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Jaap Mees

Filmmaker and journalist. For more visual and textual information see my site www.free-spirits-film.eu

Comfort from a bygone era. A short film about the Gouda multi-media project 'Why are things going well in your life'?

In 2016, photographer and visual artist Jaap van den Berg initiated a special project in Gouda. In the historical centre on the Market Square, he asked various people from all walks of life the question: Why are things going well in your life? People who answered the question were then photographed by Van den Berg. 140 portraits were chosen 

Because there are also just little creatives with a story: 'Zuheir, born glassblower'.

The absurdity of the pandemic is slowly sinking in, but still remains unfathomable. We will keep you updated on developments. But the bow cannot always be tight. Sometimes a moment of attention is needed, for the beauty people are capable of. Therefore, a short film about glassblower Zuheir Alkazzaz who fled Syria because... 

Morgan Knibbe does not shy away from heavy subjects: 'film is an empathy machine.'

In 2014, Morgan Knibbe (1989) made the short film Shipwreck, about the aftermath of a horrific shipwreck on the coast of Lampedusa in which 350 refugees drowned. Shortly afterwards, he made his first feature-length documentary, also about refugee issues: 'Those Who Feel the Burning'. This very impressive, original and visually strong film was one of the best Dutch films of the last... 

Peter Brook: everything in the universe can be extraordinary.

In the early 1990s, I am sitting in a small auditorium at The National Theatre in London. Before the performance starts, someone on stage asks if you want to greet the visitors next to you. This immediately creates a different, more intimate dynamic in the auditorium. On a tight stage with only a few props are four actors and an Arab musician. Yoshi Oida... 

Master painter Henk Helmantel honours the creation story: 'I don't have the impression that I make old-fashioned paintings. My work fits well in modern interiors.'

Museum Gouda will soon show the exhibition Faith, Harmony and Silence by master painter Henk Helmantel. In 2008, he was named artist of the year. At the same time, there are major exhibitions by Helmantel in Gorssel and in Taiwan. His paintings are characterised by a gossamer texture, careful composition and sophisticated lighting. As subjects, he often chooses still lifes and tranquil... 

At Boijmans, pay special attention to Leonora Carrington (and go crazy for surrealism)

Museum Boymans van Beuningen in Rotterdam hosts the largest exhibition in Europe of Surrealists. Famous names like Salvador Dali, René Magritte, Max Ernst, Man Ray, Paul Delvaux and Roland Penrose. But also lesser-known gods like the outstanding Leonora Carrington and Francis Picabia. In 1970, the world-famous surrealist Salvador Dali visited the Boymans museum in person.... 

Director Olivier Assayas: 'Filmmaking can be learned in a few weeks' #iffr2017

The Jurriaanse zaal in de Doelen is the setting for a Masterclass by French filmmaker Olivier Assayas (1955), an old friend of the International Film Festival Rotterdam. His is the following typical quote: 'Filming the face of an actor is, in my opinion, the most powerful thing cinema is capable of. If the frame is right, if... 

Jim Jarmusch with Paterson already one of the toppers of 'Rotterdam' #iffr

The International Film Festival Rotterdam(IFFR)'s famous Tiger logo has been changed into a colourful IFFR Planet, in which, with a little effort, the tiger can still be found. That colourful is also reflected in the programming. I am looking for the finest gems from the programme. From the USA comes 'Paterson', vintage Jim Jarmusch. But there... 

Gerard de Kleijn makes Museum Gouda more accessible

Gerard de Kleijn is leaving on 1 February after six years as director at Museum Gouda. The flamboyant, eloquent and erudite director leaves behind a financially and artistically healthy Museum for his successor Marc de Beyer. De Kleijn made the museum more accessible to Gouda residents and art lovers from outside the historic city. In 2016, the museum attracted around 40,000... 

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