Transit Levantkade / The Ants

1/ TRANSIT LEVANTKADE

Stylised documentary portrait of the Amsterdam Levantkade a quay in Amsterdam's old doc area, and the 'urban nomands' who in the late eighties sought refuge in this no-man's-land now cleared. In the twenties Levantkade was a gateway for Eastern European emigrants on their way to South America. In the eighties Levantkade became a haven for drop-outs, for foreigners and the homeless people who lived here on a different planet until the police came to clear the area with wreckers. The film shows these 'urban indians' in documentary form, interspersed with archive material about immigrants dating from 1926.

2/ THE ANTS
The film traces the feelings of a woman living in a farm house in Italy. The woman tries to establish her daily rhythm. We see magnified pictures of her surroundings, particularly of insects. In one of her childhood memories-an Alsatian dog licks a girl’s heel between her legs. In a dream she stands naked in a pit that could be a grave. Some of the shots convey a sense of menace and introspection. Thanks to the measured performance by Marion van Wijk, superb lighting, black & white photography and well balanced editing, the Ants is a highly compelling and evocative film. (Alex de Ronde)

1: 75min

Dutch / German / English / Italian

subtitles: English / Dutch / German

2: 30min

no dialogue