Belgium to screen van Gogh’s last film

26 November 2004

BRUSSELS – The last film made by murdered Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh will be shown in Belgian cinemas at the end of February.

0605 was made by the Dutch journalist and film-maker before he was murdered on November 2 and is based on the novel De zesde mei by Tomas Ross.

It traces the life of Pim Fortuyn, the Dutch populist politician who was killed by an animal rights activist nine days before the country’s 2002 general election.

Fortuyn, who was earlier this month voted the greatest Dutchman of all time, was predicted to make major gains in the poll.

The film is being distributed by the Ghent company Lumiere in a deal sealed six months ago with the film’s Dutch distributor Video Film Express.

0605 will also be shown in the French-speaking part of Belgium for the first time.

Until now, Theo van Gogh was only well-known in Flanders.

The political work could stir up more emotions in the light of tensions surrounding the death of van Gogh.

Van Gogh was an outspoken personality and his film Submission about the role of the woman in the Muslim world proved controversial.

A Dutch Moroccan is suspected of van Gogh’s murder, a crime which has led to concerns about Islamic extremism and a wave of anti-Muslim revenge attacks in The Netherlands.

The unease has also been felt among Holland’s neighbours, particularly in Dutch-speaking Belgium, where the extreme right-wing party Vlaams Belang has won a lot of support for its racist views.

0605 screens in van Gogh’s native Netherlands next month and will be premiered on the Internet.

Clips of the film are already up on the site www.0605defilm.nl

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject: Belgian news