Strike a Pose review – excitable reunion of Madonna’s dancers
Film-makers Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan seek out and reunite the backing dancers recruited by Madonna for her 1990 Truth or Dare tour and its accompanying documentary. This became a scandal for “backstage” footage of an all-male kiss, noted here as an under-remembered historical moment in gay openness.
Ruben van Leer’s opera film featured on NOWNESS
Amsterdam-based artist and director Ruben Van Leer’s latest film is a high-energy portrait of professional tenor and amateur boxer Frank Engel, made in collaboration with the Dutch National Opera with the aim of attracting a different audience into its drama-filled world. Here, Van Leer talks about the story behind the film.
‘Blessed Benefit’ TIFF film review: tongue-in-cheek recommendation
Blessed Benefit is a tongue-in-cheek recommendation for a brief stay in Jordan’s friendly prison system, described as far saner than life in the rest of the country. This well-made feature marks a successful move to narrative filmmaking for documaker Mahmoud al Massad, a Jordanian now based in Holland.
Jeroen Houben rediscovers the joy of luxury hotels
For Ludwig, the jaded hotel inspector at the centre Home Suite Home, hotels have become a chore to be critiqued and nitpicked rather than enjoyed, that is until he receives an unexpected wake-up call. DN invited Jeroen to share how he brought together world-class actors in a working hotel for his tale of a life rediscovered.
How JWT got a computer to paint ‘The Next Rembrandt’
In a fascinating merging of creativity and technology, the humans at J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam taught a computer to paint like Rembrandt. The resulting painting is a completely new portrait, not a replica, and it's indistinguishable from the real thing.
‘Home Suite Home’ featured on NOWNESS
An unexpected dinnertime encounter turns hotel living on its head. Amsterdam-based director Jeroen Houben talks about his film Home Suite Home, which follows an extraordinary day (and night) in the life of a longstanding hotel inspector.
KLM and Heineken offer Orange Experience
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Heineken invited people whose birthday is on 27 April to an Orange Experience on King’s Day. The guests came from all over the world. They were given a unique introduction to the Netherlands’ traditional celebrations of the King’s birthday.
A tour behind the scenes of the Blond Ambition show
Strike A Pose will soon be premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, and from what we can see so far, the documentary chronicling Madonna's backup dancers from her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour looks INCREDIBLE!
Film review: male dancers showcased by Madonna
A frank on-and-off-stage record of Madonna’s Blond Ambition World Tour, 1991’s “Truth or Dare” invited controversy for numerous reasons. A quarter-century later, directors Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan check back in with the surviving performers.