Amsterdam Weekly: Vol 4 Issue 5, 1-7 February 2007

Volume 4, Issue 5

FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY

WEEKOF 1 FEBRUARY TO 7 FEBRUARY 2007 Inside: Music, Film, Art and Events

éE ÅêING& SN§CKING IÜUE

PECK YOUR WAY ROUND THE ORIGINAL PIGEONBOARD! PAGE 14 BUILD A NEVER-ENDING TWISTER MAT! PAGES 1-28,1-28,1-28...

A GAME OF CROQUETTE WITH JOHANNES VAN DAM! PAGE 6 RECREATE THE GLUTTON'S FAVOURITE PLAYTIME NIBBLES! PAGES 6,16,19

PLUS: GAMES JUNKIES GO REHAB PAGE 4 / GETTING ON BOARD PAGE 4 / PIXELLATE THE REAL WORLD PAGE 5

PLAYING PRETEND WITH IMAGINARY GIRLFRIENDS PAGE 19

1-7 February 2007

Amsterdam Weekly

CITY SECOND BY PETER CLEUTJENS Contents: On the cover Twisted. O so very twisted.

Features Gaming rehab . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Gaming nights. . . . . . . . . . . 4 Arno Coenen . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Johannes van Dam . . . . . . . 6 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 16, 19 Pigeonboard . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Twister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28

Going out Short List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Gay & Lesbian . . . . . . . . . . 13 Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Girlfriend Experience . . . 19 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Red Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Film Times. . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Plus The Glutton . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Life in Hell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Eefje Wentelteefje . . . . . . 26 Twister instructions . . . . . 27 Pigeons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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

Winner of 3 European Newspaper Awards Amsterdam Weekly BV De Ruyterkade 106, 1011 AB Amsterdam Tel: 020 522 5200 Fax: 020 620 1666 www.amsterdamweekly.nl General info: info@amsterdamweekly.nl Agenda listings: agenda@amsterdamweekly.nl Advertising: sales@amsterdamweekly.nl PUBLISHER Todd Savage EDITOR Steve Korver ASSISTANT EDITOR Kim Renfrew AGENDA EDITOR Steven McCarron FILM EDITOR Julie Phillips PROOFREADER Karina Hof EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Sarah Gehrke ART DIRECTOR Bas Morsch PRODUCTION MANAGER Vela Arbutina PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Mattijs Arts, Rogier Charles SALES ASSOCIATES Haitske van Asten, Alexander Gan, Simone Klomp, Simon Poole, Carolina Salazar OPERATIONS MANAGER Monique Gruter OPERATIONS ASSISTANT Desislava Pentcheva DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Patrick van der Klugt FINANCIAL ADVISER Kurt Schmidt, Veresis Consulting PRINTER Het Volk Printing ISSN 1872-3268 THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Shafiq Aziz, Willem de Blaauw, Anuschka Blommers, Peter Cleutjens, Dara Colwell, Angela Dress, Floris Dogterom, Matt Groening, Aaron Israel, Judith Jockel, Steve Korver, Celia Layton, Jeroen de Leijer, Nick Leslie, Jaro Renout, Marinus de Ruiter, Nina Schein, Steve Schneider, Niels Schumm, Shain Shapiro, Yvo Sprey, Marc Terstroet, Mark Wedin and Henk Wildschut.

18/01/2007 - 12:32 - 2E LEEGHWATERSTRAAT.

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1-7 February 2007

AROUND TOWN

WoW! Goin’ insane in the game brain.

By Floris Dogterom ‘Yes I am.’ There’s not even a hint of doubt when Paolo van Poppel answers the question of whether he’s addicted to online gaming. He spends more than eight hours a day playing World of Warcraft—or WoW— the game that has eight million subscribers worldwide.

Van Poppel, who is using a false name for privacy reasons, is an unemployed, amiable man. He is 37 years old, which challenges the idea that only 16-year-old, pale-skinned, socially inadequate nerds indulge in this kind of obsessive activity.

That is no news to Keith Bakker, American of Dutch descent, ex-junkie and the gaming addiction guru who runs Amsterdam’s Smith & Jones Center. Bakker says: ‘I’ve seen fifty year olds hooked on gaming. It’s harder to reach that group, though.

When you’re young, usually you are being controlled by your parents, more or less.

Nine out of ten times it is they [the parents], or other people close to an addict, who call me in. But I also received a letter from the wife of a NASA engineer, an unbelievably intelligent man. Still, he was addicted to WoW.’

Bakker is sitting in the smoking room of his institute, on a side street off Nieuwendijk. Just before the interview, he introduced some of the kids hanging around the entrance, who were playing football, smoking and drinking coffee.

When asked if any of the kids there worked for Bakker’s centre, one of them happily answered: ‘No, we’re all addicted.’

Besides helping people kick nasty habits like alcohol and drug dependencies, Smith & Jones is the only institute in Europe where game addiction is treated.

Bakker says: ‘A couple of years ago, I heard more and more stories from kids with a soft drug addiction about obsessive gaming. I started looking for information about it, but there wasn’t anything. So I decided to do something about it myself.’ Although the treatment at Bakker’s clinic is far from cheap, he receives requests from all over Europe—and beyond. ‘Gaming is like any other addiction,’ Bakker states. ‘There are physical and mental aspects to it. Take me.

I was born with an allergy of the body, like twenty per cent of all people. The allergy causes me to have a predisposition to addiction. On the mental side of things, I kept repeating the same behaviour, expecting different results. “This time I’ll have three drinks and then I’ll go home”—it’s a denial system. I continued hurting myself.’

Bakker has seen an obsessed gamer with scars on his back from sitting in the same position in a chair for hours, so don’t tell him gaming doesn’t have physical consequences. ‘Besides,’ he says, ‘these kids don’t have a social life, they don’t know how to make conversation; they don’t know how to approach a girl. In short: they have a badly developed EQ [emotional intelligence].’

Bakker says that WoW is ‘designed to lure you in. That’s why the levels are there: you are rewarded if you achieve something. Like with any addiction—or in fact, with any achievement—your brains give you a shot of dopamine when you complete a task.’ Bakker admits his approach is not that different from other twelve-step programmes, like Alcoholics Anonymous.

‘But we’re unique in that we treat gamers

Let’s twist again...

This week’s edition of Amsterdam Weekly can be completely dismantled and reconstituted as a fully recyclable, potentially never-ending Twister-style game. All you need is one pair of scissors, some sticky tape and one bottle (recyclable glass where possible). For full instructions see page 27.

WIN A PRIZE: Send in a picture of you and your friends playing this fully recyclable, potentially never-ending Twister-style game to editorial@amsterdamweekly.nl, and you will be eligible to win an Amsterdam Weekly T-shirt. Hell, if you manage to involve one of the cadavers from the Bodies exhibition at Beurs van Berlage, we might even give two T-shirts—one for you, one for the corpse. (Who knows? Maybe this will become the latest, hottest and hugest rage. Perhaps the twist-appendaged masses will be inspired to show up this Sunday on the Dam at 2 p.m., for example, to form the world’s largest spontaneous fully recyclable, potentially never-ending Twister-style game. You’ll never know unless you try.)

together with other addicts. They see they’re all the same. That’s when the real magic happens. We hardly ever do individual stuff. Addicts are isolated people, living in a virtual world. We want to break that pattern.’

Living in a virtual world is what makes WoW so attractive to Van Poppel. ‘There I am someone else,’ he says. ‘Real life—and certainly my life—isn’t all that exciting most of the time. Through gaming, I avoid handling my problems, for instance, my unemployment. Yes, I do feel that I lead a very bad life, but for some reason I am not able to change that.’

When he’s asked how his girlfriend feels about his being an unemployed, obsessed gamer, Van Poppel laughs meaningfully. ‘She doesn’t like it at all. After all, she’s the one who’s working her butt off to pay for my subscription to WoW. That gives me feelings of guilt, occasionally. But they ebb away.’

It’s not all sorrow and misery in Van Poppel’s life, however. ‘It’s truly a lot of fun playing WoW,’ he says. ‘I am part of a guild, a group of people in the game that have united to achieve goals that are impossible to achieve on your own. We’re all chatting via the internet, although I tend to only listen to the conversations. That’s because I have this habit of swearing when things go wrong,’ he grins. ‘The other day my guild accomplished a big task. Everybody was shouting and singing. That was fun.’

Last week, Van Poppel bought the much-awaited expansion of WoW, Burning Crusade. Naturally, he was there on the day of the release as soon as the shop opened up. www.smithandjones.nl

Buzz!

A Monday night in a board game Getto.

By Dara Colwell When someone with a name like Sade invites you and your playmates to mess around on Warmoesstraat, things like highly-polished steel anal bolts and toilet-training escapades come to mind.

But Sade—actually John Sade, co-owner of the bar Getto—and his request are totally innocent. ‘This is a night for game lovers and their playmates to interact,’ he says. ‘If you want to bring your own games, too, you’re more than welcome.’

What Sade is promoting is Getto’s Games Night, an event held every first and third Monday of the month for bis, straights, queers, former couch potatoes and tourists eager to fight the winter blues.

Decked with traditional board games like Battleship, Sony Playstation 2, a 16-metre electric race track, with chilled music and black-and-white films playing as a backdrop, the bar’s not just touting entertainment—it’s an active exercise in gezelligheid.

‘Games Night definitely has a huiskamer atmosphere,’ says Denny Dootjes, Getto’s bouncy bartender, who decided

to drop by on his night off and try his hand at Jenga. ‘I think it’s a great idea for the cold winter months—even though it’s not that cold yet. And in January people run out of money, so it’s a way to get out and meet people.’

Judging by the looks of it, though, most Amsterdammers—at least this particular night—are seasonal introverts, as the night was far from packed. Still, a few regulars came along to support the event, which has been running since November, and play the rounds. ‘I think it’s a great initiative. It’s good fun and different every time,’ says Joe Prevatt, as he manoeuvres a racing car along the looping plastic speedway tracks with all the glee of an 11 year old. Sade— who says he never had this toy as a kid—was busy racing the other car. ‘These things even come with working headlights—but no TomTom!’ he says, laughing.

On the serious side, playing social games publicly, at least outside the coffee shops with their requisite backgammon boards, is becoming a lost art, something Sade and his business partner Bertie are trying to revive. ‘When I first came to Holland from the UK, the Dutch were very much into Risk and Trivial Pursuit. Going to a dinner party always meant playing a game, but that died out—maybe because of the internet,’ says Sade. What’s true is that in the past several decades there has been a cultural shift re-emphasising work and getting ahead—making play suffer.

Playing has also become more like work— an action-focused activity that’s goal-driven—so many of us have forgotten how to do it. At least in a chill way.

But now, with new games media like Xbox, people seem to be playing again, believes Sade: ‘It’s coming into fashion again. There’s a new generation playing and that’s why we’ve got video games like Buzz! because they’re so interactive.’

Far from a gaming expert, this reporter found Buzz!, Sony’s cheesy television quiz show and the evening’s highlight, not to mention a great way of losing an hour.

Voiced by one-time Australian soap star Jason Donovan and lasting six rounds, the video game is based on pop knowledge, with questions ranging from ‘What’s the name of Liam Gallagher’s son?’ (Answer: no bloody idea—who knows this kind of

The game of life.

AARON ISRAEL

AARON ISRAEL

But then again, maybe you might want to try rehab on Second Life instead.

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rubbish?) to ‘What’s the world’s smallest continent?’ (Answer: you’re sitting on it— Europe.) Big-breasted virtual contestants and glamorous assistant aside, the game’s like a typical pub quiz, only with less brain power required. (Having said that, guess who still lost?)

For those who want to avoid dreadful television programming on the odd Monday evening, Getto’s Game Night offers an alternative. ‘It’s nice to play together,’ says Dootjes, smiling widely. Given he’s saying this on Warmoesstraat, Amsterdam’s Disneyland of Sleaze, that could mean just about anything. But at Getto, every other week, at least, it simply translates as Yahtzee! www.getto.nl

Real!

Arno Coenen renders pixels in stone.

Old-school video game graphics are a major influence on the style of Arno Coenen, an artist renowned for his wild computer animations as well as his real-life mosaics and stained-glass windows. This month, Amsterdam-based Coenen is exhibiting at Carl Berg Projects, while builders put the finishing touches to a playground he designed for a school in Utrecht, a 1,300-square-metre mosaic depicting video game backdrops and characters.

At an early age, Coenen discovered beauty in the rudimentary graphics produced by home computers like the Commodore 64. ‘I wasn’t really good at gaming, but I loved to watch my brother play and move through the various levels,’ he says. ‘I was fascinated by the idea that the images were created through limited means—just a few pixels and a few colours were enough to trick you into imagining something new.’

While attending art school, Coenen soon discovered that his ideas were realised quicker and more directly with video and computers than with painting.

However, this work proved difficult to present. ‘New media have always been great tools with great limitations,’ he says. ‘With video art, audiences had to be steered through “darkrooms” to have a proper look at your work. This inspired me to try to physically materialise the things I made on screen.’

Coenen discovered a parallel between simple computer graphics and ‘old media’ like mosaics and stained glass windows. A prime example of his mosaic work can be found in the tunnel leading to Nicolaas Maesschool, a primary school in Amsterdam-Zuid—the images on its walls are built up out of coloured tiles instead of pixels.

Pac-Man, Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, Zelda and Pokemon— both oldand new-school characters—flock all over Virtual Fairytale, as the work at Nicolaas Maesschool is

HENK WILDSCHUT

By Marinus de Ruiter

called. Coenen’s original plan was to tile the tunnel’s floor and ceiling, but that turned out to be too expensive.

Now, Coenen is finally able to realise a video game mosaic strong enough for kids to walk and play on, that’s also, as he says, ‘big enough to show up on Google Earth.’

Virtual Fairytale 2.0 at the school in Utrecht will take up the whole yard. Again, the restrictions of the medium bear similarities to that of an old game—the smallest visual elements, concrete stones, have a relatively large size and are available in a limited array of colours.

Coenen has also used limitation to his advantage with the stained-glass window he envisioned for the district court in Middelburg. Dividing the window into the smallest parts possible also turned out to be too expensive, so he decided to use different sizes of glass for his image of Lady Justice, which takes up the whole height of the building. ‘Now you can compare it with an image that pops up slowly on your screen,’ says Coenen. ‘The face is the

sharpest part of the image, other parts are still vague. This corresponds with the various levels of truth in a court case.’

At several exhibitions, Coenen has shown his amusing 3D-animation series Time to Bone inside a small booth, not only because video screens are best watched in the dark, but also because of the X-rated content of the images. ‘It’s not specifically about porno; it’s about how these pornographic images manifest themselves on the internet and how people deal with it.’

Time to Bone gives an exaggerated view of how sexual excesses tend to get picked up by most internet consumers: in full-colour 3D animation we see LEGO dolls flying around the screen, using ridiculous props and manoeuvring themselves into unimaginable positions.

As social comment, Time to Bone seems a mere prelude to the visual excess of Coenen’s most recent 3D video, Baghdad Disco, currently on display at Carl Berg Projects. Seemingly inspired by CNN war footage, Saturday Night Fever and

Real virtuality virtuoso.

MTV, Coenen presents a spectacular video carnival populated by LEGO versions of the soldiers, suicide commandos and anchormen that populate our media-made image of the Iraq conflict.

Baghdad Disco is presented on new high-definition screens, which have just been made available on the consumer market and which are capable of maintaining sharp quality, even in a bright space. ‘This has immediately inspired new plans,’ says Coenen, although he doesn’t feel like trading his current style for a more realistic one. ‘I like the fact that you can see the artificiality of the images,’ he says. ‘What’s the point if you can’t see if an artwork is created by someone?’

Arno Coenen: Baghdad Disco, Carl Berg Projects (Thur-Sat 13.00-18.00), Wittenburgergracht 315, 489 7471, until 17 February, www.solidrocketboosters.com

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SNACKS TO GAME TO

By The Undercover Glutton Illustrations by Marc Terstroet Are you puzzled by what snacks to serve while you’re gaming? Is conjuring up playfriendly recipes as baffling as a never-ending round of Sudoku? Here are a few suggestions that may help. They’re small, require no plates, and can be guzzled one-handed, freeing up your other extremities for counter, tiddlywink or gear stick. Avoid eating them during Twister, though. Even if you don’t choke to death first, they will still leave a mess of crumbs on your carpet.

TOASTED BACON AND PEANUT BUTTER OPEN SANDWICHES

Ingredients: Slice white bread, toasted on one side Peanut butter Good amount of crumbled crispy bacon Dab of mayonnaise Sweet chilli sauce Pinch of salt (to taste) Method: Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, adding them to the proportion that pleases you, flavour-wise. Smear the mixture onto the toast and heat in the oven until gently bubbling. Serve immediately.

STUFFED SMOKED SALMON PANCAKES WITH HORSERADISH AND CREAM CHEESE

Ingredients: Ready-made crêpes or pancakes Smoked salmon Cream cheese Sliced red onion Pickled cucumber Horseradish sauce Mayonnaise Lemon juice Method: In a bowl, mix together the red onion, pickled cucumber and cream cheese.

Chop the smoked salmon and add to the mixture, then combine with a teaspoon (or more, to taste) of the horseradish sauce. Squeeze in a touch of lemon juice, add a blob of mayonnaise, then the ground pepper. Place a generous spoonful of the mixture on to the crêpe or pancake and roll up like a cigar. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Serve cold.

Continued on p. 16

The man whose name can strike fear into the heart of even the bravest restaurateur, Johannes van Dam, has been the Netherlands’ foremost food critic for more than 25 years.

A culinary autodidact, he writes a regular column for Het Parool and is the author of several best-selling food books. His latest, Delicious Amsterdam, the first English-language version of Lekker Amsterdam, guides non-Dutch speakers through the delights of the capital’s cuisine. He spoke to Amsterdam Weekly about the origins of the kroket and clears up some misconceptions about Nedersnacking.

1-7 February 2007

The hapjes of Van Dam Food guru guides us through the past, present and future of Nedersnacking.

BY CELIA LAYTON PHOTO BY JUDITH JOCKEL

Have you ever tried creating a snack yourself?

I have developed a truffle kroket: I first soak the truffles in brandy or Madeira, and then make a ragout from chicken.

When the ragout gets cold, I mix in the truffles and some of the leftover liquid. Frying the kroket heats the truffles and alcohol for the first time, but neither the alcohol nor the truffle aroma can escape, because they are contained in the crust. When you bite into it, the smell and taste erupt like an explosion—it’s a very special experience.

Many of the Dutch snacks I have tried are deep-fried and some, for instance, bitterballen, seem to be very specific to the Netherlands.

That’s nonsense. The Dutch are so provincial that they think lots of things are typically Dutch. Like the wentelteefje that is, in fact, French toast. And the bitterbal is basically a kroket, or croquette, a French invention from 1691.

So are there any snacks that are typically Dutch, or has the Netherlands just absorbed other people’s nibbles?

The way we eat herring as a snack is typically Dutch. The problem is that most of our snacks are derived from food that is very international. Even in the Middle Ages, many foodstuffs were imported, or the recipes travelled here from Italy, became well known—and the Dutch thought they had invented them. The way people snack here, the times at which they snack and the manner in which snacks are distributed is typically Dutch.

try around 1830, but was considered a fancy starter, not a snack. A cookbook from 1891 already contained thirtyfour different kroket recipes. The kroket was first served in cafeterias at the beginning of the twentieth century, and proved to be the ideal snack to put in the automatiek. It’s not true, however, that kroketten are just a way to get rid of leftovers. At Patisserie Holtkamp [Vijzelgracht 15]—the best kroket-maker in Amsterdam—you can have them with shrimp, veal, cheese, sweetbread and truffle, and lobster.

What does the future hold for Dutch snacks?

There will always be a marginal market for fancy snacks, and people may be tempted to eat less fatty things; but I think the market for kroketten, frikadel and so on is huge and will stay that way.

If you were arranging a games evening, what snacks would you serve your guests?

There would be cheese, very good dry French sausage, pata negra [literally ‘black leg’, the best cut of ham in Spain], and I might think about having kroketten or bitterballen. I would also serve my famous anchovy snack, made with salted anchovies soaked in white wine, garnished with parsley, garlic and quartered hard-boiled eggs, and drizzled with olive oil.

The Dutch are so provincial that they think lots of things are typically Dutch. Like the wentelteefje that is, in fact, French toast. And the bitterbal is basically a kroket, or croquette, a French invention from 1691.

Do you mean outlets like FEBO? Yes, the automatiek—although that is not a Dutch invention either. The automatiek found its way to the Netherlands in the 1930s, after the Labour Party passed a law making it illegal for shops to stay open later than 6 p.m. Many people finished work at that time and wanted something to eat, so shopkeepers organised these automatic

dispensers allowing people to buy food, even outside of legal trading hours.

I understand you are writing a book at the moment solely devoted to the kroket.

That’s right. Done well, the kroket is my favourite snack. It first arrived in this coun-

Delicious Amsterdam by Johannes van Dam is published by Bas Lubberhuizen.

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SHORT LIST

Leningrad Cowboys, Tuesday, Melkweg

THURSDAY1FEBRUARY Rock: Eagles of Death Metal Let’s start with the bad news: they don’t really do death metal. Nevertheless, Eagles of Death Metal are, for several reasons which will be outlined shortly, a band worth seeing.

Not only have they got a considerable number of feel-good boogie-rock tunes in store, they’ve also got the properly sleazy look to go with it. There are skin-tight jeans and stunner shades, and singer Jesse Hughes sports one serious moustache. With Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age as their drummer and producer, EODM had to fight off ‘hobby project’ allusions when they released their first record, Peace, Love, Death Metal, in 2004. However, the second release, Death by Sexy, has won them respect, and the fact that they had a barney with Axl Rose on the recent Guns n’ Roses tour (he kicked them out of the support slot after their first gig together) only adds to their credibility. EOMD are renowned for being kick-ass live, so welcome to the jungle, baby. And be sure to shake that booty. (Sarah Gehrke) Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 19.30, €15 + membership.

Dance: Waxtaan The rift between high and popular culture was essentially started by Wagner, who maintained that his work sprang from sources so exalted as to be divine. It was a sweet bit of self-promotion, but much Western art has tussled with the duality ever since. The great Senegalese choreographer Germaine Acogny synthesised these streams in historic ways, becoming the first dance-maker to apply Western training and technique to traditional African movement; the process brought a new fineness of form and expression to that world. Her second trademark is to apply the resulting vocabulary to dances that are pointedly worldly, melding sacred and profane all over again. Waxtaan, the new evening-long work from Acogny’s Compagnie Jant-Bi, takes on African politics—the constant promises, the eternal disappointments—with help from six percussionists from back home. It should show you why Acogny has become an inspiration for choreographers around the globe, as fire fuses with compassion and the need for movement merges with a quest for truth. (Steve Schneider) Het Muziektheater, 20.15, €12.50-€25. Also Saturday and Sunday, 14.00.

FRIDAY 2 FEBRUARY Conference: Weaponization of the Media In times of war, journalism and fact-finding may not always see eye to eye. After all, the moment that someone gets killed this becomes fact. Yet, at the same time, journalists keep looking for stories hiding behind cold, hard data. Between 1991 and 2007 ,

over 580 journalists lost their lives; nevertheless, quite a few journalists opted to report from war-torn areas as embedded reporters. But what if the media becomes a mouthpiece for the warfaring party—does that leave citizens deprived of objective information? How does one go about turning the tide? This conference brings together academics, journalists and other experts to address and map out the far-reaching consequences of reporting during wartime. The programme includes two keynote speeches and several round-table discussions, each led by a moderator. The conference, open to the public and news media, is a preamble to the new US journal Media, War and Conflict. See www.weaponization.org. In English. (Shafiq Aziz) Felix Meritis, 09.30, free (reserve via email: acs@fmg.uva.nl).

Reggage: Black Uhuru One of the most influential reggae bands ever, Black Uhuru hit Paradiso tonight. The next logical question is: but Black Uhuru with who? For the uninitiated, the history of these Jamaican legends reads like the script of Days Of Our Lives, with at least as many characters and everybody doing it with everybody else. Although Duckie Simpson formed the group way back in 1974, the most acclaimed formation was the one featuring singers Michael Rose and Puma, with the riddim twins Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare as musical conductors. Rasta revolution, in the form of militant roots rockers, they ruled the 1980s. But then the grapes went sour. Michael Rose went solo; Puma died; Sly and Robbie made it big, on their own and in multiple collaborations, anyway; Simpson won a law suit with some of his older buddies over the name and kept changing the line-up. So, to answer the initial question, there’s some very good news: Michael Rose is back! Jamaican specialists the Ras-Ites will be doing the musical honours, and if you close your eyes and listen, it might be just like the old days.

(Jaro Renout) Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 21.00, €20 + membership.

SATURDAY 3 FEBRUARY Club: Twstd DJ Contest 2006 They’re taking over the world and they’re doing it by winning! Only by entering a contest will a DJ ever really know if they’ve got what it takes to make it in the cut-throat music industry. And the Dommelsch Twstd DJ Contest is a good place to start cutting it, because it’s one of the biggest—and best-respected—competitions in the Benelux. Of the 150 entrants, only four remain and only one will win first prize. That prize is an electronic music production scholarship to the SAE Institute, residency at Twstd and a live performance on the DJ bar’s QNSDY Outdoor Event stage on Queen’s Day. Alongside the new talent, the headliner tonight is someone who has already made it: Chicago-born, NYC-based turntable sensation and gender illusionist Miss Honey Dijon. Dontcha wish you were a DJ? (Nina Schein) Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 23.00-late, €9 + membership.

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SUNDAY 4 FEBRUARY Americana: Kreg Viesselman, Danny Schmidt Perhaps one day a sociologist will come up with a sound explanation for why Dutch audiences are so receptive to singer-songwriters. Almost every week a respectable number of—mainly US—troubadours travel, guitar in hand, around the country to play intimate gigs at venues that are set far apart from the more established rock clubs.

Amsterdam’s Paradiso may be slightly less exotic than a former monastery, a village community centre or a small-town pub, but since it’s still the country’s most prestigious place to play, it has its fair share of the Americana pie. This afternoon, no less than four practitioners of the fine arts of singing and songwriting will hit the stage.

Special attention should go to Kreg Viesselman, who is, like one of his better known colleagues, originally from Minnesota and now resides in Oslo, Norway. His wellreceived latest album The Pull, however, was released by Welsh cottage-industry label Red Kite. Described as ‘blue-eyed country-fried soul’, Viesselman’s blend of styles brings back the early days of Joe Cocker and Tom Waits. (Peter Bartlema) Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 17.00, €7 + membership.

Gay and Lesbian: Danserette Don’t want the weekend to end, but need to get up early for work on Monday? You can dance your ass off tonight, and still be all sparkly and bright the next morning, if you head to Danserette. Set up by a group of like-minded people, this early disco evening combines classic hits, danceable kitsch and wicked new tunes. Think Diana Ross and Donna Summer. Think one-hit wonders. Think Scissor Sisters and Shapeshifters. Or better still, don’t think at all. Just put on your glad rags and dance, sparkle, shine, flirt, fall or stay in love while DJs Ronald and Rens spin their great collection, one that’s guaranteed to bring back long-forgotten—or more recent—memories. Tickets are available at the door on the night itself, but you get a €2.50 discount if you get them in advance from fab café PRIK: so there’s no excuse not to buy that sexy guy or gal you saw on the dance floor a drink before it all ends at midnight. (Willem de Blaauw) Akhnaton, 19.00-00.00, €7.50.

TUESDAY 6 FEBRUARY Rock: Leningrad Cowboys First and foremost, the Leningrad Cowboys should win an award for the amount of hairspray they use at every gig. And while their trademark unicorn Mohawks—purportedly one-and-a-half metres high—are reason enough to venture out to the Melkweg, come rain or shine, to see them tonight, their music is pretty darn unique as well. For over 15 years, the Finnish collective have been mixing kitschy cover versions with originals in a hybrid East-West style that coagulates myriad music styles, including pop, rock, metal and—yes—klezmer. Back home, the band play to audiences of 70,000 people, have released nine albums and are the subject of three documentaries.

After all, in 1993 their ‘Total Balalaika Show’ incorporated the entire 160 members of the Russian Red Army Ensemble. Yet, this is one of those bands who are difficult to describe on paper because their style, image and joviality is other-worldly. The live show will mirror such aesthetic, and who knows what else will explode from the stage tonight? Expect at least a slew of early ’60s covers—in communist cowboy style, of course—and maybe just a one-way ticket to hell. (Shain Shapiro) Melkweg, 21.00, €15 + membership.

WEDNESDAY 7 FEBRUARY Reggae: Adrian Sherwood You gotta lub dat dub. Especially that dub which leaves a ringing souvenir in your ears for the hours following its full bass- and echo-heavy penetration. But be warned: Adrian Sherwood, the dub producer’s dub producer and the man behind the highly influential On-U Sound System and record label since 1979, is playing the modest Kleine Zaal of Paradiso. Therefore, the resulting aural onslaught may even end up resonating for days, weeks, even months. As pioneering soundologist and former Clash DJ, Sherwood has worked on hundreds of projects, including ones with Sly & Robbie, Mark Stewart, African Headcharge, Dub Syndicate, Prince Far I and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. In fact, the famously freakish Perry even duets with Sherwood’s young daughters on his latest solo album, Becoming a Cliché on the song ‘Animal Magic’. How’s that for street cred? The album—only his second solo effort—also features contributions from Dennis Bovell, Little Roy and Marc Stewart. While using reggae—usually the more militant, kick-ass variety—as his bas(s)is, Sherwood is also only too happy to ladle up extra layers of horns, fruity loops, tablas and sounds suggestive of a deeply, deeply psychedelic Africa. So bring your plugs because your loins will be able to hear as ably as your ears. (Steve Korver) Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €10 + membership.

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

Amsterdam Weekly

1-7 February 2007

original compositions. KIT Tropentheater, 20.30, €15 Reggae: Black Uhuru Jamaican, man. Classic reggae from a classic line-up. See Short List. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 21.00, €20 + membership Jazz: Bud Shank, Toon Roos, Niels Tausk & Trio Rein de Graaff American sax player Shank turns 81 in May. Most of us will just be grateful to be allowed on a scootmobile by that point. A legend of the West Coast scene, he’s proven himself a daring soloist, and with some help from the assembled Dutch cast, this is a fairly unmissable performance. Bimhuis, 21.00, €16 Hiphop: K-oZ Collective Funky and organic hiphop as this vibrant live outfit present their new CD. Let’s hope they’ve managed to capture some of the magic and chemistry on tape. Bitterzoet, 21.00, €7.50 Experimental: Ken Vandermark & Paal NilssenLove Free improv jazz from American sax player and clarinettist Vandermark and Norwegian drummer Nilssen-Love. OT301, 21.00, €6 Heavy: Punkerherrie Hardcore and punk, with sets from The Holy Mountain, Bratpack and De Bakfietsboys (surely the best band name you’ll see all week).

OCCII, 21.00, €5 Reggae: Eek-a-Mouse He may be turning 50 later this year, but this Jamaican ‘singjay’ star tours relentlessly, and goes down a storm with Holland’s reggae fraternity. P60, Amstelveen, 21.30, €17.50 Singer-songwriter: Marsha Songwriter and performer from Zeeland. Skek, 21.30, free Rock: A Band Named Ca$h An ever-popular tribute to the Man in Black, so the tin cups will be rattling off the bar tonight. Maloe Melo, 22.00, free Rock: Prof Nomad’s John Hiatt session JW Roy and Wouter Planteijdt top the special guests list this week, running through the repertoire of diverse American songwriter John Hiatt. Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 22.00, €7.50 Rock: The Phantom Four Instrumental surf rock, with these wave-lovin’ locals looking ready to unleash some new numbers tonight. Pacific Parc, 22.00, free

Saturday 3 February Black Uhuru, see Friday

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

Thursday 1 February Rock: Eagles of Death Metal They ain’t eagles, nor do they play death metal, but they’re certainly the most popular Queens of the Stone Age offshoot. Support by The Spores. See Short List. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 19.30, €15 + membership Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Joined by soprano Elina Garanca, the orchestra will be performing Honegger’s Pacific 231, Debussy’s La Mer, Berio’s Folk Songs (for orchestra), and Ravel’s La valse, poème chorégraphique; conducted by Mariss Jansons. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €25/€35 Pop/Rock: 301 Live! Featuring sets by Maerten de Paepe and Joost. If you want to know what they sound like, you better show up. OT301, 20.30, €5

Jazz: Border Hopping This lively sextet have German reed player Eckard Koltermann at their core. Having spent time recently concentrating on music for the theatre, Border Hopping sees him getting back to basics and focusing solely on the music, with some brass help from Paul van Kemenade and Wolter Wierbos. Bimhuis, 21.00, €14 Americana: Joost Dobbe Acoustic folk and pop singer from Den Helder, who boasts a heavy American influence. Skek, 21.30, free

Friday 2 February Jazz: Lunch Concert Featuring students from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Bethaniënklooster, 12.30, free Opera: Tannhäuser Wagner’s 19th-century opera based upon medieval songs, sagas and romantic tales. Het Muziektheater, 18.30, sold out Singer-songwriter: Jason Molina The songwriting core of Songs:Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co and numerous other rotating monikers that take his fancy, Ohio-born Molina could be described as the heir to the Neil Young legacy. The vocal similarities certainly rear their head regularly, and he’s penned some golden songs in the past, too. He’s just not one to wallow in the glory, off on another musical tangent as soon as his audience falls head-over-heels for one of his gems. Anything can happen tonight: Molina could easily play all of his most recent record or an hour of new material. Just don’t expect speed metal—or any pushing tempos, for that matter. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 19.00, €10 + membership Classical: Quatuor Mosaïques This Austrian quartet, who specialise in performances on historical musical instruments, are taking up residency in the Concertgebouw this weekend. Expect to hear across the three separate performances beautifully executed and authentic-sounding works by the likes of Haydn, Werner, Mozart, Wranitzky and others. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €32.50

Pamela Z Electronica: Pamela Z Three extraordinary solo performances by Pamela Z (US), Tarek Atoui (Lebanon/FR) and Keir Neuringer (US/NL). Expect the unexpected in their electro-acoustic improvisations and sets. STEIM, 20.30, €5

Classical: Ensemble Cubrica Performing songs and music from Bulgaria. Universiteitstheater, UvA, 20.30, €12 World: Gnaoua Raga Featuring musicians from Europe, Asia and, of course, Africa, this ensemble will be attempting to tame the dry heat of the Moroccan gnawa sound, blending together traditional works with

Classical: Nieuw Trombone Collectief Works by Giovanni Gabrieli, Gustav Holst, Louis Couperin, Murray Schafer, Georges Delerue and Alexandre Guilmant, with the nine trombonists led by Jörgen van Rijen of the Royal Concertgebouw. Noorderkerk, 14.00, €10 Classical: Radio Filharmonisch Orkest Performing Brahms’ Piano Concerto No.1 in D, Schönberg’s Fünf Orchesterstücke and Debussy’s Jeux, poème dansé; conducted by Claus Peter Flor. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 14.15, €26 Singer-songwriter: Amos Lee Soulful pop and folk with this young performer who’s performed with the likes of Bob Dylan, Norah Jones and Paul Simon. Support from the very melodic Winterbirds. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 19.30, sold out Heavy: Brand New An emo-tastic pop-hardcore outfit from New York, so poorly applied mascara is sure to be oozing slowly into the glasses of beer tonight. Support from Christian post-hardcore band mewithoutYou. Melkweg, 19.30, €12 + membership Classical: Projektorkest Utrecht This 80-piece orchestra are amateurs and talented students, led by professionals, and they specialise in 20th-century symphonic works seldom heard due to their complexity and the number of performers required. Tonight they’ll be performing Prokofiev’s Symphony No.7 and Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin; conducted by Rob Vermeulen. Dominicuskerk, 20.15, €15 Classical: Quatuor Mosaïques (See Friday) Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €32.50 Classical: Staatskapelle Berlin Daniel Barenboim leads the Berliners through renditions of Schönberg’s Variationen für Orchester and Mahler’s Symphony No.7 in B. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €85 Contemporary: Amsterdam Sinfonietta Joined by violist Kim Kaskashian, the orchestra will present the Dutch premiere of Israeli composer Betty Olivero’s new work for viola, orchestra, percussion and tape.

The programme also includes works by Britten, Barber and Shostakovich. Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €25 World: Farzaneh Ebrahimi & Iman Vaziri Iranian singer specialising in traditional Persian music, with accompaniment from Iman Vaziri on tar (six-stringed lute). KIT Tropentheater, 20.30, €18 Pop/Rock: Winston Popprijs Local music contest, now in its 10th year. Winston Kingdom, 20.30, €6 Jazz: Alessandra’s Circus Italian vocalist Patrucco presents new CD Circus tonight. Backed by the leading men of the ICP—Baars, Mengelberg, Honsinger and

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Free tickets!

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Go to www.amsterdamweekly.nl and click on off the wall logo 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. The next page appears on 21 February.

Amsterdam Weekly

1-7 February 2007 Bennink—it has the makings of a Bimhuis classic, but promising elements of contemporary opera, circus and theatre music, and pop songs, this won’t be just another jazz show. Bimhuis, 21.00, €14

Rock: Amsterdam Underground Collective A punk and garage rock night with sets from Restless Youth, Angel City Outcasts (US) and Heartfelt. Bitterzoet, 21.00, €5

Singer-songwriter: Katarina Earnest adult pop from the local performer. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €7.50

Salsa: Rumbatá A fiery salsa orchestra with powerful vocals and piercing stabs of jazz. They may be Dutch, but don’t hold it against them. Sugar Factory, 22.00, €8.50

Blues: Marcel Scherpenzeel Blues Band Electric blues and rock ’n’ roll. Maloe Melo, 22.00, €5

Sunday 4 February Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Like Thursday’s programme featuring soprano Elina Garanca, with Honegger’s Pacific 231 swapped out for Berlioz’s popular Le carnaval romain, ouverture caractéristique—and a price hike thrown in for good measure. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 14.15, €52.50 Classical: Darius Ensemble Part of the ‘Young Professionals in Music’ series, the quartet will be performing works by Maurice Duruflé, Debussy, Berio, George Crumb, Reyer Ploeg and Ravel. Bethaniënklooster, 15.00, €15 Stor!ing in Paradiso A performance space for upcoming youngsters in the world of music and media. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 15.00, €5 Americana: Kreg Viesselman, Danny Schmidt Two rootsy singer-songwriters. See Short List. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 17.00, €7 + membership World: Marmoucha Maghreb Dance A raï and chaabi special, featuring sets from Cheb Bilal, Khalid Bennani and Douzi. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 17.00, €12.50/€20 Americana: Sara Petite Twangy Americana, folk and a little bluegrass. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 18.30, €7 + membership

Tuesday 6 February Big band: Glenn Miller Orchestra Grand kings of 1930s swing jazz, the various Glen Miller Orchestras around the world continue to tour and go from strength to strength. This German variant, led by Wil Salden, are no strangers to the Concertgebouw, and when the horns start blowing, they’re more than capable of showing their younger peers how to swing it old-style. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €43 Rock: The Leningrad Cowboys Finnish folk rock ’n’ roll. Just don’t stand too close or their hair may poke your eye out. See Short List. Melkweg, 21.00, €15 + membership Pop/Rock: k-Tsjoem: Transformed Dreams evening Featuring sets by Flux, Napoleon IIIrd (UK) and Sugar Coated Mind Bombs. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €6

Wednesday 7 February Classical: Lunch Concert A short performance by the Rodin Piano Trio. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 12.30, free Pop: Pop Levi Electro manipulations with an epic Beach Boys twist. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 20.00, €7 + membership

Americana: Grayson Capps Delicate acoustic Americana. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 19.30, €7 + membership Classical: Maurizio Pollini Milking his recent 65th birthday for all its worth, this Italian master pianist has hit the road running. His most recent release was a disc full of Chopin’s nocturnes, and that’s exactly what you can expect to hear even more of during tonight’s recital. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €65 Classical: Quatuor Mosaïques (See Friday) Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €32.50 Roots: Singer-songwriter Evening Rootsy acoustic Americana from Dutch act the Shiner Twins, with support from Swedish country folk singer MC Hansen. KHL Koffiehuis, 20.30, €5 Jazz: Flowriders Broken Beat Session Amsterdam’s favourite broken beat session that sees raw beats cooked up live on stage, while electronics mix with acoustic instruments, creating an innovative jazzy funk session that knows no limits. Sugar Factory, 21.00, €8.50 Big band: Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw Led by guest conductor Ed Partyka—the American trombone and tuba player—and joined by Dutch vibraphonist Frits Landesbergen. Bimhuis, 21.00, €14 Rock: Living In Oblivion Retro rock as French ’80sstyle new wave outfit Charles De Goal make their Dutch debut. Winston Kingdom, 21.00, €6

Monday 5 February Opera: Tannhäuser (See Friday) Het Muziektheater, 18.30, sold out Pop: Snow Patrol Get your lighters at the ready, Snow Patrol are in town. Coming from a noisy ‘We love Sebadoh!’ pop background, critics or snobs can be fast to stick the boot in and claim these Brits have played the Coldplay stadium-rock card to find success. It’s a tad harsh, though. Sure, with their new material, some of the bland boxes can be immediately ticked, but that love of noisy guitars and big melody still lies central to all attempts. Heineken Music Hall, 20.00, sold out Workshop: Gidon Kremer Featuring backing from percussionist Andrei Pushkarev and the Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra, the renowned Latvian violinist will be performing Mahler’s Adagio from the 10th Symphony, Sofia Gubaidulina’s The Lyre of Orpheus, Korngold’s Symphonic Serenade in B flat, and a trio of works by Piazzolla. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €45.00 Classical: Romeo Quartet Joined by pianist Olga Khoziainova and some special guests from Het Nationale Ballet, the quartet will be performing works

by Beethoven, Satie, Prokofiev and a chamber ballet including music by Karajev, Scarlatti and Cage. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €27.50 Pop/Rock: Popgrond Featuring select bands from the Antwerp rock scene. De Brakke Grond, 20.30, €12

Pop Levi Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Completing a hectic week for the orchestra, chief conductor Mariss Jansons has held back on the special guests to instead let some big songs from the classical world do the talking; including Schubert’s Symphony No.3 in D, and Bruckner’s Symphony No.3 in D. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €52.50 Big band: Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Orchestra A presentation party for Eddy Determeyer’s book Rhythm Is Our Business, about 1930s swing, American sax player Jimmie Lunceford and the black dance circuit of the era. Performing are Streamlined Rhythm Revue, the Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Orchestra with original members of the Beau Hunks, The Peeters Sisters, The Velvet Voice of Sebastian Ohm and The Cotton Club Lindy Hop Dancers. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 20.30, €15 Pop/Rock: CREA avond A new platform for young upcoming and young bands, this week featuring Tjejer, Serial Chiller and Polonium 210. Winston Kingdom, 21.00, €5 Jazz: TryTone Festival Experimental jazz concepts and projects. Tonight’s collection features sets from The Black Napkins, Bram Stadhouders Tonelist Trio and a solo performance by Chicago-born pianist Narada Burton Greene. Zaal 100, 21.00, €5 Jazz: Christian Pabst Trio German trio performing original works with a hint of funk and swing. Skek, 21.30, free Reggae: Adrian Sherwood Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Boom, boom, boom went the bass.

See Short List. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €10 + membership Pop/Rock: Club 3voor12 Live radio and TV session featuring sets from ex-Arab Strap anti-anti-depressant singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton, Groningen organ rock ’n’ rollers Green Hornet and indie pop outfit Ponoka. Desmet Studios, 22.00, free (reserve tickets at www.3voor12.nl)

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Amsterdam Weekly

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Free tickets!

1-7 February 2007

Go to www.amsterdamweekly.nl and click on off the wall logo 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. The next page appears on 21 February.

Amsterdam Weekly

1-7 February 2007

CLUBS

Monday 5 February

Thursday 1 February

Tuesday 6 February

Electrorated! Electro chaos, with a host of new DJs trying out to become an official resident of the Electronation. Winston Kingdom, 21.00-03.00, €5 Flex YourSpace Including a live set from Matik. Flex Bar, 22.00, €5 Poppourri Student Night Pop hits aimed at stinking students. Club 8, 22.00-03.00, €5 Dirty Disco Eclectic disco magic from DJs Beamers, moderndancing and Tricky Disco. Studio 80, 22.00-late, €5 Vreemd Outlandish electro and live performances.

Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €7.50 Poptrash Three decades’ worth of rock, electro and hiphop with The Punchout DJs. Melkweg, 23.00-late, €4

Friday 2 February Ironica With DJs All Out K, Parra, Tits and Balls, Gomes and Osiris. Flex Bar, 22.00, €5 Headroom vs Errorkrew Italo, electro and techno are the main ingredients tonight as these two sets of creatures of the night go head to head; with DJs Dirty D.is.ko, Bison Kid, V-Neal & Kwik and TRL. Club 8, 22.00-04.00, €8 The Zoo With DJs Frederik Abas & Marnix and Jay-B. The Zebra, 22.00-04.00, €10 Deep Electronic Acid & Molotov Cocktail Lounge One entry price, two parties. With DJs Dimitri, Richard Parker, Rudy K and Moskow Diskow. Studio 80, 22.00late, €10 Stereo Sushi Soulful deep house and electro in this Hed Kandi event, featuring DJs Rob Wilder, Steven Quarré, Frederik Abas and ArTistique. Sinners, 23.0005.00, €12 ¿Que Pasa? Latin-crossover night with reggae, folk, ska, punk and mestizo. Melkweg, 23.00-late, €7 + membership Paradisoul: Seen A visual music spectacle with Paradiso illuminated from all angles by projections, beams and screens. The line-up includes the likes of DVDJ’s Off the Wall, Mr Wix, Tom Trago and MC Melody, all scheduled to provide eclectic soundtracks.

Paradiso, 23.59-05.00, €10

Saturday 3 February

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

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

Wednesday 7 February Very Pop! An intoxicating mix of cocktails and pop music. Sugar Factory, 23.00-04.00, €5 Woof!

GAY& LESBIAN STAGE Thursday 1 February Thursday 1 February Pimp My Drink Make it a large one: augment your spirits for €1 per shot. PRIK, Tues-Thur 16.00-01.00, FriSat 16.00-03.00,

Dance: Waxtaan Senegalese dance group exploring the rich traditions of African rhythms, while also shining a critical light on various African leaders. See Short List. Het Muziektheater, 20.15, €12.50-€25

Friday 2 February

Theatre: Hemel op Aarde A furious quest for those special places that promise heavenly bliss on earth. In Dutch. Frascati, 20.30, €12

Vrouwenavond Sappho goes all Twisted Disco with DJs Nina, Alex and Showbizliz. Open to all women and their friends of any gender. Café Sappho, 21.00-03.00, free Twisted Tunes This evenings tunes get misshapen by DJ Eko. PRIK, 22.00-03.00, free Club Cut Inducted tonight into the Club Cut hall of fame are Richard and Karen Carpenter, the allsinging, all-dancing, half-anorexic brother-and-sister pop duo. Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €10 Fresh Safely ensconced in its new home, the shirts-off gay guys club tonight features DJs Doug Gray and Giangi Cappai. Escape, 23.00-05.00, €15

Saturday 3 February Garbo for Women Once a month women-only night with food, lounging and dancing (to DJ Dees from 20.00 onwards). Happy hour between 19.00 and 20.00. Strand West, 17.00-24.00, €5

Theatre: Peanuts A play about responsibility and solidarity, Peanuts is very loosely based on the characters of the famous comic strip, offering fast-paced dialogue and short sentences. Just don’t show up expecting a Snoopy show. In Dutch. Compagnietheater, 20.30, €18 Theatre: Hemel Part two of theatre collective Monk’s Titanen-trilogy, Hemel is loosely based on Nescio’s De Uitvreter, a play about a group of Bohemian friends desperately trying to avoid becoming respectable members of society. In Dutch. Frascati, 21.00, €12 Theatre: Late Night Studio: Thom Pain A new latenight space allowing fresh directors the opportunity to present their work or to experiment on Rozentheater’s small stage. The opening performance is Thom Pain, Will Eno’s off-Broadway smash about a young man who appears out of the wilderness to offer his views about our world. In Dutch. Rozentheater, 22.15, €7.50

Friday 2 February

IChiOne presents SR 17 Dinner, drinks and dancing.

Those looking to miss out on dinner can show up after 20.00 for tunes from the IChiOne residents. After midnight, live PA by Amit (Commercial Suicide and Metalheadz) and a set from Insight (Commercial Suicide and Digital Soundboy). Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 19.00-late, €7/€14 incl dinner

Rediscovery A mixed gay and lesbian party whose aim is to dig out and play some good, old-fashioned disco. With DJs Rob, Jaap, and Ingo. Café Sappho, 21.00-03.00, free

Sunday 4 February

Theatre: Late Night Studio: Thom Pain (See Thursday) Rozentheater, 20.00, €7.50

RobotRock Electro to get you rockin’ out and indie sounds to dance to, with the eclectic club night leaving behind the red light setting of Winston Kingdom for a new home. Club 8, 22.00-04.00, €5

Danserette High-spirited gay dance party with classic hits and up-to-the-minute tunes. See Short List. Akhnaton, 19.00-00.00, €7.50

Theatre: Hemel op Aarde (See Thursday) Frascati, 20.30, €12

Unkool vs Honey Winter X5 With Willerby Brighton and Dan Carol (UK mix-up). Flex Bar, 22.00-late, €5

Wednesday 7 February

Club Revolver Dizzying electro from the likes of Kareem Raihaini, Lex Empress, Tomas Andersson, Bart Skils and Josz LeBon. Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €12.50 Superstars With DJs Roog, Sidney Samson, Brian S, Dekky, Fedor Limjoco, Denniz, Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano. The Powerzone, 23.00-05.00, €10 M.U.L.T.I.S.E.X.I. Multifun with the Fanklub DJs (Antwerp), RFH Delfos, Cleo & Guests and Dig Nampook. Studio 80, 23.00-late, €8.50

Paleis van de Weemoed Monthly dance party hosted

by ArtLaunch for the older gay man and lesbian, organised by GreyPink. Music varies from the ’30s to ’70s disco and there are performances. Paleis van Weemoed, 18.00-23.00, €7.50 Gay Classics: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert This month’s film is Steven Elliot’s surprise stormer at the box office. Included in the ticket price is a drink at the cinema, plus another one post-flick at Café April.

Pathé De Munt, 21.00, €6.25

Twstd DJ Contest The grand finale of the respected talent contest. See Short List. Paradiso, 23.00-late, €12

Theatre: Rouw siert Electra Toneelgroep Amsterdam’s take on Eugene O’Neill’s 1931 play, based on the Greek tragedies The Oresteia. In Dutch. Stadsschouwburg, 19.30, €11.50-€25

Theatre: Peanuts (See Thursday) Compagnietheater, 20.30, €18 Dance: Made of Iron, Female Contemporary dance works by final year students of the School voor Nieuwe Dansontwikkeling. Melkweg Theater, 20.30, €5 Comedy: easyLaughs Comedy improv in English.

Two different shows every Friday night. Crea Muziekzaal, 20.30, 22.30, €10, €5 (late night) Theatre: Hemel (See Thursday) Frascati, 21.00, €12 Performance: Woof! Live music, theatre, poetry, comedy... Anything goes at Woof! Performers include: Lucky Fonz III, Dirtmeister, Wiegertje Postma, Laura & Her Darlings, Rina Mushonga and more. Rozentheater, 21.00, €10

Dance Arena Alternative dance, pop and rock. Melkweg, 23.59-late, €7 + membership

Saturday 3 February

Sunday 4 February

Theatre: Rouw siert Electra (See Friday) Stadsschouwburg, 19.30, €11.50-€25

Fuck Monday Underground electro from Sébastien Léger and Jesse Voorn vs LiN. Studio 80, 19.00, €5 Radio Activity With DJs Jaco, Wouter Hisschemöller, Sandrien and Richard Parker. Studio 80, 21.00, free WickedJazzsounds Jazz, hiphop, broken beats, nujazz, funk and Afro sounds, Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €8.50

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

F*cking POP Queers & Artlaunch Cafe Pop goes the dancefloor. This week featuring Manga, Claudette, Kmart, RFH Delfos and more. Studio 80, 23.00, free before 00.00, €5 after

Dance: Waxtaan See Short List. Het Muziektheater, 20.15, €12.50-€25 Theatre: Safad-Shatilla, Vice Versa A monologue about the life of a Palestinian family in 1948. Rather than presenting the more common political viewpoints, all focus is on the drama and emotions the family face. In English (an Arabic version can be seen tomorrow). De Balie, 20.30, €8

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Pigeonboard Illustration by Yvo Sprey

The Old Dutch pursuit of ganzenbord has been reinvented for 21stcentury Amsterdam. The name of the game is to be the first to complete the life path around bridge, cafĂŠ, construction site, immigration bureau, jail and liquidation.

To determine who goes first, each player takes a turn at throwing one dice. The highest score moves ahead the same number of squares as the number shown on the dice.

The other players then continue with two dice. If they throw 4 and 5, they can move directly to 53; if they throw a 6 and 3, they can move ahead to 37. A Calvinist lesson?

If you come to the following spaces: Nr. 6 - Pillenbrug The piece of bread you just pecked contains speed. Zip ahead to 12.

Nr. 19 - Kroeg Your favourite bar closes at 1 a.m. You lose a turn while finding somewhere else to drink that’s still open.

Nr. 31 - Construction Site You are in the bouwput. You might as well sit back and relax: you have to wait until another player comes to rescue you.

Nr. 52 - Jail You don’t have proper ID when you are pulled over for cycling without a light. Languish in jail until another player bails you out.

Nr. 42 - Bureaucratic Bramble Bush You have to apply for a new visa. You get tangled in red tape and dragged back to 37.

Nr. 58 - Death You either get liquidated in Oud-Zuid or run down by a cab. Start again.

Yes, you lucky little sijssie: you can be reborn!

If you come to a space that is not mentioned above but contains a pigeon, you get to move ahead the same number of squares again. If you come to a space containing another player, go back to the square you just left.

The winner is the player who lands on 63 with one roll of the dice. (E.g. If you are on 59 and

roll 4, you win. If you roll 10 you must go forward 4 and back 6.)

For playing pieces, go to p. 27. For dice, use your own. What are we? Made of money?

Amsterdam Weekly

16

PEAR AND TWO-CHEESE MINI QUICHE Ingredients:

Theatre: Hemel op Aarde (See Thursday) Frascati, 20.30, €12 Theatre: Peanuts (See Thursday) Compagnietheater, 20.30, €18 Dance: Made of Iron, Female (See Friday) Melkweg Theater, 20.30, €5 Theatre: Hemel (See Thursday) Frascati, 21.00, €12 Theatre: Late Night Studio: Thom Pain (See Thursday) Rozentheater, 22.15, €7.50

Sunday 4 February Packet of frozen ready-made puff pastry dough Ricotta cheese Danish Blue (or similar tangy blue cheese) Medium-hard pear Two eggs Crème fraiche Capers Chopped parsley Black pepper Method: Preheat the oven to 180° for 10 minutes, then lower to medium heat. Meanwhile, grease a muffin tray with butter or use non-stick, if possible. Cut the semithawed puff pastry squares into halves, and fit into each muffin mould. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the crème fraiche, then add the ricotta and crumbled Danish blue. Add ground black pepper, chopped pear, capers and parsley. Spoon the mixture into the pastry. Sometimes I sprinkle a little brown sugar or a thin sweet chilli sauce on top to glaze the quiches. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve in a basket or piled high on a plate.

Continued on p. 19

Theatre: Safad-Shatilla, Vice Versa (See Saturday) De Balie, 12.00, €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, 20.30, free

Tuesday 6 February Music/Theatre: Hommage aan Vasalis An homage to Maria Vasalis, the Dutch poet and psychiatrist. Featuring Léon Hanssen, Maaike Meijer, Hagar Peeters and Elly de Waard, with music by Denise Jannah and Wolf Martini, plus an introduction by Ellen ten Damme. In Dutch. De Balie, 20.00, €9 Theatre: Operator Performance inspired by the book The Tipping Point by The New Yorker’s Malcolm Gladwell, about social epidemics and trends. A central question to be asked is: how can the actions and reactions of one person start a chain of events? In Dutch.

Rozentheater, 20.00, €12.50 Theatre: Echt iets om naar toe te leven (See Sunday) Stadsschouwburg, 20.15, €11.50-€22.50

Waxtaan Dance: Waxtaan See Short List. Het Muziektheater, 14.00, €12.50-€25 Theatre: Echt iets om naar toe te leven Out of the garden and back onstage, Arjan Ederveen wrote this bittersweet fairy tale in 2005 especially for Toneelgroep Amsterdam. Here he plays the dying lesbian author of the successful Pinkeloentje books. Her friend and manager wants one more book before she dies, but she’ll only agree to it if they also publish her memoirs under the title Kutverhalen uit eigen doos. In Dutch. Stadsschouwburg, 20.15, €11.50-€22.50

Monday 5 February

Theatre: Peanuts (See Thursday) Compagnietheater, 20.30, €18 Theatre: Late Night Studio: Thom Pain (See Thursday) Rozentheater, 22.15, €7.50

Wednesday 7 February Theatre: Operator (See Tuesday) Rozentheater, 20.00, €12.50 Theatre: Echt iets om naar toe te leven (See Sunday) Stadsschouwburg, 20.15, €11.50-€22.50 Music/Dance: Ankara State Opera and Ballet Performing a trio of colourful contemporary dance works: Kazimir’s Colours by Mauro Bigonzetti, Entre Dos Aguas by Robert North, and Concerto van Marco Cantolupo. With music by Shostakovich, Bach and Paco de Lucia. Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €17.50

Performance: De Republiek An open stage for performers and artists to show off new works or just play it by ear. In Dutch. De Balie, 19.30, free

Theatre: Peanuts (See Thursday) Compagnietheater, 20.30, €18

Theatre: Echt iets om naar toe te leven (See Sunday) Stadsschouwburg, 20.15, €11.50-€22.50

Theatre: Late Night Studio: Thom Pain (See Thursday) Rozentheater, 22.15, €7.50

1-7 February 2007

ART Opening Abstract Accents Works by three European painters living and working in the Netherlands: Jack Allick, Pascale Bazille and Bernhard von Braun. ABC Treehouse (Thur-Sun 13.00-18.00), opens Thursday, until 25 February Affichetentoonstelling A chance to view impressive selections from the Filmmuseum’s mammoth collection of old film posters from across the decades.

Filmmuseum (Mon-Fri 09.00-22.15, Sat, Sun one hour prior to show-22.15), opens Thursday, until 14 March Marie Cecile Thijs: Portretten Photographic portraits

by Thijs, who makes use of symbolism to unravel stories about those portrayed, as well as the viewer.

Melkweg Galerie (Wed-Sun 13.00-20.00), opens Thursday, until 4 March Seeing is Knowing: Perspectives in Dutch Architecture An opportunity for locals to finally take in the Netherlands’ entry at the 10th International Architecture Biennale of Venice in 2006, which explores the nation’s cities as complete, inhabitable environments rather than simply collections of disconnected buildings. Zuiderkerk (Mon 11.00-16.00, Tues-Fri 09.00-16.00, Sat 12.00-16.00), opens Thursday, until 31 March Zilvinas Landsbergas: 8 pm An installation consisting of sculptural objects, architectural models and a projection of an animated film that creates a melancholic state of mind: ‘The Blues’. agentur (Thur 17.00-21.00, Fri-Sun 15.00-18.00), opens Thursday, closing Sunday Docentenexpositie Featuring the works of two key Fotogram teachers: Peter Dammers and Malou van Breevoort. Fotogram (Mon-Thur 11.00-22.00, Fri, Sat 11.00-16.30), opens Friday, until 28 February Che! An analysis of the posterboy for the revolution, whose starting point is Korda’s 1960 portrait.

Tropenmuseum (Daily 10.00-17.00), opens Friday, until 6 May

Amsterdam Weekly

1-7 February 2007

punk rock scenes, frequently likes to combine stylistic extremes like manga, religious kitsch and commercial art. Pop surrealist Ray Caesar’s ‘Science Fiction Meets Victorian’ print series has been shown here before, but it’s now being accompanied by works by other big names from the scene, like Mark Ryden, Tim Biskup, Joe Sorren, Glenn Barr and Naoto Hattori. KochxBos Gallery (Wed-Sat 13.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 1 April We Make Art Multidisciplinary artworks from some of Holland’s freshest young artists. Starting with a list of 65, Jan Maarten Voskuil (Arti), Christine van de Bergh (outLINE) and Christine Sluysmans (Kunstenaars CO) were handed the task of whittling it down to a short list of 15. Arti et Amicitiae (Tues-Sun 13.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 25 February Winterlicht A group exhibition displaying new works by artists of the gallery. AdK Actuele Kunst (Wed-Sat 12.00-17.30), opens Wednesday, closing Saturday

Museums Affichetentoonstelling, see Opening

Jan van der Heyden The first monographic exhibition on Jan van der Heyden in the Netherlands since 1937.

One of the leading 17th-century painters of Dutch cityscapes, he was also fascinated by firefighting and is still remembered to this day by many as the inventor of the fire hose. Rijksmuseum (Daily 09.00-18.00), opens Friday, until 30 April Groene Vingers A close look at Amsterdam’s ‘green fingers’—the areas of the city pre-designed to pierce the urbanity. Found all over, they were created for various reasons, but by and large their function is to bring recreation in green space closer to the city dweller.

ARCAM (Tues-Sat 13.00-17.00), opens Saturday, until 31 March Minimalpop A travelling group exhibition curated by Petra Bungert, director of CCNOA (Center for Contemporary Non-Objective Art) in Brussels, and German artist Tilman, featuring the works of many international artists. Arti et Amicitiae (Tues-Sun 13.00-18.00), opens Saturday, until 11 March The High Mind of Lowbrow The Lowbrow art movement, originated from LA’s underground garage and

Erik van Lieshout: This Can’t Go On (Stay With Me) An overview of the Rotterdam artist’s commentary on modern life in all its varieties, expressed in installations, films, drawings and paintings. Van Lieshout’s newest film, Rock, is shown in a drive-in cinema that has been erected in the museum’s hall. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 11.00-17.00), Rotterdam, closing Sunday

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

This extensive exhibition features painterly highlights from his body of work. CoBrA Museum (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), until 25 February Bare Hidden poverty in the Netherlands is the theme for this year’s annual ‘Document Nederland’ photography assignment organised by the Rijksmuseum and NRC Handelsblad. The works show those who literally live ‘below the minimum’. Photographer Geert van Kesteren leads the exhibition. Huis Marseille (TuesSun 11.00-18.00), until 4 March Capricious Inspired by the New York/Amsterdam based cutting-edge photography magazine of the same name, Capricious presents works by six young and experimental photographers. Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), until 4 March

Geroofd, Maar van Wie? Hosted in the Amsterdam theatre that became a Jewish deportation centre during World War II, this exhibition’s focus is on works of art taken during wartime, and later returned, though remaining unclaimed. Hollandsche Schouwburg (Daily 11.00-16.00), closing Sunday Paul Kooiker: Paradise Twenty-One Various photo sets from the last ten years and new video works made

by Dutch photographer Kooiker. Reflecting his fascination for perception, he focuses on the female form, which he produces in many different ways. Foam (Sun-Wed 10.00-17.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 11 February Tour de France 1646 Drawings by Rembrandt’s student Lambert Doomer and his friend Willem Schellinks, made during a trip along the River Loire.

Rembrandthuis (Mon-Thur, Sat, Sun 10.00-17.00, Fri

TJ Wilcox TJ Wilcox: A Fair Tale & Garland One The American artist makes short films featuring characters such as Marie Antoinette, the Roman emperor Hadrian and the family Romanov’s bull dog. By using subtitles and refraining from clear storylines in favour of an open relationship between images and content, Wilcox leaves room for the viewers’ imagination. Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), until 4 March

17 Ringel Goslinga: Family Tree A black-and-white photo series showing portraits of people in the artist’s immediate surroundings. By presenting these in the form of a family tree, Goslinga illustrates the social structures that develop out of a personal network of friends, family and coincidental acquaintances. Foam (Sun-Wed 10.0017.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 7 March The Girlfriend Experience Martin Butler presents four human avatars to play with. See article on p. 20.

Mediamatic (Wed-Fri 18.00-23.00), until 9 March Collectors in St Petersburg A celebration of the cosmopolitan nature of early 20th-century St Petersburg, when the city was so prosperous that its art scene flourished and expansive collections were born. This exhibition introduces four key collectors from the period, each with their own preference for a particular school, country or era. Hermitage Amsterdam (Daily 10.00-17.00), until 11 March French Passion During the early 20th century, private collectors in the Netherlands acquired many masterpieces by painters including Monet, Daubigny, Cézanne and other famed French artists. This exhibition provides an overview of the pieces united at the time. Centraal Museum (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), Utrecht, until 11 March Just In Time The annual Municipal Art Acquisitions exhibitions allow for an overview of cultural activity in Amsterdam in the areas of visual art, photography, design and applied arts. Each year the show pivots on one discipline—or a combination of various disciplines—and works are acquired from it for the Stedelijk Museum collection. Stedelijk Museum CS (Fri-Wed 10.00-18.00), until 11 March Bodies Something of a controversial exhibition, though undoubtedly also hugely popular as it tours the world, this is one anatomy lesson you won’t forget. Making use of dissected corpses in a range of poses, real foetuses and a large selection of human organs, the collection aims to educate and remind us how remarkable the human body is. Just think twice if you’re on the squeamish side. Beurs van Berlage (Thur-Sat 10.0022.00, Sun-Wed 10.00-18.00), until 15 March Kees de Kort A tribute to 40 years of painting, illustrating and designing by the Dutch artist. His work shows biblical inspiration but also a great fascination with animals. Bijbels Museum (Mon-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 11.00-17.00), until 18 March

18

Amsterdam Weekly Objects for Eternity: Egyptian Treasures from Antiquity Approximately 150 objects from ancient Egypt, detailing how intensively and carefully the ancient Egyptians prepared for the eternity they believed was in store for every decent person following death. Allard Pierson Museum (Tues-Fri 10.00-17.00, Sat, Sun 13.00-17.00), until 25 March Eva’s Story Showing paintings of Erich and Heinz Gieringer made while they were in hiding from the Nazi prosecutors. Verzetsmuseum (Tues-Fri 10.0017.00), until 6 April Aanwinsten 2005-2006 A presentation of recent purchases, including pieces by Francis Alÿs, Mike Kelley, William Kentridge, Philip-Lorca deCorcia, Aernout Mik and Thomas Ruff. Stedelijk Museum CS (Fri-Wed 10.00-18.00), until 9 April Istanbul From Byzantium to the Ottomans, from Constantinople to Istanbul: the pieces from the Nieuwe Kerk’s winter exhibition are born of one of the richest and most diverse histories in the world. The exhibition focuses on Ottoman heritage, displaying nearly 300 treasures of the sultans—including exhibits from Topkapi Palace Museum. Nieuwe Kerk (Thur 10.00-22.00, Fri-Wed 10.00-18.00), until 15 April Architecture of the Night: Luminous Buildings A voyage into the dark night and the beautiful buildings and lighting designs that can transform the look and feel of cities. Packed with illuminated models, artworks and stunning night photography, there’s an environmental message, too, with focus on light pollution and energy efficiency.

Nederlands Architectuurinstituut (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00. Sun 11.0017.00), Rotterdam, until 6 May Behind the Curtains Fifteen innovative architectural designs by Willem Jan Neutelings and Michiel Riedijk, whose expressive buildings are icons within cities that are appreciated equally by tenants and passers-by.

Museum Hilversum (Tues-Sat 11.00-17.00, Sun 12.0017.00), Hilversum, until 6 May Moderniteit in de Tropen: Architectuur in Nederlands-Indië This collection features photographs, drawings and maquettes by Dutch architects working in Indonesia between 1850 and 1950. Nederlands Architectuurinstituut (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 11.0017.00), Rotterdam, until 3 June Lucebert. Drawings Gouaches, drawings in Indian ink and works on paper in mixed media, dating from 1948 to 1993. There’s also an accompanying publication with text (in Dutch and English) by the Dutch author Cyrille Offermans. CoBrA Museum (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), until 3 June

1-7 February 2007 claim. V2_ (Daily 11.00-18.00), Rotterdam, closing Sunday Winterlicht A group exhibition from artists of the gallery. AdK Actuele Kunst (Wed-Sat 12.30-17.30), until 10 February Ready Media The term ‘ready media’ is used to explain the phenomenon of visual stereotypes that are created by the omnipresence of contemporary media culture. This exhibition deals with the interaction between media and art, and with the influence that ‘ready media’ has on our way of seeing. Montevideo/Time Based Arts (Tues-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 10 February Octagon/////Zonder Titel New installations by Bas Louter and Folkert Joore. P/////AKT (Thur-Sun 14.0018.00), until 11 February Baghdad Disco: Arno Coenen A shiny sardonic exhibition by multimedia artist. See article on p. 5. Carl Sandberg Projects (Thur-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 17 February Jan van de Pavert Showing works by Dutch sculptor and painter Van de Pavert (1960). Galerie Paul Andriesse (Tues-Fri 11.00-18.00, Sat 14.00-18.00), until 17 February Paradise Love Bar A group exhibition featuring works by three young and upcoming artists: installations and drawings by Aisling Hedgecock (Ireland); video art and photographs by Alice Finbow (England); and installations and paper cut-outs by Sangeeta Sandrasegar (Australia). Galerie Gabriel Rolt (Wed-Sun 12.0018.00), until 24 February Kunst in Exodus 2007 Artists in exile. This collection features works from Persheng Warzandegan, Shafiq Soroush, Raouf Saleh and Zenon Abdalla. De Levante (Wed-Sun 13.00-17.30), until 24 February Between Dog and Wolf Chrystel Lebas’ new body of work, created between 2003 and 2006, comprises photographs taken in forests in England, France, Germany, Finland and Japan. By taking the pictures during twilight, the French photographer has tried to capture the almost mystical atmosphere that fascinates her. Gallery Vassie (Wed-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 24 February Helen Verhoeven In Verhoeven’s paintings, a sense of unrest often combines with a feeling of harmony as she blends everyday sceneries with unusual and sometimes disgusting images. Galerie Fons Welters (Tues-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 24 February Min Kim New drawings and paintings. Torch Gallery (Thur-Sat 14.00-18.00), until 24 February

Interventions Three exhibitions: Vases by Marieke van Diemen, Wait to Wait, an installation by Georgian artist Andro Wekua, and Four Vegetative Sleeping Rooms by Gerda Steiner and Jörg Lenzlinger. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 11.00-17.00), Rotterdam, until 28 October

Rutger Emmelkamp Emmelkamp’s objects are often the result of a long and intensive labour process yielding a focus on the coherence of concept, work and meaning. Galerie Fons Welters (Tues-Sat 13.0018.00), until 24 February

Galleries

Thomas Hoepker: Muhammed Ali Photographs of the infamous charismatic boxer, in and out of the ring, by the renowned German photographer. Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen (Thur-Sat 12.00-18.00), until 24 February

Moscow Zandvoort Helsinki Photography of apartment buildings by Mieke Woestenburg. De Kijkkasten (Daily) The Bridge: The Visual Language of Reza Abedini An overview installation of the Iranian graphic designer, who was recently given the Prins Claus Award in acknowledgement for preserving Iran’s artistic heritage while still making contemporary and innovative creations. Dutch graphic designers Irma Boom and Hans Wolbers assist Abedini in curatorship. Platform 21 (Wed-Sun 12.00 -18.00), closing Sunday Jonas Ohlsson Bold new works by the Swedish artist.

De Praktijk (Wed-Sat 13.00-18.00), closing Sunday Von Zamla Mina Mannar (& Ida) Mixed works from ten Swedish artists. De Praktijk (Wed-Sat 13.00-18.00), closing Sunday Bert Loerakker Recent works by the artist, who paints and displays dual images. On the left are expressive paintings, often inspired by landscapes. To the right are contrasting monochromatic and geometric concepts. Galerie Krijger + Katwijk (Wed-Sat 12.00-18.00), closing Sunday Daniel Hofstede & Benjamin Roth Contemporary works from two young artists. Horse Move Project (FriSun 14.00-20.00), closing Sunday Camera Lucida: Sonochemical Observatory An immersive spatial art work creating a fleeting ephemeral materiality by intersecting ultrasound with hyperlight: in essence, creating an unstable sonic aurora. Developed in collaboration with numerous physics research labs, the ‘observatory’—a transparent gas-filled chamber—converts sound waves into visible light by employing a phenomenon known as sonoluminescence. Or so they

W139 Coloured Reopening exhibition with works by Iris Kensmil, Paul Drissen, Peter Vos, Adriaan Rees and Rob Birza. W139 (Sun-Thur 11.00-20.00, Fri, Sat 11.0022.00), until 25 February Corcoran Subtitled ‘Strategies of Confinement in the Age of Biopolitics’ and featuring installation works by Alexandra Croitoru, Johan Grimonprez, Mladen Miljanovic, Solmaz Shahbazi and Sean Snyder. De Brakke Grond (Mon 10.00-18.00, Tues-Fri 10.00-20.30, Sat 13.00-20.30, Sun 13.00-17.00), until 25 February Sven-Ole Frahm: Grace of Schwerkraft Paintings by the German artist, whose work is characterised by so-called ‘dual images’. The first stage of his process includes pouring paint and letting it run across the canvas, or onto long strips of fabric. Sections are then cut out according to a predetermined geometric shape, and as these patterns form, a new image with its own geometry is created. Aschenbach & Hofland Galleries (Wed-Sat 12.00-17.00), until 4 March Beauty Unrealized A research project dedicated to the investigation of beauty and the status of objects.

During this project, the gallery space will become a library, containing lists of items (books, films, articles and music) submitted by different artists, film-makers, writers and composers, whose works have been influenced by those objects. New artists will step into the frame every two weeks, and until 4 February you can see Benoit Goupy’s installation Le Source. Public Space with a Roof (Daily 15.00 19.00), until 8 April Van Huis Uit... A research project by the Meertens Instituut resulting a collage of photographs and stories about migration, material culture, identity and cultural exchange. Imagine IC (Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat 11.00-17.00, Thur 11.00-21.00), until 30 April

Amsterdam Weekly

1-7 February 2007

MICHEL LANGENDIJK

For sale: human relationships.

Sit down, log on and command—biological avatars do it better! (Just no bodily fluids, please.)

ADVENTURES IN THE HUMAN ZOO

By Mark Wedin Internet games that offer virtual lives are exploding in popularity. Second Life, for example, has almost three million users worldwide. People log on and create digital avatars who go to work, build homes, make friends and enjoy leisure time—all the things humans used to do for real. They can even exchange real money for digital money, called Linden Dollars, which allow them to buy products and own land in their virtual world.

If this is the future, the future sucks. But fortunately, there are other ways to encounter life online.

Artist Martin Butler created The Girlfriend Experience, an installation that allows four real people to act as avatars for you to control through your computer.

You see what they see; they hear your voice, and they talk back to you. But they may not always do what you ask. They are, after all, real people.

‘I have a very clear “No fluid exchange” rule,’ says Butler. ‘I thought that was important. I suppose it would be a very different experience if I brought in four porn stars instead of actors. But I’m thinking of doing a special edition on Valentine’s Day,’ he smiles.

For three evenings every week, the four actors are locked into a mediumsized space with two rooms and a toilet.

The decor is minimal: a table, bed, four chairs and a large mirror, along with a few props like a chessboard, cowboy hat and nurse’s outfit.

‘You see from the avatar’s point of view,’ says Butler, ‘and you have the option of going to the mirrored space to see what “you” look like. You can use the avatar to play with the other avatars. Or, the most interesting, you can use the avatar to make connection with another person using an avatar.’

To increase accessibility, the actors all speak at least three languages, includ-

ing English and Dutch. And the possibilities for unusual interactions are quite high. ‘You could be a woman controlling a man who walks up to a man that’s being controlled by a woman. It’s really about gender skills and intimacy.’

The only downside may be the short time-slot. Users only have 10 minutes to feel the boundaries of what can be accomplished with their avatar. ‘You do get cut off quite quickly,’ says Butler. ‘The immediate reaction is to sign on again.’

The downside for the actors is they get stuck with whoever logs onto them.

‘They have no eject button. If they have someone who is a complete fucker, they have them for ten minutes.’ However, because users must speak their commands rather than type them, Butler expects interactions to be generally friendly. ‘I think there’s a moral boundary that hinders people from being too lewd while talking, as opposed to typing.’

The interface is controlled relatively simply. When you log onto an avatar, the website automatically dials a number on Skype, the free internet calling service.

You talk to them through your computer and they talk back through a headset while their point of view streams in real time via minicam. ‘Almost any computer can do this,’ says Butler.

Of course, apart from providing commentary on the boundaries of modern intimacy, this is also essentially an art exhibition. The four avatars ‘perform’ in their space behind a one-way glass wall.

Patrons can sit on the other side of the glass, watch the performance and eat sushi. ‘In a way,’ says Butler, ‘it becomes a very expensive aquarium, or a human zoo.’

There is also the possibility for the actors to play predefined characters.

‘There’s a failed Spanish romantic, a late-twenties business guy, a sexy woman and a knee-bouncer—the kind of girl you put on your knee and bounce,’ explains Butler. ‘This way, if you have only one person online, they can at least interact with the other characters. I also thought about replacing one of the characters with a dog,’ he says, ‘in case an actor can’t make it for the entire seven weeks.’

Whether man or beast, the idea of providing a real, breathing avatar for your anonymous enjoyment sounds rather tempting. Although, aside from the vast physical distances that can be breached through modern technology, it’s not a particularly new idea. ‘A prostitute is almost like a biological avatar,’ says Butler. ‘And biological avatars are always better.’

The Girlfriend Experience, Mediamatic (Wed-Fri 20.00-23.00), Oosterdakskade 5, until 9 March, www.mediamatic.net/girlfriend

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BRAIN FOOD FRESH FRUIT PLATTER Ingredients: White and black grapes Sliced orange segments Fresh pineapple chunks Peeled apple pieces Peeled, segmented kiwis.

Lychees Strawberries.

Lime Method: Arrange all the fruit on a platter and chill.

Serve sprinkled with the lime juice.

NON-PC GANZENBROOD Ingredients: Melba toast Goose-liver pâté Mandarin segments Black pepper Port jelly or cranberry preserve, to taste Method: Smear the Melba toast with the sliced foie gras or pate. Top each toast with a peeled segment of mandarin. Add jelly or preserve, as desired. Grind the pepper on top. Lock the doors. Draw the blinds.

Enjoy.

PIZZA TOASTS WITH RUCOLA, TOMATO, ANCHOVY AND MOZZARELLA

Ingredients: Baguette or ciabatta Olive oil or pesto Basil leaves Mozzarella (preferably buffalo) Fresh tomato Rucola Tin of anchovies Black pepper Fresh thyme Method: Cut the bread at an angle, drizzle with olive oil or smear with a basil-based pesto sauce. When it’s well-coated, stack the leaves and sliced tomato, then sprinkle with ground black pepper and thyme.

Break the anchovy fillet into small pieces and dot the surface. Add the thinly sliced cheese and wham into a hot oven or under the grill until the cheese melts. Serve at once.

Amsterdam Weekly

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EVENTS

Wednesday 7 February

Friday 2 February Conference: Weaponization of the Media Academics, journalists and experts discuss the facts behind the figures in times of war. See www.weaponization.org. In English. See Short List.

Felix Meritis, 09.30, free (reservation required)

Saturday 3 February

MusicMind 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 new 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, 19.30, €15 for competing teams, free to watch SilentDating No Valentine lined up? Desperate to find that soulmate? SilentDating have lined up another speed-dating evening for those on the prowl, but remember, it’s silent by nature, not just by name. So none of that loose small talk, you’ve gotta gaze into the eyes in front of you and hope you like you what you see behind the stare. Sign up at www.silentdating.nl. Strand West, 20.00, €25 Debate: Turkey Talks Back After the recent publication of an issue of De Gids dedicated to Turkey, the text has been translated into Turkish. Tonight a dialogue is opened up to members of the Turkish cultural community, allowing differences of opinion to be bashed out. In English. Felix Meritis, 20.00, €7.50

ADDRESSES ABC Treehouse Voetboogstraat 11, 423 0967 AdK Actuele Kunst Prinsengracht 534, 320 9242

Mediamatic Pure Data Workshop Workshop: Mediamatic Pure Data Workshop Pure Data is a fairly easy-to-learn graphical programming language for the creation of interactive computer music and multimedia works. This two-day workshop is an opportunity for anyone to learn how to process and organise sounds, how to map and programme for physical interaction, for video processing and for networking possibilities. Prior programming skills are not essential. In English. Mediamatic, 10.00-17.00, €100

agentur Witte de Withstraat 27a, 06 1438 2096 Akhnaton Nieuwezijds Kolk 25, 624 3396 Allard Pierson Museum Oude Turfmarkt 127, 525 2556 Amstel Taveerne Amstel 54, 623 4254 Amsterdams Historisch Museum Kalverstraat 92, 523 1822 ARCAM Prins Hendrikkade 600, 620 4878 Arti et Amicitiae Rokin 112, 624 5134 Aschenbach & Hofland Galleries Bilderdijkstraat 165C, 412 1772 bak Lange Nieuwstraat 4, Utrecht, 030 231 6125 De Balie Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10, 553 5151

Sunday 4 February

Bethaniënklooster Barndesteeg 6, 625 0078

Workshop: Mediamatic Pure Data Workshop (See Saturday) Mediamatic, 10.00-17.00, €100

BG Post CS, Oosterdokskade 5, 626 2256

Book presentation: Art From the Bars Presentation of Dejan K’s new book, featuring photographs of artworks by 260 artists all with one thing in common: being created on the backs and sides of beer coasters between 1994 and 2006. Bitterzoet, 18.00 Art/Music/Performance: PASSI(T)ON A blend of theatre, multimedia, film, music and other art forms, providing an outlet for creative youngsters. See www.passiton.nl. BG, 20.00-02.00, €7.50/€10 Sport: Superbowl Sunday The Bears versus the Colts.

Expect numerous sports bars to be showing the big game tonight, but few will show as much patriotism as the Hard Rock Café, who’re lining up a full American dining platter to get you in the mood. The game won’t kick off till midnight, but the restaurant will be open all evening. Hard Rock Café, 23.00, free (reservations recommended)

Beurs van Berlage Damrak 277, 530 4141 Bijbels Museum Herengracht 366-368, 624 2436 Bimhuis Piet Heinkade 3, 788 2150 Bitterzoet Spuistraat 2, 521 3001 De Brakke Grond Nes 45, 626 6866 Café Pakhuis Wilhelmina Veemkade 576, 419 3368 Café Sappho Vijzelstraat 103, 423 1509 Carl Berg Projects Wittenburgergracht 315, 489 7471 Centraal Museum Nicolaaskerkhof, Utrecht, 030 236 2362 Club 8 Admiraal de Ruyterweg 56B, 685 1703 CoBrA Museum Sandbergplein 1-3, Amstelveen, 547 5050 Compagnietheater Kloveniersburgwal 50, 520 5320 Concertgebouw Concertgebouwplein 2-6, 671 8345 Consortium Veemkade 570, 06 2611 8950 Crea Muziekzaal Turfdraagsterpad 17, 525 1400 DanceStreet 1e Rozendwarsstraat 10, 489 7676 Desmet Studios Plantage Middenlaan 4A, 521 7100 Dominicuskerk Spuistraat 12, 624 2183

Monday 5 February Discussion: Women Inc Hedy Jane Guds presents ‘New figureheads for women sought’. In Dutch.

Pakhuis de Zwijger, 20.00, free Debate: De Prijs van een Veilig Internet Tomorrow is Safer Internet Day, but what does that really mean to an everyday person? XS4ALL and a selection of guests will ask what can be done to make the internet safer from a Dutch political perspective. In Dutch. De Balie, 20.30, €3 Art/Film: Lloyd Time on Mondays Chris Baaten and Marianne Theunissen play host to film screenings of works by Bernard van Lier, Maite Abella, Jozef van der Heyden and Willy Looyen. Lloyd Hotel, 21.00

De Engelenbak Nes 71, 626 3644 Escape Rembrandtplein 11, 622 1111 Felix Meritis Keizersgracht 324, 626 2321 Filmmuseum Vondelpark 3, 589 1400 Flex Bar Pazzanistraat 1, 486 2123 Foam Keizersgracht 609, 551 6546 Fotogram Korte Prinsengracht 33, 624 9994 Fotomuseum Stadhouderslaan 43, Den Haag, 070 338 1144 Frascati Nes 63, 626 6866 Galerie Fons Welters Bloemstraat 140, 423 3046 Galerie Gabriel Rolt Elandsgracht 34, 785 5146 Galerie Juliette Jongma Gerard Douplein 23, 463 6904 Galerie Krijger + Katwijk Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 198200, 627 3808 Galerie Paul Andriesse Withoedenveem 8, 623 6237

Tuesday 6 February Discussion: Alone Again (In the Likeness of Life) Althea Thauberger, art critic Fergal Gaynor and art historian Victoria Scott talk about the issues raised in the Canadian artist’s works. In English. bak, Utrecht 20.00, €2.50

Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen Hazenstraat 27, 06 5203 1540 Gallery Vassie 1e Tuindwarsstraat 16, 489 4042 Getto Warmoestraat 51, 421 5151 Hard Rock Café Max Euweplein 57-61, 523 7625 Heineken Music Hall ArenA Boulevard 590, 0900 300

1250 Hermitage Amsterdam Nieuwe Herengracht 14, 530 8751

1-7 February 2007 Paleis van Weemoed Oudezijds Voorburgwal 15, 625 6964

Hollandsche Schouwburg Plantage Middenlaan 24, 531 0340

Paradiso Weteringschans 6-8, 626 4521

Horse Move Project Oosterdokskade 5 Post CS

Platform 21 Prinses Irenestraat 19, 344 9449

Huis Marseille Keizersgracht 401, 531 8989

The Powerzone Spaklerweg, 681 8866

Imagine IC Bijlmerplein 1006-1008, 489 4866

De Praktijk Lauriergracht 96, 422 1727

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

PRIK Spuistraat 109, 06 4544 2321

KHL Koffiehuis Oostelijke Handelskade 44, 779 1575

Rembrandthuis Jodenbreestraat 4, 520 0400

De Kijkkasten Sint Nicolaasstraat

Rijksmuseum Jan Luykenstraat 1, 674 7000

KIT Tropentheater Mauritskade 63, 568 8711

Rozentheater Rozengracht 117, 620 7953

KochxBos Gallery 1e Anjeliersdwarsstraat 3-5, 681 4567

Sinners Wagenstraat 3-7, 620 1375

De Levante Hobbemastraat 28, 671 5485

Skek Zeedijk 4-8, 427 0551

Lloyd Hotel Oostelijke Handelskade 34, 419 1840

Stadsschouwburg Leidseplein 26, 624 2311

Maison Descartes Vijzelgracht 2A, 531 9500 Maloe Melo Lijnbaansgracht 163, 420 4592

Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam Rozenstraat 59, 422 0471

Mediamatic Post CS, Oosterdokskade 5, 638 9901

Stedelijk Museum CS Oosterdokskade 5, 573 2911

Melkweg Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 531 8181

STEIM Utrechtsedwarsstraat 134, 622 8690

Melkweg Galerie Marnixstraat 409, 531 8181

Strand West Stavangerweg

Melkweg Theater LIjnbaansgracht 234A, 531 8181

Studio 80 Rembrandtplein 70, 521 8333

Montevideo/Time Based Arts Keizersgracht 264, 623 7101

Sugar Factory Lijnbaansgracht 238, 627 0008

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Museumpark 18-20, Rotterdam, 010 441 9400

TENT Witte de Withstraat 50, Rotterdam, 010 413 5498

Museum Hilversum Kerkbrink 6, Hilversum, 035 629 2826

Torch Gallery Lauriergracht 94, 626 0284

Muziekgebouw Piet Heinkade 1, 788 2010

Tropenmuseum Linnaeusstraat 2, 568 8200

Het Muziektheater Amstel 3, 625 5455

Under the Grand Chapiteau Next to ArenA, 621 1288

Nederlands Architectuurinstituut Museumpark 25, Rotterdam, 010 440 1200

Universiteitstheater, UvA Nieuwe Doelenstraat 16-18, 525 2997

Nieuwe Kerk entrance on the Dam, 638 6909

V2_ Eendrachtsstraat 10, Rotterdam, 010 206 7272

Noorderkerk Noordermarkt 44, 626 6436

Van Gogh Museum Paulus Potterstraat 7, 570 5200

OCCII Amstelveenseweg 134, 671 7778

Verzetsmuseum Plantage Kerklaan 61, 620 2535

OT301 Overtoom 301, 779 4913

W139 Warmoesstraat 139, 622 9434

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

Winston Kingdom Warmoesstraat 129, 623 1380

P60 Stadsplein 100A, Amstelveen, 023 345 3445

Zaal 100 De Wittenstraat 100, 688 0127

Pacific Parc Polonceaukade 23, 488 7778

The Zebra Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 14, 330 5266

Pakhuis de Zwijger Piet Heinkade 179-181, 788 4444

Zuiderkerk Zuiderkerkhof 72, 552 7987

Pathé De Munt Vijzelstraat 15, 0900 1458

Public Space with a Roof Overtoom 301, 06 1117 4239

Teylers Museum Spaarne 16, Haarlem, 023 516 0960

Amsterdam Weekly

1-7 February 2007

Ten Canoes

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

by Andrea Gronvall (AG),Luuk van Huët (LvH),JR Jones (JJ),Dave Kehr (DK),Terri J Kester (TJK), Vincent Moritz (VM),Mike Peek (MP),Reece Pendleton (RP),Julie Phillips (JP),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.

New this week Arthur and the Minimoys Countless directors have tried to capture the intangible worlds of fantasy. Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) recently joined the ranks with Arthur and the Minimoys, a coming-of-age tale based on Besson’s own children’s books. Young Arthur gets shrunk to the size of a tooth and ends up beneath a Connecticut lawn, where he tries to mobilise the tiny Minimoys to help him find a treasure needed to save his granny’s house from cold-blooded creditors. Below ground, live action changes to computer-generated animation with Arthur, the hero by chance, finding love while battling a creepy Minimoy (David Bowie!). Other voices are provided by Madonna, Robert De Niro and Snoop Dogg, in this fluffy yet heartfelt and visually impressive entry in the overstocked fantasy genre. (VM) Pathé De Munt

21

Smokin’Aces

Smokin’Aces It’s very easy to classify this hyperactive pile-up of exploitation genres as a wannabe-Tarantino flick; but for connoisseurs of trashy cinema who have an open mind and low expectations, this grab bag, mixing up everything from Elmore Leonard and Mad Max to Foxy Brown and Hostel, is a hyperkinetic hootand-a-half. The two drawbacks in this drama about the attempt to kill a Las Vegas entertainer are a formulaic twist that anyone with half a brain can see coming and a forced climax in which the audience is asked to care about the one-note characters. But if you want an over-the-top movie experience, knock yourself out!

Directed by Joe Carnahan; with Ben Affleck and Jeremy Piven. (LvH) Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

Ten Canoes This indigenous morality drama, set in

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

Films about indigenous people tend to meet with a solemn approach. Director Rolf De Heer (born in Holland in 1951, raised in Australia) ventured far from this beaten path, mixing epic storytelling with cheeky humour in this mythic swamp comedy—a thoroughly entertaining film that will teach you how to live the proper way. In English/Ganalbingu with Dutch subtitles. (VM) 90 min. Rialto

Still playing 4 Elements Documentarist Jiska Rickels portrays the four elements by linking each one to man’s efforts

to use—or fight—them. Each element has its own landscape, atmosphere, language and protagonists, hard workers making a living in the face of adversity.

Earth is represented by a coal mine, water by crab fishermen in the Bering Strait, fire by firefighters in Siberia and air by a crew of astronauts in training. Narration and dialogue are in Russian, English, German and Kazakh, with sparing use of subtitles; but in this beautiful, thought-provoking film, the challenge to the audience is amply repaid. (TJK) 100 min. Het Ketelhuis, Rialto After the Wedding Jacob Petersen has dedicated his life to helping street children in India. When the orphanage he heads is threatened by closure, he receives an unusual offer from Danish businessman Jørgen who offers him a donation of four million dollars. There are, however, certain conditions: not only must Jacob return to Denmark, he must also take part in the wedding of Jørgen’s daughter. This proves to be a critical juncture between past and future and catapults Jacob into the most intense dilemma of his life.

In Danish with Dutch subtitles. 120 min. De Uitkijk Apocalypto In a lush rain forest of 16th-century South America, a village is ransacked by a group of fierce warriors. The hero, Jaguar Paw, is taken prisoner and is about to have is heart torn out, but manages to flee with a Maya war party hot on his heels. Since this is a film by Mel Gibson (The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre), two hours of unrelenting violence and sadism are redeemed in the end by the sign of the Cross. (LvH) 139 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski Babel In a North African desert, two bored boys herding goats decide to try out their gun. The shot causes a chain reaction that changes the lives of an American couple (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett), a rebellious,

Five-Word Movie Review

ZEN LADIES’ MAN SLEEPS ALONE Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man Het Ketelhuis

deaf teenage girl in Japan and a Mexican au pair caring for two American children. According to director Alejandro González Iñárritu, this is the third film in a trilogy that began with 21 Grams and Amores Perros.

It’s all about relationships, love in the midst of adversity and communication. In many languages with Dutch subtitles. 142 min. Cinecenter, Filmhuis Griffioen, The Movies, Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Blood Diamond This hackneyed action flick may look splendiferous on the big screen, and the intentions are noble, but the underlying tone is condescending and exclusively occidental, with Djimoun Hounsou cast in a thankless role as a ‘noble savage’ and Jennifer Connelly as a goody-two-shoes American reporter. The only redeeming factor is Leonardo DiCaprio, who shines as a morally conflicted Rhodesian mercenary; sadly, his Bogart-worthy role doesn’t rescue this insipid flick, despite all the bling bling of the title. (LvH) 143 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski

Special screenings Arthur and the Minimoys

The Last King of Scotland This compelling UK dra-

ma features a titanic performance by Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin, the brutal dictator who terrorised Uganda throughout the ’70s. A fictional young Scottish doctor (James McAvoy) follows his taste for adventure to Africa and becomes personal physician to the general, who’s just seized power in a military coup.

Alternately charming and sinister, vulnerable and vengeful, Amin draws the naive young man deeper into his murderous regime, and by the time the doctor fully grasps the depth of Amin’s evil, he’s complicit in it. (JJ) 123 min. The Movies

A Prairie Home Companion Director Robert Alt-

man’s final film turns a popular American radio show into an enormously entertaining backstage comedy with country and western music. The movie takes place during a fictional last performance of the show, which has been cancelled by a Texas media conglomerate; as the numbers play onstage, an angel of death (Virginia Madsen) wanders the wings searching for her prey. These hokey plot elements provide an adequate structure for some of the funniest and warmest character improvisations Altman generated in years.

(JJ) 105 min. The Movies Pursuit of Happyness Failure is one of the most potent American subjects, largely because of the drama implicit in Americans’ denial of it. This inspirational movie tells the true story of an unsuccessful salesman in San Francisco (Will Smith) who assumes custody of his young son and contrives to switch professions. Smith is resourceful in the role, though the story stretches one’s credulity about his character’s resourcefulness. Gabrielle Muccino directed; with Thandie Newton and Jaden Smith (the star’s son). (JR) 117 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

Red Road Director Andrea Arnold’s view of life in Glasgow gives new meaning to the phrase ‘It’s grim up north’. See review on p. 23. Het Ketelhuis, Kriterion

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert This nicely made 1994 comedy-drama could be described as an Australian Easy Rider, with Sydney drag queens instead of bikers and no apocalyptic ending. Terence Stamp brings a certain suave integrity to his role as a transsexual who takes two queens crosscountry in a drag show. Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith in The Matrix and the blind photographer in Proof) and Guy Pearce are almost as good, and writer-director Stephan Elliott keeps things watchable. (JR) 104 min.

Pathé De Munt Ahlaam After the fall of Saddam Hussein, documentarist Mohamed Al-Daradji returned to Iraq, his native country, and found among the chaos psychiatric patients wandering the streets. Working under dangerous circumstances, he filmed the story of a young woman named Ahlaam. In Arabic with Dutch subtitles. Kriterion De Arm van Jezus A son searches for his father through grim 1950s Rotterdam in this 2003 film by André van der Hout (Het Zwijgen). In Dutch. 71 min. Cavia

Die Bleierne Zeit Margarethe von Trotta’s 1981 film

(AKA Marianne and Juliane) portrays two sisters striving by very different means for social change and is based on the life of RAF leader Gudrun Ensslin. Jutta Lampe plays the idealistic journalist, Barbara Sukowa the beautiful ideologue. If you thought Thelma and Louise was cool, try this on for size. In German with Dutch subtitles.

(JP) 105 min. Filmmuseum Caché This brilliant if unpleasant puzzle-without-a-solution about surveillance and denial finds director Michael Haneke near the top of his game, though it’s not a game everyone will want to play. The brittle host of a TV book-chat show (Daniel Auteuil) and his unhappy wife (Juliette Binoche) start receiving strange videos that track their comings and goings outside their Paris home. Once the husband traces the videos to an Algerian he abused when both were kids, things only get more tense, troubled and unresolved. Haneke is so

punitive towards the couple and his audience that viewers may find themselves rebelling against—or even denying—the husband’s rage. In French with Dutch subtitles. (JR) 117 min. Filmmuseum

Lillian Gish is the widow who protects the children. It is a film without precedents, and without any real equals. Showing with two short films by Kenneth Anger. (DK) 93 min. De Nieuwe Anita

The Dead Man The CatEyeFilmClub returns with a

Romance and Cigarettes John Turturro directed this oddball musical set in working class New York. Nick Murder (James Gandolfini AKA Tony Soprano) stars as a man who makes a journey into infidelity and redemption. All revolves around the repercussions of his adultery and doomed fascination with the flamehaired seductress Tula (Kate Winslet). For Kitty (Susan Sarandon), Nick’s long-suffering wife, his treachery is the final straw. The all-star cast includes Steve Buscemi, Christopher Walken, Barbara Sukowa, Elaine Stritch and Amy Sedaris. 115 min. Filmmuseum

double feature: The Dead Man (1995) is Jim Jarmusch’s hypnotic and beautiful black-and-white western, starring Johnny Depp. (120 mins) Dead Man 2: Return of the Dead Man (1994) is Ian Kerkhof’s short film about sex, heavily influenced by pretentious French philosopher Georges Bataille. (26 mins) iLLUSEUM Europa Lars von Trier’s 1991 thriller, released in the US as Zentropa is technically powerful, stylistically assured and thematically provocative, if emotionally somewhat remote. With Barbara Sukowa. In English and German with Dutch subtitles. (JR) 114 min. Filmmuseum Following Shot in 16mm black and white, this 1998 first film from Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Prestige) portrays a man with a dangerous hobby: following strangers on the street. 70 min. De Balie Leven in FantAsia A programme of gay films from Taiwan and South Korea. Rialto De Man met de camera Dziga Vertov’s 1928 Russian film amounts to a catalogue of all the tricks movies can perform. As a newsreel cameraman travels through a city, Vertov transforms the images captured by his camera through a kaleidoscope of slow motion, superimposition, animation and wild montage effects.

The film’s real influence did not emerge for another 40 years, when it was taken up by American structuralist film-makers on one side of the Atlantic and by French neo-leftists on the other. (DK) 69 min. Kriterion

The Night of the Hunter Charles Laughton’s first and only film as a director (1955) is an enduring masterpiece—dark, deep, beautiful, aglow. Robert Mitchum, in the role that most fully exploits his ferocious sexuality, is the evil preacher pursuing two orphaned children across a sinister, barren Midwest;

The Servant In this 1963 film, the first of many collaborations between director Joseph Losey and screenwriter Harold Pinter, Dirk Bogarde is the sinister manservant who slowly corrupts his effete employer, James Fox. The film is very studied and smooth, even though it deals in sexual hysteria. (DK) 113 min. Filmmuseum

De Werkelijkheid van Jan Vrijman Vrijman was

a journalist, documentary film-maker and central figure on the ’50s and ’60s Dutch cultural scene. He was also the public alter-ego of Jan Hulsebos, a man plagued by depression and insomnia, prone to womanising, drinking and restlessness. This documentary by his daughter Fabie is a fascinating portrait of a complex man. In Dutch. 52 min. Rialto

Het Zwijgen When bored urbanite Victor (Vincent

Croiset) retreats to rural Drenthe to research a folk song about a historic murder, he soon swoons over the ship-faring siren Geesje (Rosa Reuten), with dramatic results. Evoking a Twin Peaks atmosphere in this 2006 film, the directorial duo Adri Schrover and André van der Hout delivered a suspenseful spine-tingler that is both uniquely Dutch and of international allure.

Archival footage heightens the film’s surreal look. In Dutch. (LvH) 90 min. Cavia

22

Amsterdam Weekly Bobby Old-fashioned in both its liberal humanism and its commitment to classic Hollywood storytelling, Emilio Estevez’s fictional account of the 1968 shooting of Robert Kennedy is also a fine example of old-fashioned studio craft. Deftly juggling over a dozen characters, ranging from hotel personnel and guests to Democratic Party volunteers, Estevez offers a sharp cross section of the issues and attitudes surrounding Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Without privileging any member of the talented cast, he gives many of them chances to shine, especially Sharon Stone, Freddy Rodriguez (from Six Feet Under), Laurence Fishburne and Martin Sheen. The film’s premise that RFK was America’s last chance to save itself is a bit hard to buy, but the passion and thoughtfulness with which Estevez builds on it are stirring nonetheless.

(JR) 119 min. Cinecenter, Pathé Tuschinski Candy Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish are junkies in love, travelling a dramatic arc as old as Days of Wine and Roses (1962): the high that once united them ultimately divides them. Unfortunately, too many elements of this Australian feature have been recycled from other addiction stories (there’s even a dead baby, courtesy of Trainspotting), and the couple’s descent into crime, prostitution and scribbling doggerel on walls isn’t specific enough to compensate for all the corny underwater sequences of them swimming together like porpoises.

Ledger steals the movie as the loving but feckless husband, who’s just smart enough to realise his wife deserves better. (JJ) 107 min. Het Ketelhuis Family Law Completing his trilogy of tales about fatherhood, Argentinean director Daniel Burman (Lost Embrace) offers this pleasantly breezy drama about a young law professor’s awkward relationship with his aging father. In Spanish with Dutch subtitles.

(RP) 102 min. Rialto Flandres Shy Démester lives a dull life on a farm. His only pleasure is occasional sex with free-spirited Barbe. Disaster strikes when he and a few of his friends are called up to serve in a (nameless) war.

They commit and undergo unspeakable crimes, leading to subtle but profound changes in the protagonist’s personality. French director Bruno Dumont’s films are hit or miss. His last, Twentynine Palms, was a definite miss, but Flandres, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes, is a hit. Its slow pacing and strong visuals allow us to get inside Démester’s head, even though he hardly speaks. However complex Dumont’s films may seem, his message is always simple: everyone, everywhere, wants to be loved. In Flandres, it takes the experience of evil to help the main character acknowledge this need. In French with Dutch subtitles. (MP) Rialto Good Night, and Good Luck This claustrophobic drama about American television journalist Edward R Murrow facing down Joseph McCarthy in the early ’50s delivers a timely lesson on Cold War hysteria, media politics and journalistic courage, though the strong dichotomy between good and evil sometimes suggests a classic western. Director George Clooney shot the movie in black and white, combining actors (including David Strathairn as Murrow) with archival footage of McCarthy, with striking results. (JR) 93 min. Rialto The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael The ‘ultraviolence’ in A Clockwork Orange comes off rather tame when compared to the gruesome acts performed by the protagonists in this controversial feature film by young British director Thomas Clay. The Great Ecstasy starts off calmly as a realistic, well filmed portrait of school kids drowning in boredom and drugs in a dreary English coastal town, but gradually veers off into the ridiculously apalling. For those who like their youth dramas over the top, go ahead and visit these rare screenings. Others are advised to stay home and watch The O.C. instead. (MdR) 96 min. Melkweg Cinema Indigènes French/Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb set his new film in 1943, when the cheerful young North Africans Saïd, Yassir, Messaoud and Abdelkader, enlist in the French army to fight for their country. Instead, they find themselves caught between the horrors of the battlefield and the prejudice of their fellow soldiers. The four leads, as a group, won last year’s Best Actor award at Cannes; after the film came out in France, President Chirac promised the surviving colonial veterans (who never received full benefits) compensation. In French and Arabic with Dutch subtitles. 128 min. Kriterion Lights in the Dusk Aki Kaurismaki’s trilogy about Finnish despair (Drifting Clouds, The Man Without a Past) closes with this story of the lonely night watchman Koistinen (Janne Hyytiäinen), who gets caught up with a femme fatale. In Finnish with Dutch Subtitles 78 min. Filmmuseum

Little Children Five years after his superb debut

feature In the Bedroom, writer-director Todd Field returns with another story set in a close-knit community whose quietness makes the characters’ unhappiness seem like thunder. Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson, both disenchanted with their spouses, meet in a public

1-7 February 2007 park with their toddlers, and a series of carefully arranged playdates allows them to nurse their unspoken infatuation until it finally engulfs them. Meanwhile, a bitter ex-cop lets off steam by harassing a paroled paedophile who’s come home to live with his mother.

As in Field’s first film, the characters are drawn with such compassion their follies become our own and their desires seem as vast as the night sky. (JJ) 130 min. Cinecenter, The Movies, Pathé Tuschinski Naqoyqatsi Godfrey Reggio’s trilogy of experimental travelogues, which began in 1983 with Koyaanisqatsi and continued in 1988 with Powaqqatsi, concluded in 2002 with this dizzying yet thematically inert journey through the dystopian cyberscenery of the 21st century. Multinational corporate logos, internet icons, computer code and religious symbols hurtle by, accompanied by a dour, throbbing score by Philip Glass. 89 min. Melkweg Cinema

Olivier etc. Director Sander Burger’s feature film debut concerns a young man with a heart condition that could kill him at any moment. As a result, he lives life to the fullest, never having to think about the future or make long-term commitments. But when his condition is cured, he suddenly has to take responsibility. Olivier, who in his illness always appeared so strong, now—in health—behaves like a victim. A marvellous performance by Dragan Bakema gives depth to this heartfelt story. In Dutch.

(BS) 92 min. Het Ketelhuis Our Daily Bread This may remind you of We Feed the World, the documentary by Erwin Wagenhofer that was released in the Netherlands last November. Like that film, it’s a behind-the-scenes look at how meat and produce make the transition from soil to supermarket. But Our Daily Bread is far more experimental, abstaining from dialogue and even music. Alternating shots from the work floor of a meat-packing plant with the same people silently eating their lunches, Austrian director Nikolaus Geyrhalter creates a mood of inevitability. He is not interested in opinions or politics, only in showing the bizarre, almost science-fictional way our food is produced in the 21st century. (MP) 92 min. Filmmuseum Paris, je t’aime Countless films have been devot-

ed to this most romantic of cities, but this one is set apart by its portmanteau premise: 18 directors were asked to make a five- to six-minute movie that takes place in Paris and deals with love. The results can be funny, like the Coen Brothers’ ‘Tuileries’, or beautiful, like ‘Tour Eiffel’ from Sylvain Chomet. There are surprises (Wes Craven’s tender ‘Père-Lachaise’), disappointments (Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Parc Monceau’), and original takes on romance (Alexander Payne’s celebration of self-love in ‘14th Arrondissement’). In all its visual and topical scope, it’s hard not to love Paris je t’aime. In French and English with Dutch subtitles. (MP) 120 min. Pathé Tuschinski The Queen Helen Mirren’s flinty performance as Elizabeth II is getting all the attention, but equally impressive is Peter Morgan’s insightful script for this UK drama, which quietly teases out the social, political, and historical implications of the 1997 death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Shortly after the shocking news reaches Britain, Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) scores a PR coup by memorialising Diana as the ‘people’s princess’, while the royal family’s obstinate silence angers their grieving subjects.

But Blair is more sympathetic to Elizabeth than many of his staffers, and he instinctively understands what she cannot: that in the tabloid age, celebrities are dangerously usurping the monarch’s hold on the public imagination. (JJ) 97 min. Cinecenter, Cinema Amstelveen, The Movies, Pathé Tuschinski Salaam E Ishq Romance starring Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra. In Hindi with Dutch subtitles. Pathé ArenA Schoffies Documentary by Marc van Fucht about the herons of Amsterdam. In Dutch. 60 min. Het Ketelhuis La Tourneuse de pages A young, working-class girl with a talent for the piano sees her chance at further education ruined by the thoughtless arrogance of a well-known concert pianist. Ten years later, she goes to work for a lawyer who turns out to be the husband of the woman who changed her life. A taut thriller with a strong performance from Déborah François as the embittered Mélanie. In French with Dutch subtitles. 85 min. Cinecenter, Het Ketelhuis

Zwartboek In the closing days of World War II, a

Jewish cabaret artiste (Carice van Houten) is betrayed to the Nazis, escapes and joins a resistance group. When she is assigned to seduce a German officer (Sebastian Koch) she falls in love with him, one of the many plot twists (some more, some less credible) in Paul Verhoeven’s complex, violent, gripping and deeply cynical adventure story. With Halina Reijn as a good-time girl, Thom Hoffman as a resistance leader and Michiel Huisman as a red herring.

In Dutch. (JP) 139 min. Het Ketelhuis, De Uitkijk

Amsterdam Weekly

1-7 February 2007

23 Cameras give distance but close gap between vigilant and vigilante.

A security camera monitor feels compelled to leave her safety zone and enter the underbelly of a Scottish city.

THE RED ROAD TO RANDOM VIOLENCE

By Angela Dress Director Andrea Arnold won an Oscar for Best Live-Action Short in 2005. If there is an Oscar this year for Best Film to Make You Glad You Weren’t Born in Glasgow, Arnold will walk away with it for her feature debut.

Red Road presents us with Jackie

FILM TIMES Thursday 1 February until Wednesday 7 February.

Times are provided by cinemas and are subject to last-minute changes. Film times also at www.amsterdamweekly.nl.

De Balie Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10, 553 5151 Following Fri, Sat 20.30.

Cavia Van Hallstraat 52-I, 681 1419 De Arm van Jezus Thur 20.30 Het Zwijgen Fri 20.30.

Cinecenter Lijnbaansgracht 236, 623 6615 Babel daily 15.45, 18.45, 21.45, Sun also 12.45 Bobby daily 22.00 Little Children daily 16.00, 19.00, 21.45, Sun also 11.15 The Queen daily 16.15, 19.15, Sun also 11.00, 13.45 La Tourneuse de pages daily 16.30, 19.30, 21.45, Sun also 11.15, 14.00.

Cinema Amstelveen Plein 1960 2, Amstelveen, 547 5175 Charlotte's Web (NL) Sat, Wed 13.30, Sun 12.00 Happy Feet (NL) Sat, Wed 15.30, Sun 14.00 The Queen Thur-Sat, Tues, Wed 20.30, Thur also 15.00, Sun 16.15.

Filmhuis Griffioen Uilenstede 106, Amstelveen, 444 5100 Babel Thur-Sat, Tues 19.30.

Filmmuseum Vondelpark 3, 589 1400 De Avonturen van het Molletje Sun, Wed 13.45 Die Bleierne Zeit Sun 19.45 Caché Thur-Sat 17.15, Sun 17.30 Europa Thur 19.45 Kuifje en de Zonnetempel Sun, Wed 14.00 Lights in the Dusk Thur-Sun 22.00, Mon-Wed 17.45 Our Daily Bread Thur-Sat 17.30, 21.35, Sun 15.30, 21.35, MonWed 17.15, 19.15, 21.30 The Paper Will Be Blue Wed 19.30 Romance and Cigarettes Fri, Sat 19.45 The Servant Thur-Sun 19.30, Mon-Wed 21.45 La Sirene des Tropiques Sun 16.00 The Way I Spent the End of The World Mon, Tues 19.30. iLLUSEUM Witte de Withstraat 120, 770 5581 The Dead Man Wed 21.00.

(Kate Dickie), a woman who monitors the CCTV cameras that watch the less desirable districts of Glasgow 24 hours a day, and reports any suspicious or criminal behaviour to the police. The Glasgow we see is a cold and violent place. There are hints that Jackie is living with some tragic past experience.

Every two weeks she has strangely

Het Ketelhuis Haarlemmerweg 8-10, 684 0090 4 Elements daily 20.00, Sat, Sun, Wed also 15.00 De Avonturen van het Molletje Sat, Sun, Wed 13.30 Candy Thur-Sat, Mon-Wed 17.15 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek (NL) Sat, Wed 15.00, Sun 13.00 Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man Sat, Sun, Wed 15.00 Ober daily 19.30 Olivier etc. daily 21.45 Purno de Purno Sat 21.00 Red Road daily 21.30, Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed also 19.15 Schoffies Thur-Sat, Mon-Wed 17.30, 18.45 Theo & Thea Compilatie Fri 21.00 La Tourneuse de pages Thur-Sat, Mon-Wed 17.00 Zwartboek daily 21.15.

Kriterion Roetersstraat 170, 623 1708 Ahlaam Sun 13.00 An Inconvenient Truth daily 17.15 Buddha's Lost Children Sat, Sun 15.30 Indigènes Thur-Sat 19.30 Little Miss Sunshine Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed 22.00, Sat 0.00 De Man met de camera Mon 22.15 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer Sun-Wed 19.15, Sat 14.30 Red Road daily 17.45, 20.00 The Science of Sleep Thur-Mon, Wed 22.15, Sat also 0.15, Sun also 13.30 Sneak Preview Tues 22.15.

Melkweg Cinema Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 624 1777 The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael Thur-Sat 20.00 Naqoyqatsi Wed 20.00 Willem de Ridder Meesterverteller Tues 20.00.

The Movies Haarlemmerdijk 159-165, 638 6016 Babel daily 16.45, 21.45 Flushed Away (NL) Sun, Wed 15.15 The Illusionist daily 17.15, 19.45, Fri, Sat 23.45, Sun, Wed also 15.00, Sun also 12.45 The Last King of Scotland Fri, Sat 0.20 Little Children daily 17.30, 22.00, Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed also 19.30, Sun also 12.30 Little Miss Sunshine Fri, Sat 0.30 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer daily 16.30 Prairie Home Companion,A Fri, Sat 23.20, Mon 19.30 The Queen daily 19.15, 21.30, Sun, Wed also 14.30, Sun also 12.15.

De Nieuwe Anita Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 06 4150 3512, The Night of the Hunter Mon 20.30.

OT301 Overtoom 301, 779 4913 Brussels-Caracas Tues 20.00 Hacking Exposed Sun 20.30.

Pathé ArenA ArenA Boulevard 600, 0900 1458 Apocalypto daily18.20, 21.25, Thur, Mon, Tues also 12.20, 15.20 Babel daily 14.40, Thur-Sat also 20.10, Sun-Wed also 20.30 Blood Diamond daily 12.05, 15.10, 18.15, 21.20, Thur-Sat also 20.30

detached sex with a man-in-a-van; it’s this detachment that defines her character. Her work enables her to observe the lives of others from a safe distance, and she seems to get more pleasure from watching her surveillance screens than she does from the van man.

One night, she witnesses a perfunctory sexual encounter at the back of a shopping precinct and recognises the male participant. Her emotional engagement seems to be reignited. She tracks him across the city—we know she knows who he is because a call to the police confirms her suspicion that he has been released from prison early— but we have no way of knowing the connection between them. All we know is that his name is Clyde. There are clues—there is a heartbreaking scene in Jackie’s kitchen that conveys the reason for her unhappiness—but we still don’t

Casino Royale daily 12.00, 15.00, 18.00, 21.10 Charlotte's Web (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 13.30, Sat, Sun also 10.55 Déjà Vu:D-4 daily 18.40, 21.35, Thur, Mon, Tues also 12.40, 15.45 The Departed daily 21.00 Flushed Away (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 12.45, 14.45, Sat, Sun also 10.45 Happy Feet (IMAX) daily 17.55, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.50, 15.25 Happy Feet (NL) Fri-Sun, Wed 13.10, 15.40, Sat, Sun also 10.35 Happy Feet (NL) (IMAX) Sat, Sun, Wed 12.50, 15.25, Sat, Sun also 10.10 The Holiday daily 11.55, 14.50, 17.40, 20.45 The Illusionist daily 15.35, 18.50 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek (NL) Fri-Sun, Wed 15.50, Sat, Sun, Wed also 13.00, Sat, Sun also 10.15 Ladies in Lavender Tues 13.30 Man of the Year daily 21.30, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 13.00 Maskeli Besler daily 13.45, 16.15, 19.10, 21.40, Sat, Sun also 11.15 Plop in de stad Sat, Sun 10.05 Pursuit of Happyness daily 13.15, 16.00, 19.00, 21.45, Sat, Sun also 10.30 Rocky Balboa daily 18.30, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 13.30, Thur, Mon, Tues also 15.55, Sun, Mon, Wed also 20.55 Salaam E Ishq daily 11.45, 16.05, 20.20 Saw III daily 16.45, 19.20, 21.50, Thur, Fri, Mon also 11.50, 14.15, Fri-Sun, Wed also 13.55, 16.10, Sat, Sun also 11.05 Smokin' Aces daily 12.00, 14.30, 17.00, 19.30, 22.00 Sneak Preview Tues 21.00 ’N Beetje Verliefd daily 12.30, 17.50, Sat, Sun also 10.25.

Pathé De Munt Vijzelstraat 15, 0900 1458 The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Wed 21.00 Apocalypto Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 18.15, 21.25, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.10, 15.10, Sat 19.50, 23.00 Arthur and the Minimoys Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 19.20, Fri, Sun, Wed also 12.00, 14.25, 16.50, Sat 10.30, 13.05, 15.30, 18.15 Babel Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 14.45, 18.00, Thur, Fri, Sun, Mon also 21.15, Sat 12.45, 15.50, 19.00, 22.10 Blood Diamond Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 14.30, 17.45, Thur, Fri, SunTues also 21.00, Sat 10.15, 13.15, 16.15, 19.30, 22.45, Sun also 11.15, Wed also 21.15 Borat Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 22.10, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 15.00, Sat 22.50 Casino Royale Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 20.45, Thur, Fri, Sun-Tues also 17.15, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 13.45, Sat 18.45, 22.00, Wed also 17.40 Charlotte's Web (NL) Sat 10.20, 12.55, 15.15, Sun, Wed 12.30, 14.40, Sun also 10.20 Déjà Vu: D-4 Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 18.20, 21.20, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.20, Thur, Mon, Tues also 15.20, Sat 19.35, 22.40 The Departed Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 21.10, Sat 19.40, 22.55 Happy Feet Sat 10.10, 12.35, 15.00, Sun, Wed 13.10, 15.50, Sun also 10.40 Happy Feet (NL) Sat 11.40, 14.30, 17.10, Sun, Wed 12.50, 15.40, Sun also 10.15 The Holiday Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 14.00, 17.30, 20.30, Sat, Sun 11.00, Sat also 14.50, 18.00, 21.20 Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek (NL) Sat 10.15, 13.05, 15.55, Sun 11.30, 14.20, Wed 12.00, 14.50

really know the how or the why.

That is the beauty of this film—it grips you by giving away just enough here and there to keep you guessing.

This tension is masterfully sustained by terrifically low-key performances from the two leads. Add to this the unpredictable yet ever-present threat of violence lurking in the background, and you have a film that provokes an unsettling level of anxiety—anxiety with a keen sexual edge. Jackie tracks Clyde back to the monolithic block of flats on Red Road where he lives and, as the reasons for her actions are revealed, it’s in the sexual arena that she conspires to exact her revenge.

Much of the film’s power comes from the way in which the image of this slender, vulnerable woman with a terrible sadness to her is framed against the buildings of this enormous run-down sink estate. You truly fear for her as she hangs around the area, watching and waiting for Clyde. These parts of Glasgow are among the most deprived in the UK, with correspondingly high levels of unemployment, crime, and alcohol and drug abuse.

Not what you’d call a barrel of laughs, Red Road takes an unflinching look at how random acts of violence born out of financial or emotional distress shatter individual lives, and how those affected must then find some way of coming to terms with what has been inflicted upon them.

Red Road opens Thursday at Het Ketelhuis and Kriterion.

Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek/Crusade in Jeans Sat 10.35, 13.25, Sun, Wed 12.20, 15.10 Lonely Hearts Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 21.40, Sat 20.40, 23.15 Man of the Year Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 17.05, 19.35, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.30, Sat 17.20, 20.10 Nacho Libre Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 18.50, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.00, 14.15, 16.30, Sat 17.30 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 18.30, Sat 17.30 Plop in de stad Sat, Wed 13.30, Sat also 11.40 Pursuit of Happyness Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 13.15, 16.00, 18.45, 21.30, Sat 11.15, 14.00, 17.00, 19.45, 22.30 Rocky Balboa Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 17.00, 19.30, 22.00, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.15, 14.35, Sat 18.20, 20.50, 23.20 Saw III Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 21.50, Thur, Sat, Mon, Tues also 16.50, Thur, Mon, Tues also 12.00, 14.25, Fri also 15.20, Sat also 11.50, 14.20, 20.45, 23.25, Sun also 10.15 Smokin' Aces Thur, Fri, Sun-Tues 13.30, 16.15, 19.00, Thur, Fri, Sun, Mon also 21.45, Sat 10.40, 13.10, 15.45, 18.25, 21.00, 23.30, Tues, Wed also 21.50, Wed also 12.45, 15.35, 18.10 ’N Beetje Verliefd Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 12.05, 14.15, 16.20, Sat also 10.25, 12.40, 15.10, Sun also 10.10.

Pathé Tuschinski Reguliersbreestraat 34, 0900 1458 An Inconvenient Truth Thur 11.40 Apocalypto Thur, Fri, Sat 20.50 Blood Diamond Thur, Sun-Wed 13.00, 16.30, 20.15, Fri, Sat 12.00, 15.15, 18.30, 21.45 Bobby daily 12.30, 15.30, 21.30, Thur, Sun-Wed 18.30, Fri, Sat 18.20 Casino Royale daily 21.15 The Illusionist daily 16.15, 19.00, 21.45, Fri-Mon, Wed also 13.15 Little Children daily 12.00, 15.00, 18.00, 21.00 Little Miss Sunshine daily 12.45, Sun-Wed also 22.00 Paris, je t'aime Thur-Sat 15.10, 18.00, Sun-Wed 15.45, 19.15 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer Thur, Fri, Wed 12.15, Sat-Tues 12.00 Prime Thur, Tues 13.30 The Queen daily 18.45, Thur, Mon also 16.30, Thur also 14.15, Fri-Sun, Wed also 16.00, Fri also 13.00, Tues also 16.15 Saw III Sat, Sun, Wed 13.00.

Rialto Ceintuurbaan 338, 676 8700 4 Elements daily 20.00, 22.00, Sat, Sun, Wed also 15.45 Family Law daily 18.00, Sat, Sun also 13.45, Sun also 11.30 The Fish Fall in Love Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 17.45 Flandres daily 19.30, 21.15, Fri, Sat also 23.00, Sun also 14.15 Good Night, and Good Luck Fri 16.00 Into Great Silence Fri-Sun, Wed 16.15, Sat also 13.00 Leven in FantAsia Sun 14.00, 16.00 Ten Canoes daily 19.45, 21.45, Fri, Wed also 15.30, Sat also 13.30 De Werkelijkheid van Jan Vrijman Sat 16.00 West Side Story Sun 11.00.

De Uitkijk Prinsengracht 452, 623 7460 After the Wedding daily 21.15 Forever Sun 14.00 Perfume:The Story of a Murderer daily 18.30 Zwartboek daily 16.00.

Amsterdam Weekly

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Pure Persian pleasure De Aardige Pers 2e Hugo de Grootstraat 13, 400 3107 Open Daily 16.30-23.00 Cash The Glutton sat licking his chops. His meal had been simply marvellous. Shah-tainly one of the best he’d ever eaten in Amsterdam.

Above his table, a picture of an exotically dressed lady of a harem, smoking a hookah pipe, beamed beneficently down on him. Indeed, it was she who is reputed to have invented the supper dish, which your Glutton had just consumed, to entice the sultan to select her above all the other horny harem wives vying for his attention.

In the background was haunting piano music, evoking deserts of vast eternity. Caravans crossing the sands; camels laden with goods swaying, adorned with jangling metal ornaments, passing ancient ruined monuments and cities, swallowed in the passage of time.

The melody conjures up many people and the many cultural and ethnic influences that developed over 5,000 years to shape Iranian culture.

‘Did you enjoy your meal?’ inquired the owner, bathing me in warm a glow of hospitality— such a charming man. No Shah, sitting on his Peacock Throne after a birthday weigh-up of rubies, ever felt as pleased as I. Glutton nodded, feeling like the proverbial cat’s meow. Glugluglugluglug rumbled his sated tum. Glugluglugluglug echoed the lady’s hubblebubble on the wall. In post-prandial bliss, I began contemplating the meal I had consumed.

The repast that had been set before me ear-

THE UNDERCOVER GLUTTON The khoresh—soft, succulent chunks of chicken breast simmered in a walnut, pomegranate and plum sauce— was sweet-sour to the taste and rich as anything. lier was a proud cultural statement. Barley soup (€3), cooked with winter carrots and chicken stock and a touch of dried mint, was probably thickened with lentils; it came with lime to

squeeze on top and a basket of pancake-flat bread. Very tasty.

Next came the famous khoresh: soft, succulent chunks of chicken breast, lovingly simmered

1-7 February 2007

in a walnut, pomegranate and plum sauce. It was served with a mix of saffron and white rice—this arrived aromatic and piping hot. The dish was pleasingly sweet-sour to the taste and rich as anything, but delicious. The hookah pipe-smoking lady’s special invention had seduced the Glutton for a mere €11.

A side order of salad (€3) accompanied the chicken. It not only looked spectacular, but tasted it, too, and the fresh ingredients brought necessary balance and contrast to the heavy khoresh. It was a large plate of sliced red cabbage, lettuce, marinated black and green olives, sweet corn, salty pickled gherkins, all flanked by sliced tomatoes and cucumber. A subtle lemony dill and mayo dressing was drizzled on top. The combination was mouthwatering.

But, dear readers, a visit to De Aardige Pers is a must, if you love food. There are outstanding grills, kebabs of beef or lamb(or both, for gluttonous appetites). Then there is the traditional fare, such as the meal I had, but also aromatic fish dishes, and stews with warming ingredients, like plum or beans.

And dessert should be compulsory. In the service of duty, I went for a combination.

Home-made saffron ice cream, all deep yellow, rich and creamy, contained not one ice crystal, and was topped with flaked pistachio.

Next was paloeda (€3), a weird granita-style slush with rosewater and angel hair pasta.

A small jug of lemon juice accompanied the dish, which arrived in a blue glass with sliced strawberries as garnish. It was an utter wow dish.

The combination of the warm, courteous hospitality and attention to detail ensures that customers get personal attention and, of course, the quality of the food made this a memorable experience. If you haven’t tried Iranian cuisine before, this is the place to start your journey.

Amsterdam Weekly

1-7 February 2007

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.

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1-7 February 2007

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Come and discover yourself and have fun.

DENTIST Are you searching for a dentist? Do not be afraid of the dentist! Please contact Avicenna Dental Practice in A’dam for your dental needs. American-trained dentist, gentle and caring with more than 10 years experience in all aspects of dentistry including cosmetics. Contact 612 6093.

USE YOUR VOICE workshop to play & heal, how the voice helps us express ourselves and reconnect to our inner magician and inner healer. Joy and play with the voice make the body and spirit strong and liberated. 11 February. www.galitta.com or 06 4250 1987.

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

Good references available. Contact Dacho 06 4275 6045.

DUTCH HANDYMANHave been expat myself for 12 years. For all technical domestic, maintenance and rebuilding jobs.

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

De Bock Home Improvement.

Contact 06 1064 0697.

COMPUTERS PC HOUSE DOCTORSpecialised in virus / spyware removal, H/W, S/W repair, data recovery, wireless, cable / ADSL installation and computer lessons from friendly and experienced Microsoft professional for reasonable price. Contact Mario 06 1644 8230.

NEED HELP WITH YOUR MAC? MAC-lover helps you with basic setups, minor troubleshooting, install, networking, basic MAC

lessons, setting up programs, MS Word, QuarkXpress, etc.

Help with purchasing the right MAC. Contact Sagar at7791926.

ALL ABOUT THE MAC Experienced teacher in computer skills teaches Aperture for Photographers, Photoshop, Final Cut and more, at reasonable rates in your home. Contact ribomedia@gmail.com.

CHEAP COMPUTER SRVC.Macs and PCs repaired on location affordably, effectively, and punctually. Contact Mike at Autonomous Illustration mike@autonomous.nl / 06 2143 2623.

APPLEComputer solutions and general troubleshooting. Contact 06 4094 1991.

MASSAGE NEED A MASSAGE? Excellent bodywork for rejuvenation of body, mind and spirit. Great central location in De Pijp. Call Liza on 06 3835 3526.

THAI MASSAGE helps you to get

rid of stress, tightness and pain.

After a session you will feel relaxed but also energized. Please visit www.timeforthaimassage.com or contact 061031 6310 for more information.

TANTRAMASSAGE Sacred sensual massage created to arouse, circulate and increase sexual energy throughout your entire body. Moving erotic energy throughout the body not only enhances awareness and the capacity for pleasure, it can also be a powerful healing experience. Shanti.TantraCoach@g mail.com/06 4277 3290.

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

Reiki and rebirthing also available. Please call 06 2862 4557.

SHIATSU COURSE Learn how to give a simple but efficient treatment. Introduction to the basic principlesofshiatsu.10Wedfrom 9.30-11.45 starting 7 Feb. More info at monikaforster@dds.nl.

tel. 020 6937808

COURSES TAI CHI LESSONSTai Yang school starting new courses now. Beginners welcomed. Come train body, mind and spirit. See website and sign up for free introduction lesson. www.taiyang.nl or 623 0835.

DRUMLESSONS!Studywithexperienced professional. Reading and rudiments to rock ’n’ roll.

Beginners to working drummers.

Call Jack Dempsey on 06 1707 8673.Emaildrumdempsey@hotmail.com.

HEALING WORKSHOPS Learn Hands-on Energy Healing, Guided Visualisations, Shamanic Journeys in the ‘Source of Life’ workshop series. Heal yourself & others & reconnect with your inner being. 8-wk course Wed 13.15-16.45 starting 14 Feb at Aurora Holistic Centre. Misha: 06 466 94556 or www.soulweaving.com.

SIVANANDA YOGA CLASSWeekly Sivananda Yoga class in the

Mirror Centre with Lupe Haripriya.

Every Wed from 19.30-21.00.

Drop-in class: €10. 10-class card: €90. More information: www.mirrorcentre.nl. Class limited to 15 participants. To register email jeroendewit@mirrorcentre.nl.

DRAWING AND PAINTINGworkshops by professional artist.

Various techniques, all styles.

For info call 681 3067/ joneiselin@hetnet.nl.

YOGA WITH REENA Experience yoga with Indian teacher. Discover how simple yoga practices can help you to live a healthy & happy life. Learn the science of living in harmony with yourself and the world around you.

Yoga is suitable for all age groups. For more information contact 06 4390 2470/ www.YogAmsterdam.nl.

WEEKLY BELLYDANCECOURSE at MirrorCentre, A’dam, every Mon 20.30-21.45. 10 classes €100, trial class €15. check:www.sitadance.com.

ORIENTAL BELLY DANCE Introducing movement technique: developing arms, shoulders, hips & waist techniques & isolations. Giving attention to finding your centre, expression,& channelling your physical impulses & energy. Using different Oriental rhythms & dance phrases. Starting 22 Feb ’07.

Contact Lina 06 4274 6470.

IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES with certified Iyengar yoga teacher Cristina Libanori, Tues 19.30 to 21.00 at Training Centrum, Europaplein127 near RAI. Tram 4 (stop Dintelstraat). €8 p/class; with yoga strippenkaart €7.50.

Individual therapeutic classes arranged by appt at €20/hr. cristina@the-wheel-ofyoga.com/773 5307.

THEATRE TRAININGThur10.3012.00 for actors, dancers, performers interested in the basics of physical theatre. Use energy efficiently, stimulate presence and challenge the creativity of the performer. Fee:10rate card is €50 and valid for 2 mths. Place: WAT Studio in Bos en Lommer. Call 488 8449.

BALLET DANCE LESSONS Freestyle jazz dance with clas-

sical elements. Level beginners.

Develop your body to dance, strength + flexibility. Tues nights at19.45.http://home.tiscali.nl/balletjeannetsmit. Call 682 5478 or email jeannetsmit@yahoo.com.

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

ITALIAN LESSONS Vuoi parlare italiano? Enjoy learning Italian with native speaker with university degree. Group (2-3) or individual lessons for all levels.

Flexible schedule, located in De Pijp. For further information contact Simona on 06 1863 4100/parlitaliano@yahoo.it.

DUTCH FOR BEGINNERSStarting Dutch course for beginners. Every Mon from 18.30-20.00 for 15 weeks starting 5 Feb.15 lessons for €110 (excl. book ‘Taal Vitaal’) at Buurtcentrum Straat & Dijk, Haarlemmerstraat 132, A’dam.

Contact 623 8815. Tot ziens!

GERMAN GERMAN GERMAN your personal freelancer, longterm and short-term. Fast, professional and cheaper. www. klartext.nl.

SPANISH LESSONS Offered by a qualified native speaker teacher with 6 years experience. All levels and themes. Flexible sched-

Amsterdam Weekly

NEW SPANISH GROUP Professional/native speaker from Barcelona. 6 years experience.

Special method with lots of col-

ENGLISH PRACTICE GROEnglish Language Practice Group meets every Tuesday (Voetboogstraat 11, Centrum), 19.00. Improve & develop your English grammar, vocabulary, conversation, pronunciation and more. Fun, informal & inexpensive; experienced native speaking TEFL Instructor.

Contact info@elizabethehr03 @yahoo.com/486 1037.

ARABIC LESSONSIndividual and

GYPSY LOVERS PARTY We are 3 wannabe Gypsys looking for a trueHungarianorRomanianGypsy band to play on our Gypsy Lovers Party in the last week of Feb. Contact Hanna on 06 4303 6778 or Sofia on 06 2166 6879.

Emailcinematiks@hotmail.com.

1) Cut out the spinning wheel sides below.

2) Using the sticky tape, join the pages of the paper together to form rows of coloured circles. Use multiple copies to build a large mat—there is no limit to the size of the mat. The bigger the mat, the more players required.

3) The game leader then spins the bottle and calls out the positions. For example, when the game leader calls out ‘right foot on blue’, all players must shift their right feet to a blue circle, without falling over. Note: a single coloured circle can only be used by one player at a time.

Spin the bottle again. The game leader once again calls out the position and players must respond by moving limbs to the appropriate colour; all other body parts must stay in their original place. Any player who falls over is out. Repeat until only one player remains on the mat.

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MUSICIANS

SPACE FOR PARANORMAL ACTIVITY Young, dynamic research team looking for 4 locations with paranormal activity. We use scientific methods, EVP and ITC to communicate with the ‘other side’. Interested? webmaster@entiteiten.net or check www.entiteiten.net.

SINGING LESSONS On Prinsengracht, beautiful atmosphere. Classical voice training, breathing techniques, vocalization, scales, etc. For beginners and professionals. From classic to jazz, pop or rock, all styles of singing. Good prices + free introduction lesson. Contact Michael on 320 2095 or

INTRO TO KABBALAH Ready for change? Do you want to become the director of your own life?

Come to the free introduction lecture by the Kabbalah Centre (www.kabbalah.com). 21 Feb at19.00, De Roos, PC Hooftstraat 183, A’dam. To register email arie.politi@kabbalah.com or call free in NL on 0800 023 5027.

ABC TREEHOUSE Castillian (Spanish), Italian, Dutch & English. A new group begins each week!Native teachers and low prices! More info in: www.treehouse.nl or unlimitedeurope@gmail.com.

TWISTER INSTRUCTIONS

LEFT HAND HAND LEFT

RIGHT HAND HAND RIGHT

LEFT FOOT FOOT LEFT

RIGHT FOOT FOOT RIGHT

OFO OTO T

LEARN ENGLISH WELL Qualified university-teaching English tutor with 6 years experience offers private English classes for all purposes. Classes tailormade to suit your needs: conversational, business, academic, scientific, literary! Informal but effective approach. Call Ciara on 06 4534 7039.

ENGLISH COMMUNICATORFreelance English Communication Specialist. Writes, edits and proof reads your English language content for website, brochures, menus, etc. Very competitive rates. Contact Helen 06 1350 1570.

INTENSIVE DUTCH COURSES at JoostWeetHet!€7/hr,4x4hrs/wk.

We have an unconventional and very clear learning method. Fun classes, emphasis on conversation and inexpensive! visit www.joostweethet.nl or call us at 420 8146. Email info@aprenderholandes.nl.

STEM IN BEWEGING Voor wie: Iedereen die nieuwsgierig is naar de mogelijkheden van stem, zang & beweging en die op zoek is naar diepgang in het werken met de stem. Contact info@steminbeweging.nl. Aanmelden: Voor meer informatie kijk op www.steminbeweging.nl of bel 419 8389.

RI RGIH GTH TF

DUTCH LESSONSNew evening courses starting in Feb, centre of A’dam. €200-€250 for 20 hours. Visit www.mercuurtaal.nl or contact 693 4250.

MOBILE DUTCH Still getting to grips with Dutch? Download a handy translator for your mobile phone @ www.steape.com.

Available in 17 languages with 100 handy phrases. Comes with both text & sound so your pronunciation is flawless. Lighter & more fun than traditional phrase books.

LEARNING DUTCH?JOOST WEET HET! €7/hr. 2x2 hrs/wk. Don’t go to sleep in wintertime, improve your Dutch at Joost Weet Het! Courses on all levels and real quality. Visit our website www.joostweethet.nl or call us at 420 8146 or email.info@aprenderholandes.nl.

ajara77@yahoo.com.

D AN ND T H HA GH T RI IGH R

SPANISHCOURSELearningSpanish is easy! Given by 20 years (native) exp. KIT prof. Fun topics, literature, food, lifestyle, standard Latin American Spanish for Travellers. 2-3 persons, €16. Private €22. Flexible schedule in Oud-West, Zuid. Info: yanodav9@yahoo.co.uk or 06 1931 6130.

LEARN SPANISH!!!!!!Do you want to learn or improve your Spanish with a professional? Conversation, grammar, topics. All you want from a native speaker with experience. Contact 06 4384 5642. Private €20, group of 2 to 3 €15. Y habla español! Contact raky_quefuerte@hotmail.com.

small groups. Conversation and writing both in classical Arabic and in spoken dialect if preferred.

Lesson content flexible to meet your needs. Communicative and experienced teacher. Modest rates and flexible schedule. Contact 06 4274 6470.

AHN ADN D

DUTCH LESSONS Improve conversation or for professional purpose or studies, NT2, indiv lessons, €15/hr and intensive courses and online lessons/min intensive:15 hrs = €187.50. Adults & children. http://home.tiscali.nl/stylusphant/indexdutch.html, excellentdutch@hotmail.com or call 06 3612 2870.

orful photos and talking Spanish from day one. New group Wed 18.30-20.00. 10 lessons=€160.

Starting 31 Jan. Holidays (vacaciones): 21 Mar and11 April! Llama: 412 3544.

LE LFET F TH

ules and effective technique. Private lessons and special rates for 2-3 groups. Contact Octavio 06 4249 0235/octavio_gomez @yahoo.com.

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1-7 February 2007