De Kleine Blonde Dood
Date: 1993
Director: Jean van de Velde
Production Company: Verenigde Nederlandsche Filmcompagnie BV
Stars: Antonie Kamerling, Olivier Tuinier, Loes Wouterson, Gees Linnebank, Liz Snoyink, Yoran Hensel, Reinout Bussemaker, Ellen ten Damme
Location(s): Amsterdam
Region(s): Netherlands
Storyline:
Valentijn Boecke, a tortured poet, likes to wallow in a cliché pastiche of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Along the way he meets up with his former teacher Mieke and after brief relationship he leaves her. Shortly afterwards, Valentijn learns that they have a blond son and a strong bond begins to develop between the two of them.
Additional Information:
The partly autobiographical novel ‘De kleine blonde dood’ (The Little Blond Dead) by Boudewijn Buch was made accessible into a film by Van de Velde, with great financial success.
Rumour is that the writer of the novel, Boudewijn Buch, intended to go to see this film incognito, with sunglasses and a fake beard.
Screen captures and uncredited “now” shots by Frank van den Berg uploaded by Richard Lovejoy.
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- Capture 1
- 'Now' required
As a child, Valentijn Boecke (Yoran Hensel) has a school trip to the border of the Netherlands and Germany. Valentijn finds a rare butterfly on German ground and he wants to give it to his father who is a collector. However he is admonished by the German border patrol. Unknown location
- Capture 2
- 'Now' required
Once he gets home he gives the butterfly to his father, but when he hears the butterfly is from Germany he flares up in anger. His father (Gees Linnebank), mentioned only as the father of Valentijn, hits him, and it turns out that once during the second world war his father was some kind of hero from the Dutch resistance. Unknown location
- Capture 3
- 'Now' required
Valentijn's father is obsessed by his hate against the Germans and he even sets up roadblocks to irritate Germans by pretending to be a policeman who gives them a ticket for driving….. too slowly! Meanwhile, he scratches their cars. Unknown location
- Capture 4
- 'Now' required
In the more recent times Valentijn (Antonie Kamerling) is hitchhiking in the rain when a Citroen DS Break stops and picks him up. The driver of the car is his former teacher Mieke (Loes Wouterson). They have a passionate short affair and after that each goes their own way in life. Unknown location
- Capture 5
- 11 Jan 2022
Months later Mieke finds out where Valentijn lives and pays him a visit and tells him that she is pregnant. Valentijn is not amused by this news. De Ruijterkade 149, Amsterdam
This part of Amsterdam has been reconstructed seriously by the years but De Ruijterkade 149, the building on the right where Valentijn lives is a monument and has been preserved. It was built between 1899-1890 and was designed in a Neo-Dutch renaissance style and served as a fire station.
- Capture 6
- 'Now' required
Years later Mickey (Olivier Tuinier) is born and Valentijn, Mieke and Mickey are on a short holiday and the tension is cut between Valentijn and Mieke. Unknown location.
- Capture 7
- 11 Jan 2022
After the vacation Mieke drops off Valentijn at his home. It’s going well for Valentijn. He wins prizes, writes successful poetry and he can live the good life to the maximum. He wins a contract to translate the work from Charles Baudelaire which he refuses to sign. De Ruijterkade, Amsterdam
As said before there has been much reconstruction here and the ventilation pipes of the Ij tunnel are the only things that can now be recognised.
- Capture 8
- 11 Jan 2022
Harold (Reinout Bussemaker) is Valentijn’s best friend and he thinks he is crazy that he didn’t sign this contract. Amstelveld, Amsterdam
When Napoleon was in The Netherlands he slept in the palace on Damsquare but his horses were stabled on the Amstelveld, the square in front of the Amstelkerk and that is exactly this spot.
- Capture 9
- 11 Jan 2022
Harold confronts Valentijn with his lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. Amstelveld, Amsterdam
This shot could have been taken in 1993. Not much changed.
- Capture 10
- 11 Jan 2022
Because Mickey is having his birthday soon he buys him a big white cuddly polar bear. Zuiderkerkhof, Amsterdam
Another proof that trees do move slowly in Amsterdam!
- Capture 11
- 'Now' required
When he wants to celebrate his son’s birthday he finds out that Mieke had beaten up their son and so he takes Mickey away from his mother. Unknown location probably Artis, Amsterdam
- Capture 12
- 11 Jan 2022
Valentijn wants to organize a birthday party for his son with all the children of his class. Openluchtschool voor het gezonde kind, Cliostraat 40, Amsterdam
The same location can also be seen in the film 'Dutch in Seven Lessons' at Capture 11.
- Capture 13
- 'Now' required
He organises the party and buys chips and cola for all the children from Mickey's class but because the parents are hesitant towards Valentijn no one shows up. Openluchtschool voor het gezonde kind, Cliostraat 40, Amsterdam
- Capture 14
- 11 Jan 2022
After a performance outside of Amsterdam, Valentijn and Mickey return home. It is obvious that they are growing towards each other. De Ruijterkade 149, Amsterdam
After almost 30 years the same front door and house number plate remain.
- Capture 15
- 'Now' required
Valentijn takes Mickey to school and there he meets Mieke again. Openluchtschool voor het gezonde kind, Cliostraat 40, Amsterdam
- Capture 16
- 11 Jan 2022
Mieke is depressed now that she hardly sees Mickey any more. They talk about their relationship and it is a very, very stressful situation. When Valentijn comes home there is a funeral card delivered. His father passed away. Openluchtschool voor het gezonde kind, Cliostraat 40, Amsterdam
As in 1993 it was a sunny day when Frank took this shot.
- Capture 17
- 11 Jan 2022
Next day a package is delivered to his house that contains the personal possessions of his father, including a picture of the rare butterfly that Valentijn found when he was a child. De Ruijterkade 149, Amsterdam
Hardly recognisable because of all the plants but this is the same location as in 1993. While Frank was there they were building some skateboard ramps here. Maybe the postman has a new job.
- Capture 18
- 11 Jan 2022
Valentijn went to Paris for a performance and when he came back, to his surprise, Harold opens the door of his house with the message that Mickey fell off the stairs at Mieke’s house. De Ruijterkade 149, Amsterdam
In contrast with the 90’s the door was closed when Frank took this photo.
- Capture 19
- 11 Jan 2022
He rushes to the hospital to see how his son is doing. The doctor tells him that Mickey has a big tumour in his head and that they keep him in a coma but it is only a stay of execution. After a few months it becomes clear that there will be no progress whatsoever and with tears in his eyes he pulls out the life support plug. MC Slotervaart, Louwesweg 6, Amsterdam
Just before the pandemic of Covid-19 started they closed this huge hospital with no reason whatsoever. Maybe not the wisest decision that the city council of Amsterdam made. It is now a care center for the neighborhood but it would have been a great place for Covid-19 patients.
- Capture 20
- 'Now' required
The funeral is simple and sober and only Valentijn is there. Meanwhile we hear the song from 'Cuby and the Blizzards – AppleknockersFlophouse', a track that is heard, in many versions, throughout the whole film. Unknown location
- Capture 21
- 11 Jan 2022
Once outside he sees Mieke standing outside and they step on a bike and they cycle away. Intersection Weesperstraat and Nieuwe Prinsengracht, Amsterdam
It took Frank a while to figure out where this location in Amsterdam is, but because of the concrete building on the right on the original photo he thought this building could have been constructed on the ground they opened tocreate the subway of Amsterdam and he was right…