Amsterdam Global Village, Johann van er Keuken, Netherlands, 1996, 245'

CLAIRE SIMON: CARTE BLANCHE 
Amsterdam Global Village, Johann van er Keuken, Netherlands, 1996, 245'

A documentary in which Van der Keuken portrays his city and its people together with his wife and sound technician Noshka. The viewer follows Khalid, the bridging figure of the film, a young courier who goes around the city delivering films and photos. Van der Keuken returns to the remote origins of certain characters: he follows Chechen businessman Borz Ali to war-torn Grozny; he accompanies Robert to his hometown in Bolivia to visit his mother, who believed him dead; he films Thai boxing in Amsterdam and in a Thai village. He also shows miscegenation with a funeral ceremony and a dance at the Ashantis' home, Chinese children in an Amsterdam school learning the alphabet. A journey around the world, in their own homeland.