Sixth of May (Netherlands) Directed by Theo Van Gogh
Courtesy Embassy of Netherlands which will provide Dutch Apple Pie and the ‘Soldier of Orange’ cocktail

 

 

8pm, Thurs, October 15, 2009

Cover charge for non-members: 150 baht Pie/Cocktail - 150 baht (members & non-members

 

After screening dynamic Dutch director Theo van Gogh’s (pictured above) The Interview last year, we are proud to screen the sensational, last film he made before he was murdered by a Muslim militant in 2004.

The film is sensational because it portrays a real-life killing too, thus blurring the line between fact and fiction.

The film deals with the assassination of the charismatic, free-talking, libertine Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn, who was assassinated a few days before the national elections.

The openly ‘gay’ Dutch opposition leader had called Islam ‘backward.’

Van Gogh made a TV film called Submission which questioned Islam’s attitude to women.

‘Sixth of May’ opens with a photographer clicking pictures of a TV actress, only to hear shots, in the background and find himself caught in the scene of the politician’s assassination. Like any newshound, he’s determined to find the truth, only to find himself getting sucked into political intrigues involving the Dutch Secret Service, American businessmen and Turkish immigrants, even as he realizes that he and his teenage daughter’s lives are in danger.

The camera does not slow, the tension does not flag, in this sizzling thriller about politics, media, family, love, and relationships.
To honour the talented, late director and his much-talked-about last film, the Embassy of Netherlands will serve two speciality dishes - authentic Dutch Apple Pie (known as ‘Grandmother’s Pie’) and their unique ‘Soldier of Orange’ cocktail.

Don’t miss this unforgettable movie, in our Contemporary World Cinema Series.
Theo van Gogh was killed before the film was released, and the movie created waves, when it was first screened at the Rotterdam International Film Festival. It went on to create waves at festivals around the world- Toronto, Karlovy Vary, Moscow, Montreal, Jeonju , to name a few.

What the critics say -

Variety - “Spiked with classic action chases, the film keeps up a riveting pace.”

The Guardian - "A political thriller shot in a flashy, frenetic fashion reminiscent of Michael Mann's TV cop dramas."

Amazon.com - “As with all of Van Gogh's films, the acting is top-notch, the direction bold, and delivered in a semi-documentary style.”