History of Dutch Cinema
The history of cinema in the Netherlands begins on July 15, 1896 with the first projection of the cinematograph, organized by the fairground Christiaan Slieker in Leeuwarden. If history has forgotten what this first film was about, we know that it was also Slieker who projected, a few months later, the first Dutch fiction film directed by a certain M.H. Laddé. Gestoorde hengelaar or the Deranged Fisherman (1896) is a comedy featuring two well-known theater actors. The film is unfortunately considered lost to this day, but if you are nostalgic for silent cinema, you can discover for free online traces of the first Dutch feature film, De Levende Ladder, or The Living Ladder by Maurits Binger and Louis H. Chrispijn (1913). Telling the story of the forbidden love between a clown and a young village girl, this lost film is also visible today through an English reconstruction, restored at the Eye Film Institute. It was not until the 1930s that the first great Dutch figures of the seventh art, and more precisely of documentary cinema, emerged. The best known is undoubtedly Joris Ivens. A director who, at the time of the documentaries of the Belgian Henri Storck or the German Walter Ruttmann, also proposed an urban and committed cinema, celebrating progress while also questioning the social changes brought about by the industrial era. With short films such as De Brug (1912), Regen (1929) or Misère au Borinage
(1933), co-directed with Henri Storck, Joris Ivens became one of the great defenders of cinema as a weapon of defiance and struggle. His films were highly appreciated and he pursued an international career until the 1980s, before receiving a Golden Lion award for his body of work in 1988 in Venice.At the same time, Paul Verhoeven, who was fed up with the growing censorship and despite the success of the films Turks Fruit (1973), Spetters (1980) and De Vierde Man (1983), decided to emigrate to the United States. There he found international success with RoboCop (1987), Total Recall (1990) and of course Basic Instinct (1992) with Sharon Stone in the lead role. Among the more recent successes of the man who is probably the most followed Dutch filmmaker in the world, we find Elle (2016) with Isabelle Huppert, and the very recent Benedetta
(2021) with Virginie Efira and Lambert Wilson, a film that caused a sensation at the Cannes festival. Alongside this great figure, other artists have also marked the history of national cinema. Two directors won the Oscar for best foreign film: Fons Rademakers for De Aanslag or the Assault in 1986, Marleen Gorris for Antonia and Her Daughters in 1996 and Mike Van Diem for Karakter in 1998. More recently, animation filmmaker Michael Dudok de Wit was the first Dutchman to win a César and then an Oscar for best animated short film for his films The Monk and the Fish (1996) and Father and Daughter (2000). His feature film The Red Turtle (2016) was co-produced with Japanese animation studios Ghibli, resulting in a very poetic and beautiful film. Finally, let's not forget Anton Corbijn, who, after photographing British rock stars for the New Musical Express newspaper, has directed numerous music videos for Depeche Mode, among others. He is best known for his 2007 feature film Control, a biopic of the singer of Joy Division, presented at Cannes that same year.Some Hollywood moments in the Netherlands
Amsterdam has charmed producers and tourists alike over the past decades. From Sean Connery to Brad Pitt, Scarlett Johansson to Georges Clooney, all have stopped in the city for a few anthology scenes. Sean Connery played James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). You will find him in the film around the Magere Brug, along the Amstel canal, before he heads to 36 Reguliersgracht, the house that serves as the front of the apartment of Tiffany Case, one of the recurring Bond girls in the saga. To get into the shoes of Brad Pitt, George Clooney and the entire cast of Ocean's Twelve (2004), head to the Pulitzer Amsterdam on the Prinsengracht or the Kattenkabinet, and along the Herengracht. If you push outside the capital, the Haarlem train station and the city hall of The Hague were also used as settings for the film. During the 2010s, it was the worldwide success of Our Contrary Stars (2014) with Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley that brought thousands of tourists back to Amsterdam, so much so that tours are still available today. The bench on which the two lovers meet on Leidsegracht 4 was even stolen, but has since been replaced with a replica. You can also take a walk under the arches of the Rijksmuseum or - for the biggest fans of this touching story - take a room at the Sandton Hotel De Filosoof to immerse yourself in this moving film. The Rijksmuseum also appears in the Amsterdam portions of the less subtle The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017), which reunites Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds, a must-see for genre fans. Finally, go back north and take the time to savor the calm of the Ijsselmeer, the location of many films, the latest of which is none other than Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk (2017), which shoots some of the most beautiful scenes there, between sunset and hopeful planes.
Places and moments of cinema in the Netherlands
Whether you're looking for large complexes showing the latest blockbusters, or small charming neighborhood cinemas, the Netherlands is full of amazing cinemas, some of which are steeped in history. In Amsterdam, the Pathé Tuchinski, built in 1921 with an Art Deco facade, is probably the most beautiful cinema in the Netherlands. As far as festivals are concerned, go to Rotterdam for the IFFR, one of the biggest European events, awarding its Tiger awards every year between January and February. And for those who speak Vondel's language, the Dutch Film Festival is held every year in Utrecht. The Golden Calves, the equivalent of the Dutch Césars, are awarded for a production which, even if it is mainly destined for a local market, is nonetheless very interesting.
