Amsterdam Weekly: Vol 5 Issue 37, 25 Sept-2 Oct 2008

Volume 5, Issue 37

25 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 2008 Caffeinated propaganda for the masses

‘…try telling a rude joke.’ page 5

FREE

www.amsterdamweekly.nl

Power to the pixel! page 8

FEATURE

PROFILE

FILM

AGENDA

He said what?! Don’t worry, it’ll get censored. By a librarian.

Marleen Stikker, of PICNIC, says that the city and creativity will stick like glue.

Wading through Tropic Thunder in search of a laugh, or at least a little ha-ha.

Lovers, Moonshooters, Afrovibers, B-OOSTers and Bluesbreakers

Page 5

Page 7

Page 20

Page 11 and onward...

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

In this issue and...

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City Second

By Peter Cleutjens

It’s been a week of stock market crashes, Peter R de Vries winning an Emmy and a new tourist route of the sinking houses on Vijzelgracht caused by the cursed NZ-lijn. It’s enough to drive one crazy. But that’s probably not such a great idea right now. It was announced this week that many of the nation’s psychiatric clinics are quick to use isolation cells for patients as an alternative to having adequate personnel. It’s obvious we need to hack a new solution or, at the very least, drive a 1967 truck full of computer hardware through the walls and let the inmates tear down those crumbling financial institutions of this world with digital means. We’re sure something can be arranged. After all, Amsterdam’s creative talents are in the spotlight this week, with PICNIC 08 in full flow.

Showing off to all those fancy-pants American entrepreneurs and other European tech-talents, they’re tackling gritty social issues with technology, as well as trying to save us all from global warming with another Green Challenge. If they fail, not even the healing power of the mighty sage plant may be able to save us...

Features Inbox New Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Nature Calling Sage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Feature Censorship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Amstergraph Web use . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 A Quick Bike Fix Bridges. . . . . . . . . 5 Ramadan Round-up Chitchat . . . . . 6 Report Dogtroep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The People Versus Noiseboats . . . . 6 Profile Marleen Stikker . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Main feature Internet action . . . . . . 8 3 Questions Don Letts. . . . . . . . . . . 15 Lekker Bezig Me-Bike. . . . . . . . . . . 17 Film Review Tropic Thunder . . . . . 20

Agenda Short List 11 / Music 12 / Clubs 14 / Gay & Lesbian 17 / Stage 17 / Events 17 / Art 18 / Addresses 19 / Film 20 / Film Times 23

Plus The Mouth Cafe Loetje . . . . . . . . . . 24 Night in the Life Nagel . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Eefje Wentelteefje . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

On the cover Illustration by Ruth van Beek www.ruthvanbeek.com

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25/8/2008 - 16:00 - Borgerstraat

Contact Amsterdam Weekly Publisher Yuval Sigler Director Todd Savage Editor Steve Korver Assistant Editor Steven McCarron Copy Editors Mark Wedin, Corbin Collins Film Editor Massimo Benvegnù Editorial Assistant Sarah Gehrke Editorial Intern Kim de Jong Art Director Bas Morsch Art Redirector Simon Wald-Lasowski Production Designers Mattijs Arts, Russell Joyce

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Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

AROUND TOWN

Inbox

Anti-library rant From: Carlos Silva Subject: The OBA’s Audio and DVD Collection The new library’s audio and DVD section does have a lot more space than in the previous location. I do not know the precise numbers but the new library’s area is probably now six to eight times larger than before. It appears very neat and fluid the first few minutes. The new, sleek Mac computers, combined with what seem like playful couches look really inviting, but then at some point one starts wondering what went wrong with the planning.

The dozens of Mac plus couch combinations are arranged in clusters of eight or so. Try to sit on one of those couches—they are neither comfortable (unless you want to doze off) nor easy to move if they’re in the way. Just wait until one person happens to be browsing for CDs near the computers and you’ll notice they are not quite as out of the way as they should.

Why so many computer stations, anyway? Eventually I found out that all of those computers have internet access. Shocking, isn’t it? Less than 1 out of 10 were being used at any time (on a Friday afternoon).

Another thing that struck me was the low level of ‘lockdown’ on the computers. Essentially anyone can remove shortcuts, including the browser shortcut, from the quick launch bar. What happens then is that (as a regular non computer-savvy person) you cannot find the browser anymore and thus cannot even search the library catalogue!

They even made it so that the Macs have built-in speakers. Just wait until a kid next to you starts browsing the internet with some hiphop playing in the background while you try to find that unpronounceable artist name in the world music section of CDs...

While you’re at home and searching for what you can find at the library, it all looks great. It even shows you CDs you can digitally borrow through the Muziekweb service (at effing four euros a piece!). Yes very handy and looking great. Just wait until you actually get into the library and look for that CD. If anything, the level of disorganisation of the collection (which was ‘manageable’ in the previous location) is worse. Quite often, there are now two or even three possible locations for a CD, depending on how confused the people responsible for the collection got when assigning a place for it.

The old location had little space, old computers and an inconvenient payment method. So what? At least it worked! The space was little but very well used, considering the amount of CDs and DVDs, and there was just enough space in the aisles for two people to browse comfortably, back to back. The computers were old but the information they stated was correct, even if it meant the item was in the ‘basement’. The pace was busy, sometimes even bristling, and quite often the music playing set a good atmosphere.

I don’t think I’ll even empty the few euros left in my account or care that I just renewed my membership.

It’s really a matter of not wanting to use a service that is malfunctioning and leaves me tired from trying.

Guess I’ll have to exclusively rely on the internet for new music from now on.

In defence of iPhones From: Andrew Eddy Subject: Versus wrong I’m probably not the first person to respond to your feature ‘the People Versus’ about the iPhone but saying that you can’t transfer PDFs to an iPhone is wrong. An application called Air Share (it’s free!) allows you to transfer pretty much any file format onto your iPhone.

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

Nature calling

By Mark Wedin

Photo by Simon Wald-Lasowski

The ancient quick fix After a few days in bed with a terrible flu, I stumbled outside in a feverish delirium and came across the most glorious bit of nature known to man—or so it seemed at the time. The common sage leaf. Oh, how I love thee.

Of all the medicinal herbs, sage has one of the longest histories of use. And for good reason. Besides its magical properties against the common cold—we’ll get to that— sage has been used for nearly every sickness by nearly every culture since ancient times, with many of the old claims scientifically proven today. Unsurprisingly, its Latin root means to save or heal.

The Dutch, always quick to make a profit, discovered in the 17th century that the Chinese valued European sage so highly, they were willing to trade it for three times its weight in their best green teas. A good deal for the Dutch, especially considering how they prepared it, which I discovered soon after being caught trying to pluck several choice leaves from my neighbour’s sage plant.

Fortunately, when she noticed the varieties of mucous emanating from every hole in my head, she realised I was

more than a common thief—I was in need of aid. Being half Dutch, half Chinese, my neighbour knows all the sage mixtures used for various ailments by both cultures. For good or ill, she chose the old Dutch recipe for head cold with severe sore throat: simply boiling milk with fresh sage leaves floating atop. When it was ready, she thrust a glass my way, with a warning: ‘It tastes like awful.’

Believing her, I forced it down quickly and soon discovered another grammatical curiosity: It works like amazing.

With the pain subsiding and my head clearing up, I could understand the old Chinese giving so much for it.

But the bad taste it left in my mouth also explained why the Dutch so gladly traded it away.

Thanks to Sue Hoogenboom, amateur herbologist.

Got nature tips? naturecalls@amsterdamweekly.nl

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

Censorship

AROUND TOWN

By Laura Groeneveld

BANNING BOOKS AND OTHER SNEAKINESS Fight censorship by blaming the libraries and telling rude jokes.

‘Much ado about “Wilders censorship”,’ De Telegraaf reported last week. According to the newspaper, the Dutch state broadcaster NOS may have deliberately pulled the plug during a speech by politician Geert Wilders. The leader of the PVV (Party for Freedom), who is known for his anti-Islam views, spoke at the Algemene Beschouwingen. Just as he hit full flow, however, the NOS—supposedly run by leftists—stopped transmitting his speech, claiming there was a ‘technical problem’. But De Telegraaf readers suspect foul play—they say this is just one of many examples of anti-anti-Islam censorship in the Netherlands.

It’s an interesting case, one that could have easily made it into the exhibition Censuur! Vier Eeuwen Censuur (‘Censorship! Four Centuries of Censorship’), currently running in the Persmuseum until 9 November. The exhibition displays a wide variety of books, newspapers, pamphlets and cartoons that illustrate the historical development and the various forms of censorship in the Netherlands. The collection focuses on Amsterdam, because of its history as an

important printing city.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Amsterdam was a safe haven for foreign texts that could not be printed in their country of origin, including, for example, works by Rousseau and Voltaire.

Although for a period of time it was possible to print nearly anything in Amsterdam, press freedom was fragile and relative. Rousseau’s book Emile, ou De l’education was eventually banned and burned. Voltaire’s publisher Marc Michel Rey was ordered to leave the city for violating printing laws.

Following the introduction of mass media, methods of media control more refined than burning books or banishing publishers were applied. One cunning example was De Gil, a satirical biweekly journal that appeared during World War II. This popular journal created the impression of being an illegal or resistance publication, but was in fact a National Socialist propaganda newspaper issued by the Department of Active Propaganda. On the other hand, advances in technology, such as the duplicator, radio and television, also

‘De brandstapels der “Arische Kultur”’ by Georges van Raemdonck, published in De Notenkraker, 13 May 1933.

Courtesy of Persmuseum

made it easier and cheaper to evade control and censorship. Then again, as De Telegraaf pointed out in its article about the ‘Wilders censorship’, it’s just as easy to impose censorship by technical means, for example by interrupting broadcasts.

The Censorship! exhibition also displays an interesting example of what is referred to as ‘social censorship’ often resulting in reasonable choices of what should be censored. During the 1960s and 1970s, various books on paedophilia were published. One book that’s showcased was issued by the National Paedophilia Working Group Twente: The Children’s Friend. Today, of coarse it would be virtually impossible to publish such a book.

‘Neo-Censuur’ (‘Neo-Censorship’) was also the theme of De Balie’s ‘Worldchat’ this weekend. In Western countries, formal censorship by the authorities seems to have been replaced by a ‘soft’ form of censorship. Citizens, organisations and companies prevent others from using their right to freedom of speech, often employing the argument that certain groups need to be protected against insults.

One possible source of censorship lies is, unexpectedly, the librarian.

According to Paul Sturges—professor of Library Studies and Chair of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), and one of the debaters during De Balie’s Worldchat— the judgments that a librarian makes on stock selection and assistance to readers places him or her in the role of potential censor. ‘Librarians tend to give access to books on which they’ve agreed are beautiful, but they’d rather not give access to the strange and ugly things,’ Sturges said.

One audience member, Esther Gasseling, who works for the publishing house Xtra, couldn’t help but agree. Two years ago, Xtra published a book titled Misselijke Grappen (‘Sick Jokes’) by provocative cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot. The Dutch library service refused the copies it was sent by the publishing house, insisting the book was ‘indeed sick as the title suggested, but not funny’ and saying the author was only out to hurt Muslims.

The current debate over what constitutes an opinion or an insult will undoubtedly continue, as last May’s arrest and interrogation of Nekschot shows.

Meanwhile, Sturges has come up with an answer to keep librarians from listening to their inner censor too much: comedy. ‘Comedy is an arena outside the boundaries of what we’re permitted to say,’ Sturges said. ‘No matter how offensive a joke may be, you can’t come away without thinking about it. It wakes people up.’

So, the next time a librarian tells you that a certain book is ‘not available’ or that they ‘can’t get it for you,’ try telling a rude joke. It just might work.

More info: www.indexoncensorship.org opennet.net/accessdenied www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/feb/05/ religion.news

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Google this...

‘Lifehacked’ Amstergraph Amsterdam inhabitants utilising

the internet 2003 - 73% / 2004 - 79% / 2005 - 81% 2006 - 84% / 2007 - 86% Source: Onderzoek & Statistiek Amsterdam

Graph by Nicole Martens

A quick bike fix

By Pete Jordan

Bridges When living in a water-drenched town, it’s imperative to appreciate bridges. Without them, we’re stranded. With them, we zip across town easily.

In recent years, additions to Amsterdam’s bike bridge scene have included the bridge over the Jacob van Lennepkanaal (Oud West), the bridge linking Oosterdokeiland to Nemo, the Westerdokeiland bridge and the massive Nescio bridge over the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal. I heartily welcomed each of those bridges for increasing the mobility of the city’s cyclists.

And now a new bridge spans the Stadiongracht, linking the Laan der Hesperiden to the new bike path along the recreational islands behind the Olympic Stadium.

My three-year-old boy and I, on our way down to the Amsterdamse Bos, embarked on a celebratory test ride over the new bridge, named Jan Wilsbrug after the architect of the Olympic Stadium. We cycled to the top of the short span. Then, as we descended down the far side, we both squealed, ‘Wheee!’ We rode back and forth some more, ‘wheeing’ with each descent. An elderly man standing on the bridge looked on and smiled. If he thought we were nuts, he thankfully kept that opinion to himself.

With the city’s newest bridge baptised by our wheels, the boy and I now eagerly await the construction of the proposed bike bridge to span the Singelgracht, connecting the Leidsekade to the Nassaukade.

The Jan Wilsbrug will be officially opened on 4 October.

React: bikes@amsterdamweekly.nl

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Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

AROUND TOWN

The people versus...

Ramadan Round-up

By Sharida Mohamedjoesoef

By Floris Dogterom Today Sunrise 7:31 am

Today Sunset 7:32 pm

Illustration by Harry Bloch Illustration by Tomas Schats

When is a houseboat not a house?

The houseboat owners on the Schinkel river in Oud-Zuid are desperate. So desperate, in fact, that three weeks ago they decided to organise a protest action to raise awareness for a basic human right: the right to sleep. In their nightwear, they explained to motorists waiting for the open bridge, where the A10 motorway crosses the Schinkel, how the traffic noise has a profound influence on their lives.

‘The motorists responded in a positive manner, they totally understood,’ says Bert Nube of the residents’ association, which represents the majority of the 180 houseboat owners on the Schinkel.

The residents have been losing sleep for more than a decade now, ever since the traffic on the A10 has intensified. A truly stupefying loophole in the law is to blame. The stretch of the A10 next to the houseboats lacks a sound barrier. Reason: the Noise Pollution Act deals with objects like houses. But the Housing Act says a houseboat is not a house. Nube: ‘The sound barrier stops 100 metres before the houseboat area. But a bit further down the road, the barrier protects two houses and a cemetery. Even the dead are entitled to peace, but we’re not. It causes a lot of stress among the residents. Some even have a heart condition because of this. If the bridge opens, you experience how quiet and peaceful it can be. And you suddenly realise that you’ve been shouting at one another just to communicate.’

The residents’ association has been trying to improve the situation by writing letters to Parliament and the Ministry of Public Space, to little effect. ‘They hide behind the law, stating that houseboats are not houses,’ says Nube. ‘But I know from Egbert de Vries, chairman of stadsdeel Oud-Zuid, that the Minister of Public Space, Jacqueline Cramer, has personally told him that she thinks the present situation is slightly odd.’

Of course, I asked the Ministry of Public Space for a reaction. Several times, in fact. But Paula de Jonge, spokesperson for Minister Cramer, failed to respond.

Whether that should be considered a sign of contempt for the sleepless houseboat owners or for Amsterdam Weekly, remains somewhat unclear.

Something to report? thepeopleversus@amsterdamweekly.nl

Cheery chitchat

Most people flocking to Amsterdam usually only get to see cultural hotspots like the Rijksmuseum, Madame Tussauds, the famous canal houses, and—in a worse-case scenario—a coffeeshop. There is little chance they would visit areas that are considered ethnic trouble spots. A prime example is Mercatorplein, nicknamed Meccaplein because of its relatively high concentration of typical Islamic attire. If you do pop by here, you are either a Muslim yourself, a lost journalist, or in the mood for cheap first-rate kebab.

Okay, these exaggerations aside, for the last three years De Baarsjes has really been making an effort to reach out to nonMuslims during Ramadan. And, what’s more, it is one of the few neighbourhoods in the city where you won’t be bumping into political bigwigs or be forced to listen to politically correct speeches. To be brutally honest, in the case of your Ramadan reporter, there was no speech at all, not even a welcoming one, when she visited the ROC Karel Klinkenberg in Amsterdam Slotervaart.

Yep, for those in the know, this edgy neighbourhood made headlines only two years ago when a policeman got shot there. It catapulted neighbours and community representatives into action, organising all kinds of social events. And what better way to do this than through a lecture about the nuts and bolts of the Muslim fast, followed by a delicious Ramadan iftar. Well, that was the idea anyway.

Time for a reality check. Yes, there was food, but the lecture got mysteriously cancelled and the whole idea behind a mixed seating arrangement didn’t really work out either. But of course there are always exceptions, like this one Dutch student: ‘Quite honestly I don’t know much about Muslims. That’s why I decided to come in the first place. And with all that political pressure that we should integrate... Well, here I am.’

And so, thanks to the lack of a lecture, Mr Student engaged in merry conversation with fellow table guests about the do’s and don’ts of fasting, about the sudden popularity of working night shifts during Ramadan, and about the differences to the Catholic fast.

After roughly half an hour, more visitors finally began to trickle in, from elderly Dutch people who had been living in De Baarsjes since the 1960s, to veiled Moroccan mothers with their young ones. But still, no mixing whatsoever.

Then, at around 8.15pm, something happened. People returned from the buffet table with plates laden with all kinds of oriental delicacies. And instead of returning to their original seats, Muslims and non-Muslims alike finally plucked up the courage to walk over to their neighbours. No tough speeches about integration. No harsh words about segregation. No crude remarks about the poor organisation. Simply cheery chitchat about everyday life in Amsterdam Slotervaart.

Guerrilla theatre

By Luuk van Huët

LAST CHANCE TO STEP IN DOGTROEP Back on 13 February, news broke that the Amsterdam-based theatre group Dogtroep had decided to close up shop after receiving another cut to their subsidy. But in keeping with the spirit of the guerrilla-style theatrical roots that brought them fame and acclaim for three decades, they decided to go out with a bang instead of a whimper. Their final performances take place in a typical Dogtroep-ian location: a concrete wasteland on top of the Coentunnel in Amsterdam-Noord.

On 17 September, their curtain call, titled To Be To Not Be, twisting the words of the Bard himself, premiered in this post-industrial setting. In an ironic twist, the audience that seemingly had abandoned them, leading to the fatal cut of their subsidies, has returned in full force. These final shows sold out so quickly that three extra performances have been planned for 9 to 11 October, giving the fans of all things Dogtroep a few more chances to say goodbye.

Since the collective debuted on the

theatre scene in 1975, they’ve gone through several incarnations—but there are a few things that define a Dogtroep show that are also prominent features in To Be To Not Be. Bart Kusters of Dogtroep provides some clues on what to expect during this run: ‘The location of our shows is always a big influence on the narrative, and To Be To Not Be is all about endings, borders and transformations to a new dimension. The location itself is a border between land and water, the underworld and the surface and industry and nature, and this allowed us many possibilities to work those borders into the performance.’

Although Dogtroep as a collective will cease to exist, Kusters is confident its influence will continue to reach far and wide. ‘In all the years that Dogtroep has been around, hundreds, maybe even more than a thousand people, have worked on our shows. Most of these people are artists who continue to create theatre, films, books and other things, and if they’re touched by the unconven-

tional way we worked, Dogtroep lives on. And we’ve created some stunning imagery throughout the years. These images have been burned onto people’s retinas. Every day, someone describes an image in great detail to me which they may have seen ten years ago.

‘As Jos van Zandvliet, who worked on Dogtroep for 30 years, once said: “You’re not dead until you’re forgotten.”’

More info: www.dogtroep.nl.

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

arleen Stikker cut her organising teeth in the autonoom squat movement of the 1980s, before becoming mayor of the world’s first virtual city, De Digitale Stad, in 1993. From there she became the founder/director of the Waag Society medialab, and later co-founder of Pakhuis de Zwijger, the centre for media and culture, and of PICNIC/Cross Media Week Foundation. We spoke to Amsterdam’s original ‘IT’ girl prior to PICNIC 08, the third edition of the city’s annual threeday digital schmoozefest, that began on Wednesday.

M

PROFILE

By Jules Marshall

To what degree has the status of Amsterdam as a ‘creative city’ changed in the two years since PICNIC 06?

The potential of new media and information technology and their roles in the city was a secret treasure before, but after the prior editions of PICNIC, I think it has become very open and clear, and now everyone can associate new media with the city.

So Amsterdam has always been a creative/IT hub but now more people are aware of it. Is that important?

Yes, I think so. When a city has excellent individuals, organisations or companies, I think it’s good that we acknowledge the fact that they’re part of our identity. So that we’re not only saying that we have great windmills and great grachten, or that we’re good at sport or that we have a harbour, but also that we have a very interesting community of creative new media people and companies.

In light of the ongoing credit crunch, it could be argued that a creative class is a luxury during a recession. Or is it the engine that will help us survive?

I think the latter, because it’s all about your unique selling point, and in some aspects of the industry we no longer have that uniqueness any more. But in the arena of creativity we have, and that will be very important. All that’s been said about us moving from a ‘knowledge economy’ to an ‘economy of meaning’, that’s not become an old agenda all of a sudden; we’re still on the threshold of that.

Marleen Stikker Born 1962 Director, Waag Society/ Co-founder, PICNIC

THE ‘IT’ GIRL Marleen Stikker has been at the forefront of Amsterdam’s digital revolution for two decades now. In the midst of Picnic 08, she offers insights into the future of creative Amsterdam.

Photo by Marnix Goossens

‘The whole DIY concept originates from the ’80s: do-it-yourself printing, do-it-yourself homes, and so on. It was also the decade when the computer came of age, and there’s a real marriage between the two scenes.’

It’s the second ‘Green Challenge’ this year, and you’re a juror. Has any pattern started to emerge in the green tech entries and ideas?

Well, we didn’t have categories last year, as people were still getting to grips with the idea. But this year we do have categories, from Lifestyle to IT-based, and so on.

This year there are a lot of ideas based on smart and sustainable materials. Last year there were a lot of ideas based on reducing CO2 by planting trees, as we’re very much looking for a lifestyle design component. So there

are some trends. It’s possible that for the first year, the Challenge positioned itself by selecting the five finalists, and that helped this year in clarifying what we are looking for. I’m not sure if we are seeing a global trend or if it’s just that the Challenge has a clearer identity.

You’re famously from a squat background, and I remember Job Cohen praising the city’s squat scene as a source of energy and creativity at the first PICNIC. How damaging to the city would it be if the

7

Tweede Kamer made squatting illegal?

Just three days ago we had a meeting here about the cultural aspects of the squat movement in the Netherlands, especially in Amsterdam. There were some people saying that even if it’s made illegal it will continue.

But I think it’s very much underestimated what the effect of—not just the squat movement, but the whole autonomous creativity which was part of the ’80s—what that meant and still means to the city of Amsterdam.

There are loads of books that analyse the impact of the ’60s, but for the ’80s there’s only about five books; five journalists who spent any time on it.

It is very clear that the current generation needs its own spaces without regulation—but it will find them anyway. Repression can also bring about change. It makes no sense to make squatting illegal, and I think sixty-five per cent of the people of Amsterdam don’t want it to be. It’s very much an axe being ground by the CDA, and in this city, neither the Mayor nor the city councillors want a ban. Some people at the meeting three days ago said not to worry about it; it will take two years to implement the law, and the guy promoting it is not very smart. But it’s clear that we should act to try and make sure it doesn’t happen.

The whole DIY concept originates from the ’80s: do-it-yourself printing, do-it-yourself homes, and so on. It was also the decade when the computer came of age, and there’s a real marriage between the two scenes. If you look at the American experience, there is a clear link between leftish-liberal thinking and technology, and here we have the same situation.

Any highlights you’re looking forward to this year?

Besides the speakers, I’m also looking forward to the conductor who will be at the PICNIC closing celebrations on Friday, and I’m very much looking forward to all the experiments going on in the labs. The conference is costly if your company won’t pay for it.

But there are many special events accessible to holders of €95 day passes. And if you can’t afford that, the entrance to the Gashouder—PICNIC’s big meeting place—is only €15, allowing anyone to be part of the melting pot. This might be the best bet for your readers with more general interests.

More info: www.waag.org www.picnicnetwork.org

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Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

F E AT U R E

HACKING FOR THE MASSES

Once upon a time, say around 1994, the internet was a playground for activists and artists, where everybody wrote HTML and plugged homemade devices into computers just to see what would happen. Then the corporates caught on and took that internet away. Thankfully, there are still some politically conscious techies who are trying to hack their way back into the system.

By Marlous Veldt Illustrations by Ruth van Beek

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

Moving Concepts ‘When we started, most squatters didn’t have an email address or a computer. In fact, most of them didn’t want to have anything to do with computers,’ says Jaap, a veteran of the political tech scene. ‘But at some point something switched.’ Which is how ASCII, one of the first internet cafes in Amsterdam—free and completely DIY—saw the light in 1999.

After ASCII disbanded last year, Jaap took parts of its legacy into Moving Concepts, a 1967 truck full of donated, re-appropriated and recompiled hardware, along with a whole lot of batteries.

‘We thought: mainstream media have these tools when they are on the move, so activists should have them as well,’ he says.

Together with his girlfriend and old ASCII friends, Jaap drives the truck to protests, action camps and ‘normal’ cultural events and turns it into an internet workspace, cinema or media centre on the spot.

This weekend, they were in Hungary, at a conference on internet anonymity. Since governments started forcing internet providers to retain archives of everything their customers do online, anonymity has become an issue for everyone—not just those of us who do illegal stuff.

Tech activists everywhere have rallied together under the banner Freedom or Fear, which is organising a global day of protest and hacking against data retention by governments and corporations on 11 October. Jaap has started a working group that will ‘provide technical solutions,’ which is all he is willing to say about it at the moment. During the upcoming Freedom or Fear protest in Den Haag, Moving Concepts will showcase how traffic data can disclose who is meeting with whom. They will also try to exchange data from one passport to another. Volunteers are welcome.

F E AT U R E

the slums of Nairobi, called NairoBits. In exchange for satisfying their curiosity about local lives, they taught a group of young Kenyans from slum-based organisations how to use Photoshop, Microsoft Word and HTML to express their lives online. Now many of their former students are successful IT professionals, teachers at NairoBits and cutting-edge designers.

If you’re serious about open communication, Beamer says, you should be willing to let people use the technology for what they find important. Because every student of NairoBits has a lot of people to support, ‘you also have to accept it when they want to become an advertiser.’

She has found it interesting to see how Africans appropriate Western technology. Creative mobile phone tweaks for mobile banking and monitoring election violence have gained international attention, but when it comes to computers, people want to learn how to do it the ‘official way’, says Beamer. Which is why she would love to take over the Brazilian group MetaReciclagem, who let kids reassemble old computers into working machines painted with their own, crazy artwork. (Check them out on YouTube.)

Although scaling up wasn’t part of the original plan, Butterfly Works’ open and creative methods are slowly making inroads into Kenya’s top-down power structures. The Kenyan Ministry of Education is thinking about introducing NairoBits’ teaching style in its own curriculum. And—even though the mobile phone companies participating thought some aspects of the issue too sensitive to touch—an sms pre-election campaign got 20,000 Kenyans thinking about what makes a good leader.

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Picnic Picks

By Liz Farsaci

Africa, Surprising Africa Find out what creative and technological developments are taking place throughout Africa during this all-day seminar hosted by SICA and Butterfly Works. You can also find out how people in Africa are using mobile tools to build peaceful relationships, why major companies such as Nokia, Vodafone and Google are developing new businesses there, how young people are using new media technology to explore and discuss cultural trends and about citizen journalism in Rwanda and Ghana.

Friday 26 September, 10.00-17.00

‘Everybody is in social networks.

Everybody gets googled. And everybody’s texts and emails are tapped into.’

Genderchangers Donna Metzlar of Genderchangers also has her origins in ASCII. Together with several other women, she decided to push the demystification of computers one step further by taking them apart and looking at their workings from a feminist, holistic perspective. Through the years, the group has advocated the use of open source software, initiated the skill-sharing meet-up Eclectic Tech Carnival and organised ongoing workshops, where many women beheld the insides of a computer for the first time.

Asked what project she is working on now, Metzlar says she is taking a year off to rejuvenate. The excitement that tweaking computers and open source advocacy inspired a few years ago has dissipated, and it is now difficult to find volunteers for existing activities. ‘Starting up is fun,’ says Metzlar, ‘but maintenance is boring.’

Furthermore, doing everything completely DIY costs a lot of money and time. ‘While the autonomy you get in return is important to me, I think a lot of people don’t care much for it,’ she says.

Which is dangerous in an environment where putting your own stuff online has become normal, but operating the hardware and content management systems that keep it all running is in the hands of others.

However, Metzlar says she has been involved in political movements long enough to know that energy comes in waves and something new will appear that wakes people up. Asked if she has any idea what that next thing will be, she says it is bad luck to talk about ideas before they are put in practice. But she has a dream.

Butterfly Works A redirection of energy was what led Emer Beamer to create Butterfly Works, a foundation that develops multimedia projects for social change.

During her student years at Rietveld Academie, she interned at the Digitale Stad Amsterdam [See profile, p.7] and was involved in the early internet artist/activist scene. But after spending two nights in jail after a demonstration, Beamer stepped away from subculture politics. ‘One: I got very angry and that was just not good for my health. Two: I saw that what we were doing wasn’t changing anything. It was futile.’

So, in 1999, with a friend, she started a digital design school in

Hackers Camp@PICNIC Also hacking the system in their own way are a team of programmers, developers and designers that have been toying with RFID tags and Google searches at the Westergasfabriek in preparation for PICNIC 08.

Organiser Klaas Kuitenbrouwer of Mediamatic sums up some of the projects: virtual creatures that grow according to your PICNIC profile status; a T(r)act(or)ical Media Performance that exposes possible abuses of personal information; and Google Battle Moveable Platforms (if the city allows it).

‘Everybody is in social networks. Everybody gets googled.

And everybody’s texts and emails are tapped into,’ says Willem Velthoven, also of Mediamatic. ‘If you work on art and media, as Mediamatic does, dealing with these issues becomes inevitable.’

But, says Velthoven, the Hackers Camp is a design workshop and not necessarily a place to take a public stand on privacy invasion. ‘Here, we want to see the beauty that can come out of these tools,’ he says. ‘The interesting thing is that through our projects, it becomes visible how much of your behaviour these technologies encapsulate.’

Which is an important political use of hacking, Kuitenbrouwer thinks, as well as a good preparation for ‘technical solutions’.

‘It doesn’t mean you have to use the crowbar now, but at least make sure you have it in your hands,’ he says.

Kuitenbrouwer’s advice to activists looking for direction is the increasing hybridisation of humans and computers—or ‘everyware’, as the catchphrase puts it. How do you negotiate privacy in an environment where computing is everywhere without being a hacker? Well, crowd sourcing people who are willing to exchange passport data would be a start. Anybody interested?

More info: At PICNIC ’08 Emer Beamer is co-curating the day programme ‘Africa, Surprising Africa’. Mediamatic’s Hackers Camp will showcase its Google Battle Platforms there as well.

Moving Concepts, Genderchangers and other tech activists can be found in Den Haag on 11 October for Freedom or Fear, a global day of protest and hacking against data retention by governments and corporations. To access the URLs from a site that keeps no search term records and deletes its access logs every 48 hours, use www.scroogle.org. And swing by www.torproject.org if you want to do all this anonymously.

TheNextWomen Brainstorm Camp This creative brainstorm, hosted by online magazine The Next Women, aims to assist and promote women in the internet/creative industry. The event will start off with three presentations, including an overview of ‘female internet heroes’—the usual fare in The Next Women—as well as presentations on creative collaboration and marketing to women. Three entrepreneurs will then present their business ideas to participants and a panel, who will then brainstorm ideas and give feedback before voting for the best idea.

Thursday 25 September, 09.00-12.00

The Children of Europe and The Video Republic We all know how much audio-visual technology has developed in the past 20 years.

Now everyone with a mobile phone or a webcam can make films and even broadcast live. However, it seems young people have particularly embraced this technology, using it frequently to communicate with each other, and the world. This event is hosted by Demos Research and the European Cultural Foundation and will discuss these issues and the impact they have on society. Are these young filmmakers apolitical or are they creating a more open, grassroots political space?

Thursday, 25 September, 19.00-21.00 PICNIC ’08 24-26 September, Westergasfabriek www.picnicnetwork.org

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

AGENDA: MUSIC

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SHORT LIST

Dub Echoes, B-OOST Festival Friday at various locations.

FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER Experimental: B-OOST Festival B-OOST is back for its fourth annual weekend of space sounds in Amsterdam’s Eastern Docklands. Wear earplugs for Friday’s bass-sodden odyssey into the past, present and future of dub. Start with the premiere of Bruno Natal’s film Dub Echoes, then catch Don Letts and the Mad Professor live at the Conservatory. Saturday’s combi-ticket buys you the Metropole Orchestra with Jimi Tenor, Glerum Omnibus’s heavyweight jazz doing battle with Truly Pheasant’s nu-skool breaks, and the Steve Reid Ensemble versus Kieran ‘Four Tet’ Hebden. It all wraps up with a surprise concert at the Lloyd Hotel on Sunday afternoon. For full programme see www.b-oost.nl. (Ben Blench) Various locations, times and prices, Saturday combi-ticket €31.

Festival: Afrovibes Festival Eroticism, sexuality, power and violence; these are the ingredients of Afrovibes, the celebration of South African theatre, dance, film and visual arts. This seventh edition offers an insight into the ways South Africans deal with eroticism. Where one may think of street prostitution or abusive men, another will imagine erotic female dancers or sexy, strong African men. The opening performance, however, tells the story of two truckers who discover their feminine and masculine sides. Furthermore there are plays, and you can catch the thrilling documentary Dance for All at Rialto. To experience for yourself what South African eroticism feels like, visit Township Cultural Café Xai Xai Lounge at Frascati. See www.afrovibes.nl. (Miriam Landman) Various locations, times and prices. Until 6 October.

SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER Blues: John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers If James Brown was the Godfather of Soul, John Mayall is the Founding Father of White-Boy Blues. Now 74, Mayall was the first high-profile—and high-proficiency— blues practitioner in England, and his groups provided early perches for folks like Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, Aynsley Dunbar and maybe a million more (some of whom earned many a million more than their mentor).

Unstoppable and unquenchable—Mayall recently released his 56th album—he’s now touring with the current edition of The Bluesbreakers, an ensemble superbly proficient in the essential riffs-tunes-and-backbeat combinations. Something to shout about indeed. (Steve Schneider) Carré, 20.00, €15-€39.

Pop: The Lovers After playing at Paradiso back in 2006 and on Queen’s Day this year, The Lovers are back for a one-night-only show at Club 8. Not only will this duo, real-life couple Marion and Fred, shake their collective derrières, they’ll appear as a quartet this time round. Based in the UK, The Lovers are taking on the world with their sexy franglais antics and plan to seduce us even more with some new material. They’re like champagne that goes to your head and puts a genuine smile on your face. And then you’re hooked by their charm, melodies and cheekiness. (Natasha Cloutier) Club 8, 20.00, €7.50.

Film: MeccaPANZA Award If the red carpet is smothering you, the soapies and starlets driving you insane with their inane banter, and pride in Dutch cinema is boring you with its nationalistic smugness, it’s good to know there’s a fresh-faced initiative hosting a spunky new event. MeccaPANZA is the Dutch branch of NISI MASA, the European network for young film professionals, and they’re handing out an award for the best Dutch script that competed in the NISI MASA Script Contest. The script itself will go on to compete against other international scripts in Zagreb in November. If it wins there, it will be produced with European funding. But tonight it’s time to put our new writing prodigy in the limelight: he/she has to be prepped for all those Oscar ceremonies, right? No matter what they claim, they’ve surely been working on their ‘losing elegantly face’. It’ll also be the best borrel the Nederlands Film Festival is likely to see, with a collection of crazy kids who all share a healthy love for cinema in all its shapes and sizes. (Luuk van Huët) Festival Paviljoen, De Neude, 21.00, Utrecht, free.

TUESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER Dance: Shoot the Moon To arms! Cultural subsidies in the Netherlands have recently been vandalised by the ever-more right-lurching government, so it’s time to pull the plug on World of Warcraft and check out—i.e. support—one of the real riches of Amsterdam: its cultural life. A great starter is this typically venturesome-yet-accessible triple bill by the brilliant Nederlands Dans Theater, which counterpoints an award-winner from company choreographers Lightfoot Leon—the relationship-soaked set-twister called Shoot the Moon—with two premieres, by Wayne McGregor (who, by the by, designed flight scenes in a Harry Potter movie) and Crystal Pite, director of the Vancouver-based company Kidd Pivot. So off you go. To legs! (Steve Schneider) Het Muziektheater, Tues, Wed 20.30, €20.50/€36.50.

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

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Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

AGENDA: MUSIC World

Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80 Monday 29 September, Paradiso, 20.30, €18 + membership The youngest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela, the Nigerian singer and sax player leads Dad’s world-renowned outfit. As funky, jazzy and celebratory as you could hope for.

MUSIC Thursday 25 September Country: Nathan Hamilton & band Grungy country from a grungy Texan. Perfect preview to his show on Wednesday in Paradiso. OBA, 17.00, free Rock: Nada Surf It’s not always clear why these ’90s American alt rockers remain so popular in Amsterdam, but despite their rather dated approach to guitar pop, the kids (literally kids) love ’em. Their fifth album, Lucky, was released back in February, and this is sure to be a fairly energetic night. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 19.30, €14 + membership Opera: Carmen Bizet’s masterpiece. RAI, 20.00, €34.50-€55 Pop/Rock: Dollygrip These alt pop rockers share the stage with wonderful and crazy The Ik Jan Cremers, both bands coming back fresh from a short hiatus. Cafe Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 20.00, €5 Singer-songwriter: JW Roy Rootsy Americanastyle Dutch rock. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 20.00, €8.50 + membership World: Mariachi Tierra Caliente Big sombreros, full costumes and all those blaring instruments make up this, the only authentic mariachi group in town—and arguably the best in Europe. They got their start on a street corner here, 20 years ago on Queen’s Day and they’ve been turning up the heat ever since. Werkteater, 20.00, €15 World: Zuid-Afrika—In Concert Sets from Amanda Strydom, Tina Schouw and Freshlyground.

Carré, 20.00, €15-€39

Classical: Lustrumconcert Violist Esther Apituley, pianist Rié Tanaka and the Amsterdam Viola Quartet perform a variety of Dutch compositions. Felix Meritis, 20.15, €25 Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra While we’re quick to criticise the pricing of some classical performances, this one is almost a bargain. Glasgow-born conductor Oliver Knussen leads the RCO tonight, joined by Finnish cellist Anssi Karttunen for performances of Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem and ‘Passacaglia’ from Peter Grimes, plus the Dutch premiere of Saariaho’s Notes on Light and Knussen’s The Way to Castle Yonder. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €20/€35 Big band: Martin Fondse Starvinsky Orkestar Amsterdam-based pianist, composer and band leader Martin Fondse understands that Stravinsky had as much swing as the great stars of jazz. His Starvinsky Orkestar is a big band and classical ensemble at the same time. Along with the usual wind and bowed instruments, this ‘pan-European flex orchestra’ frequently make music from such exotic objects as stamps, spinning-tops and melodicas. Bimhuis, 20.30, €15 Experimental: Dis-patch Festival Amsterdam preview for this Belgrade art happening. Ambient and abstract sounds from Moo, dubstep from Piece of Shh... and all sorts from DJ Moodswinger.

OT301, 21.00, €5 Experimental: Pick Up meets Stubnitz Sets from LSD March (Japan) and Ignatz (BE). Stubnitz, 21.00 Jazz: Marzio Scholten Quartet Dutch instrumentalists that comfortably blend pop/rock sounds with modern jazz. Badcuyp, Noordpool, 21.30, €8 Pop/Rock: 3voor12 Live radio and TV session featuring sets from Leine (acoustic pop), Hallo Venray (rock) and This Is Total War (electro pop). Desmet Studios, 22.00, free, tickets: www.3voor12.nl Pop/Rock: The Little Ones Indie pop from LA. Bright-eyed, bushy tailed and rather infectious, they

Areeba areeba, undalay undalay! Mariacha Tierra Caliente get all Speedy!

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

AGENDA: MUSIC

Experimental jazz

Pop/Rock: Make Up Your Mind Dutch band that mixes ska, punk, rock ’n’ roll and Dixie swing, promising an energetic live show. Cafe Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 20.00, €5 Pop: Sonja van Hamel With New York musician Carrie Bradley. De Nieuwe Anita, 20.00, €6 Classical: Stichting Millennium Concert Not quite the big guns: Castricumse Oratorium Vereniging, Oratoriumvereniging Schagen, Koorvereniging Bergen and Begeleidingsorkest voor Noord-Holland. Still, nice works by Mendelssohn, Brahms and Elgar. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €25/€30 Classical: Yvonne Smeulers & Sander Sittig Czech pianist and violinist performing sonatas by Fauré and Franck. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €30 Festival: B-OOST Festival The Metropole Orkest get freaky with funky Fin Jimi Tenor and American violinist Miquel Attwood Ferguson. See Short List. Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €21 World: Osama Abdulrasol Ensemble & Jahida Wehbe The Lebanese singer Jahida Wehbe is a rising star in the Arab world with a repertoire including classical Arabic, liturgical and Sufi lyrics and music. Here she’s accompanied by a five-piece band. KIT Tropentheater, 20.30, €19 World: Servus Gipsy orchestra. KHL Koffiehuis, 20.30, free Heavy: The Blackout Welsh emo turned metalcore kids. They’re definitely trying to express something with their scream/melody/scream strategy. Whether it’s anything more important than someone nabbing their eyeliner remains to be seen. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 20.30, €12 + membership Experimental: B-OOST Festival A spacious attack of jazz and electronica featuring the Glerum Omnibus vs Truly Pheasant, Steve Reid Ensemble featuring Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) and the Kindred Spirits Sound System. See Short List. Bimhuis, 21.00, €18

TryTone Festival Wednesday 1 October, Zaal 100, 21.00, €5 Lineup for tonight’s instalment of the neverending festival: BALLROGG, a semiimprovising Norwegian duo with clarinet/sax and double bass; Freitag Trio, freely improvising, instant composers with piano, sax and bass; and Babak Maddah Group, who play indigenous Iranian jazz.

have that old Beach Boys thing going down and are reminiscent of hairy Brits The Magic Numbers. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.30, €7 + membership

Friday 26 September Pop: Rowwen Heze Limburgse mariachi rockin’. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 19.30, €20 + membership Pop: Friday Night Traditional Russian music and cabaret by Marynka Nicolai. Van Gogh Museum, 20.00, museum entry cost Pop: Mêlée Christ! If there’s one thing worse than Keane, it’s gotta be these American piano pop imitators. In fact, their saccharine lyrics and all-too-easy hooks almost have us reaching for a Coldplay CD to feel ‘edgy’. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 20.00, €13 + membership Rock: Sam Roberts Band Pretty popular in Canada— but then again, so are The Tragically Hip—this multi-instrumentalist from Quebec harks back to the more rockin’ moments of Young and Springsteen. In Europe he’d be classed as vibrant and indie. Back home, he’s more suited to the mainstream, but at least you know you’ll get a polished performance. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 20.00, €12 + membership Rock: Vox Von Braun CD release party from this noisy indie crew. Support from Hospital Bombers and Appie Kim. De Nieuwe Anita, 20.00, €6 Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra See Thursday. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €20/€35 Jazz: Globe Unity Orchestra For decades the Globe Unity Orchestra has been bringing together the most renowned musicians from the international experimental improvisation scene. Every performance is a unique opportunity to see wayward soloists from several generations and countries on the same stage.

The ensemble’s collective improvisations have much in common with the ecstatic free jazz of Albert Ayler and John Coltrane’s ‘Ascension’, as well as the Euro-

pean avant-garde music of the last century. Bimhuis, 20.30, €18 Classical: Nieuw Amsterdams Peil Works by Poulenc, Stravinsky and Milhaud. Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €23 Punk: !doom!shit!doom! More optimism from OCCII. Tonight’s happy bands are Toner Low, Black Shape of Nexus and 78 RPM. OCCII, 21.00, €5 Experimental: AUXXX—Psychic Microscope An evening of enchanting experimental music, with a showcase from Kazemat, a new label for aesthetic sampled music, plus high energy ‘psycho-ballroom’ band Ballroom Blitz. OT301, 21.00, €5 Rock: Cut City Swedish outfit somewhat akin to Interpol or Editors. SMART Project Space, 21.30, €5 Festival: B-OOST Festival Featuring Declan De Barra and Davie Lawson. See Short List. Cafe Pakhuis Wilhelmina, 22.00, €7.50 Rock: The Bastardz of Glitter Another infamous glitter party. Maloe Melo, 22.00, €5 World: Maliblu Multi-culti quintet that blend Carribean and African rhythm ’n’ blues with Mandingo melodies.

Featuring an Ethiopian singer/dancer and a Malian instrumentalist. Badcuyp, Noordpool, 23.00, €8

Saturday 27 September Singer-songwriter: Jackie Leven Prolific Scottish folk troubadour. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 19.30, €10 + membership Singer-songwriter: Amsterdamse Straatmuzikanten This ain’t no battle of the bands; it’s a battle of the buskers! Entrance is free but have a look down the back of your couch for any spare change. Studio K, 20.00, free Country: Emmylou Harris A wrecking ball of a country singer-songwriter. Shame there’s just one sold out show, though. Carré, 20.00, sold out

The Lovers: It’s okay to like them, they’re not really French.

Rock: Blues Special Swinging sounds from Juan Bourbon, Juan Scotch and Juan Beer. Sadly, Juan Kerr can’t make it. Maloe Melo, 22.00, €5 Hiphop: Groeten van ver A fistful of Nederhop from the likes of Spacekees, Kraantje Pappie, FlexxFit, DJ Freestyle and Mo en Brakko. OneFourOne, 22.00, €7

Sunday 28 September Classical: Van Swieten Society The piano trio perform Haydn and Beethoven. (There’s an earlier performance at 11.30 for €12.50.) Bethaniënklooster, 14.15, €20.00 World: A Woman Alone A homage to the Iranian poet, film-maker and feminist, Forugh Farrokhzad (1935-1967), by the Shandiz ensemble, incorporating Farrokhzad’s texts with music by Hamid Tabatabaei and a multimedia background, with Dutch translation

by Massoud Wala. Farrokhzad’s 1962 documentary Het Huis is Zwart will also be screened. Mozes & Aäronkerk, 15.00, €10 Singer-songwriter: Eric Bibb Rootsy and bluesy acoustic numbers from this American, based for the time being in London. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 16.00, €10 + membership Classical: Grace Kim Trio Piano, violin and cello perform the G minor trio by Clara Schumann and works

by Australian composers Miriam Hyde and Dulcie Holland. De Cameleon, 16.30, €10 Blues: John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers The real blues deal. See Short List. Carré, 20.00, €15-€39 Pop/Rock: Mooi Wark Bring your tractors to the slaughter, to the slaughteeer! Beer and more beer is required to make the most of these Drentse rockers, but it’s no worse than the usual American punks rolling into town with their Irish drinking songs. Okay, maybe it is, but it’s mainly done in good humour. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 20.00, €12 + membership Pop: The Lovers French husband and wife duo with lots of soft female vocals and languishing guitars that’ll get you in the mood to find your own husband and wife (or at least become one half of a set). See Short List. Club 8, 20.00, €7.50 Classical: Grote Strijkers Violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, violist Antoine Tamestit and cellist Christian Poltéra perform three Beethoven String Trios.

Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €38 Big band: George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band 2008 This pianist’s big band is comprised only of top soloists, including Marvin Stamm, Tobias Weidinger, Tatum Greenblatt and Dave Bargeron. Bimhuis, 20.30, €18

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Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

AGENDA: MUSIC/CLUBS Classical: Orkest van de Achttiende Eeuw Stuck in the past and loving it. Authentic representations of Rameau’s Suite from Les Indes Galantes and Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2. Muziekgebouw, 20.30, €28

Party

Jazz: Sunday Night Jazz New weekly session with bassist René van Beeck and friends. Panama, 20.30, €22.50 Electronica: Pivot Warp Records continues its updated quest to rule the guitar pop world, as well as the experimental electronic scene. This Australian/London trio are seemingly a good fit anyway, mixing up guitar riffs and electronic grooves nicely. They’re kinda reminiscent of Battles actually, but less insistent and less likely to give you an aneurysm. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €7.50 + membership

Monday 29 September Pop/Rock: Hallo Venray Dutch guitar pop. These guys have been going for ages but show no signs of slowing. This current tour marks the release of new album Leather On My Soul on Excelsior Recordings.

Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 20.00, €7 + membership Experimental: DNK-Amsterdam Weekly edition of tasty noise. This time with Palix (recordings of French knife factories), Valérie Vivancos (sleep disorder research recordings) and Julien Grossman (small installation of Rapidpro Islands). SMART Project Space, 21.30, €5 Bluegrass: Trampled By Turtles Sizzling fingerpickin’ bluegrass from Duluth, though they prefer to call it ‘trashgrass’. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €6 + membership

Tuesday 30 September World: Metropole Orkest The infamous big band take a musical trip to Havana. Special guests include bandoneón maestro Carel Kraayenhof and singer Paskal Jakobsen, with a Cuban rhythm section led by Lucas van Merwijk. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €37/€43 Jazz: SMV The bass, the whole bass and nothing but the bass. This bass supergroup features Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten—three of the most respected players around. Together they’ve just released Thunder. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 20.30, sold out Hiphop/R&B: Platinum Pied Pipers Sadly not a bagpipe frenzy (if that’s your thing, google ‘Red Hot Chilli Pipers’). Instead, this Detroit duo are all about smooth hiphop. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 21.15, €15 + membership

Wednesday 1 October Classical: Lunch Concert Preview of tonight’s RCO performance. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 12.30, free Pop/Rock: Nathan Hamilton & Band Indie rock, country and folk crossover. When this Texan ain’t writing plays or acting, his lively tracks remind of Bob Mould without the trance experiments. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 19.30, €8 + membership Classical: Minetti Quartett Crazy Austrian talents performing String Quartets by Haydn, Berg and Schubert. Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, 20.15, €32.50 Classical: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Daniele Gatti conducts Beethoven’s Pastoral Sixth and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, 20.15, €20/€50 Jazz: Kaufmann/Gratkowski/De Joode German pianist and clarinet/sax player, who’ve now released a third collaboration with local bassist Wilbert de Joode.

Virtuoso, abstract improvs are the specialty. Bimhuis, 20.30, €15 Jazz: Corrie van Binsbergen & CRAM Another sonic adventure from the local jazz guitarist. This project still features her trademark energy and saucy grooves, but also has more subtle edges. Helping to launch new CD For a Dog, the band are joined by Hammond player Carlo de Wijs, with audio and visual live sampling

by Eboman. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 21.00, €15 + membership Soul: CLAPitUP! Soul and funk from Full Crate & FS Green. Bitterzoet, 22.00, €5 Pop/Rock: Steve Wynn & The Dragon Bridge Orchestra Wordy singer-songwriter who was formerly the frontman of ’80s alternative rock band Dream Syndicate. Paradiso, Kleine Zaal, 22.00, €12.50 + membership

Picnic at Night Friday 26 September, Westergasfabriek, 22.00-late, €15 Picnic bows out in a blaze of glory with an extravaganza of crazy installation art and technology. Dutch laser magician Edwin van der Heijden and the Mediamatic art hackers will dazzle you with performances while an interactive dancefloor will get your confused booty shaking. The beats come from Ille Bitch, 2000andone and Shinedoe.

CLUBS Thursday 25 September Lights Down Low Electro & rave spiced up with indie tunes turned by, rumour has it, a DJ or two from San Francisco. Club 8, 22.00-03.00, €7.50 Vreemde Remote Area Release Party The birthday party is finally over but there’s no chance of slipping into a rut. Julien Chaptal (Remote Area), Carlos Valdes (Remote Area), Makcim and Sandrien drive this night of noise and dancing. Sugar Factory, 23.0005.00, €9 Blue Note Trip Weekly jazz and dance fusion featuring DJ Maestro and special guests. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 23.30-late, €8

bar. Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €10 Linke Soep invites Club Krang Banging beats from an international cast: Nick Curly (DE), Markus Fix (DE), Dario Zenker (DE) and Ali Nasser (Romania). Plenty of locals also hold the decks till the sun rises again. Flex Bar, 23.00-07.00, €10 Carnivale Featuring Dan Ghenacia (FR), Jop & Jordi Show, Kartikeya, Lopoll, Mind One, Radiosus and Rik. Studio 80, 23.00-late, €12.50 klinch: Traffic Crunching techno from Cari Lekebusch (Stockholm), Andomat 3000 (live), Radial (live), Bart Skils and Boris Werner. Melkweg, The Max, 23.00-late, €13 + membership Sonic Warfare 10 Sub-bass demons and sonic fury as another dubstep party rises like a phoenix from the flames. As always, UK faves like RSD, Rustie, Joker and Ikonika are backed by Dutch talents. Melkweg, Oude Zaal, 23.00-late, €12 + membership GirlsLoveDJ’s The ongoing dedication to the death of rock ’n’ roll. Paradiso, Grote Zaal, 23.59-05.00, €18

Saturday 27 September Friday 26 September BlocK Party With pun-fire DJs Joshua Walter, Vanilla Nice, Aiscream and Lars Vegas. Studio K, 22.0004.00, €5 FuqLeFunq DJs Vincenzo de Bull, Tom le Bang Miles vs Alicat, Shackleton and Nick & Glenn Soentjes bring raw minimal, electro and techno. Club 8, 22.0004.00, €5 Via Brasil Bossanova, samba soul, batucada and baile funk from DJs KC the Funkaholic, Antal and Steven de Peven. Also live drumming madness from Bloco dos Arcos and, naturally, tasty caipirinhas at the

The UnderClub Electro disco, deep house and techy tunes from Kreed and Marcelo Umana. Jet Lounge, 22.00-03.00, free au10tique DJs Rutger Docter and Elevator Soundsystem provide the pure soul of house music. They really do. De Kring, 22.00-04.00, €8 Rekord3r Celebrating their two-year birthday, Rekord3r brings more funk and techhouse. For those who enjoy dancing on drugs, there’s an afterparty till 9am at the Flexbar. Westerunie, 22.00-04.00, €20 Rebel Up! Soundclash Diasporic sounds from the global underground: mestiza beats, gypsy funk, roots,

Oh, yeah! With SMART Project Space having health and safety issues, check online before heading to DNK.

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

Arabic, African rhythms, Latino, Asian and gritty electronics. OCCII, 22.30-04.00, €4 Ki-Tek Sound System Jungle, techno and three lovely cores: hardcore, breakcore and raggacore. Most indubitably not a bore. OT301, 23.00-03.00, €5 Digitalsoul A revival of the funky disco and filter house sounds from the begining of the millennium.

Think Daft Punk, Boris Dlugosch, Cassius, Kid Creme, Bob Sinclar and Stardust. Odeon, 23.00-05.00, €15 Rex...Electronation Live Featuring Oliver Huntemann (Rekorder) and Terry Toner. Sugar Factory, 23.0005.00, €15 Bla Bla But not blah. Crunchy sets from Mathias Kaden (DE), Marek Hemmann (DE, live), Daniel Sanchez and more. Studio 80, 23.00-late, €14.99 Jamrock Xplosion: Girls in Charge Reggae and dancehall in this Pum Pum Power Edition. Paradiso, 23.59-05.00, €15 Gemengd Zwemmen Two rooms of swimmingly diverse noise. In The Max, it’s yet more ’80s and ’90s classic material; in the Oude Zaal, there’s alternative dance, pop, rock and indie hits. Melkweg, 23.59-late, €9

Sunday 28 September Equinox Showcase Party Urban grooves to celebrate the magical solar moment. Yes, the autumnal equinox was last week. No, we don’t get it either.

Might be fun anyway. Marcanti, 18.00-01.00, €15 + mysterious fee Wicked Jazz Sounds Jazz, hiphop, broken beats, nujazz, funk and Afro sounds, as classic vinyl collides with live musicians. Sugar Factory, 23.00-05.00, €9.50

Monday 29 September F*ck the weekend, Party on Monday! Laidback club and lounge loveliness. Supperclub Cruise, 19.0001.00, €10

AGENDA: CLUBS 3 questions:

Don Letts B-OOST Festival, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Friday 26 September, 22.00 Yes, the DJ and musician, who’s credited as turning a generation of punks onto reggae in the late ’70s, lands in Amsterdam this weekend, both as a film-maker and music legend. He’s played in Basement Five and Big Audio Dynamite, released a single with members of PIL, managed The Slits, made a series of music documentaries and now DJs for the BBC. Before performing and chatting at B-OOST, he provides some personal musical insight.

Music for rocking? ‘Damian Marley’s “Khaki Suit” from Welcome to Jamrock is a killer combination of my favourite elements of Jamaican music. A wicked bass line coupled with the chants of Damian Marley and Bounty Killer, rounded off with some old school melodies courtesy of Eek-a-Mouse. And to keep you on your feet there’s “Move”, “All Night” and “Jamrock” on the same album too.’

Music for mellowing? ‘The Cocteau Twins’ album Heaven or Las Vegas. I love the fact that her lyrics are for the most part undecipherable—she often sings in a made-up language.

Along with the very ethereal delivery of their music, this forces the listener to add their own interpretation/ideas of the meaning of the songs.’

Music for loving? ‘Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” is kind of obvious but hard to beat. This track, along with his Let’s Get it On album, will soundtrack pretty much any affair of the heart, head or bed!’

Website: www.b-oost.nl

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Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

GAY&LESBIAN Edited by Willem de Blaauw.

Thursday 25 September Thursday Stress Stopper Relax after your Thursday evening shopping spree. Sip a cocktail while having a rejuvenating chair massage. Getto, 21.00, free Happy hour: Moonlight Hour Two drinks (beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks) for the price of one, between 23.00 and midnight at this funky bar/restaurant. Getto, 23.00-23.59, free

Friday 26 September Party: D & C Dance & Cruise Party at this cool cruise club. Shirts are optional, and so is the rest of your wardrobe. Dance, flirt and do all kinds of other un-holy stuff. Admission includes one drink and there’s even a tiny smoking lounge for those desperate to suck on something else. Church, 20.00-00.00, €10

Saturday 27 September Party: (Z)onderbroek Drop your pants and dance in your most sexy briefs/Y-fronts/boxers or jockstrap at this men-only afternoon fun party. DJ Benjamin and DJ De Sade spin wicked tunes, but if the heat on the tiny dancefloor gets too much, head to the smokers’ lounge for a ciggie or to the balcony for some relaxing action. Church, 16.00-20.00, €8 Party: UNK Montly gay/mixed party in the western part of town. DJ Lupe and his crowd spins electro and underground beats. Club 8, 22.00-05.00, €8

Sunday 28 September Sex club: S.O.S. Organised by those naughty boys from GALA—who also brought us Ladz and (Z)onderbroek. Well you don’t need much clothing here either as S.O.S. isn’t about that Abba song, but all about Sex on Sundays. Nude or underwear, it doesn’t matter.

Anything goes (quite literally)... The Eagle, 16.0020.00, €8

STAGE

A G E N D A : G AY & L E S B I A N / S T A G E / E V E N T S Lekker Bezig

Performance: Dematerialization 1—The Continuous Interval Part installation, part performance in this abstract DasArts Final Project. The audience is requested to arrive in tuxedo or gala dress. Hetveem Theater, (Thur, Fri 20.30), €8 Performance: Club NDSM—Live Art Zone #2 Theatre and art collide in Noord once more. Master of ceremonies is Bert Hana, with some cabaret bizarreness in the form of Misschien helpt een hobby and the Powerboat installation Midgetsjoelbakken competitie. NDSM-werf, (Fri, Sat 20.30), €12.50/€15 Dance: Both Sitting Duet A collaboration between British choreographer Jonathan Burrows and Italian composer Matteo Fargion. De Brakke Grond, (Fri, Sat 20.30) Schrijf me in het zand Toneelgroep Sense tackle the difficult subject of child abuse. By Arnica Elsendoorn. In Dutch. CREA Theater, (Fri, Sat 20.30, Sun 14.00), €10 Performance: Burlesque Glamour Night Because burlesque is the new black. Or something. On this night, don’t just admire the glamour onstage, come in your own fancy glam costume and maybe win a prize.

Comedy Theater, (Sat 23.00), €17.50 Music/Theatre: China Impressions The Olympics are over, but so you don’t forget about the new megapower, this show celebrates 2000 years of Chinese history with acrobatics, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, ethnic dances, calligraphy, ballet, modern dance and music.

RAI, (Sat, Sun 20.00), €25-€58

By Judith Hornman

Abner Preis & Claudius Gebele in tandem AP: ‘I’m Abner Preis, a painter and performance artist. I organise events involving the art community and the public.’

CG: ‘My name is Claudius Gebele and I work on a range of arty projects, from music videos to art shows, as long as they’re not purely commercial.’

AP: ‘The idea for MeBike was born when I watched an episode of The Simpsons, in which Homer builds a dream car for his brother. It inspired me to ask my friends to build their dream bicycles. Two years ago, we started really small at Chiellerie with our own dream bikes, but last year we collaborated with Streetlab.

‘We’ve changed the concept this time: it’s all about cool, clean and conscious sports like BMX and skateboarding. We’ve built different ramps in and around Paradiso using waste.

We’ve ensured that they’ll be reused so nothing is discarded.’

CG: ‘We waste as little as possible. Besides the environmental aspect, we’re also committed to making it a non-profit event. We have a minimal amount of sponsorship to pay the rent, and everyone can enjoy our festival for free until seven o’clock.’

AP: ‘Expect a skateboard competition with crazy things—like our Duchamps ramp. One of Duchamps’s readymades was an upside-down wheel, so we’ve incorporated one in our ramp, and contestants have to jump over it and spin it. Our events are never based on everyday ideas.’

CG: ‘They always have to have a stupid-ass edge to it.

This edition is for overachieving underachievers, but everyone there will be entertained.’

AP: ‘In 2009, we plan to go back to our roots with an art show about the dream bike. We’re looking for a venue that can function as a museum, as well as a park, for our show.

We’ll continue to push cool, clean events that are educational, inclusive and environmentally conscious.’

Theatre/Dance: Last Chance Three award-winning South African artists in a performance that blends dance and theatre. It’s the story of two male individuals who find solace in each other. In an outspoken male setting—the world of truck drivers—they discover their true essence and femininity. In English.

Frascati, (Tues 20.30, Wed 20.00), €18 Dance: Shoot the Moon An award-winning jewel by Nederlands Dans Theater I resident choreographer duo Lightfoot León, combined with new creations by renowned guest choreographers Wayne McGregor and Crystal Pite. See Short List. Het Muziektheater, (Tues, Wed 20.30), €20.50/€36.50

Opening

17

Performance: With Guest Appearances By... A performance installation by Sarah van Lamsweerde based on a picture gallery concept. In English. Hetveem Theater, (Wed 20.00, 20.45, 21.30), limited capacity: reservation details at www.hetveemtheater.nl Theatre: Salaam Are Muslims scary and violent and are they intolerant to other believers, or are the media images we receive about Muslims biased and prejudiced? In this solo performance, Ashraf Johaardien portrays a large collection of Cape Town Muslims, based roughly on the stories that he collected from his childhood, and questions stereotypes and fears we harbour and nurture. In English and Afrikaans. Frascati, (Wed 22.00), €14

Ongoing Performance: Hartstocht In an open-topped Volkswagen bus with darkened windows, spectators have mirrors attached at lap height and sounds on headphones. Amsterdam ‘slides away underneath the passenger’ and an associative performance about letting go of control is created. It’s theatre but not as we know it. The bus departs from outside Frascati, not from within. Frascati, (Thur, Fri 11.00, 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 15.00, 19.00, 20.00)

Photo by Joost Benthem

Website: www.mebike.org

down in spectacular style. above the Coentunnel, (Thur-Sun, Wed 20.30), €23.50/€27 Comedy: easyLaughs Comedy improv in English.

Two different shows every Friday night. CREA Muziekzaal, (Fri 20.30, 22.30), €8, €5 (late night)

EVENTS Art: Proud to Present A chance for beginning and developing artists to present their work on a podium, with if needed, training afterwards. (They’re very sensitive, so please, no gongs.) Pakhuis de Zwijger, (Thu 19.00-22.00), free Multimedia: PICNIC ‘08 A fascinating festival boasting fresh creative and innovative ideas, PICNIC is one of the world’s leading events where creative minds from the realms of media, entertainment, science and the arts convene. See www.picnicnetwork.org for the full whack. Westergasfabriek, (Thu-Fri), various prices

Event: MeBike Paradiso transformed into a skatepark for BMX and skate displays, street art, street culture and street music. The free afternoon session is something of a warm-up, but still features cool live music and displays. DJs, VJs and live bands carry the party through to 5am. See www.mebike.org. Paradiso, (Sat 16.00, 19.00), €10 Hardcore: High Tea & Wine New event planned for every last sunday of the month, starts with proper High Tea, with live classical music or an art performance, followed by wine tasting. Reserve a spot at info@artvine.nl. Truly hardcore. Art Vine, (Sun 15.0018.00), €30, €40 with wine Lecture: Lezing Art students from Kathmandu, Nepal and Rietveld share ideas. Lloyd Hotel, 16.00, free Discussion: Women Inc With the subheader What’s On, Anousha Nzume discusses prominent women in current news. In Dutch. Pakhuis de Zwijger, (Mon 20.00), free

Discussion: Obama or McCain: The Voter Decides Heads of both Democrats and Republicans Abroad explain the choices. (Is it too late to vote for Kucinich?)

ABC Treehouse, (Thur 20.00), free

Reading: 1000 and 2 nights The old Persian story The Seven Princesses is related by seven storytellers in seven different languages. OBA, (Tue 16.00), free

Discussion: Media, identity and nation-building in Lebanon, Northern Ireland and the Netherlands It’s so handy when the title serves as the description. Felix Meritis, (Thur 20.00), free

Film/Discussion: Meat the Truth After the 2007 documentary, about the meat industry’s contribution to global warming being greater than all cars, trucks, ships and planes combined, this is a debate with experts over whether or not it’s true, and if so, what must be done. CREA Theater, (Tue 19.30), €5

Theatre: Laura en Lars ‘Stand-up therapy’ with Laura van Dolron, plus an imaginary Lars van Trier. Frascati, (Thur, Fri 21.00), €7

Film: Reading #4 The first night of a reading group that will meet regularly for about three months, starting with, nope, not reading but films. Ah yes, ease them in gentle, then plop the heavy books in their laps when it’s too late. Mwuu ha ha... Tonight, two Adam Curtis documentaries: The Trap: What Happened To Our Dream Of Freedom and The Rise and Fall of the Television Journalist as Hero. Open discussion afterwards. W139, 20.00, free

Performance: To Be to Not to Be A final burst of Dogtroep chaos, as the performance troupe wind

Festival: Afrovibes Festival This seventh edition celebrates cutting edge theatre, dance, film and

Meat the inconvenient truth at CREA on Tuesday.

visual arts from South Africa, featuring leading theatre-makers, actors and dancers, as well as young upcoming talent, from the nation. The core theme this time round is ‘eroticism’. See Short List and www.afrovibes.nl. Various locations, (Fri-Wed various times), various prices

Arts Festival: Common Grounds A veritable flock of artists from every creative field bring old and new works to match each day’s theme, the only overlying principle being that the formats are mixed with each other, such as fine dining with cinema or a reading followed by performance art. A click on www.commongroundfestival.nl shows many lovely people involved. De Nieuwe Anita, (Wed 20.00 01.00), €2.50-€7.50 until Thursday 2 October

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Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

AGENDA: ART

ART

Art: Opening

Marijn van Kreij: Tomorrow is Humourless Large wall paintings, combined with drawings in various formats and styles, transform the space of SMBA into a colourful, anarchistic interplay of diverse artistic forms. Central aspects of Van Kreij’s work such as appropriation, copying, citation and redefining return in this powerful three-dimensional installation.

Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), until 2 November

Opening

Een Juweel van Een Tas Cool jewels and bags in a retrospective which celebrates Hester van Eeghen’s 20 years of design. There’s also 24 new bags designed for this exhibition. Tassenmuseum Hendrikje (Daily 10.00-17.00), until 6 November

Identity, Power and Association The work of nine South Africans. What ties them together is their process of liberation and euphoria, the freedom of expression and breaking away from traditional ties, but also subtle assertions and explorations of identity, power and attachment. Part of the Afrovibes festival.

Chiellerie (Daily 14.00-18.00) opens Friday until 5 October

Censuur! Exhibition offering an overview of groups, institutions and individuals who’ve had dealings with censorship and the various forms of resistance against it, dating from the 17th century to the present.

Persmuseum (Tues-Fri 10.00-17.00, Sun 12.00-17.00), until 9 November

Irene Kopelman—Scale: 1:2.5 An ongoing series of artistic presentations. Kopelman is invited by guest curator Eva Fotiadi. OUTLINE (Thur-Sat 13.00-17.00), opens Saturday, until 25 October

24-hour Indonesia Glimpse the daily life of contemporary Indonesia. Eight different crews across Indonesia filmed during a 24-hour period. Tropenmuseum (Daily 10.00-17.00), until 16 November

Kunst in de Hal Various galleries come together to present the work of a number of artists in one group exhibition. Participating are galleries Wit, Maria Chailloux, Roger Katwijk and Witteveen. Loods 6 (Daily 11.00-19.00), opens Saturday, until 7 October

Grafisch Gezelschap De Luis Retrospective of works by artist group De Luis, which caused a furore with their often poetic and bizarre output between 1960 and 1980. Rembrandthuis (Mon-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 11.00-17.00), until 16 November

Artur Zmijewski: The Social Studio Solo exhibition in which Polish artist Artur Zmijewski presents a selection of his recent works, including videos ‘Them’ (2007) and ‘Repetition’ (2005), which can be described as social experiments documented on film. bak (Wed-Sat 12.00-18.00, Sun 13.00-18.00), Utrecht opens Sunday until 16 November

Museums Rogier Verkade: Recht in Beeld Triptych photo sets; two of the photos are Creative Commons licensed images from sites like Flickr, with Verkade creating a third image to complete the trio. Centrale Bibliotheek (Daily), closing Sunday Hacking IKEA Tired of having the same decor and furniture as everyone else on the street? This exhibition serves to remind that IKEA products are far from holy, and are actually easy to modify. While some designers seek to improve upon the originals, others thrive on distorting usage. Take inspiration from the ideas displayed and rebuild your furniture. Platform 21 (Wed-Sun 14.00-21.00), closing Sunday Deep Screen—Art in Digital Culture Contemporary multidisciplinary works of art which are all in some way marked by today’s digital culture. The jury, chaired by guest curator Andreas Broeckmann, has selected 18 artists out of the 200-plus submissions.

Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), closing Tuesday The Vincent Award 2008 Do artists improve if you dangle €50,000 in front of them? Artists short-listed for this biennial European award include: Francis Alÿs (Belgium), Liam Gillick (UK), Deimantas Narkevicius (Lithuania) and Rebecca Warren (UK). Working with diverse media, their works remain on display through summer, with the prize ceremony on 12 September.

Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), closing Tuesday Presence of Mind—A Choice from the Collection

by Wolfgang Tillmans The Stedelijk Museum regularly invites artists to select from the collection, coloured only by their own artistic perspective. This time, the German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans (1968) offers a fresh perspective amidst the context of his own oeuvre. Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), closing Tuesday Snap Judgments—New Positions in Contemporary African Photography An exhibition of work by 35 contemporary African artists and photographers with unique perspectives on their own continent. It reveals how artists are using photography to respond artistically to the enormous changes currently taking place in African economic, social and cultural life, but the artists also break away from lingering stereotypical images of their cultures, histories and countries.

Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), closing Tuesday The Best Designed Books 2007 This year 33 books have been selected out of all those published in the Netherlands in 2007. As in previous years, the museum is supplementing the selection on show with a separate category: this time, children’s books of exceptionally good design. Stedelijk Museum CS (Daily 10.00-18.00), closing Tuesday

If I Can’t Dance, I Don’t Want to be Part of Your Revolution III Opens Saturday, De Appel, until 9 November The third edition of this travelling platform for performance-related art embraces the theme of ‘masquerade’, with an exhibition and, of course, an ongoing performance series (see www.deappel.nl for schedule). Curated by Frederique Bergholtz and Annie Fletcher.

Art in Redlight The Red Light District is a hotbed of industriousness; a port of call for ladies of the night, seamen and designers. Now for the fourth year in a row, you can discover a mixed group of painters, sculptors, designers, photographers and multimedia artists displaying their work in the area. Oude Kerk (Mon-Sat 11.00-17.00, Sun 13.00-17.30), until 5 October Gay Games Amsterdam 1998—10 jaar later Photos and memorabilia about the Amsterdam Gay Games.

Centrale Bibliotheek (Daily), until 8 October Kees van Bohemen Overview exhibition showing paintings and gouaches by the artist (1950-1985). Jan van der Togt Museum (Wed-Sun 13.00-17.00), Amstelveen, until 10 October De Kabbala—Graven van Safed Photos of the cemetery in the Israeli city of Safed. Nederlands Uitvaart Museum Tot Zover (Mon-Fri 13.00-17.00), until 12 October ‘Druksel prints’ by Werkman A presentation by the Stedelijk Museum dedicated to the ‘druksel prints’ of Hendrik Werkman, who, in the ’20s, developed the technique of printing parts of a print one at a time to compile the total image on a page. Van Gogh Museum (Mon-Thur, Sat, Sun 10.00-18.00, Fri 10.00-22.00), until 12 October Malick Sidibé Malian photographer (b. 1935, Soloba) who, from the early ’60s on, snapped portraits and various engagements of local society, from football matches to weddings and Christmas Eve celebrations, which now offer insight into the people’s lives shortly after winning their independence. Sidibé was one of the first African photographers to gain recognition in the West. Foam (Sat-Wed 10.00-18.00, Thur, Fri 10.0021.00), until 15 October Stad uit de School Designs by former students of the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture. ARCAM (TuesSat 13.00-17.00), until 25 October Mondriaan Following the publication of a new book, this exhibition attempts to put paid to the popular idea that Piet Mondriaan was a cold, mathematically-mind-

Hack it all: The last few days of Hacking IKEA.

ed man and reveals that he was in fact an artist engaged in a passionate quest for a new formal language in which to paint. Gemeentemuseum (Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00), Den Haag, until 26 October Black is Beautiful A journey of discovery though the history of art, which for the first time aims to highlight the attractiveness of the black person in the art of the Lowlands. It turns out, many great masters have portrayed black people. Their fascination will be illustrated in 135 paintings, drawings and manuscripts from collections here and abroad, including artists like Rembrandt, Breitner, Sluijters, Appel and Dumas.

Nieuwe Kerk (Fri-Wed 10.00-18.00, Thur 10.00-22.00), until 26 October

Miyako Ishiuchi: Photographs 1975-2005 The first European retrospective of Japanese photographer Miyako Ishiuchi. While the artist brought attention to herself at Biennial 2005 in Venice with her collection Mother’s, the remainder of her work had not yet been presented collectively in Europe. Exhibited in Foam are ninety photographs from the series Yokosuka Story, Apartment, Endless Night, 1.9.4.7, 1906 to the Skin and Mother’s. Foam (Sat-Wed 10.00-18.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 16 November Birth Copulation Death Drawings by Frank van Hemert. Teylers Museum (Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 12.00-17.00), Haarlem, until 22 November Atlas Maior. De wereld van Blaeu Exquisite examples of Joan Blaeu’s maps, made in Amsterdam’s Golden Era, when the industry of cartography was in full bloom. UvA: Special Collections Library (Mon-Fri 10.00-17.00, Sat, Sun 13.00-17.00), until 23 November Cy Twombly: Photographs 1951-2007 Photos by the renowned American artist, in celebration of his 80th birthday, As a photographer, Twombly still has the eye of a painter, who explores rather than captures his subjects—still lifes, flowers, interiors, seascapes. His ‘dry prints’, a specialised version of colour prints from a copy machine, are being shown for the first time in the Netherlands. Huis Marseille (Tues-Sun 11.0018.00), until 23 November Art of the State Photographs and video works by sixteen artists from Israel. Through their works they reflect upon their country: the community in which they live, the numerous cultural and religious differences among Israel’s population and the current political situation. Joods Historisch Museum (Daily 11.00-17.00), until 30 November

Inside Out Personal portraits in word and image show how youths deal with religion and the part it plays in their daily lives. Bijbels Museum (Mon-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 11.00-17.00), until 2 November

Hendrik Werkman: The Blue Barge Exhibition containing Werkman’s preparatory studies for the suites of prints he made as an act of resistance for The Blue Barge during WWII. The most famous of these is Chassidische Legenden. Joods Historisch Museum (Daily 11.00-17.00), until 30 November

Sonic Voices, Rocking Hard Audio artist Nathalie Bruys co-curates this exhibition, showing a personal selection from very diverse approaches, each making use of sound and music. The works have been created by young artists with highly varied backgrounds, all with a sincere love of music, audio and art in common. Montevideo/Time Based Arts (Tues-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 2 November

Drie Meiden in Verzet—Hannie Schaft en de Zusjes Oversteegen Exhibition about Hannie Schaft—’the girl with the red hair’—and Truus and Freddie Oversteegen, the girls she collaborated with in the resistance movement, and the difficult choices forced upon them in WWII. Verzetsmuseum (Tues-Fri 10.00-17.00, Sat-Mon 11.00-17.00), until 7 December

Pieter Hugo: The Hyena & Other Me Photos by 2008 KLM Paul Huf Award winner Pieter Hugo, made while travelling in Nigeria with a group of animal charmers and their hyenas, monkeys and snakes in tow. Foam (Sat-Wed 10.00-18.00, Thur, Fri 10.00-21.00), until 2 November

Palestine 1948 On 14 May 2008 it will be exactly 60 years ago that the State of Israel was founded. This long term presentation shows how this event affected the lives of individual Palestinians. Tropenmuseum (Daily 10.00-17.00), until 4 January 2009

ExperimentaDesign Three ongoing exhibitions that make up the programme for the design biennale. Sunday Adventure Club takes place at Groenburgwal 44 (Staalstraat 7a/b); Droog Event 2: Urban Play takes place at Onder de Brug (De Ruyterkade 153-157) and the IJ waterfront; and Come to My Place can be found in the Westerhuis Gallery (Westerstraat 187). See www.experimentadesign.nl. Various locations (WedSun 11.00-18.00), until 2 November

Caspar David Friedrich and the German Romantic Landscape For the first time ever, all the works by Caspar David Friedrich from the collection of the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg will be loaned for a special exhibition focusing on this renowned German artist. His paintings and drawings are at the centre of the exhibition, but they are surrounded by works by contemporaries, predecessors and followers.

Hermitage Amsterdam (Daily 10.00-17.00), until 18 January 2009

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

Galleries Group Exhibition Featuring Joris Woertman (installations) and photographers Emmy Beenken and Bas van Tol. Galerie Bart (Thur, Fri 11.00-18.00, Sat 12.0017.00), closing Saturday Young Identities Teenage portraits by Jasper Groen.

Melkweg Galerie (Wed-Sun 13.00-20.00), closing Sunday Jurgen Winkler: Lust for Life Drawings and other works by Winkler. The title refers to Irving Stone’s novel about the life of Vincent Van Gogh, as well as to the music of Iggy Pop. Suzanne Biederberg Gallery (WedSat 14.00-18.00), until 3 October Stefan à Wengen—Nightology Paintings by the Swiss artist. Witzenhausen Gallery (Hazenstraat) (Thur-Sat 12.00-18.00), until 4 October John O’ Carroll Drawings, paintings, books and sculptures by the English artist, much of it based on archaeological findings, which he witnesses first-hand two months every summer, making accurate drawings at digging sites in Egypt. Galerie Roger Katwijk (WedSat 12.00-18.00), until 4 October Dan Walsh New minimalistic works from the American artist coming out of Brooklyn, New York. Slewe Gallery (Tues-Sat 14.00-17.00), until 4 October Silent Times Drawings and oil pastels from Lies Neve.

AYAC’S (Fri, Sat 13.00-17.30), until 4 October Soul Mirrors Travel through nightmares and fairy tales, as seen through the work of Andrea Lehman, Griekse kunstenaar Tassos Missouras and Zwitser Leopold Rabus. Galerie Hof & Huyser (Tues-Sat 13.0018.00), until 4 October Delight Group exhibition with artists inspired by various African countries and cultures. Arti et Amicitiae (Tues-Sun 13.00-18.00), until 5 October Leven op de maan Recent works on paper by Tomas Hillebrand and Marijke Sjollema. Galerie Smits (WedSat 13.30-17.30), until 8 October Neil Clements, Alex Dordoy, Morag Keil Och! Three Scottish artists present their latest paintings and installations. Grimm Fine Art (Thur-Sun 12.00-18.00), until 9 October Homer This three screen slide installation by veteran artist Pablo Pijnappel follows a narrative about his friend’s move to a small Alaskan fishing village called Homer. Like much of his oeuvre, this piece employs methods of cinematic deconstruction and collage to tell a more or less linear story. Galerie Juliette Jongma (Wed-Sat 13.00 -18.00), until 11 October Hinke Schreuders, Manon Bovenkerk, Awoiska van der Molen Embroideries, drawings and photographs from the three talented artists. Wetering Galerie (WedSat 12.30-17.30), until 11 October Better Spectacles Recent works on paper by Nik Christensen, who reinvents everyday objects, setting them in the foreground of figurative landscapes.

Galerie Gabriel Rolt (Wed-Sat 12.00-18.00), until 11 October Spade-Scrape Artist James Beckett pays hommage to Wilhelm Riphahn, city architect in pre-war Cologne. Van Zijll Langhout (Mon-Fri 11.00-17.00), until 15 October The Photo Academy Award 2008 Starring the shortlisted works. Among the prizes: an exhibition in Foam

AGENDA: ART/ADDRESSES and publication in de Volkskrant and Elle. Fotogram (Mon-Thur 09.30-21.00, Fri, Sat 09.30-17.00), until 17 October Foreign Ground Works by young internationals: Erik de Bree, Danielle Itzhaqi, Yehudit Mizrahi and Masha Osipova. Ververs Gallery (Thur-Sat 12.00-17.30), until 17 October Activist Videoclips A PLANETART presentation of several rebellion videoclips, shocking film material and confrontational works of art. Volkskrantgebouw (MonFri 12.00-17.00, Sat 14.00-17.00), until 18 October Uit de Tijd Diverse works by Maartje Korstanje, Iede Reckman, Tarja Szaraniec, Frank Ammerlaan, Thijs Rhijnsburger, Lucia Luptáková, Koen Delaere, Caroline E Prisse, Jan Van Der Ploeg, Erik Mattijssen, Aldert Mantje, Ad de Jong, John Blake, Eli Content, Jan Henderikse and Nan Hoover. De Service Garage (Wed-Sun 12.00-18.00), until 19 October Usable Pasts, Concerted Forgettings Group exhibition examining national paradoxes, identities and histories, with a focus on collective cultural memory. Part of SMART’s grand reopening, celebrating the completion of work to the 4000 square metre lab building, which now boasts six gallery spaces, an auditorium/theatre, a reading room, two cinemas, ten artists’ studios, a digital suite and cafe/restaurant LAB111. Come for the exhibition, stay for the countless other offerings. SMART Project Space (Mon-Sat 12.00-22.00, Sun 14.00-22.00), until 25 October Ingrid Baars Powerful images of the female form built up with various photographic layers and elements.

Blow Up Gallery (Thur, Fri 14.00-18.00, Sat 13.0018.00), until 25 October Niemand kan het Images that inspired former photographer Hans Aarsman’s theatre piece of the same name. 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 26 October Pierre Paulin—Artifort’s Artist Chic furniture designer Paulin worked for Dutch label Artifort in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s creating such memorably sleek and cushy chairs as the Ribbon, Tongue, Mushroom, Orange Slice and Tulip. This exhibition shows not only his work, but also a rare glimpse at the man everyone heard about but rarely saw. ANNO (Fri-Sun 12.0017.00), until 16 November Sanne Sannes Rare vintage works by Dutch photographer Sanne Sannes, who perished in a car accident in 1967. Renowned in the early ’60s for using photography as a means to create autonomous art, he was known as the ‘photographer of tomorrow’. Hup Gallery (Tues, Thur, Fri 10.0017.00), until 21 November Moderne Mexicaanse Meesters Work by four Mexican artists: Emilio Sánchez Díaz, Alejandra Nettel, Anna Kurtycz and Veronica Elizondo. Galerie Wies Willemsen (Fri-Sun 10.00-18.00), until 4 December Structures Group exhibition that examines the structure of the art world from the perspective of the artist.

Souterrain (Thur-Sun 12.00-17.00), until 7 December The Touch of Dick Evers Action and body painting.

Aromatique (Fri-Sun 12.30-17.30), until 16 January 2009 Blueprint Room New work from Rijksakademie resident Lotte Geeven. Mart House (Thur-Sat 13.00-18.00), until 11 August 2009

ADDRESSES 11 Oosterdokskade 3-5, 625 5999 ABC Treehouse Voetboogstraat 11, 423 0967 ANNO Westerstraat 35/49 De Appel Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 10, 625 5651 ARCAM Prins Hendrikkade 600, 620 4878 Aromatique Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 11b, 624 0044 Art Vine Keizersgracht 471, 420 5010 Arti et Amicitiae Rokin 112, 624 5134 AYAC'S Keizersgracht 166, 638 5240 Badcuyp 1e Sweelinckstraat 10, 675 9669 bak Lange Nieuwstraat 4, Utrecht, 030 231 6125 Bethaniënklooster Barndesteeg 6, 625 0078 Bijbels Museum Herengracht 366-368, 624 2436 Bimhuis Piet Heinkade 3, 788 2150 Bitterzoet Spuistraat 2, 521 3001 Blow Up Gallery Hazenstraat 67, 665 3435 De Brakke Grond Nes 45, 626 6866 De Burcht van Berlage Henri Polaklaan 9, 624 1166 Cafe Pakhuis Wilhelmina Veemkade 576, 419 3368 Cafe Sappho Vijzelstraat 103, 423 1509 De Cameleon 3e Kostverlorenkade 35, 489 4656 Carré Amstel 115-125, 524 9452 Chiellerie Raamgracht 58, 320 9448 Church Kerkstraat 50-52 Club 8 Admiraal de Ruyterweg 56B, 685 1703 Club Home Wagenstraat 3-7, 620 1375 Club NL Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 169, 622 7510 Comedy Theater Nes 110, 422 2777 Concertgebouw Concertgebouwplein 2-6, 671 8345 Consortium Veemkade 570, 06 2611 8950 Desmet Studios Plantage Middenlaan 4A, 521 7100 Felix Meritis Keizersgracht 324, 626 2321 Flex Bar Pazzanistraat 1, 486 2123 Foam Keizersgracht 609, 551 6546 Fotogram Korte Prinsengracht 33, 624 9994 Frascati Nes 63, 626 6866 Galerie Bart Bloemgracht 2, 320 6208 Galerie Gabriel Rolt Elandsgracht 34, 785 5146 Galerie Hof & Huyser Bloemgracht 135, 420 1995 Galerie Juliette Jongma Gerard Douplein 23, 463 6904 Galerie Roger Katwijk Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 198-200, 627 3808 Galerie Smits Fokke Simonszstraat 29, 06 43001833 Galerie Wies Willemsen Ruysdaelkade 25, 470 1073 Gemeentemuseum Stadhouderslaan 41, Den Haag, 070 338 1111 Getto Warmoesstraat 51 Goethe Instituut Herengracht 470, 531 2900 Grimm Fine Art Hazenstraat 24, 422 7227 Hermitage Amsterdam Nieuwe Herengracht 14, 530 8751 Hetveem Theater Van Diemenstraat, 626 9291 Huis Marseille Keizersgracht 401, 531 8989 Hup Gallery Tesselschadestraat 15, 515 8589 Jan van der Togt Museum Dorpsstraat 50, Amstelveen, 641 5754 Jet Lounge Westermarkt 25 Joods Historisch Museum Jonas Daniel Meijerplein 2-4, 531 0310 KHL Koffiehuis Oostelijke Handelskade 44, 779 1575 KIT Tropentheater Mauritskade 63, 568 8711 De Kring Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 7-9, 623 6985 Lloyd Hotel Oostelijke Handelskade 34, 419 1840 Loods 6 KNSM Laan 143, 418 2020 Maison Descartes Vijzelgracht 2A, 531 9500 Maloe Melo Lijnbaansgracht 163, 420 4592 Marcanti Jan van Galenstraat 6-10, 386 8848

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Mart House Prinsengracht 529, 627 5187 Melkweg Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 531 8181 Melkweg Galerie Marnixstraat 409, 531 8181 Montevideo/Time Based Arts Keizersgracht 264, 623 7101 Mozes & Aäronkerk Waterlooplein 205 Muziekgebouw Piet Heinkade 1, 788 2010 Het Muziektheater Amstel 3, 625 5455 NDSM-werf TT Neveritaweg 15, 330 5480 Nederlands Uitvaart Museum Tot Zover Kruislaan 124, 694 0482 De Nieuwe Anita Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 06 4150 3512 Nieuwe Kerk entrance on the Dam, 638 6909 OBA Oosterdokskade 143, 0900-2425468 OCCII Amstelveenseweg 134, 671 7778 Odeon Singel 460, 624 9711 OneFourOne Overtoom 141, 670 3313 OT301 Overtoom 301, 779 4913 Oude Kerk Oudekerksplein 23, 625 8284 Oude Lutherse Kerk Singel 411, 623 1572 OUTLINE Oetewalerstraat 73, 693 1389 P60 Stadsplein 100A, Amstelveen, 023 345 3445 Pacific Parc Polonceaukade 23, 488 7778 Pakhuis de Zwijger Piet Heinkade 179-181, 788 4444 Panama Oostelijke Handelskade 4, 311 8680 Paradiso Weteringschans 6-8, 626 4521 Pathé De Munt Vijzelstraat 15, 0900 1458 Persmuseum Zeeburgerkade 10, 692 8810 Petersburg Project Space Frans de Wollantstraat 84 Platform 21 Prinses Irenestraat 19, 344 9449 PRIK Spuistraat 109, 06 4544 2321 RAI Europaplein 22, 549 1212 Rembrandtplein 44, 626 7070 Rembrandthuis Jodenbreestraat 4, 520 0400 Royal Gallery Koningsstraat 37, 06 290 28461 De Service Garage Stephensonstraat 16 Slewe Gallery Kerkstraat 105A, 625 7214 SMART Project Space Arie Biemondstraat 105-113, 427 5953 Souterrain Messinastraat 38 Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam Rozenstraat 59, 422 0471 Stedelijk Museum CS Oosterdokskade 5, 573 2911 Stubnitz Odinakade, NDSM-werf Studio 80 Rembrandtplein 17, 521 8333 Studio K Timorplein 62, 692 0422 Sugar Factory Lijnbaansgracht 238, 627 0008 Supperclub Jonge Roelensteeg 15, 344 6400 Suzanne Biederberg Gallery 1e Egelantiersdwarsstraat 1, 624 5455 Tassenmuseum Hendrikje Herengracht 573, 524 6452 Teylers Museum Spaarne 16, Haarlem, 023 516 0960 The Eagle Warmoesstraat 90, 627 8634 Tropenmuseum Linnaeusstraat 2, 568 8200 UvA: Special Collections Library Oude Turfmarkt 129, 525 2141 Van Gogh Museum Paulus Potterstraat 7, 570 5200 Van Zijll Langhout Brouwersgracht 161, 06 2825 9620 Ververs Gallery Hazenstraat 54 Verzetsmuseum Plantage Kerklaan 61, 620 2535 Volkskrantgebouw Wibautstraat 150 W139 Warmoesstraat 139, 622 9434 Werkteater Oostenburgergracht 75, 330 8832 Westergasfabriek Haarlemmerweg 8-10, 586 0710 Westerunie Klönneplein 4-6 Wetering Galerie Lijnbaansgracht 288, 623 6189 Witzenhausen Gallery (Hazenstraat) Hazenstraat 60 Zaal 100 De Wittenstraat 100, 688 0127

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Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

AGENDA: FILM

Film review

By Luuk van Huët

Tropic Thunder Opens Thursday at Pathé ArenA, Pathé de Munt.

A STORM IN A HOLLYWOOD TEA CUP This high-concept comedy loomed big in the distance, but only drizzles jokes on arrival.

Tropic Thunder is no slow starter, that’s for sure. Its opening sequences mesh so seamlessly with the obnoxiously loud commercials and trailers that precede feature presentations in most multiplex-

FILM Festivals Camera Japan For its third edition, the Camera Japan festival expands its content to different fields such as film, dance, music, architecture, literature, art workshops, food and drink. As the core of the festival, the film selection has become far richer this time. Along with the latest feature films and anime, four classic masterpieces by Yasuzo Masumura will be screened. If that’s still not enough, Shiatsu massage, delicate sushi cuisine and sumptuous sake will also be available to excite your senses. Fans of Japanese culture shouldn’t miss this. (SI) Kriterion Deaf in the Picture A festival of films made by and for the deaf. The ‘New Deaf Cinema’ programme features unconventional, experimental works; also on view are films that look more conventional, but replace a soundtrack with sign language. A ‘Young Deaf Cinema’ series features films made earlier this year with Dutch teenagers. Documentaries will also be screened, as will hearing films with deaf characters, such as Babel. Het Ketelhuis

New this week Babylon AD Mathieu Kassovitz is one of those potentially great directors, yet to fulfil their potential in Hollywood. The fact that he publicly distanced himself from this muddled action sci-fi flick, citing the interference of the infamous meddling producers at Fox, doesn’t exactly raise any of the already deflated hopes for this film. If you are desperately longing for another patented Vin Diesel brooding anti-hero performance, or if you’re a big fan of Maurice Georges Dantec’s original novel, go check it out at your own expense and peril. Personally, I think it would be better to wait for the inevitable Director’s Cut on DVD. (LvH) 90 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

es, they might catch you off guard. Roaring into action with a pimped-out ad for an energy drink called ‘Booty Sweat’, we make the acquaintance of a young, swaggering gangsta rapper named Alpa Chino

The Bank Job Press materials say this British thriller was ‘inspired by’ the September 1971 robbery of Lloyds Bank in London, but screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais have been quoted as saying they drew on a ‘deep throat’ informer familiar with the hushed-up case to ‘incriminate high-ranking police officers, the secret service, politicians and a prominent member of the royal family’. The movie’s heist plot tends toward the generic, with Jason Statham conned into assembling a crew of yobs to tunnel under the bank and rip off its safe-deposit boxes. But the elaborate conspiracy theory that unfolds around them, artfully choreographed by director Roger Donaldson (Thirteen Days), is fascinating: supposedly the crooks kept all the cash and jewellery, but their sponsors in the MI5 were really after sexually explicit blackmail photos of Princess Margaret and other aristocrats that were being held by the revolutionary Michael X. 110 min.

Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Il Dolce e l’Amaro When his father dies in prison, Saro Scordia (Luigi Lo Cascio) is taken under protection by a powerful mafia boss (Renato Carpentieri). Growing up in Sicily in the 1980s, Saro leads a regular life, falling for a local school teacher, Ada (the lovely Donatella Finocchiaro) and having a distant friendship with Stefano (Fabrizio Gifuni), who’s ‘on the other side’ and studies to become a judge. But whenever the boss needs him, Saro meets his duties as a criminal, until one day he’s forced to make a choice. More than traditional Italian mafia movies, Il Dolce e L’Amaro resembles Goodfellas (plot, voice-over structure) or a good episode of The Sopranos, so it can’t be that bad.

(MB) 98 min. Rialto Het Echte Leven Martin (Ramsey Nasr) is a young filmmaker, ready to start shooting his new film, starring his girlfriend Simone (Sallie Harmsen). But when the male protagonist bails out of the project, Martin is forced to cast crew member Dirk (Loek Peters), who has no previous acting experience, as Simone’s love interest. Het Echte Leven, the opening picture at the Nederlands Film Festival, is the fourth feature film by Robert Jan Westdijk (Zusje, Phileine zegt sorry). Het Ketelhuis, Kriterion, Pathé Tuschinski Tropic Thunder Ben Stiller and friends in the jungle, unsuccessfully poking fun at their Hollywood peers.

See review above. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

Listen up: visit Deaf in the Picture festival.

(Brandon T Jackson). Then three subsequent fake movie trailers are used as an introduction to Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), a dumpy comedic actor with substance abuse issues, who specialises in fart jokes and multiple roles in a single film; Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), a dimwitted action star who attempted to break through as a serious actor by playing a mentally handicapped man, only to fail miserably; and finally Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus (the phenomenal Robert Downey Jr—this summer’s real comeback story), who pines for Tobey Maguire in a Brokeback Mountain spoof set in a medieval monastery.

If the level of sheer, maniacal genius of these first few minutes had been sustained, we would be talking about the new Dr Strangelove. Instead, the occasional flashes of brilliance are encased in a muddled comedy that should have been a whole lot funnier.

Stiller and his co-writers Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen—no, not the Ethan Coen of Coen brothers’ fame—clearly aimed for a parody of Hollywood stardom and celebrity stupidity, but seem to lack the nerve to completely skewer their subjects, meaning the final product is wholly unsatisfying.

It’s a shame because the set-up had great potential. An ambitious director (the criminally underused Steve Coogan) sets out to make an epic war film based on the memoirs of a Vietnam veteran.

Budgetary problems and prima donna behaviour by his cast derail the project.

Still playing 3:10 to Yuma Period westerns are so unfashionable and costly that they usually require a top-drawer script to get off the ground - and this one, adapted from an Elmore Leonard story and its 1957 movie version, travels with an arrow’s clean arc. Christian Bale is a onelegged Civil War veteran who can’t keep his ranch and young family solvent, Russell Crowe is the notorious bad man who steals his cattle (and most of their scenes together). When Crowe is captured, Bale signs on to help deliver him through Santa Fe’s striking Diablo Canyon to the prison train of the title, where the poor rancher will collect a $200 reward. 3:10 to Yuma harks back to the 50s westerns of Budd Boetticher and Anthony Mann, with their elemental journeys and damaged men. Director James Mangold (Walk the Line) draws good performances from both leads as they wrestle with the predatory power structure of the old west. (JJ) 117 min. Kriterion, Pathé De Munt The Accidental Husband This is a hotchpotch of genres: romcom, screwball comedy and a little Bollywood sauce. Relationships guru and radio host Dr Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman) advises one of her listeners to call off her wedding with fireman Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). The jilted Sullivan then decides to give Lloyd a taste of her own medicine, making her hesitate about her upcoming marriage with well-off and dependable businessman Richard Bratton (Colin Firth).

Torn between two suitors, the charming Sullivan and the uptight Bratton, you’ll never guess with whom Lloyd will walk to the altar... with its half-hearted script, contrived plot, silly stereotypes and ludicrous coda, The Accidental Husband is unsurprisingly embarrassing.

Directed by Griffin Dunne. (GR) 90 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens A torrent of

sensational shots by rock’s, and now fashion’s, foremost photographer keep this documentary flowing.

Annie Leibovitz has always had timing: she grew up at Rolling Stone magazine, snapped Richard Nixon as he slinked off in shame and posed Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was better known as Mr Universe. She was also one of the last people to see John Lennon alive, when she took the iconic nude portrait of him curled up like a foetus next to Yoko Ono. Photography fans and old hippies will delight in every frame, unlike

As a last resort, he sets up hidden cameras deep in the jungle and dumps the actors there, with the intent to film the action guerrilla-style. This unwittingly angers the local drug lord and his gang.

Cue real warfare instead of fake bullets, as our four divas and Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel), an aspiring actor who actually read the script and went through the boot camp training, have to survive in a hostile, Blackberry-less environment.

The one saving grace of Tropic Thunder is, ironically, the subject of its ridicule: the cast. While Black and Stiller flatline throughout, Downey Jr is a laugh riot: Lazarus has undergone surgery in order to play a black sergeant, and his performance is a riff on black stereotypes as seen from white perspectives.

It’s always clear he’s making fun of actors, without treading into racist territory himself—a high-wire act that he pulls off with charm and grace.

One other revelation is Tom Cruise as the repulsive, foul-mouthed Hollywood tycoon Les Grossman. Clad in a hairy fat suit, with a shiny baldish head and the fashion sense of a ghetto pimp, Grossman is a memorable character because, more than Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone—stated by many as the main inspiration here—he closely resembles Cruise’s public persona: an egomaniacal prick. Considering that his other highly praised acting achievement was a cock-obsessed dick in Magnolia, I predict a phallocentric future for the small Scientologist. ___

5 word movie review

Genghis Khan Was Just Misunderstood Mongol, Pathé Tuschinski

Keith Richards who mutters, ‘...uh, no, I don’t remember that’, when shown a photo of his drugged-out ’60s self splayed on the floor. Made by Barbara Leibovitz, the sister of, the film isn’t exactly critical, but who cares? (IM) 90 min. Rialto Bangkok Dangerous A sympathetic killer for hire who’s compelled to avenge his best friend, Kong (Pawalit Mongkolpisit) is a precociously world-weary innocent whose ability to focus on his work is attributed in part to the fact that he can’t hear and doesn’t talk.

He’s caught up in an audio-visually complex drama that’s better than slick, though it feels pointless— another homage to a kind of film-making that’s had more than it’s share. In Thai with Dutch subtitles. (LA) 105 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Be Kind Rewind The sweet-tempered Michel Gondry works well with sharp-edged material (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), but his projects as a solo writer-director threaten to drift off into whimsy (The Science of Sleep and now this feature). Danny Glover entrusts his run-down video shop in New Jersey to clueless assistants Jack Black and Mos Def, who accidentally erase all the videos and decide to shoot their own low-rent versions of popular hits. Their project is a great success with customers, but the studios object and Glover gets an eviction notice. One wants to protect this mushy film, but it’s hard not to gag on the cuteness. With Melonie Diaz and Mia Farrow. (JR) 98 min. Cinema Amstelveen

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

AGENDA: FILM

Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis A smash box office hit

who’s basically her opposite. Not much happens in Mike Leigh’s latest film, but Hawkins’s Poppy is one of the great characters of the current cinematic year.

(MB) 118 min. Studio K, De Uitkijk

in France, this effervescent comedy is about prejudices and the differences between the north and south of France. To help his depressed wife, post office manager Philippe Abrams (Kad Merad) tries to cheat his way into a transfer to the Côte d’Azur, but when he’s discovered, he’s relegated to the dreaded Nord-Pas-de-Calais region with its freezing cold weather and inhabitants who speak the ‘Ch’timi’ dialect. But lo and behold, Abrams actually likes the North, and befriends locals, especially postman Antoine (Dany Boon, who also co-wrote and directed the film). Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis loses parts of its fun for non-francophone audiences, but there’s still enough left to enjoy this gentle and hilarious story. In French and Ch’timi with Dutch subtitles. (GR) 106 min.

Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

Blind Date A close adaptation of Theo Van Gogh’s 1996 film, Blind Date centres on the marital problems of a middle-aged couple, Don (Stanley Tucci, who also directs) and Janna (Patricia Clarkson). Their relationship has gone sour some time ago so they try to recapture their love and respect for each other through role-playing games. Responding to each other’s personal ads, they pretend to be different persons every time, thus hoping to discover something new about their partner. In lesser hands, a concept like this could easily have become ridiculous. But Tucci and Clarkson, like Peer Mascini and Renee Fokker in Van Gogh’s version, maintain a great sense of authenticity in the midst of this ever-changing masquerade. (MP) 80 min. Het Ketelhuis Brideshead Revisited Many viewers will immediately associate Evelyn Waugh’s 1945 novel Brideshead Revisited with its 1981 TV adaptation starring the unforgettable Jeremy Irons. Now director Julian Jarrold brings a compressed version to the screen: in mid-’20s Oxford, young middle-class Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) befriends upper-class flamboyant Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw), who invites Charles to his magnificent home. There atheistic Charles meets Sebastian’s sister Julia (Hayley Atwell) and their Catholic mother (Emma Thompson).

Bedazzled by their opulent world—and estate—he gets caught up in a web of faith, love, passion and guilt, which will mark him for life. Performances are fine and everything looks lush and sumptuous, but despite its grand themes the film remains oddly unaffecting. (GR) 130 min. Cinecenter, Pathé ArenA, Pathé Tuschinski Calimucho Director Eugenie Jansen’s new film follows the travails of a small family circus in the Netherlands that has difficulties breaking even. Here Jansen utilises performers from an actual circus, with its melting pot of characters coming from Germany, Romania, Morocco and the Netherlands. And to add one more ethnic twist, the circus director’s daughter has an affair with a young hired-hand from Morocco.

With Dicky Kilian, Ellie Teeuw and Tarek Hannoudi, written by Natasha Gerson. Het Ketelhuis, Rialto Caos calmo Pietro (Nanni Moretti), while enjoying a day out at the beach with his brother Carlo (Alessandro Gassman), saves a woman from drowning. When they head home, he finds out his wife has died unexpectedly. His grief takes him from his TV executive desk to a bench, where he sits every morning waiting for his ten-year-old daughter to finish classes. Life circles around him, and Pietro starts observing all the little bits of action happening in the square, trying to find a new meaning to his existence. Look out for a cameo by Roman Polanski. Based on the award-winning novel by Sandro Veronesi. In Italian with Dutch subtitles. (MB) 105 min. Pathé Tuschinski, Rialto Ciao Stefano A washed out, ageing rock guitar player (Valerio Mastandrea) returns from Rome to his hometown in the Italian countryside. He hasn’t become a rock star, merely a session man looking for the next paid gig. Plus his girlfriend just dumped him, so what a perfect time to go back to native Rimini. Once there, he finds out that his dysfunctional family has gotten worse.

His retired father only thinks about golf, his big brother, who runs the family business, is a neurotic mess, and his younger sister just quit her studies. It’s an unusual Italian comedy, known originally as Non pensarci. In Italian with Dutch subtitles. 105 min. Kriterion Cordero de Dios The debut of Argentinean director Lucía Cedrón tells the story of a family torn apart by the military regime of dictator Videla. Its central figure is Guillerma, whose father died during the junta, after which she and her mother fled to Paris. The film opens with the kidnapping of Guillerma’s grandfather in 2002; gradually, Guillerma learns what really happened. The glamorous-looking cast and soft-focus lighting are somewhat out of step with the grim events, yet the film has its moving moments, especially when dealing with Guillerma’s childhood memories. And it is praiseworthy that Cedrón dared to tackle the painful subject of the junta in all its moral complexity. In Spanish with Dutch subtitles. (MM) 91 min. Rialto

Take a Blind Date to Dark Knight.

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Hellboy II: The Golden Army The second outing of the grumpy but good-hearted demon commonly known as ‘Red’ focuses on the bonds between him and his supernatural companions, the amphibious Abe Sapien, human firecracker Liz Sherman and the new ectoplasmic addition Johann Krauss. Their occasionally rocky relationship is disrupted by vengeful Elf prince Nuada, who plans to awaken the mythical Golden Army to wage war on humanity. Director Guillermo del Toro delivers a film filled with visually stunning flights of fancy, brought to life by a combination of old-school special effects and newfangled computer wizardry. But the film belongs to Ron Perlman’s cranky yet lovable Hellboy. (LvH) 120 min. Pathé ArenA

New this Week:

The Bank Job Opens Thursday at Pathé ArenA and Pathé de Munt.

The

Dark Knight There is nothing camp about Christopher Nolan’s second (and vastly superior) outing in the Batman franchise—although Christian Bale’s slightly ridiculous, husky voice as Batman could still use some fine tuning. Gone are the days of Burtonesque villains and nippled crusaders. This is as grim and realistic as it gets. In Nolan’s Gotham City there are no superheroes or supercrooks, just very disturbed people—notably Batman’s nemesis the Joker, who, in the late Heath Ledger’s incarnation, has never been more deranged nor more menacing. (His inventive pencil-disappearing-trick probably won’t find its way to children’s parties anytime soon.) A haunting (and haunted) masterpiece. (BS) 152 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski

Portuguese with Dutch subtitles. 100 min. Cinecenter, Pathé Tuschinski

Disaster Movie If you’re still not tired of those parody movies that Hollywood keeps churning out almost on a monthly basis, this one intends to spoof pretty much everything from Indiana Jones to Juno and High School Musical. Do we need to comment again on how lame the actual jokes are? Will they ever stop making those? Written (really?) and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, with Matt Lanter, Vanessa Minnillo, Kim Kardashian and (of course!) Carmen Electra. 90 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

Le Fils de l’épicier A road movie of sorts, with a very French twist. The story is a bit flimsy: a young man (the grocer’s son of the title) helps his parents when they’re in trouble and sorts himself out along the way.

The film’s strength is in its humane view of its characters and painterly eye for the landscape. As Antoine (Nicolas Cazalé) grudgingly drives his dad’s delivery van around, his brusqueness doing little for his sales or relations with the old clientele, we’re treated to breathtaking wide-angle shots of Provence. Close friend Claire (Clotilde Hesme), former femme fatale Lucienne (Liliane Rovère) and increasingly senile father Clément (Paul Crauchet) play crucial, and sometimes very funny, roles while Antoine adjusts to his new life. Eric Guirado directed this feel-good film with an eye for the individual. In French with Dutch subtitles. (KE) 96 min. De Uitkijk

Elegy Adapted from Philip Roth’s novella The Dying Animal, this film charts the older man/younger woman dynamic. After work, sixtyish, self-centred and hedonistic professor of literature David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley) has three things on his mind: sex, sex and more sex.

When he meets dazzling young student Consuela (Penélope Cruz) he starts rhapsodising about her breasts, but Consuela wants a true relationship.

Kepesh, mesmerised by her and acutely aware of his age, veers between possessiveness and his desire not to get emotionally involved. Elegy has classy performances and is nicely shot, but is also quite gloomy and prone to philosophical platitudes. Roth’s humour is sorely missed. Written by Roth and Nicholas Meyer and directed by Isabel Coixet, with Patricia Clarkson, Dennis Hopper and Deborah Harry. 107min. (GR) 107 min. Cinecenter, Pathé Tuschinski, De Uitkijk Elle s’appelle Sabine French actress Sandrine Bonnaire makes her directorial debut with a documentary about her autistic sister Sabine, intercutting home movies from the past with recent footage. The director wants to make the audience aware of the ravages brought about by inadequate health care systems. The adolescent Sabine was a gorgeous, vivacious and talented woman, but after being institutionalised at the age of 28 for five years, Sabine—now 38—is altered in an overweight, dispirited and sometimes aggressive person. This is extremely shocking to see, but Elle S’Appelle Sabine is not balanced and leaves too many questions unanswered. What actually happened at the psychiatric institution, for instance, is never explained.

A missed opportunity. In French with Dutch subtitles.

(GR) 85 min. Het Ketelhuis, Pathé Tuschinski Estômago Drifter Raimundo Nonato (João Miguel) arrives penniless in a big Brazilian city and lands a job at a snack bar for food and lodging. But when he ends up in the kitchen, it turns out Raimundo is surprisingly talented, working miracles with the simplest of ingredients. His cooking not only wins him the affection of prostitute Íria, who is happy to sleep with him in return for good food, but a wealthy restaurant owner offers him a dream job. Course, things are never as they seem in this delicious comedy drama from Brazil. In

Factory Girl Edie Sedgwick was Andy Warhol’s superstar for a little while before getting cast out of the Factory, having an affair with Bob Dylan and subsequently dying in her sleep before reaching her 29th birthday. The rise and fall of the troubled starlet feels strangely current in our celebrity-crazed post-Britney society, while at the same time utterly depressing in its familiarity. Sienna Miller bares body and soul to successfully play the charming socialite, while Guy Pearce doesn’t romanticise Warhol, but portrays him as the immature, conniving vampire he probably really was.

Directed by George Hickenlooper, with Hayden Christensen as the Dylan figure. (LvH) 99 min. Kriterion

The Forbidden Kingdom When a white, kung-fu obsessed geek is entrusted with a magical weapon by his mortally wounded pawn-shop owner, he suddenly finds himself in ancient China on a mission, involving the first ever smackdown between Jet Li and Jackie Chan! Even if both stars are past their prime, their fighting scenes, using acrobatics and wire works, with a only a little help from CGI, are still a joy to behold.

And while the film is clearly aimed at a teen audience, older ‘chop sockey’ fans will probably get a kick out of it as well. (LvH) 113 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt

Happy-Go-Lucky Poppy (Sally Hawkins) teaches

kindergarten in North London, lives in a flatshare with her best friend and fellow teacher Zoe, goes clubbing on Friday nights, and is the kind of person who, in the words of Eric Idle, always looks on the bright side of life. For example, she regards the fact that her bike has been stolen as motivation to improve her skills and decides to take driving lessons instead. That’s how she ends up meeting Scott (Eddie Marsan),

Webtip:

‘Gypsy Rhythm Machine Crazy Beatbox’ http://view.break.com /553159

In Bruges ‘Fucking Bruges!’ To say that Irish hitman Ray (Colin Farrell) is less than impressed with the ‘best-preserved medieval city in Belgium’ is an understatement—although he’s elated when he sees a midget doing a film shoot. His colleague Ken (Brendan Gleeson), on the other hand, has the time of his life.

They are the heart and soul of In Bruges, a surprisingly intelligent and unconventional crime caper. Here, the characters actually think for themselves, and about others! Of course there is the inevitable shoot-out, also featuring Ray and Ken’s exasperated boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes), but even that one evolves out of a brutal yet irrefutable internal logic. A simultaneously exciting and sobering feature debut from playwright Martin McDonagh. (BS) 107 min. Studio K Into

the Wild Moving, if somewhat overlong, account of the life of Christopher McCandless, with a bravura performance from Emile Hirsch. At the age of 22, McCandless left his wealthy, dysfunctional family, gave his college cash to Oxfam and took off into the breathtaking beauty of the American wilderness. What starts as a run-of-the-mill road movie twists into an American Odyssey as, after two years away from it all, McCandless meets an untimely death in the wilds of Alaska. The usual Characters Met Along the Way include Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn and Hal Holbrook. McCandless won’t stick with any of them, and gradually begins to unravel in his determined solitude.

The film becomes a meditation on the human need for human company, framed against some of the most glorious scenery the world has to offer. A triumph for Sean Penn as a director, backed by a custom soundtrack from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. (AD) 140 min. Filmhuis Griffioen, Kriterion, Pathé ArenA, Pathé Tuschinski

Keane This sobering drama about a schizophrenic

man desperately trying to be normal is finally, after four years, getting a Dutch release. Damian Lewis (Dreamcatcher, Friends & Crocodiles) is superb as the tormented lead, but he is helped by two equally excellent supporting actresses, Amy Ryan (the lousy mother in Gone Baby Gone) and Abigail Breslin, who play a woman and her 7year-old daughter living in the same shabby hotel. The scenes between Keane and the little girl are the beating heart of the film, filled with love and sadness—not for who Keane is, but for who he could have been. Directed by Lodge Kerrigan. (BS) 100 min. Filmmuseum Lake Tahoe A teenager crashes his family car and desperately looks for a way to fix it before going home. On his way, he meets a bizarre parade of characters who provide some mild, dry comedy bits. Borrowing heavily from the likes of Jim Jarmusch, Hal Hartley and Aki Kaurismaki, Mexican director Fernando Eimbcke is able to bring in a laugh or two, but ultimately his Lake Tahoe lacks the concrete sense of humor to be a successful comedy, while it doesn’t have enough depth for a strong social observation on Mexican youth. In Spanish with Dutch subtitles. 85 min. Cinecenter, Rialto

Lemon Tree This bittersweet comedy-drama by Israeli director Eran Riklis tells the story of Salma, a Palestinian widow whose lemon grove stands dangerously close to the new country house of the Israeli Defence Minister.

22

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

AGENDA: FILM

remembers what Berlin used to be like (Curt Bois). The conceit gets a little out of hand after one of the angels falls in love with the trapeze artist and decides to become human; but prior to this, it’s one of Wenders’ most stunning achievements. In English/French/German with Dutch subtitles. (JR) Cavia

Special screenings Aozora Musume Young Yuko finishes high school and goes back to her parents in Tokyo. But when she gets home, Yuko is not welcomed by her stepmother and gets bullied by her sisters. Before her death, her grandmother had revealed to Yuko that her real mother disappeared when she was a child. So Yuko, with her smile still as cheerful as a blue sky, doesn’t lose hope and sets on finding her real mother. The distinguished performance by Ayako Wakao as Yuko marked her reputation as a symbol of the modern, strong Japanese woman, and became a cinematic icon of the era.

Masumura’s second feature film, based on Keita Genji’s popular novel. In Japanese with Dutch subtitles.

(SI) 88 min. Melkweg Cinema La chambre verte Intriguing 1978 Francois Truffaut film, assembled from two short stories by Henry James. The film-maker himself stars as a journalist whose life is centered on the memory of his dead wife. He meets a young woman (Nathalie Baye) with a similar obsession, and together they construct an altar to all their dead—family, friends, heroes—in an abandoned chapel. Truffaut attempts a philosophical disquisition on the presence of the lost, the ways in which the dead remain a part of our lives, but his theme can’t escape the morbid eccentricity of his characters. Photographed, in fecund greens and withering yellows, by Nestor Almendros. In French with Dutch subtitles. (DK) 94 min. Filmmuseum Daglicht & Variations Projectionist Michiel Rummens has seen hundreds of movies from his booth at De Balie.

Now it’s the turn of his own work to be shown. A graduate from the Film Academie, he directed two films, Daglicht, his graduation project, and Variations, insipred by experimental San Francisco film-maker Nathaniel Dorsky. Will he project them himself? De Balie

Kinski Paganini Klaus Kinski’s last film, this 1989 biopic on the life of famed 19th-century Venetian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini was the fruit of Kinski’s personal obsession with the subject matter. Since Paganini is portrayed as a devilish character obsessed by art, fame and (young) women, one cannot help but wonder if this were more an account of Kinski’s own life than a realistic portrayal of the musician. Also starring is Italian bombshell Deborah Caprioglio, then Kinski’s barely legal wife, and Kinski’s son Nikolai.

(MB) 95 min. OT301

Must see:

Der Himmel über Berlin Cavia, Thursday and Friday, 20.30 a young director and his revolutionary storytelling style attracted audiences and critics alike. In Japanese with Dutch subtitles. (SI) 94 min. Melkweg Cinema

Dance For All This 2008 documentary by Elena Bromund and Viviane Blumenschein follows three ballet dancers from the townships of Gugulethu and Kayelithsa in Cape Town, trying to find their way in a life full of contrasts in contemporary South-Africa. They all belong to the dance company Dance For All, which was established in 1991 to give an opportunity for children to train their dancing skills, and now host more than 500 students. Dance for All was the opening film at Cinedans last July. In English. 90 min. Rialto

Dig! Video maker Ondi Timoner spent seven years tracking two 60s-retro guitar bands, the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre, as mutual admiration curdled into a personal feud between their respective leaders, Courtney Taylor and Anton Newcombe. Apparently the conflict was never much more than a publicity stunt, but the contrast between the men’s career trajectories is illuminating.

The Warhols, a relatively genial unit, played the industry game and became festival favourites in Europe, while the BJM, a showcase for Newcombe’s feverish creativity and self-destructiveness, continues to slug it out on the club circuit. The video is narrated

by Taylor, who magnanimously presents Newcombe as a Byronic hero, but ultimately proves that the pursuit of success and the pursuit of cool can be equally pointless. (JJ) 107 min. De Nieuwe Anita

Danryu The story in this 1957 drama revolves on young doctor Yuzo, who is asked to re-build an old hospital run by his former teacher, Dr Shima. Yuzo’s passion and sense of justice manage to overcome trouble and distrust, kick out corruption and successfully re-build a new hospital team. The story also includes a love triangle relationship between Yuzo and two women, a hardworking nurse and the spoiled daughter of Dr Shima. The raw talent of Masumura as

Hanaoka Seishu No Tsuma This 1967 film by Masumura Yasuzo tells the story of Hanaoka Seishu (1760–1835), the first surgeon to have completed a total anaesthetic operation. But behind his glory, lies the sacrifice of two devoted women. After his father’s death, young, promising medical student Seishu leaves the family business and dedicates himself to research. His elderly mother and new wife insidiously compete against each other to see who can support

When an order is issued to cut down the trees for security reasons, her fight to defend them takes on a greater significance. Hiam Abbass, the Anna Magnani of the Middle East, turns in a great performance as Salma, amid a strong supporting cast. (MB) 106 min. Rialto

saintly Genghis is a little hard to take. The utter anticlimax of an ending also makes Mongol hard to recommend. In Mongolian with Dutch subtitles. (LvH) 120 min. Pathé Tuschinski

Mamma Mia! The Movie You’ll either love or hate this remake of the hit musical. Here’s the litmus test: is your body gyrating at the thought of an all-star cast including Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth, pouring on the schmaltz with one happy, catchy ABBA song after another?

Be honest. That’s what we thought. Now grab the phone and invite your friends. (AG) 108 min. Cinema Amstelveen, Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski Mirrors Kiefer Sutherland stars in this remake of the Korean horror flick Into the Mirror (2003). Like The Haunting (1963) and The Shining (1980), this is a thriller in which a vulnerable character is menaced by a building that pulsates with malevolence. Sutherland plays a former detective, disgraced and alcoholic, who now works the night shift patrolling a fabled department store gutted by fire. After he’s attacked by distorted images in the store’s many mirrors, the evil follows him across town to threaten his family. Director Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes) keeps the suspense tight for most of the movie, only to fritter it away in an overblown ending. The real star of the movie is the towering production design of Joseph Nemec III (Terminator 2). (AG) 110 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Mongol At last, here’s proof that a bold, big-budget epic from the Eastern steppes can compete with the classics from Hollywood and New Zealand. This German/Russian/Kazakh coproduction is the first of a planned series of biopics on the life of the legendary Genghis Khan, and the bloody battles, excellent cinematography and sprawling locations are very impressive. However, the first act of the film suffers from repetition and Asano Tadanobu’s practically

The Seven of Daran: Battle of Pareo Rock The Battle of Pareo Rock is the first in a series of seven international family films that refer to the old myth of the ‘Seven of Daran’, in which seven talking animals took the fate of the world on their shoulders, reversing wrongs and making them right with the help of children. Pareo Rock is set in Africa and is a tale of a streetwise young black girl and a boy from the white suburbs who cooperate to prevent war between two rivalling tribes, with the help of a magic giraffe. Pathé Tuschinski Superhero Movie There are now two distinct camps cranking out Movie parodies: Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedburg, who wrote the original Scary Movie (2000), have since directed the abysmal Date Movie and Epic Movie and the 300 parody Meet the Spartans. David Zucker, whose Airplane! (1980) more or less launched the genre, directed the last two Scary Movie entries and produced this feature-length goof on Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. The gags are consistently weak, though actor Miles Fisher turns in a hair-raising impression of Tom Cruise. Craig Mazin directed. (JJ) 85 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Wall-E It goes without saying that the new offering by the animating geniuses at Pixar is a marvel to behold and an example of old school Hollywood storytelling at its finest. But while the Pixars succeed in infusing the two most inanimate characters in cartoon history with compelling personalities—-which was Pixar’s stated goal—-you can’t help but wonder if you’re in the middle of an animating pissing contest. They’ve more than proven themselves as animators; now they need to focus on great stories. That said, the robots are awfully cute. (LvH) 98 min. Pathé De Munt, Studio K, De Uitkijk

Embrace bad taste at Cavia’s Straight to Video night.

him the most. When the narcotic is almost ready, both women insist on him experimenting on them. The film is based on Sawako Ariyoshi’s best-seller The Doctor’s Wife. In Japanese with English subtitles. (SI) 100 min.

Melkweg Cinema Heitai Yakuza The powerful anti-war tone in this 1965 film showed that Masumura had reached maturity as a social director. Kizaburo, a Yakuza background soldier, is sent to join the Kanto military troops, but his arrogant, rebellious attitude is not welcomed by his fellow soldiers.

Recurring fights develop into a serious internal conflict, until Arita, a highly educated elite sergeant, takes Kizaburo under his wing. Trust and friendship grow between the two men, who lived in opposite worlds but were destined to meet in the battlefield, where all human desire is to survive. In Japanese with Dutch subtitles. (SI) 103 min. Melkweg Cinema

Der Himmel über Berlin Wim Wenders’ ambitious and audacious feature (1988) focuses mainly on what’s seen and heard by two angels (Bruno Ganz and Otto Sander) as they fly over and walk through contemporary Berlin. These are the angels of the poet Rilke rather than the usual blessed or fallen angels of Christianity, and Wenders and co-screenwriter Peter Handke use them partially to present an astonishing poetic documentary about the life of this city, concentrating on an American movie star on location (Peter Falk playing himself), a French trapeze artist (Solveig Dommartin), and a retired German professor who Wanted The first foray into Hollywood by Kazakh director Timur Bekmambetov feels very much like a bullet ploughing its way through a brainpan, but in a good way. This hyperkinetic action flick defies conventional morality and the rules of nature to deliver a thoroughly enjoyable rollercoaster ride with a surprising sadomasochistic subtext. James McAvoy is excellent as the pencil pusher turned psycho-killer, Morgan Freeman once again easily oozes gravitas, but Angelina Jolie steals the show as the deadly assassin who is appropriately named Fox. Suffice to say, she belongs to the stone cold variety. (LvH) 110 min. Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt, Pathé Tuschinski Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? Morgan Spurlock’s long-awaited follow-up to Super Size Me purports to be a search for Bin Laden, but in fact it’s just a jocular fact-finding tour of the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The director travels around the world, seeks out worthwhile subjects, and puts himself at some risk to pose fairly dim questions, his effort culminating in a Pepsi Generation wrap-up that insists we all want the same things. The narrative emphasizes how much danger Spurlock is in and how noble he is to embark on all this while his wife is back in the US expecting their first child; it’s a little insulting to all the real reporters who’ve died in the field looking for hard information, not weak indie comedy. (JJ) 93 min. Pathé Tuschinski Wild Child A spoiled Southern Californian (Emma Roberts) is sent off to a strict English boarding school, where she finds herself in the middle of yet another banal across-the-pond romantic comedy. 100 min.

Pathé ArenA, Pathé De Munt Y.P.F.—Young People Fucking Like a bittersweet romantic comedy but with more thrusting, this indievibed film follows multiple relationships—in this case best friends, a couple, exes, a first date and roommates.

Lightly funny, quirky vignettes of each lovemaking stage

Medea Pier Paolo Pasolini’s disappointing 1970 version of the Greek tragedy—shot in Syria, Turkey, and Italy—offers soprano Maria Callas in her only film role, playing the lead part but not singing it. Pasolini’s Marxist, Catholic, and pagan impulses infuse the film with some life, but it’s a step backward after Oedipus Rex (1967). It’s worth seeing nevertheless. In Italian with Dutch subtitles. (JR) 104 min. Rialto Los Nuevos Extraterrestres Scraping off the bottom of the barrel of the ‘worst of the worst’ in the history of filmmaking, you might come across this 1983 trash flick from Spain, a horror picture turned into an ‘alien-landson-Earth-and-befriends-kid’ to cash in on the success of ET (1982). Also known as The Pod People, The New Extraterrestrials or The Return of ET (ouch). Cavia Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid Filmed in Cinemascope and originally scripted by Rudy Wurlitzer, this 1973 film about the last days of Billy the Kid, framed by the death of Pat Garrett in 1908, is perhaps director Sam Peckinpah’s most elegiac picture and certainly one of his most romantic. The movie tends to be stronger in its handling of secondary characters—Slim Pickens’s death scene is a classic, and Jason Robards, Gene Evans, and Harry Dean Stanton all acquit themselves memorably—than in its treatment of the three leads. James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson have their moments, but the mythic heft of the story seems at times to weigh them down, and Bob Dylan is too clearly Bob Dylan to portray anyone else convincingly. (JR) 106 min. Kriterion Straight to Video A new theme night, taking place every last Sunday of the month at Filmhuis Cavia, promises to unearth some glorious samples from all those straight-to-video titles that filled the shelves of rental shops when the video revolution started, not so long ago. Selection will include cheap horror flicks, cheesy science fiction, poorly dubbed martial arts movies, Blaxploitation, Eurotrash and Sexploitation from the ’70s and ’80s. Cavia from ‘prelude’ through ‘afterglow’ illuminate the irrepressible power of sex to break down façades you didn’t even know you’d built. Though occasionally these ‘classic’ relationships feel a smidge too familiar, Y.P.F. more than makes up for it with great acting and surprisingly astute observations about sex—like, is it rude to offer sex tips during a threesome? Smart and gently sexy, it lacks X-rated heat but gives a warm glow nonetheless.

(JLB) 90 min. Pathé ArenA, Studio K You Don’t Mess With the Zohan A battle-fatigued Israeli commando gives himself a makeover, assuming a new identity as a New York hairstylist. That’s more high-concept than most Adam Sandler comedies, with the star creating a distinctive character amid all the meshugas. Though a bunch of the jokes are milked too thin, there are some absurdly goofy sight gags—like a hacky sack game enlisting a family pet—and a lineup of fun, silly cameos by guests from Chris Rock to Mariah Carey. John Turturro and Rob Schneider play the hero’s inept Arab nemeses, but skinheads and greedy tycoons are the ones who really get bashed in this lightweight amiable parody. Sandler cowrote the screenplay with Robert Smigel and Judd Apatow, and Dennis Dugan directed. (AG) 113 min. Pathé De Munt Edited by Massimo Benvegnù. This week’s films reviewed by Lisa Alspector (LA), Massimo Benvegnù (MB), Shyama Daryanani (SD), Angela Dress (AD), Don Druker (DD), Kate Eaton (KE), Sarah Gehrke (SG), Andrea Gronvall (AG), Jack Helbig (JH), Luuk van Huët (LvH), JR Jones (JJ), Dave Kehr (DK), Iris Maher (IM), Peter Margasak (PM), Mike Peek (MP), Julie Phillips (JP), Gusta Reijnders (GR), Kim Renfrew (KR), Jonathan Rosenbaum (JR), Martin Rubin (MR) and Bregtje Schudel (BS). All films are screened in English with Dutch subtitles unless otherwise noted. Amsterdam Weekly recommends.

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

FILM TIMES Thursday 25 September until Wednesday 1 October. Times are provided by cinemas and are subject to last-minute changes.

De Balie Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10, 553 5151 Daglicht & Variations Sat. Cavia Van Hallstraat 52-I, 681 1419 Der Himmel über Berlin Thur, Fri 20.30 Los Nuevos Extraterrestres Sun 20.30 Straight to Video Sun 20.30.

Cinecenter Lijnbaansgracht 236, 623 6615 Brideshead Revisited daily 15.45, 18.45, 21.45, Sun also 11.15 Elegy daily 21.45 Estômago daily 16.15, 19.00, 21.45, Sun also 11.00, 13.45 Il y a longtemps que je t'aime daily 16.15, 19.00, Sun also 11.00, 13.45 Lake Tahoe daily 16.00, 17.45, 19.45, 22.00, Sun also 11.15, 14.00.

Cinema Amstelveen Plein 1960 2, Amstelveen, 547 5175 Be Kind Rewind Tues, Wed 20.30 De brief voor de koning Sat, Wed 15.30, Sun 13.30 Mamma Mia! The Movie Thur-Sat 20.30, Sun 15.45 Wall-E (NL) Sat, Wed 13.30, Sun 11.30.

Filmhuis Griffioen Uilenstede 106, Amstelveen, 444 5100 Into the Wild Thur, Fri, Tues 19.30.

Filmmuseum Vondelpark 3, 589 1400 Le Ballon Rouge & Crin-Blanc Thur-Sat, Wed 17.15 La chambre verte Sun 16.00 Keane daily 21.45 Het kleine spookje Laban Sun, Wed 13.45 The Magnificent Seven daily 19.15 North by Northwest Sun 15.30 Secret Sunshine daily 18.45, 21.30 Sjakie en de Chocoladefabriek (1971) Sun, Wed 14.00 Le Voyage du ballon rouge Thur-Sat, Wed 17.00.

Het Ketelhuis Haarlemmerweg 8-10, 684 0090 Blind Date Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 17.30 De brief voor de koning Fri-Wed 17.15, Sat also 13.30, Sun, Wed also 12.30, 14.45 Calimucho Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 19.15, Sun-Wed also 21.15 Deaf in the Picture Thur-Sat Het Echte Leven daily 21.45, Fri-Tues also 19.45 Elle s’appelle Sabine daily 17.00 Hoe overleef ik mezelf Sat, Sun, Wed 13.00 Il y a longtemps que je t'aime daily 19.00, 21.30 Het kleine spookje Laban Sat, Sun, Wed 13.15, 15.15, Sat also 12.00 Kung Fu Panda (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 15.00.

Kriterion Roetersstraat 170, 623 1708 3:10 to Yuma Thur-Sun, Wed 22.00, Thur, Mon-Wed 17.45 Camera Japan Fri-Sun Ciao Stefano daily 17.30 The Darjeeling Limited daily 19.30, Thur, Mon-Wed also 17.15 Het Echte Leven Thur, Mon-Wed 19.45, Thur, Mon, Wed also 21.30, Fri-Sun 18.30, 20.15 Edward Said: Myth of the Clash of Civilizations Sun 15.00 Factory Girl Thur, Mon-Wed 20.00 Into the Wild daily 21.45, Wed also 14.30 Het kleine spookje Laban Sat, Wed 15.00, 16.15, Sun also 13.45 Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid Mon 22.00 Sneak Preview Tues 22.15 Wall-E (NL) Sat, Sun, Wed 15.30, Sun also 13.30.

Melkweg Cinema Lijnbaansgracht 234A, 624 1777 Aozora Musume Thur 19.00 Control Sun 19.00 Danryu Mon 19.00 Hanaoka Seishu No Tsuma Wed 19.00 Heitai Yakuza Tues 19.00.

De Nieuwe Anita Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, 06 4150 3512, Dig! Mon 20.30.

OBA Oosterdokskade 143, 0900-2425468, Geluk is als glas Sun 15.00.

OT301 Overtoom 301, 779 4913 Chelsea Girls Sun 20.30 Kinski Paganini Tues 20.30.

Pathé ArenA ArenA Boulevard 600, 0900 1458 The Accidental Husband daily 15.50, 18.10, 20.20, Thur, Mon also 13.30 Babylon AD daily 21.40, Thur-Tues also 19.10, Sat also 0.10 Bangkok Dangerous daily 19.50, 22.10, Thur, Mon also 12.40, 15.00, 17.30, Sat also 0.20 The Bank Job daily 17.00, 19.30, 22.00, Thur, Mon also 12.10, 14.30, Sat also 0.20 Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis daily 20.30, Sat, Sun also 10.10, 15.30 Brideshead Revisited daily 20.15, Thur.Mon also 17.20, Sat, Sun, Wed also 14.10, Sat also 23.10 De brief voor de koning Fri-Sun, Tues, Wed 13.30, Sat, Sun also 11.00 The Dark Knight (Imax) Thur-Sun 11.30, 14.40, 17.50, 21.00, Mon also 13.30, 17.00 The Dark Knight Tues, Wed 17.10 Death Race Sat 22.30 Deception daily 18.20, 20.50, Thur, Fri, Mon also 13.20, Thur, Mon also 15.50, Sat also 23.20 Disaster Movie daily 11.40, 13.45, 16.00, 18.00, 22.20, Sat also 0.30 Eagle Eye (Imax) Tues, Wed 12.45, 15.30, 18.15, 21.00, Mon also 20.45 The Forbidden Kingdom daily 12.50, Thur, Fri, Mon-Wed also 15.30, Sat also 23.00 Get Smart daily 19.40 Hellboy II: The Golden Army daily 18.10 Into the Wild Tues 13.30 Kung Fu Panda (NL) Fri-Sun, Tues, Wed 15.50 Mamma Mia! The Movie daily 20.00 Meet Dave daily 12.30, 14.35, 16.40, 18.40, Sat, Sun also 10.20 Mirrors daily 11.35, 14.00, 16.30, 19.00, 21.30, Sat also 0.00 Radeloos Wed 11.50, 14.20, 16.45, 19.10 Sneak Preview Tues 21.00

AGENDA: FILM Star Wars: The Clone Wars (NL) Fri-Sun, Tues, Wed 15.20, Sat, Sun, Tues, Wed also 13.00, Sat, Sun also 10.40 Superhero Movie daily 17.40, 22.15, Thur, Fri, Mon also 13.30, Thur, Mon also 15.40, Sat also 0.15 Tropic Thunder daily 13.50, 16.20, 18.50, 21.15, Sat, Sun also 11.20, Sat also 23.40 Wall-E (NL) Fri-Sun, Tues, Wed also 12.10, 14.30, Sat, Sun also 10.00 Wanted daily 11.45, 14.15, 16.50, 19.20, 21.50, Thur-Mon, Wed also 20.45, Sat also 23.30, 0.15 Wild Child Thur-Tues 12.00, 14.20, 16.45 Y.P.F.--Young People Fucking Thur, Fri, Mon 13.10, 15.10, Sat, Sun, Wed 12.00, Tues 11.40 De Zeven van Daran: De Strijd om Pareo Rots Fri-Sun, Tues, Wed 12.40, 15.00, 17.30, Sat, Sun also 10.30.

Pathé De Munt Vijzelstraat 15, 0900 1458 3:10 to Yuma Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 21.40, Thur, Fri, Sun, Mon, Wed also 18.50, Tues also 19.00, Sat also 19.15, 22.10 The Accidental Husband Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 12.30, 14.45, 17.15, Thur, Fri, Sun, Wed also 19.45, 22.10, Sun also 10.20, Mon, Tues also 19.30, Sat also 11.30, 13.45, 16.45, 18.45, 21.15, 23.40 Babylon AD Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 12.00, 14.20, 19.30, 22.00, Sat 12.15, 15.00, 20.30, 23.15 Bangkok Dangerous Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 21.50, Sat 21.00, 23.35 The Bank Job Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 18.30, 21.15, Thur, Sun-Tues also 15.45, Thur, Mon, Tues also 13.10, Sat also 16.30, 19.00, 21.45 Bienvenue Chez les Ch’tis Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 12.15, 15.00, 18.00, 20.45, Sat 11.40, 14.15, 17.00, 19.45 De brief voor de koning Sun, Wed 12.40, 15.10, Sun also 10.15, Sat 10.45, 13.15, 16.10 The Dark Knight Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 17.00, 20.30, Thur, Mon, Tues also 13.00, Sat 18.30, 22.00 Death Race Sat 23.00 Deception Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 18.20, 21.10, Thur, Mon, Tues also 12.50, 15.40, Sat 18.40, 21.30 Disaster Movie Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 17.45, 20.00, 22.15, Thur, Fri, Mon, Tues also 12.40, 15.20, Sat 18.50, 21.10, 23.25 Eagle Eye Mon 20.45 The Forbidden Kingdom Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 16.45, Sat 17.45 Kung Fu Panda (NL) Fri, Wed 12.10, Sat, Sun 10.15, Sat also 12.30, Sun also 12.20 La Mala Educación Wed 21.00 Mamma Mia! The Movie Thur-Tues 17.30, 20.15 Meet Dave Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 14.30, 16.40, Thur, Mon, Tues also 12.10, Sat 14.45, 16.50 Mirrors Thur, Sun-Wed 12.45, 15.30, 18.15, Thu, Fri, Sun-Tues also 21.00, Sun also 10.15, Wed also 21.20, Sat 12.30, 15.15, 18.00, 20.45, 23.30 Radeloos Wed 12.50, 15.50, 18.20 Sneak Preview Tues 21.30 Star Wars: The Clone Wars (NL) Fri, Sun, Wed 12.15, 14.40, Sat 11.00, 13.30, 16.00 Superhero Movie Thur, Fri, Sun-Tues 15.15, Sat 15.30 Tropic Thunder Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 21.45, Thur, Fri, Sun, Tues, Wed also 13.30, 16.15, Thur, Fri, Sun, Wed also 19.99, Sun also 11.00, Mon also 12.30, 15.20, 18.00, Tues also 18.50, Sat 12.00, 14.30, 17.15, 20.00, 22.45 Wall-E Thur, Fri, Sun-Tues 12.50, Sat, Sun also 10.30, Sat 13.00 Wall-E (NL) Fri, Sun, Wed 13.10, 15.40, Sun also 10.45, Sat 10.20, 12.45, 15.50 Wanted Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 13.15, 16.00, 18.45, 21.30, Sun also 10.40, Sat 11.15, 14.00, 16.45, 19.30, 22.15 Wild Child Thur, Fri, Sun-Wed 14.00, 16.30, 19.15, Sun also 11.30, Sat 10.50, 13.20, 15.45, 18.15 You Don't Mess With the Zohan Sat 22.30 De Zeven van Daran: De Strijd om Pareo Rots Fri, Wed 13.20, 15.50, Sat 10.15, 12.10, 14.20, Sun 11.15, 13.30.

Pathé Tuschinski Reguliersbreestraat 34, 0900 1458 Bottle Shock Wed 20.00 Brideshead Revisited daily 12.15, 15.15,18.15, 21.15 The Bucket List Thur, Tues 13.30 Caos calmo Thur, Sun-Wed 16.15, Fri 15.30 The Dark Knight daily 20.45 Het Echte Leven daily 19.30, Thur-Mon, Wed also 12.30, 14.45, Thur-Sun, Tues, Wed also 17.15 Elegy daily 19.15, 21.15 Elle s’appelle Sabine Sun 12.00 Estômago daily 21.40 Into the Wild daily 20.45, Thur, Mon, Tues also 14.30 Mamma Mia! The Movie daily 12.00, 15.00, 18.00 Mongol daily 18.00 The Seven of Daran: Battle of Pareo Rock Sat, Sun, Wed 12.45, 15.30 Vliegen naar de maan (3D) Sun, Wed 15.30, Wed also 12.45 WantedThur-Tues 19.00, 21.30, Thur, Mon, Tues also 16.00, Mon also 13.15 Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? daily 21.50, Thur, Sun-Wed also 13.00.

Rialto Ceintuurbaan 338, 676 8700 Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens daily 17.15 Calimucho Sun, Mon, Tues 19.15, Fri-Sun, Wed 15.30 Caos calmo daily 19.45, 22.00, Fri-Sun, Wed also 14.45, Sat, Sun also 12.30 Cordero de Dios Thur-Tues 21.15, Thur-Sat also 19.15, Sat, Sun also 13.30, Sun also 11.15, Wed 21.30 Dance For All Wed 19.30 Il Dolce e l'Amaro daily 17.00, 22.00 Lake Tahoe Thur-Tues 19.30, 21.30, Fri-Wed 17.30, Fri-Sun, Wed also 15.15, Wed also 21.45 Lemon Tree Sat, Sun 13.15 Medea Sun 11.00, Wed 19.15.

Studio K Timorplein 62, 692 0422, Happy-Go-Lucky daily 19.30 In Bruges daily 22.00 Wall-E Sat, Sun, Wed 17.00 Y.P.F.--Young People Fucking daily 19.00, 21.00.

De Uitkijk Prinsengracht 452, 623 7460 Elegy Thur-Mon, Wed 19.15, Tues 19.30 Le Fils de l'épicier daily 21.30 Happy-Go-Lucky Thur-Sat 17.15, Sun 14.45 The Life Before Her Eyes Sun, Mon, Wed 17.15 Wall-E Sat, Wed 15.15, Sun 12.45.

Win tickets to Arcade Fire: www.amsterdamweekly.nl

23

24

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

FOOD/DRINK The Mouth

By Nanci Tangeman

I’ll never tell Eetcafe Loetje Johannes Vermeerstraat 52, 662 8173 Kitchen open 11.00-22.00, Sat from 17.30, closed Sun (Everybody on the waiting list gets served.)

Cash, PIN

guru of india

A couple of times a year, it happens.

Someone says, ‘I found this great steak place, but I promised the waitress I wouldn’t tell my friends about it.’ It’s always the same story. The tipster is scared to be blamed when all the tourists in tennis shoes show up wanting ice in their Pepsis. And it’s always the same restaurant they’re scared to disclose: Eetcafe Loetje.

There’s reason for the hesitation.

Loetje’s is just off the Museumplein, a haven for bumbling sightseers. The menu is on blackboards—in Dutch— and the staff are definitely too busy to act as translators. On most evenings, the crowd is thick and noisy, waiting for tables. Regulars know that the first thing you do when you get to Loetje’s is swim upstream to the end of the bar, put your name on the waiting list, then stand back.

The servers are liable to mow you down if you dare get in their way.

I love Loetje’s. I want it to stay a local hangout. But since they’ve opened a second eetcafé in Oudekerk (and soon a third in Laren), I figure it’s safe to bring in some tourists and set them loose.

Partner-in-all-things-local and I decide to do just that. We choose the out-of-towners carefully. You know the type. ‘We like

to go where the locals go, to travel off the beaten track,’ they say. We pick them up at their hotel. (The Hilton.)

We walk them the eight blocks to Loetje’s. (She’s in stilettos.)

After an amazingly short wait for a table, we translate the menu for our tourist friends, including macaroni and cheese (€6.75), sate (€8.50), mini hamburgers (€6.50) and calf’s liver with bacon and onions (€13.50). The 200g beefsteak ossenhaas (€16) or tuna steak (€14) are our suggestions.

Our friends go for the beef. She asks for a side of steamed vegetables. (We snicker at her attempts to go local.)

Loetje’s offers only mixed salads with house dressing (€3.75), potato salad (€4.25) or fries (€2.25) for sides. She’s a trooper and follows our lead with fries and salads. Then she does something that amazes us. She asks for a really rare steak... AND GETS IT! Our MO at Loetje’s has been the same for years—don’t waste the servers’ time by asking for special orders or trying to make chitchat.

Order and ignore the often brusque, often incomplete, service. The food is worth it.

Tonight is no exception. The steaks (both tuna and beef) are thick and oozing butter. The fries and salads are fresh and the servings generous. But the service is like nothing we’ve ever experienced at Loetje’s. Tonight, it’s our waiter who’s making chitchat!

For the first time, we stick around and order dessert: chocolate mousse (€4.50) and a giant bowl of ice cream (€4.50). After coffee we lead our tiny tour group back down the unbeaten track to the Hilton. I issue no warning to keep the eetcafé under wraps. The secret’s out. If you want to blame me, go ahead. My bad. ___

She asks for a really rare steak... AND GETS IT!

A night in the life...

By Sarah Gehrke

Art deco drinking Cafe Nagel Kromboomsloot 47 Open: Thur, Sun-Wed 16.00-01.00, Fri, Sat 16.00-03.00 Cash, PIN The colourful art deco pillars behind the bar in Cafe Nagel are lit from behind. Above them, on the ceiling, are some really trashy, colourful neon lights in several shapes and colours. For some special reason, this blends together beautifully.

Look to the right of the bar, and you see a wall filled with pictures— drawings, photos, graphics. ‘We have the tradition that all of our regulars hand in one or two of their works,’ explains the barman. Aha— so this is an arty place. ‘Yes,’ he says, ‘we have a lot of artists and art students come in here, especially on the weekends.’

On this Monday night, though, there aren’t too many art students to be seen. Instead, it’s all about the regulars. They sit at the bar and drink and talk, and they all know each other, and the barman knows them all, too. The only thing missing from this picture-perfect bruin cafe

Beer price: €2.10 for a vaasje (Brand) Emergency food: Plenty: olives, cheese (plus a special spiced cheese called ‘Nagelkaas’), tostis and more, all served until the bitter end.

Special interior feature: There’s a really old till behind the bar. Its numbers are stuck at 6 6 6.

Predominant shoe type: Polished leather shoes. Also spotted: outrageously shiny black lacquer shoes.

Typically ordered drink: Tonight it’s beer only. But apparently the white wine here is really good.

Smoking situation: Little benches outside.

Tune of the night: Gomez: ‘Make No Sound.’

Mingling factor: High.

scenery is the cigarettes in their hands and the overflowing ashtrays.

This is one of the bars where the smoking ban is particularly noticeable. But it’ll adjust...

As one woman from the regular’s corner gets up to leave, she sighs, ‘It’s so late already! What are the neighbours gonna think?’ The man sitting across from her replies dryly: ‘Ah, don’t you worry. I think I’m a very good neighbour in that respect. I’m still sitting in the bar myself...’

Then, two girls sit down at the bar. They wear American Apparel shirts and those ’80s boots that’ve been worn by many people for a while now. Perhaps those art students have turned up after all? But the girls don’t speak about art. They speak about boyfriends, and boyfriends that weren’t meant to be, and boyfriends that shouldn’t have been.

Outside, a man passes by, walking his dog. And he’s got traditional Dutch clogs on. It’s contemporary Amsterdam at its finest. Then, one of the girls breaks out into a lament about the smoking ban. ‘Our children,’ she cries out, ‘will grow up in a world without ashtrays!’ She makes it sound as if she was talking about the end of the civilised world.

But I’m sure the regulars will agree with her. ___

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

S E RV I C E

25

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Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

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EROTIC MASSAGE INFO Improve your massage techniques by learning some erotic skills. Come and enjoy a free cup of tea and browse our specialised books and films on the topic, or get a life demonstration. WHEN? 25 September WHERE? An all day event at Mail & Female. Nwe Vijzelstraat 2/ 0206233916 WWW.MAILFEMALE.COM

BOXERCISE TRAINING Bored with the gym ? not getting the results? boxercise is a fun way to lose weight and relieve stress.I ll teach you safe and effective boxing techniques taught outdoors at your localparkbyaqualifiedinstructor.I am a qualified personal trainer and sports massage therapist. 06 44 79 79 84 .

THE YOGA COMMUNITY Weekly drop-in yoga classes in English.Basicpostures,breathing exercises and simple meditation techniques. Also beginnerscoursesandMama&Baby yoga. Email for schedule and CAT AND PET SITTING34- more details: theyogacomyear-old woman who loves munity@yoga108.org animals likes to take care of PSYCHIC CONSULTANT your pets during your holi- Stop walking around in cirday. I can pay a visit every cles. The difficulties that you day, give them food, love and are experiencing are in realattention. I also take care of ity your life’s lessons. Learn your plants, clean the litter- how to take positive advanbox etc.Tariff: 9,50 per visit. tage out of them! Interested? Learn more at www.marContact:anouk_lambrechts@yahoo.com,tel.06- tin-van-der-velde.nl 52305738, Amsterdam HEALING TAO is a system IMMIGRATION LAWThinking about staying? Verliefd op een buitenlander? Get expert advice from a US-born Dutch legal advisor in Amsterdam. Specialized in partnership/marriage with Dutch or other EU citizens, permanent residence permits and naturalization. Mr. Jeremy B. Bierbach - http://immigrate.nl tel: 020-7173975 BRAZILIAN WAXING Body Waxing, Laser/LHE Hair Removal, P8N8 Oxygen Facials- Conditioning, Acne, Anti-Age, Relaxing; Micropigmentation; Electrolysis, red vein removal. BABTAC, CIDESCO, ANBOS. Eerste Jan Steenstraat 109 (de pijp) 1072NH info@lindayoung.nl www.Lindayoungaesthetics.com, T: 064 079 9921

Health & Wellness MASSAGE FOR WOMEN I can come to you for a relaxing massage. I trained in beauty therapy and massage in 1993 for one year. Natural sesame oil used and a lovely, deep and fulfilling treatment. You must try it. Email me at: rakivasi@gmail.com BRAZILIAN MANICURE Manicure and Pedicure at you home in the brazilian way. My own products. To make an appoitment laizegama@gmail.com EXPAT MEDICAL CENTRE EXPAT MEDICAL CENTRE offers doctor consultations,visits, prescriptions and email consultations for expats and tourists Also physio and psycho therapy. Our service is covered by most insurance companies. EU health cards accepted. Address: 112 Bloem-

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of exercises & meditations that can help you to enhance your overall health & vitality. Certified teacher offers basic course in English, Mon. evenings from Sept. 15 at Aurora Centrum, Amsterdam. Open lessons Sept. 4 & 8. Phone: 06-28625424. Email: info@ronfox.nl Web-site: www.ronfox.nl

YOGA COURSEABC of Yoga, ten-week beginners Yoga course starts Sat 4 October until Sat 6 December 11.0013.00 hrs. Max 8 students. course price 135,00 inc papers. Agama Yoga 1e Van der Helststraat 70-1. We offer also drop-in classes. www.agaEVENING ACUPUNCTURE mayoga.nl/info@agamayoNot anymore: you have to rush ga/06-49126884 to get a consult from him - one RELAX, CALM & ENJOY of the best Chinese medical Body and mind. Learn acupuncturists in the Nether- through experience the powlands during your busy day- er of now through mindful time. Evening acupuncture awareness and meditation; clinic will bring you all har- in the tradition of Zen teachmonization and balance of er Thich Nhat Hanh. Bi-weekyour body and mind. Please ly meetings beginning Sunvisit:http://www.eatms.nl/ic.h day October 5th 10-12am. At tml for details. the Center for Living in MindPAIN, DIABETES?The Pow- fulness, in the Baarsjes. Info: erTube can help you in a very oxbowdrive@yahoo.com al insight on practical matters by Bhasha. Available for private sessions & events.

Bhasha also gives readings in various restaurants - visit her there for a shorter version of her private readings. Check www.tarotandyou.com or call 0204000260 or 0641485880.

short time. Call for a free first treatment: 020-6402750. More information: www.quickzap.nu

GROOVY YOGA PRANAYAM Every friday morning for the early birds: Yoga at 730u at the Yoga Lifestyle studio at the Groenburgwal 9G, by happy holy en healthy teacher Raghu Rai Singh. Breath THE PATHWAYS with LAU- deep and feel happy. Email: RA CATHERINE MARKS. raghurai@rocketmail.com Transformational Sacred Psy- www.lifestylestudio.nl chology, Holistic Wellness & YOGA & MASSAGE COMBI Detox, Integrative Healing, This newly developed Supportive Counselling, approach combines yoga, Reflective Art Therapy, massage, breath & meditaSacred Circle, Living-Life tion in ONE session. This Retreats, Dynamic Work- combination is both powershops. Individuals & Groups ful and harmonising for body Welcome. Call 061.005.7806 and mind, restoring natural balance. To aide a physical www.freewebs.com/thepathways injury, or simply to create a REIKI HEALING Are you moment of quitude for yourfeeling low in energy or out self. www.yoga-massageof balance? A Reiki healing inone.nl helps to rebalance your energetic system on an emotional, physical, mental and spiritual level. For more info see website. Contact: Anouk Lambrechts,06-52305738, info@allesisenergie.com, www.allesisenergie.com, Location: Amsterdam BACP PSYCHOTHERAPY Moved to Amsterdam and brought a shadow with you?

We are qualified, experienced and professional Englishspeaking therapists. We help with anxiety, depression, phobias, low self-esteem, addictions, eating disorders and trauma. info@nextsteptherapy.nl 0204651063 www. nextsteptherapy.nl KvK No 34300550

& HANDYMAN SERVICES: I can help you change, fix, put together or replace: Toilets, sinks, mixers, taps, burst/leaky pipes, CV/boiler, lights,switches, dimmers, wiring, locks, tile, floors, cabinetry; etc. I also have a van for pick up and delivery of materials to complete your work. 0627 06 24 24 GENERAL CONTRACTOR Renovation, restoration, new construction from plans to finish. 28 years project mgmn’t exper. in NL, France, Spain and USA with large and small projects. www.marcchartrand.com tel. 0650402104 REPAIRING washing machines, dryers and dishwashers. All brands. No visiting costs charged.

REPARATIE, wasmachines, drogers en vaatmachines.

Alle merken. Geen voorijkosten. Tel. 0643404534.

NEED A CONTRACTOR ??

Plumbing, Electricity, Painting, Plastering, Renovations, Laying of floors, Restaurations, Tiling, Carpentry, General construction works and repairs, and everything else, 06 1899 1782 or mail info@klusbus.net or www.klusbus.net

EXPERIENCED HANDYMAN Experienced handyman available for home improvement projects, drywalls, paint, tiles, woodwork, built in closets, lift beds and much more. Fee advice. Great references, fast and reliable!

REIKICOURSES1-2UsuiNat- Call 06/ 24345357 ural System of Healing based RENO-BOUW-RAJCZYK on lying on off hands(self treat- HOUSE RENOVATIONS! Do ments and to others)Promote you need cost-effective and relaxation,balance,awareness, high-quality full house renreleases tension, healing the ovation? Professional, expewhole being:2 days rienced and with excellent course,English,Espanol,Por- references. Online links to tugues. healingitself@gmail. past projects. Call now and com / Reiki Master Danielle ask for appointment: 06 4451 Ferrari 0628310125 7410 or 029 42 66 585,

Massage MAN TO MANCall for a great massage in your own home.fast response to sort out your needs.call paul on 062 519 2654

FOOT REFLEXOLOGYIf you feel low in energy or out of balance, foot reflexology can help to restabilize your energetic system (applying pressure to the areas on the feet that reflect the organs of the entire body). Contact: Anouk Lambrechts, 06-52305738 ,info@allesisenergie.com, QUANTUM TOUCH Regis- www.allesisenergie.com, tered QT practitioner/Reiki Amsterdam master gives hands-on healing, 45 per session max. 1 IRON MANMassages for men hour. QuantumTouch can who would like to explore alleviate/cure all your their energetic bodies, feelback/shoulder/neck com- ings and soul. Also after sports plaints and more. Visit massage. More information at www.quantumtouch.com. http://massagenl.spaces.live.c Home/work visits close to om or 06 2022 4973

A’dam centre possible. DEEP RELAXATION With Sharon Fenn 06-57561965 my 1,5 hour full-body masZanima@xs4all.nl sage will you get rid of tiredMENTAL COACHING ness and tensions.I use acuHeighten your quality of life, pressure-technique in comimprove your relationships bination of firm, long with the help of a native Eng. strokes.Your body will get more flow and balance.Homespeaking therapist. I am a treatment is possible. Give professional & certified counyour vehicle what it really selor. With 25 years of expeneeds! Call Ella;06-38605420 rience. Short-term counselor mail;holaella@yahoo.com ing can help you better cope YOGA SUNDARI weekly with painful feelings and sort Home ImproveYOGA classes Monday’s 20- out stressful thoughts. Sagar ment 0646265412.

22 hrs close to DAM, accesFREAKS! PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL sible for everybody. Experi- AYURVEDA

www.reno-bouw.nl, karolrajczyk@hotmail.com DECORATING ? Need help on a remodeling or decorating project for your home or office? WE CAN HELP! We take care of the whole process from design to completion to make it as smooth as possible for you! Please call us at 0645662160 or check our website, www.harlingtonhouse.com for examples of what we can do!

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Computers PC HOUSE DOCTOR PC HOUSE DOCTOR Specialise 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.

COMPUTER PROBLEMS? Computer upgrade, hardware/software installation, virus/spyware removal, data recovery, network/wireless

Amsterdam Weekly_25 September-1 October 2008

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WEEKLY CLASSIFIEDS setup. No job too small, no courses (mornings and repair no charge. Contact evenings)begin on october Michael 0614530493 1st in my spacious studio in WEBSITE WORKI am look- the Pijp. OPEN DAY saturing for a person who can help day 27th from 12 to 17,Karel me to design my website. Five du Jardinstr 33. Contact/info: pages not too much stuff and Criss Esser, eskymo@planThe person must know how et.nl 06 383 67 516

The Arts

to work with CMS. Email DRAWING AND PAINTING Catherine. catherinena- Summer workshops by promuddu@yahoo.com fessional artist, various tech3DLABis a professional team niques, all styles, from scratch of 3D graphic animators, archi- to painting with oils. Contact tects and designers. 3Dimen- joneiselin@hetnet.nl. sional computer graphics will give your message the illusion of depth not available through traditional graphics design software. Visit http://www.myspace.com/3dlabContact info:3dlab@mail.com BASIC MAC HELP NEED HELP WITH YOUR MAC? Mac lover helps you with basic set-ups, minor trouble shooting, install, net-working, basic Mac lessons, setting up programs, MS Word, QuarkXpress, etc .Help with purchasing the right mac, call Sagar at 020 779 1926 sagar@basicmachelp.com

TANTRA EXPERIENCEYou are invited to join Dawn Cartwright for an intimate evening of conversation & direct experience as we explore the dynamic spiritual path of Tantra. October 7th . 8 pm . De Roos Centrum Voor Creatieve & Spirituele Groei . A’dam . www.chandrabindutantrainstitute.com . 020-320 9585

ECSTASY OF THE HEART When Tantric techniques of meditation & awareness are woven into our experience of lovemaking we open our heart to a realm of intimacy that manifests as spiritual ecstasy. We discover that our sexCourses uality is a doorway to awakA'DAM & ALL RANDSTAD ening. Oct 10-12 . A’dam .

EXCELLENT DUTCH PROFI- www.chandrabindutantrainCIENCY IN CONVERSATION stitute.com . 020-320 9585 on solid base of pronunciation, CHI KUNG - QIGONG Get grammar & spelling:socialis- grounded & centered. Iming/profess. purpose/stud- prove your circulation. ies/NT2/Inburgering/REGU- Increase body awareness.

LAR/ ON-LINE.p/h 16,69/ Feel stable. Relax more, Adults&children/Monday sleep better. With Chinese through Saturday/& INTENenergy and fitness training, SIVE COURSES www.excelbased on ancient methods, lentdutch.nl/excellentdutch@ taught in an undogmatic & hotmail.com, 06-36122870 playful way. Free open LEARN IMPROEasyLaughs lessons: Sep. 15-18 in Jorfall term begins with several daan & Oud-Zuid. www.chiimpro classes in English for all kung-training.com levels. Improve your acting, DRAWING AND PAINTING presentation and communiWorkshops on Saturdays by cation skills, learn the science professional and experienced of being funny and have fun artist, various techniques, all doing it. For more info visit styles, from scratch to paintwww.easylaughs.nl/courses ing with oils. Reasonable FELTMAKING COURSES2 rates. Contact joneiselin@ English spoken starter’s hetnet.nl.

UNLIMITED CREATIVITY Seminar, 28th Sept. This interactive seminar will empower you to release your creative potential. How does social and personal conditioning hold us back from our natural expression? Lets be proactive and move thru blockages that hold us back.

More info: www.unlimitedcreativity.biz BETTER COMMUNICATOR?Are you still struggling in your daily communication ? Are you willing to give yourself a chance to Be Better in 2008 ? Attend Connecting on October 20th : the training design to give you the tools to improve your interactions with others. For registration :www.jciai.nl/trainings

Languages IMPROVE YOUR DUTCH! Private classes, small groups, intensive courses, conversation, all levels, starting every week, professional approach, Vijzelgracht 53C, linktaalstudio@gmail.com, call Anja for more info 0641339323 DUTCH COURSES New evening courses starting in Sep., Centre of A’dam. 200250 for 20 hrs. Visit www.mercuurtaal.nl or call 693 4250.

A'DAM & ALL RANDSTAD DUTCH PROFICIENCY IN

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CONVERSATION on solid base of pronunciation, grammar&spelling. socialising/profess purpose/studies/NT2 /Inburgering/REGULAR/ ONLINE ph 16,69/Adults&children/Monday through Saturday/INTENSIVE courses www.excellentdutch.nl/excellentdutch@hotmail.com, 0636122870

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SAXOPHONE LESSONS Master graduated at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with experience in teaching, gives saxophone lessons.

Beginners, intermediate and advance levels. Different styles and a lot of fun! First lesson no charge! 06 27526558 saxlesson@yahoo.com

BELOTE AMSTERDAM Vous etes expats et souhaitez jouer à la belote autour d’un verre, trouvez des adversaires sur belote.amsterdam@gmail.com

ART EXHIBITIONTulip Inn Amsterdam Art - Two collections of acrylic works by Rebecca Cleaves. www.jaraart.com or contact becky@jaraart.com LESBIAN EXPAT GROUP for more information.

Come and join us – A free PHOTOGRAPHER'SWe are social group for expat leslookiing for photographer’s bian and bisexual women in that want to volunteer. The Amsterdam. Visit our webTube.nl is a creative mar- site at www.lbexpat.nl. Picketing agency in Amsterdam, nics, drinks, sports, dining Netherlands, specializing in and more. presenting timely and accurate information about musePersonals ums and their exhibitions to tourists and residents. PLEASURE SEEKERAttrac06.14061397 tive, athletic, African-Amer-

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