lingering malice, while Casey Affleck is convincing as Ford, James’s admirer who joins his gang and eventually kills him. The dreamy visuals with golden lighting


Amsterdam Weekly

24 help to re-create the myth of the heroic train robber; the story, however, is interestingly out of sync with the visuals, often contradicting them by showing James’s nasty, violent side. Director Andrew Dominik does a brilliant job of dissecting the aura around the famous outlaw while at the same time reviving it. Look out for Nick Cave, who did the music and has a small part as, well, himself, had he been born a century ago, in the Wild West. (MM) 160 min. Kriterion, Pathé Tuschinski

Beowulf Beowulf Using motion-capture technology and state of the art CGI to bring the oldest English tale around to intense 3D life has a nice ironic touch to it, but this rambling film by Robert Zemeckis is more of a theme park ride than an actual movie. Take away the 3D gimmick and this animated picture feels flat, sophomoric and silly, even if it consistently looks fantabulous and Angelina Jolie is shiny and sort of naked. Scriptwriters Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman have done their best fleshing out the source material, but their work is sullied by a smattering of juvenile dick jokes. (LvH) 114 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

California

Dreamin’ Loosely based on real events—in 1999, a NATO train on its way to Kosovo got stranded in a Romanian town—this film by Cristian Nemescu transforms a reality bite into a parable of modern Romania. The film is overlong and still a little rough around the edges (Nemescu died in a car crash before the final cut), but by the end most things have smoothed out. Nemescu finds humanity in all the characters and tackles a lot of social issues, all without getting heavy-handed. You understand why the film won Un Certain Regard in Cannes: not for sentimental reasons, but because this really is a diamond in the rough. In Romanian/English with Dutch subtitles. (BS) 155 min. Filmmuseum, Kriterion

Die Fälscher Before you say ‘Life Is Beautiful’, take a

look at this gritty Holocaust comedy/drama (bizarrely enough, a genre with many entries), which just won best film at the Ghent Film Festival. The amazing Austrian character actor Karl Markovics shines as Salomon Sorowitsch, the leader of a pack of Jewish counterfeiters who get ‘hired’ by the Nazis to run a concentration camp devoted to printing foreign currency. The Germans’ plan is to destroy the world economy; the con men’s is merely to find a way to survive (and maybe get rich, too). Austrian writer/director Stefan Ruzowitzky nails the perfect tone in adapting the book by Adolf Burger, based on real-life events, and gets away with a gem. In German with Dutch subtitles. (MB) 98 min. Studio K The Heartbreak Kid This Farrelly Brothers remake of the 1972 film bears very little resemblance to Neil Simon’s original premise, and plays more like a sequel to There’s Something About Mary. Forty-year-old single guy Eddie (Ben Stiller) is just desperate to find someone. The occasion arrives when he meets Lila (Malin Akerman), the apparently perfect blonde answer to his prayers. It’s only during their honeymoon in Mexico, after a rushed wedding to prevent her moving to Rotterdam (!), that Eddie finds out Lila might not be his cup of tea, and instead falls for wholesome Miranda (Michelle Monaghan). In the process, almost all the wit of screenwriter Simon and director Elaine May is scrapped, replaced by the toilet humour for which the Farrellys are famous. (MB) Pathé De Munt I Served the King of England Forty years have passed since Czech director Jiri Menzel made Closely Watched Trains, yet the basic formula for this 2006 feature (based, like the other film, on a novel by Bohumil Hrabal) seems nearly identical: a virginal young man, an assortment of hotties, plenty of slapstick and the Third Reich. The story covers many years in the life of a devoted hotel waiter (Ivan Barnev); the deft physical comedy is a pleasure, though the leering chauvinism becomes more embarrassing as the movie progresses. In Czech with Dutch subtitles. (JJ) 115 min. Cinecenter, Studio K

Control The lives of artists are a rewarding source of

inspiration for filmmakers. They are idols, charming, but also almost always tragically flawed. This biopic on singer/songwriter Ian Curtis could have been a textbook case. Thankfully, photographer and video director Anton Corbijn dares to be critical: Ian isn’t a tragic hero, but a bit of a wimp who uses his band as an escape from his own incompetence as a husband, a father and a breadwinner. When his wife confronts him with the fact that he never broke up with his lover, he whimpers: ‘I tried, but she won’t go away!’ The film is beautifully shot in black-and-white, though the stark contrasts and grey hues serve mainly to underline the desolation of the Manchester suburbs, and of Ian himself. (BS) 119 min. The Movies, Studio K Fados After Carlos Saura made his series of Flamenco films, the Portuguese invited him to do a similar job on their national musical form, the fado. Featuring a lineup of great musicians, including Chico Buarque and Caetano Veloso—who aren’t exactly fado singers, but who’s counting? In Portuguese with Dutch subtitles. 90 min. Rialto

Lions for Lambs

thing patriotic, so they join the army in Afghanistan. Back in Washington, DC, their fates hang on the big story that a Republican presidential candidate (Tom Cruise) is about to hand to a journalist (Meryl Streep). Directed by Robert Redford, who also plays a college professor, this film is all talk and naked earnestness. New Yorker critic Anthony Lane said it could be ‘most charitably described as Ibsen with helicopters’. Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom). 92 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski

29 November-5 December 2007 his personal groupie in a young Czech flower seller, who becomes his songwriting partner and muse. Together, they form a band and decide to record a demo tape to send to the London record executives. This tiny little film has its charms: the spontaneity of its performers, the Irish settings, and lots of great folkrock songs that help you through its 90 minutes and its thin plot, which seems borrowed from one of those early MGM ‘Let’s-put-on-a-show’ musicals. But if you’re looking for more substance, Once might not be enough for you. (MB) Melkweg Cinema See You in Vegas Documentary about Dutch illusionist Hans Klok, who has a show in Los Vegas with Pamela Anderson as his assistant. Directed by Antoinette Beumer (Famke Janssen’s big sister) and Maaik Krijgsman. In Dutch. 80 min. Het Ketelhuis

Michael Clayton Michael Clayton George Clooney is the title character, a fixer for a high-powered Manhattan law firm who’s sick of doing the company’s dirty work. When one of the attorneys (Tom Wilkinson) goes nuts, endangering the firm’s defence of an agrochemical giant against a classaction suit, Clayton is dispatched to silence him. Like The Verdict, this is a big, crowd-pleasing Hollywood redemption drama in which the lonely hero not only thwarts the corporate villains in the end but silences them with a killer riposte. The plot elements are painfully familiar, but the story is just solid enough to support the entertaining star turns: Clooney is lined and wearily handsome; Wilkinson rants like King Lear; Tilda Swinton, as a corrupt counsel, is alternately ruthless and terrified. This doesn’t begin to deserve the Oscar nominations it’s likely to get, but it’s fun nonetheless. Tony Gilroy directed. (JJ) 119 min. Kriterion, Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Nadine Seven years after he made his debut with the coming-of-age story Wilde Mossels (2000), Erik de Bruyn directs this relevant and intriguing film, starring three actresses, Halina Reijn, Sanneke Bos and Monic Hendrickx, in the role of a woman who, as she approaches 40, becomes desperate to have a child. Reijn is perfect as the young, modern career junkie, while Bos brings a very subtle sense of desperation to Nadine as she undergoes IVF. Hendrickx’s performance is probably the most impressive as a Nadine desperate enough to steal a baby. Casting three women in one role gives the film a mildly surreal undertone that complements De Bruyn’s visual style, full of out-of-focus images and dreamlike sequences that are still firmly rooted in reality. In Dutch. (MP) 100 min. Het Ketelhuis

The Kingdom An American review summarised The Kingdom as ‘CSI: Riyadh’ turning into a Black Hawk Down-style action pic. There is truth in that: Peter Berg’s film does indeed feature FBI agents searching for those responsible for a crime—in this case a huge terrorist attack on an expat community in Saudi-Arabia—and the search does conclude in a thrilling shootout in narrow alleyways. Though such description does not do justice to some of the critical political comment which underpins it all, Berg does not seem able to stretch his point all the way to the end. This is especially unfortunate because the opening scene is so harrowing. That, everything else after that is anticlimax. With Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner & Chris Cooper. (RG) 110 min. Pathé ArenA

Om Shanti Om Om Prakash Makhija (Shah Rukh Khan) is a B-movie actor who dreams of becoming a superstar and is madly in love with A-list diva Shantipriya. Chance brings them together, murder tears them apart. Om is immediately reincarnated as Om Kapoor. Thirty years later, memories from his past life come back to haunt him. How will he resolve what has been done to him and Shanti? Sillier than Main Hoon Na and partly based on Karz, Om Shanti Om is quite entertaining and filled with many jokes about the Bollywood film industry. Fans will love the appearances by many Bollywood veterans. In Hindi with Dutch subtitles. (SD) Pathé ArenA

Lions for Lambs Two American students, Arian (Derek Luke) and Ernest (Michael Peña), long to do some-

Once A scruffy Dublin busker (Glen Hansard, in real life the frontman of indie rock band The Frames) finds

Sicko In order to speak more credibly on the American health care system, Michael Moore decided to drop a few pounds himself. While he was at it, he also got rid of many of his cheap editing tricks, throwing out most of his manipulative voice-overs and goofy montages and replacing them with poignant personal drama. Both the leaner look and the calmer style were excellent choices, resulting in a much tighter documentary than any he’s made previously, and probably also his best. (MB) 123 min. Kriterion, The Movies, Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski Tales from Earthsea With its sweeping vistas and tiny figures making their way through vast landscapes, Goro Miyazaki’s first anime seems more inspired by The Lord of the Rings than by the films of his father, Hayao (My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away). Loosely based on Ursula K Le Guin’s dark fantasy series, it starts out lively and entertaining, as the wizard Sparrowhawk and a young prince go in search of a sorcerer whose desire for eternal life has upset the balance of the world. Parts of it are lovely to look at, especially the flora. (Goro went to forestry school before he joined his father’s business.) But the film squanders its promise at the end in a big fight scene. Because of a rights conflict, Tales from Earthsea won’t be released in North America until 2009. In Japanese with Dutch subtitles. (JP) 115 min. Melkweg Cinema

Tussenstand

Tussenstand Roos (Elsie de Brauw) and Martin (Marcel Musters) are facing a tough challenge. Their son Isaac (Stijn Koomen) has stopped communicating and Roos feels parental intervention is in order. But that means they have to listen to each other, something these two exes have never done. Director Mijke de Jong skillfully paints two different worlds: the hectic surroundings of the parents, who are constantly distracted by themselves and external stimuli; and the calm realm of Isaac. It’s an impressive movie with confident camerawork and excellent acting. In Dutch. Go with your ex to the Ketelhuis on Thursday, Nov. 29 (with documentation, such as divorce papers or torn photographs) and you’ll get in free.(BS) 80 min. Het Ketelhuis, Rialto

Special screenings 2046 This sequel (thematically speaking) to Wong

Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love revolves around a writer who lives in a ratty Hong Kong motel in the Sixties and seduces every woman who takes the room next to him. These affairs inspire him to write science-fiction stories, which in turn are visualised in the film itself, referencing classics like Barbarella and 2001: A Space Odyssey. 2046 itself is blessed with impressive visuals and some of Asia’s most talented actors and actresses, but for some viewers the labyrinthine plot might be a bit hard to follow. In Cantonese/Japanese/Mandarin with Dutch subtitles. (LvH) 120 min. Melkweg Cinema The Ballad of Narayama This harsh and beautiful 1983 film by Shohei Imamura, one of Japan’s greatest working directors, marks a turning point in his career, away from the violence and confrontationalism of his earlier films and toward an almost Ozu-like acceptance of human fate. The story is set in an impoverished mountain village, where the law of survival requires that every citizen over 70 be put to death to make room for new mouths at the table. Orin (Sumiko Sakamoto in a sublime performance) is approaching the limit but doesn’t want to die until she finds a new wife for her widowed son Tatsuhei (Ken Ogata). Imamura’s rough sexual humor is still in evidence, but now it has taken on a dark tone: to make love is to flirt with death. The snow that falls in the final scene is a blanket of oblivion, a complex image that offers hope through loss. (DK) Rialto

Breathless Jean-Luc Godard’s first film (1960), and

still a classic. With unforgettable performances from Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. In French with English subtitles. 90 min. Kriterion, De Roode Bioscoop

commentary on young love today, packed with punch and personality. In Cantonese/Mandarin with Dutch subtitles. (JR) 97 min. Rialto

C.R.A.Z.Y. Jean-Marc Vallee’s exceptional 2005 Canadian drama traces the spiritual and psychosexual odyssey of a boy born on Christmas Day 1960 to a devout Catholic mother and a dad obsessed with Patsy Cline. After the child is caught dressing up in his mother’s clothes he grows up under a cloud of disapproval, and as he approaches manhood he trades the church for pot and David Bowie. Marc-Andre Grondin is electric as the androgynous young hero; the tricky role of the father requires veteran actor Michel Cote to balance tenderness and coldness, obduracy and decency. In French with Dutch subtitles. (AG) 127 min. Kriterion

A History of Violence Though he avoids platitudes,

Chungking

Express This immensely charming and energetic 1994 comedy by Wong Kar-wai, though less ambitious than Days of Being Wild (1990) or Ashes of Time (1994), provides an ideal introduction to his work. (His latest, My Blueberry Nights, comes out in two weeks.) Both of its two stories are set in presentday Hong Kong and deal poignantly with young policemen striving to get over unsuccessful romantic relationships and having unconventional encounters with women (a mob assassin and an infatuated fastfood waitress respectively). Wong’s frenetic visual style and special feeling for lonely romantics may remind you of certain French New Wave directors, but this movie isn’t a trip down memory lane; it’s a vibrant

David Cronenberg is a troubled moralist who lingers over cherished mythologies to find their dark residue: this masterpiece, an art film deftly masquerading as a thriller, seems to celebrate small-town pastoralism and critique big-city violence, but this position turns out to be double-edged. Josh Olson adapted his script from a graphic novel, yet the story develops with a subtlety that’s entirely cinematic; two contrasting sex scenes between the hero (Viggo Mortensen) and his wife (Maria Bello), added by Cronenberg, are especially masterful. With Ed Harris, William Hurt and Ashton Holmes. (JR) 96 min. The Movies

If... Based on Zero de conduite by Jean Vigo, Lindsay Anderson’s 1969 tale of students at a boys’ boarding school rebelling against the conformity and narrowmindedness of their parents and teachers harkens back to a simpler time when scenes of on-campus carnage were taken to be allegorical, not footage from the evening news. A young Malcolm McDowell is the perfect embodiment of revolutionary zeal, occupying the role with gusto, while the film is further saturated in the countercultural fervor of 1968. As the uprising begins to take shape, both the narrative and the film stock itself seem to get swept away by the ensuing chaotic onslaught. Vigo’s film is also showing. (LvH) De Nieuwe Anita

Notes on a Scandal A bitter old history teacher at a wild English high school (Judi Dench) befriends an attractive young colleague who’s just arrived (Cate Blanchett), only to discover she’s having sex with a 15-year-old student. Adapted from a novel by Zoë Heller, this drama is both literate and urgently plotted, with a voice-over from Dench that cuts like broken glass. Her character is sly, controlling, desperately lonely and capable of anything, and when Blanchett’s secret gets out, a proper chamber drama explodes into something much more troubling. Richard Eyre (Iris) directed. (JJ) 91 min. Pathé De Munt Péter Forgács programme Forgács is known for his compilation films, including the Private Hungary series, in which he uses amateur footage to track the effects of history on individual lives. Spanish home movies from the 1930s shed new light on the Civil War; the Peereboom family are recorded on the eve of their deportation to Westerbork; Lisl Goldarbeiter, Miss Universe 1929, watches as politics determine her future. Most films are in English. Filmmuseum Under the Volcano Albert Finney has moments of brilliance as the tortured English consul, drinking himself to death in a village in Mexico, in this 1984 adaptation of Malcolm Lowry’s novel. The most impressive artistic contribution is that of cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, whose painfully sharp images suggest something of what the novel is about. John Huston directed. (DK) De Roode Bioscoop


29 November-5 December 2007

FILM TIMES Thursday 29 November until Wednesday 5 December. Times are provided by cinemas and are subject to last-minute changes. Film times also at www.amsterdamweekly.nl. Bitterzoet Spuistraat 2, 521 3001 Black Soil Festival Fri-Sun Bomb It Sat 22.00 The Education of Sonny Carson Fri 22.00 Hip Hop Revolution/African Underground Sat 20.00 I Love Hip Hop in Morocco Sat 18.00 Inside the Circle Fri 20.00 Okaymentary Sun 20.00 Wu:The Story of the Wu Tang Clan Sun 22.00. Cavia Van Hallstraat 52-I, 681 1419 Eraserhead Fri 20.00 L'Année dernière à Marienbad Thur 22.00 Surreal Is Me Thur-Sat El Topo Fri 22.00. Cinecenter Lijnbaansgracht 236, 623 6615 4 maanden, 3 weken en 2 dagen daily 16.15, 19.15, 21.45, Sun also 11.00, 13.30 Atonement daily 16.00, 19.00, 21.45, Sun also 11.15 Earth daily 16.00, Sun also 11.00 Eastern Promises daily 19.15, 21.45, Sun also 13.30 I Served the King of England daily 16.30, 19.15, 22.00, Sun also 11.00, 13.45. Cinema Amstelveen Plein 1960 2, Amstelveen, 547 5175 Duska Sun 16.45, Tues 20.30 Goodbye Bafana Thur-Sat 20.30, Thur also 15.00 De Scheepsjongens van Bontekoe Sat 15.30, Sun 14.00 Waar is het paard van Sinterklaas? Sat 13.30, Sun 12.00. Filmhuis Griffioen Uilenstede 106, Amstelveen, 444 5100 The Bourne Ultimatum Thur-Sat, Tues 19.30. Filmmuseum Vondelpark 3, 589 1400 De Avonturen van het Molletje Sun, Wed 13.45 California Dreamin' Thur-Mon, Wed 17.00, Fri-Wed 21.15 Carmiggelt programme Thur 20.00 César et Rosalie Sun 15.15 Jardins en automne daily 21.45 Kidz in da Hood Sun, Wed 14.00 Marilena from P7 Fri-Wed 20.00 Péter Forgács programme Thur-Wed. Het Ketelhuis Haarlemmerweg 8-10, 684 0090 Alles is liefde Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed 19.00, 21.15, Mon 22.00 De Avonturen van het Molletje Sat, Sun, Wed 13.15 Azur & Asmar Sun, Wed 14.30 Blindsight Sat 14.30 Falkenberg Farewell Fri-Wed 21.45 Goud Sat, Sun, Wed 14.45 Das Leben der Anderen Fri-Wed 16.45 Nadine Fri-Wed 19.30 See You in Vegas daily 21.30, Thur also 17.30, 19.30 Tussenstand Thur 20.00, 21.45, Fri-Wed 17.15, 19.45 Waar is het paard van Sinterklaas? daily 16.15, Sat, Sun, Wed also 12.45, 14.30 Willie en het wilde konijn Sat, Sun, Wed 13.30. Kriterion Roetersstraat 170, 623 1708 The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed 21.30 Ben X Thur-Tues 17.15 Breathless Sun 15.15, Mon 22.00 C.R.A.Z.Y. Sun 15.00, Wed 17.00 California Dreamin' Thur-Mon, Wed 21.45 David Cronenberg surprise film Sat 0.00 Eastern Promises daily 20.00, 22.00 Falkenberg Farewell daily 19.30 Goud Sat, Sun 13.15, Sat, Wed 15.15 Michael Clayton daily 17.30 Sicko daily 19.15, Thur-Tues also 16.45, Sat, Sun, Wed also 14.15 Sneak Preview Tues 22.15 Timboektoe Sat, Sun 13.00, Sat, Wed 15.30. Melkweg Cinema Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 624 1777 2046 Mon-Wed 19.00 Once Thur, Sun 19.00 Planet Terror Sat 19.00, 21.00 Tales from Earthsea Sun 15.00. The Movies Haarlemmerdijk 159-165, 638 6016 Alles is liefde daily 17.00, 19.30, 21.45, Sat, Sun 14.45, Sun also 12.30 Atonement daily 16.45, 19.15, 22.00, Sun also 12.15 Control daily 17.15, Fri, Sat also 0.30 Earth daily 16.30, 19.00, Sat, Sun, Wed 14.15, Sun also 12.00 Eastern Promises daily 19.45, 22.15, Fri, Sat also 0.15 The Godfather Part II Fri, Sat 23.45 History of Violence,A Fri, Sat 0.00 Kapitein Rob Sat, Sun, Wed 14.30 Ratatouille (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 15.00 Sicko daily 21.30, Sun also 11.45 De Wonderwinkel van Mr Magorium Wed 14.45. De Nieuwe Anita Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 06 4150 3512, If... Mon 20.30. Pathé ArenA ArenA Boulevard 600, 0900 1458 30 Days of Night daily 21.50 Alles is liefde daily 14.40, 17.25, 18.30, 20.20, 21.20, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.05, 12.50, Thur, Mon, Tues also 15.45, Sat also 23.10 American Gangster Thur-Mon 12.30, 16.15, 20.00, Thur-Sun also 21.00, Sat, Sun also 23.30, Tues, Wed also 20.30, Tues also 11.20, 14.50, 18.15, Wed also 13.30, 17.15 Atonement daily 20.35, Thur, Mon, Tues also 12.25, 15.10, Fri also 12.00, 15.25

Amsterdam Weekly Beowulf daily 12.00, 20.30, Thur-Tues also 14.45, Sat also 23.20 Beowulf (IMAX 3D) daily 13.15, 16.00, 18.45, 21.30, Sat also 0.10 Beyaz Melek daily 13.50, 16.30, 19.10 Eastern Promises daily 21.00, Fri-Sun, Tues, Wed also 16.20, 18.20, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.00, Thur, Mon also 15.30, Thur also 17.30 Goal daily 16.50, 20.10, Thur-Mon, Wed also 13.30 Hitman daily 12.00, 15.30, 17.30, 20.00, 21.50 I Could Never Be Your Woman daily 17.10, 19.30, 21.45, Thur, Mon, Tues also 12.40, 14.55 Kapitein Rob Thur-Mon 12.10, 15.00, Thur also 17.45, Fri-Sun also 17.30, Tues 11.25, 13.50, Wed 13.10, 15.40 The Kingdom daily 21.10, Sat also 23.40 Lions for Lambs Mon 17.20, 19.40, 22.00, Tues 16.10, 18.20, Wed 18.10 Michael Clayton daily 17.40 Om Shanti Om Thur-Sat, Mon-Wed 20.50, Sun 15.40 Plop en de pinguin Sat, Sun, Wed 11.50, 13.45, Sat, Sun also 10.00 Ratatouille (NL) Sat, Sun 10.00, 12.20, Wed 12.15 Resident Evil: Extinction daily 16.40, 19.00, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.05, 14.20 De Scheepsjongens van Bontekoe Fri 15.40, Sat, Sun, Wed 12.20, 15.20 Sicko daily 18.00 Sneak Preview Tues 21.45 Snow Cake Tues 13.30 Superbad Thur-Sat, Mon-Wed 15.40, 18.20, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 13.10, Sun 19.15, 21.50 Surf's Up Sat, Sun, Wed 11.55, 13.55, 15.55, Sat, Sun also 9.50 Timboektoe Sat, Sun, Wed 14.10, Sat, Sun also 11.40 Waar is het paard van Sinterklaas? Fri-Sun, Tues, Wed 14.30, Fri-Sun, Wed also 12.55, 15.05, Fri, Wed also 14.30, Sat, Sun, Wed also 12.00, Sat, Sun also 10.00, 10.45 De Wonderwinkel van Mr Magorium Wed 15.30. Pathé De Munt Vijzelstraat 15, 0900 1458 IDFA runs until Sunday on all screens 30 Days of Night Mon-Wed 14.00, 16.30, 19.10, 21.50 Alles is liefde Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 12.30, Thur, Fri, Sun also 15.15, 18.15, 21.15, Sat 10.30, 13.15, 16.00, 19.00, 21.45, Mon-Wed 15.30, 18.30, 21.30 American Gangster Thur, Fri, Sun 13.15, 16.45, 20.30, Sat 11.30, 15.00, 18.45, 22.15, Mon-Wed 13.45, 17.15, 20.45 Atonement Thur, Fri, Sun 15.30, 18.45, Thur also 12.45, Sat 16.15, 19.30, Mon-Wed 17.20, 20.15, Mon, Tues also 12.00, 14.40 Beowulf Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 13.30, 16.15, 19.00, 21.45, Sun also 10.45, Sat 12.00, 14.30, 17.15, 20.00, 22.45 Eastern Promises Thur, Fri, Sun 20.45, Sat 22.00, Mon-Wed 13.15, 16.00, 18.45, 21.15 The Heartbreak Kid Thur, Fri, Sun 17.30, Sat 18.15, Mon, Tues 12.15, 15.00, 18.00, Mon also 21.00, Wed 18.20 Hitman Thur, Fri, Sun 17.00, 22.00, Thur, Fri also 12.00, Thur also 14.15, Sat 18.30, 23.30, Mon-Wed 17.30, 19.45, 22.05, Mon, Tues also 13.00, 15.15 I Could Never Be Your Woman Thur, Fri, Sun 19.30, Sat 21.00, Mon-Wed 12.00, 14.20, 16.45, 19.15, 21.40 Kapitein Rob Fri, Sun 12.40, 15.10, Sat, Sun 10.20, Sat also 12.45, 15.15, Wed 13.20, 15.50 Lions for Lambs Thur, Fri, Sun 21.40, Sat 22.30, Mon-Wed 17.40, 20.00, Mon, Tues also 12.40, 15.20 Michael Clayton Thur, Fri, Sun 20.15, Thur also 12.10, 14.45, Sat 21.15, Mon-Wed 21.20, Mon, Tues also 12.45, 15.45, 18.20 Notes on a Scandal Sun 10.30 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer Sun 10.30 Ratatouille (NL) Fri, Sun 12.45, Sun also 10.15, Sat 11.15, 13.45, Wed 12.15, 14.40 Resident Evil:Extinction Thur-Sun 13.00, Thur, Fri, Sun also 21.30, Thur, Sat also 15.45, Fri, Sun also 15.20, Sat also 10.45, 18.00, 23.15, MonWed 12.20, 22.00, Mon, Tues also 14.45, 17.00, Tues, Wed also 19.30 De Scheepsjongens van Bontekoe Fri 14.15, Sat 12.30, 15.30, Sun 13.40, Wed 12.00, 14.40 Sicko Thur, Fri, Sun 18.30, Sat 20.30, Mon 19.30 Sneak Preview Tues 21.30 Superbad Thur, Fri, Sun 18.00, Thur, Fri also 12.15, Thur also 15.00, Sat 16.30, 19.15, Mon-Wed 12.05, 14.30, 17.45, 20.30 Surf's Up Sat 10.30, 12.45, 15.00, 17.00, Sun, Wed 15.15, Sun also 10.45, 12.50, Wed also 13.00 Todo Sobre mi Madre Wed 21.00 Waar is het paard van Sinterklaas? Fri, Sun 15.00, Sat 11.45, 14.15, Sun also 10.40, 12.50, Wed 14.30, 16.40, 18.50 De Wonderwinkel van Mr Magorium Wed 15.30. Pathé Tuschinski Reguliersbreestraat 34, 0900 1458 IDFA runs until Sunday on all screens Alles is liefde Mon-Wed 15.30, 18.30, 21.30, Wed also 12.30 American Gangster Mon-Wed 12.30, 16.00, Mon, Tues also 20.00, Wed also 20.45 The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Mon 21.00, Tues, Wed 12.00, Tues also 16.15, 20.30, Wed also 15.30, 20.00 Atonement Mon-Wed 12.15, 15.15, Tues, Wed also 18.15, 21.15 Earth Mon 13.20, 16.15, 18.45, Tues, Wed 16.45, 19.15, 21.50, Tues also 13.00 Lions for Lambs Mon 12.45, Tues 21.45, Wed 13.00 Ober Tues 13.30 Sicko Mon, Wed 15.45, Tues 16.15, 18.50, Wed 18.15 Waar is het paard van Sinterklaas? Wed 12.00, 14.20. Rialto Ceintuurbaan 338, 676 8700 4 maanden, 3 weken en 2 dagen daily 19.45, 22.00, Sat, Sun also 13.30, 15.45 The Ballad of Narayama Sun 11.00, Wed 15.30 Chungking Express Sat 23.00 Fados daily 19.15, 21.15, Fri-Sun, Wed also 15.00, Fri also 23.00, Sat, Sun also 13.00, Sun also 11.15 Iklimler daily 17.00 Das Leben der Anderen daily 17.15, Sat, Sun also 12.30 Manufactured Landscapes daily 18.00 Rotterdam Film Course Fri 10.00 Tussenstand daily 20.00, 21.45, Fri-Sun, Wed also 15.15. De Roode Bioscoop Haarlemmerplein 7H, 625 7500, Breathless Tues 20.30 Under the Volcano Sun 20.30. Studio K Timorplein 62, 692 0422, Adam's Apples Thur, Fri 21.30 Control daily 22.00 The Diving Bell and the Butterfly daily 19.00 Die Fälscher Thur-Sun 16.45, Sun-Wed 21.30 I Served the King of England daily 19.30, Thur-Sun also 17.00. De Uitkijk Prinsengracht 452, 623 7460 Earth Thur 21.30, Fri-Mon, Wed 19.15 Il luster animation programme Tues 20.00 Manufactured Landscapes Fri-Mon, Wed 21.15 Ratatouille (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 14.45, Sun also 12.30.

25

WEEKLY CLASSIFIEDS Ads are free, space permitting. They will be posted both to the paper and online. Guaranteed placement is available for a small fee; see our website for details. Ads may be published in English, het Nederlands or whatever language is best for you to communicate your message. How to submit an ad: via our website at www.amsterdamweekly.nl, by fax at 020 620 1666 or post to Amsterdam Weekly, De Ruyterkade 106, 1011 AB Amsterdam. Deadline: Monday at 12.00, the week of publication. your message at h.plantin- w/private shower/toilet for ga10@chello.nl. Hope to hear rent per 20 Nov in Duivendrecht, 7 min. from A’dam KNITTING JOBRed Riding Hood is desperately seek- from you soon! ing Grandma with a knitting addiction to make her LIVE-IN BABYSITTER in center by underground. Rate a new cape. Please set your needles down and con- De Pijp. We are looking for a €675/mth. Wifi, TV, washing tact me at ludivine@live.nl. Wolves need not apply! live-in babysitter for two boys dryer, microwave/oven, fridge, ages 3 and 5. Part-time hours. wkly cleaning, free parking. plus de responsabilités si vous Easy to combine with other See www.noahsark.nl. Tel 06 JOBS en démontrez le potentiel par activities. Private room, 5462 2909. Min stay 3 months. BAGELS & WRAPS Looking votre travail. Merci d'envoy- meals and €40/wk for 20 hrs HOUSING WANTED for an experienced person m/f er votre CV à Virginia@guid- or less work. Must value toworkfulltime/part-timeasap. ion.co.uk ou apeller Virginia organic food and person- CLEAN ROOM WANTED If you are interested please au 520 5360. al/spiritual growth. Call I’m a 28 y.o. man, profescall 06 5261 1893 after 17.00. CASTING CALL Real cou- Cordelia 06 24 888 227. sional, working in A’dam area. BIKE TAXI DRIVERS ples/lovers (not actors). Jour- BAGELS & WRAPS Looking I am a tidy, clean and reliWANTED We’re in business nalist Anton Robin, is coming for an experienced person m/f able person looking for clean 365 days a year! Are you ser- to A’dam to photograph for toworkfulltime/part-timeasap. room for rent in A’dam. Please vice-oriented, independent, upcoming book ‘Love in Mak- If you are interested please contact me by email on milanresponsible, flexible & ing,’ a photo album of people call 06 5261 1893 after 17.00. lietava@gmail.com or call 06 4296 3819. Thanks, Milan. unafraid of Dutch weather? making love, not pornography,

AD OF THE WEEK

Climb on the bandwagon this winter & get priority for best summer shifts. We offer weekly introduction sessions. Contact 06 3882 2683/info@wielertaxi.nl/www.wielertaxi.nl. DIRECTEUR CENTRE D’APPELS Responsable de la mise en œuvre de projets, leur gestion une fois en production,etlemgmtdeséquipes de production. Supervision desprocessusd’escalade.Suivi des méthodes et processus qualité par indicateurs. En charge du processus de recrutement des conseillers. Merci d'envoyer votre CV à Virginia@guidion.co.uk ou apeller Virginia au 520 5360. NEED DUTCH PARTNER Looking for intern/part-time marketing director. Dutch speaking. New art company in NL, Flying Monkee, Art for Corp spaces. Work for 815% commission per job. Also small salary depending on experience. Contact www. dsean.com or 776 2260 or 06 4367 2186 for meeting. ENGLISH-SPEAKING JOB We have all the Englishspeaking and other foreignlanguage jobs from all major employment agencies and employers in NL on one website. www.xpatjobs.com. TELECONSEILLER Prise en charge de tous les contacts clients, téléphone, e-mail ou messagerie instantanée pour l’assistance commerciale et SAV. Résolution de problèmes pour nos clients, vous devez être autonome et prendrez

HOUSING FOR RENT but rather portraits. Open to ALL.www.erostrance.com/cast- NEW YEAR HOLIDAY? We ing.html/06 4277 3290/shan- stillhaveseveralholidayaptsfor ti@erostrance.com. rentovertheNewYearinA'dam. UNDUTCHABLESis looking All are very centrally located. for Credit Coordinator; French EmailusatAmsterhome@live.nl SalesSupport;Dutch&English for more information. Speaking Receptionist/Office SMALL BUT COSYand clean Manager; French Speaking room for rent 10 min from cenCustomer Service. Send CV ter. Double bed, internet conand covering letter to chris- nection, private shower and tine.schroeder@undutchWC.Nocookingfacilities(except ables.nl. See www.undutch- coffeeandtea).€35/night.Email ables.nl for more information. smarasi@novacollege.nl. VERY HIGH COMMISSION Looking for top managers! Leaders and entrepreneurs. Agents for high commission. Easy €5000/€10000/mth. More info: jcfantastic@gmail.com. RESPONSABLE DES OPERATIONS: Mise en œuvre de projet pour notre réseau technique d’intervenants en assistance informatique. Suivi des méthodes et processus qualité et leurs indicateurs. Recrutement des intervenants qui se joindront au réseau technique, suivi qualité, gestion de problèmes entre clients et intervenants. Mise en place de programmes de formation, gestion de l’équipe interne de 3 à 6 personnes. Merci d'envoyer votre CV à Virginia@guidion.co.uk ou apeller Virginia au 520 5360.

WE NEED A HOME Hello! A younginternationalcouplehere searching for a home as soon as possible in central A’dam with max price of €600 for at least 3 mths.Pleasegetbacktoussoon: mijau_meedel@yahoo.com.au/ 06 4514 9663.

ROOM WANTEDClean, quiet and responsible lady is looking for a room to rent in A’dam centre, noord or west for a longer period of time. Max €250/mth. Contact 06 5221 5666 or catherinenaA’DAM APT Near centre, max muddu@yahoo.com. 6 persons. Available from Jan '08 for 2 mths. Fully furnished HOME FOR US?Hello! Reli2-bdrm house on ground floor able working couple looking (80m2),Internet/phone,2cable for an apt to move in as soon TVs/DVD,Garden,(paid)park- as possible. Max price ing.€1050/mthinclwater/elec- €650/mth. Contact us soon! tricity/gas/internet and excl tinlei@futuregenerations.nl €1000deposit&phonebill.saffi- or 06 4514 9663. er2005@hotmail.com. LUXURY 4-RM APT 80m2, A’dam centre nearby Artis, 2bdrm & 2 bathrms, 1 jacuzzi & steam cabine, fully equipped kitchen, balcony, own parking space in garage. €1500/mth, 2-mth deposit. For more info contact Simone on 06 2806 4403 or chand018@planet.nl. APT IN CANAL HOUSE17th century canal house (80m2). Quiet neighbourhood, 5 min from CS. Sunny, 3 windows give splendid view of canal. Large living room, 1 spacious bdrm, fully equipped kitchen, bathroom. Available from 6 Dec. Rent €1350 excl. Call 06 1134 0389 or email Elly. Wempe@Inholland.nl.

BAR STAFF WANTEDWonderbar in downtown A’dam is looking for new bar staff, English and/or Dutch speaking. Certificate Sociale Hygiene required. Would you like to work in a relaxed & groovy cafe? Please contact FURNISHED & SPACIOUS Hiske at 06 4532 0270 or leave STUDIO35m2 in family home

LOOKING FOR APT OR ROOM I’m looking for a 2-3 bdrm apt or single room for a long or even short period. Available as soon as possibile. Working and responsible person. Contact 06 1685 5972 or gigi_amo_78@yahoo.it. NEWHOUSEWANTEDWorking and trustable guys (legally registered) are looking for an apt (1-2 bdrms and living room) available from 1 Jan. If possible for a long period. Contact c.morto@gmail.com. 100'S OF APTS available in A’dam immediately. From €450/mth. See www.xpatrentals.com/offers.

SHARED HOUSING I NEED A ROOM! Spanish woman working f/t is looking


Amsterdam Weekly

26 for a room from Jan ‘08. I prefer long period. I am calm and I don’t smoke. Only long term. Please phone 06 4370 6219.

TRAVEL AND TOUR This is a unique opportunirty you cannot afford to miss. We sell cheap last-minute tickets to Africa. We also organise cheap tours, arrange hotels, etc. For further info call 751 2726 or see www.selasitravel.com.

I'M LOOKING FOR a room in a shared house in A’dam. I’m an Italian guy, 29, friendly, easy going and tidy. I can pay up to € 400/mth. I would FREE STUFF like to stay for several mths. FREE FURNITUREYour lucky Please contact me by email on cischy77@hotmail.com day: Got a double bed frame, 2seatersofa&someotherhandy or call 06 1388 6065. stuffforanemptyapt.Freebeer for every item taken. He who OTHER SPACES dares rodders, he who dares. PHOTO STUDIO For amaCall Ron: 06 2480 4734. teur and professional photographers. Can also be used EX-ARTISTIdon’tneeditanyas meeting or gathering space. more: 10 B/W photo films, 1 100m2, €150/day. Possible to Minoltax-370&1OlympusXA2. rent photo equipment. High Whowantsthem,justcall.They ceilings, good, natural light are free. Paul: 06 2234 3294. and located on WG Plein, adjaSERVICES cent to Overtoom. For appointment and more info contact BUDGETTAXIfortailor-made D. Ingel: 06 2883 4224. private day tours and other CHILLED SPACEfor all alter- long distance taxi services with native health professionals reservation (>50 kms; in NL such as massage, yoga, reiki, or to/from abroad). Spacious, practitioners, etc who want no-nonsense taxi (airco/GPS) to work privately, outside of for 1-4 passengers and lots of own home or to run work- luggage. Dutch driver speaks shops. Clean simple rooms in English,GermansomeFrench. basement space of 16th cen- Tel6138048orcheckwww.dagtury building 5 mins from CS. toertaxi.nl. Cool chilled out vibe. Call 06 WAXINGFACIALSIPLBritish 5463 2143 for details and info. Beauty Therapist. 25 years STUDIO SPACE for rent by experience, CIDESCO, CIBthehour.Suitablefordanceand TAC, ANBOS, LHE Flits Hair yoga classes, etc. South A’dam Removal: Advanced Electrolysis: Brazilian Waxing: P8N8 location. Tel 06 4194 2207. Oxygen Skin Care, Own Label TRANSPORT Botanicals. Eerste Jan Steenstraat 109, 1072NH (de Pijp) HIT THE ROAD! OPEL KADETT. 1991. White. 5-Door A’dam.T:0640799921,www.linHatchback. Interior as new. dayoungaesthetics.com. Body excellent. Runs like a dream. Economic on fuel. No reasonable offer refused. See for yourself. Call me on 698 1998 or firebird@dds.nl.

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29 November-5 December 2007

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Reasonable prices. racy and quality of work are at heart and give your coach a & excellent quality. Visit Proud at work well done. Mail the top of my list. Interested? call: 06 4998 8986 or 400 4778. www.ssrhino.com,andy@ssrhi- me at eco969@hotmail.com or Feel free to contact me on Email marianne@soul-at- no.com.EmergencyServices/24 call me on 06 6603 9212. mobile number: 06 4322 9466. work.com.SoulatWork,A’dam. hrs. Call-outs available & reaCOMPUTERS EXPAT MEDICAL CENTRE GOT BRAINS?I have got bet- sonable rates! 06 2510 6271. offers doctor service, phys- ter ones using an organic prod- PAINTER/DECORATORFul- PC HOUSE DOCTOR Speiotherapy, psychotherapy, uct mixing my own natural ly qualified painter with van cialised in virus/spyware dietician, etc. by experienced powerdrink. Perfect for any and tools. High-grade quality removal, h/w, s/w repair, data dedicated health profes- juice or just plain water. Busi- work. Guaranteed timeline. 06 recovery, wireless, cable/ADSL sionals in your own language. ness partners wanted. Pls 1120 8026 or jacobdecora- installation and computer lessons from friendly and expeWe are based in central A’dam. email healthology@live.nl or tor@hotmail.com. rienced Microsoft professional Our service is covered by sms to 06 2877 7599. UPHOLSTERYFor re-upholfor reasonable price. Contact insurance. To register, or to stering of all kinds of furniture, MASSAGE Mario 06 1644 8230. book an appointment email modern and antique, boat and expatmc@planet.nl. IL CIELO STUDIO We offer caravan cushions recovered NEED HELP WITH YOUR HEALTH & WELLNESS different treatments such as or made to measure, also cur- MAC? MAC-lover helps you craniosacral, dorn breuss tains made to measure, all with basic setups, minor trouDON'T HAVE A PERSONAL massage, holistic, ayurvedic styles catered for, wide selec- bleshooting, install, netCOACHYET?Giveyourselfnew and foot massage. The treat- tion of fabrics to choose from working, basic MAC lessons, opportunity... Get your life in ments are reimbursed by in all price classes. Contact setting up programs, MS Word, order...CallSagar0646265412. many health insurances. Info: Sophie Filangi 06 4154 QuarkXpress, etc. Help with THE SOUL An inspirational www.ilcielo.org, Unmani, 06 7557/www.alabonnechaise.nl. purchasing the right MAC. seminar.Theperfectatmosphere 3004 9738. RENO-BOUW-RAJCZYKDo Contact Sagar at 06 4626 5412. dedicated to you and your soul TANTRA MASSAGESacred you need cost-effective and FREE INTERNET CALL and your connection to it. More sensual massage created to high-quality full house reno- Make phone calls both mobile info: www.thesoul.info. arouse, circulate & increase vation? Professional, experi- and landline within and outSTUCK AT A XROADS?Look- energy throughout the body. enced and with excellent ref- side NL from 0.001 cent per ing for new direction? Dis- Moving energy not only erences. Online links to past minute. Buy internet phones, satisfied with life as it is? Take enhances awareness & the projects. Call now and ask for headphones and VOIP routers. the opportunity to dedicate capacity for pleasure, it can appointment: 06 4451 7410 or We provide VOIP for individtime to yourself and explore also be a powerful healing 331 6550, www.reno-bouw.nl, uals and companies. See and your possibilities. Experienced experience. Tantra Amster- karol-rajczyk@hotmail.com. compare our prices with othlife coach can support you dam & London. Info: 06 4277 NEED A CONTRACTOR ? er companies from our webwith this. More info www.cross- 3290, www.erostrance.com Klussenbedrijf ‘De Klus-Bus’ site. www.jbphonex.com. roadscoach.org. or Shanti@erostrance.com. for all your plumbing, painting COURSES ACUPUNCTURE Certified & carpentry, electricity, bathHOME IMPROVEMENT STILETTO WORKOUT For Americanacupuncturisttreats room installations & renovabothmenandwomenforawide ASIAN INTERIORS Would tions,kitchen&toilet,tiling,lay- the first time in NL, a Stiletto range of ailments at two loca- youlikearoomortworefreshed, ingfloors,roofwork,plastering, Workout Workshop 15 Dec, tionsinA’dam.Coverageoffered redesigned or simplyyour walls garden, general construction, 13.00. Storming UK & USA, is bymanyhealthinsurancecom- repainted? We specialise in technical advice & everything designed to create beautiful panies.Call0627399789,email Japanese and Tibetan influ- else! 06 1899 1782/www.klus- legs and tone up your balance.


Amsterdam Weekly

29 November-5 December 2007 repair your own furniture with the professional advice of Sophie Filangi. Every Tues and Thur 19.00-22.00 (by appt only). Including use of tools, excluding materials. €30 per IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES session. Call for information with certified Iyengar yoga on 06 4154 7557. teacher Cristina Libanori. Tues 19.30-21.00 at Training LEARN OH CARDSCome to Centrum, Europaplein 127 this experiential workshop near RAI. Tram 4 (stop Din- and learn how to use OH Cards telstraat). €10/class; with 10- in training, schools, coachcard yoga strippenkaart ing or therapy. Held in English €9/class. Individual thera- on 20 Jan ‘08. Contact us today, peutic classes arranged by as places are limited. appt at €20/hr. cristina@the- info@creativetherapy.nl. wheel-of-yoga.com/773 5307. GODDESS WORKSHOP 8

27

Dance, walk and choreography will be taught in your high heels. Call/email Sara to subscribe: 06 1211 4828/www. sexyinstructors.com.

SINGING LESSONSOn Prinsengracht, beautiful atmosphere. Classical voice training, breathing techniques, vocalization, scales, etc. For beg & professionals. From classic to jazz pop or rock, and all styles of singing. Good prices + free intro lesson. For more info call Michael on 320 2095 or mail ajara77@yahoo.com.

Dec, 1-day workshop providing inspirational ideas for discovering & relating to the Goddess within you. For men & women. Meet your personal Goddess through guided mediation. Create your own image of the Goddess. For further details go to www.inspiredsoulcoach.nl or call 06 4665 5247.

OPEN DAY 16 DEC offers craniosacral workshops, massage courses and meditation all year long at the Mirror Center A’dam oost. Come to the open day to experience the courses. Please confirm your participation: info@ilcielo.org or www.ilcielo.org or call Unmani on 06 3004 9738.

SPEAK WITH EASE Public Speaking Workshop. Be empowered to give inspiring presentations and put you the speaker in your speech! Remember, every time you speak you’re speaking in public. Fri 30 Nov 19.30-22.00. More info: www.thespeaker.eu or info@thespeaker.eu.

BALLET LESSONS in English LANGUAGES in the A’dam south. All ages DUTCH COURSES New from 3 y.o. to adults. Beginners and advanced. Free trial les- evening courses starting in son for all groups. Tel 644 2431. Nov in centre of A’dam. €200€250 for 20 hrs. Visit www.merDRAWING AND PAINTING cuurtaal.nl or call 693 4250. workshops by professional DUTCH LESSONS A'DAM artist, various techniques, all Improve conversation/prostyles. Contact joneiselin@ fessional purpose/studies/NT2. hetnet.nl/www.joneiselin.com. Also online. Min indiv rate

and Literature offers lessons to children and adults at all levels. Lessons are tailored to meet your needs. Individual lesson = €15. I am available on Tue/Wed/Thur. For more LEARN SPANISH! With a info contact sanjaeror@yahoo native teacher from Spain .com or 06 1565 8218. with years of experience. All INTENSIVE DUTCH AT levels of grammar, vocabu- JOOST WEET HETClasses 4 lary, culture, improve pro- times per week during 4 hours. nunciation, etc. Also con- Good teachers, fun classes and versation €20/hr and group energetic athmosphere. Small of 2-3, €15 each. Email span- groups,personalapproachwith ish.amsterdam@yahoo.es or emphasis on conversation. call 06 4384 5642. 2,3,4 and 8-wk courses. Price: ENGLISH CLASSESI am an €8/hr. Visit www.joostweetexperienced English teach- het.nl. Email info@joostweeer, patient and friendly, offer- thet.nl. Tel 420 8146. ing private classes for all ages. MUSIC References available. Contact 06 2557 3617. BEATSANDREMIXES.COM LEARN ITALIAN! Native- A great concept, a great new speaker gives lessons to those website! In need of a beat interestedinlearninganewlan- without expensive studio guage. The teacher has a uni- costs but with high quality versity degree. Flexible hours sound? Beat creator Warlock are possible and also available is an experienced producer. for children. If you are inter- Listen to his previous project and decide for yourself! ested, call 06 2525 6811. ENGLISH LESSONS Young, www.beatsandremixes.com.

sive courses. Min. intensive: 15 hrs=€215,55. www.excellentdutch.nl. New: Super-intensive summer course. Info: excellentdutch@hotmail.com, 06 3612 2870.

cialised in 70’s/80’s cover hits. Inspired by legends such as Culture Club, Wham, Duran Duran! Experienced in weddings & funerals, and looking to move into more mainstream work (bars, cafe’s, gigs, etc). Have own microphone. Long live the 80’s! boymeetsgeorge@hotmail.com. CHRISTMAS CONCERT at the Oude Kerk is on 15 Dec at 20.00 & 16 Dec at 16.00, and dedicated to Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707). Music has been picked from his Cantata and Organ repetoire. Entrance: €15/€10. Be aware of the church’s cold temperature. There will be hot chocolate and glühwein. www.oudekerk.nl.

MALE SINGERS WANTED Chamber Choir Fenix (1998), conductor J. Spittler, is looking for more tenors and basses. Choir rehearsals Wed. 20.00-22.30, A’dam Plantagebuurt. Repertoire: 20th century; Frank Martin, Vaughan Williams and others. Singing experience, music reading UPHOLSTERY WORKSHOP €15/hr. Adults & children Mon- qualified English teacher hold- KEEN BACKING SINGER required. 06 4473 5451 (Kati), in Westerpark! Recover and/or Sat, 10.00-21.00. Also inten- ing an MA in English Language Looking for front band. Spe- www.koorfenix.nl.

ARCHITECT NEEDED We need help with the Dutch system. Looking for someone to help with permits/drawings and whatever else is required forsmallbuildingmodification project in central A’dam. May suit starter/freelance architect. maikem74@gmail.com.

contact info@hostels-amsterdam.nl for details.

NANNY, BABYSITTERI am 24 y.o. Polish girl. I’ve lived in A’dam for 2 yrs and am looking for a job as a nanny, babysitter or live in/out aupair. I have experiences with taking care of children. If you need any help, please don’t hasitate to contact with CELLO LESSONS! Enthusi- me: renata2906@wp.pl or 06 astic teacher, conservatory 5097 1193. Renata. trained with 8 years of teach- SPERM DONOR WANTED ing experience, is available to We are a loving married lesteach cello. Come for a first bian couple wanting to start lesson, fun and FREE on a our own family. Do you want Prinsengracht Houseboat to to help create a new life? discover the wonderful world Preferably a sweet man with of cello! Call Anita on 06 1656 brown/black hair. Healthy. 3683 or email agluyas@pega- No sex involved. No pressure sustech.com.au. to remain in contact. Please come to our rescue. Contact THE ARTS us for more info: donorHEALING ARTS PROJECT wanted@hotmail.com. Do u want to be part of a healVOLUNTEERS ing arts project that’ll bring exposure to your work? Are CAN YOU WRITE? We are u 1 of the following: Shi’atsu looking for volunteers to write massage, Alexander tech- articles about life in nique, Feng Shui/body paint A’dam/Holland. If you have artist, Ayurvedic healer, clas- some writing desire, please sical Indian dancer, aroma therapist, costume designer, Tibetan singing bowl musician. 06 1560 1372.

A'DAM FLICKR GROUP Share your photos of A’dam with other Weekly readers. Join Amsterdam Weekly’s new Flickr Group! Go to flickr.com, search for Amsterdam Weekly under Groups, and start loading your favourite images.

LOOKING FOR A YOUNG MAN IS looking for painting, ironing, gardening and general house cleaning work. References available. Please email bigabossey@hotmail.com or call 06 2377 0134.

NOTICES BURGER BAR IS OPEN Burger Bar is open and serving health hamburgers and French fries. www.burgerbar.nl. Try us! Kolksteeg 2.

FACE PAINTING Add a little extra fun to your kid’s party! Whether it’s pirates, princesses, tigers, butterflies or anything else! I come to your children’s party and bring it to life with a dash of color. Also available for adult face/body painting. Contact Anna for more info anna@annagreaves.com/06 1811 5098. MURAL PAINTER Do you have a children’s room or nursery that needs something special to make it unique? I can paint children’s dreams on their walls and decorate a play room with imagination. Any theme, any style. Contact Anna to discus the possibilities: anna@annagreaves.com



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