Wikipedia

Amsterdam Stories USA

Amsterdam Stories USA is a 2012 documentary film and road movie directed by Dutch filmmakers Rob Rombout and Rogier van Eck.[1] It was produced by Hubert Toint and Jean-Jacques Neira of Belgium-based film production company, Saga Film. The premiere was aired in Amsterdam at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in November 2012 and at Bozar in January 2013.[2]

Amsterdam Stories USA
Directed by
Written by
Produced by
  • Hubert Toint
  • Jean-Jacques Neira
CinematographyBenjamin Wolf
Edited by
  • Fanny Roussel
  • Alice de Matha
  • Frédéric Dupont
Music byHughes Maréchal
Production
company
Saga Film
Release date
  • November 2012 (2012-11)
Running time
360 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film traces the history, culture, and lives of 15 small American towns, all named Amsterdam.[3][4] The places explored are New York City (New Amsterdam), Amsterdam New York, Amsterdam Pennsylvania, Amsterdam Ohio, Amsterdam Virginia, Amsterdam Georgia, Amsterdam Mississippi, Amsterdam Texas, Amsterdam Indiana, Amsterdam Wisconsin, Amsterdam Iowa, Amsterdam Missouri, Amsterdam Montana, Amsterdam Idaho, and Amsterdam California.[5]

The film runs a total of six hours (360 minutes) which are divided into four ninety-minute chapters named East, South, Midwest, and West.[6] It is the second film in a trilogy that is mainly concerned with places, towns, islands, and people named Amsterdam. It is preceded by Amsterdam via Amsterdam and succeeded by Amsterdam Black & White.

Background

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The idea of Amsterdam Stories USA was spawned when the filmmakers presented another film, Amsterdam via Amsterdam, in the United States. They noticed fifteen other Amsterdams in the country and when they lined them up on a map, they formed a linear route from coast to coast. They decided they would shoot a road movie capturing the same. They opted to start in New York and finish in California with Rombout scouting the New York area while van Eck visited California. Four shoots spanning six weeks each were made. East and West were filmed first followed by South and Midwest. The whole work spread over two years. Initially, the length of the whole film was not determined but the initial project with RTBF was meant to be two hours long at maximum. On completing the first assembly, there were six hours and Wilbur Leguèbe, the then head of documentary co-productions at RTBF, decided to program it in four ninety-minute chapters.

Rombout and van Eck, while playing themselves, travel by car around the United States, making fifteen stops at different towns, villages, and cities that have or have had the name Amsterdam. Whereas there is not much in common among these places, they are all similar in origin having been founded by Dutch explorers. The film draws an imaginary geography linking Amsterdam to Amsterdam landscapes with the way of life of the people who occupy them. Crossing from east to west and north to south, the film shows the native nature of each landscape and the signs of the people who lived in it and shaped them over time. As the filmmakers traversed through the cities, towns, and villages, they made intermittent stops to interview the inhabitants who recount their lives, memories, and experiences.[7] About fifty stories are collected.

The cinematography, by Benjamin Wolf, used a Canon 5D digital camera and employed close-up shooting. Blur was introduced in their images where they would interview a speaker, make a close-up shot, and finish with a tracking shot from their moving car, drowning the subject into a blur. In terms of lighting and staging, interviewees were put in a semi-dark environment and near the camera for close-up filming. Light was illuminated only half of the subjects' face laterally, creating a chiaroscuro. The framing and lighting isolated the characters from their environment by creating a penumbra.

The filmmakers were partly mentored by Russell Banks who met them in Ohio. Banks opined that the documentary would change its audience's personality and view of America and challenged the directors to choose images that could reveal the lives, needs, and fears of the people they filmed. The fifty stories successfully met this challenge thanks to their characteristic balance between information and emotion. Various themes are addressed including the Vietnam War, the Civil rights movement, the assassination of John F. Kennedy.[5] The theme of the American Dream also features in the filming with Rombout and van Eck asking witnesses about the same. The setting is thought to have caused discomfort and episodes of silence during interviews, leading to reflection and encouraging deep thinking about the history, way of life, and vision of America. From observations collected in the stories, it is evident that not all Americans get the opportunity to escape the social conditions of their lives such as racism.

Rob Rombout's work on the movie played a significant role in bolstering his career as a documentary filmmaker. The film showcased Rombout's storytelling abilities and his talent for uncovering compelling narratives in seemingly ordinary locations. The documentary's success allowed Rombout to establish a reputation for creating thought-provoking, visually engaging, and thematically rich films. This achievement contributed to his artistic growth as a filmmaker, paving the way for further exploration of diverse themes and storytelling techniques in his subsequent projects.

Films

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Film Release date Places involved Director(s) Producer(s) Production Company(s)
East 2012 New York City

New York

Pennsylvania

Ohio

Rob Rombout

Rogier van Eck

Hubert Toint

Jean-Jacques Neira

Wilbur

Saga Film

Wallone Image Production

RTBF

South Virginia

Georgia

Mississippi

Texas

Midwest Indiana

Wisconsin

Iowa

Missouri

West Montana

Idaho

California

Cast and crew

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Cast

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  • Edgar Oliver
  • Rick Salazar
  • Brom Cole
  • Elinor Tatum
  • Tony Jr
  • Michael Botwinick
  • William Staats
  • Len Tantillo
  • Bob Cudmore
  • Susan Phemister
  • Stephen Haven
  • Linda Morell
  • Lee McCoy
  • Robert Pebbles Jr
  • Cheryl Pebbles
  • Russell Banks
  • Cindy Kelly
  • Cathy Kelly
  • Marty Wright
  • Walt Prysbilla
  • Dennis Gallagher
  • Jarrod Teeters
  • David Teeters
  • Dustin Teeters
  • Adrian Cronauer
  • Katherine Camper Harris
  • Mary -Anne Roder Obensemart
  • Leigh & Walter Lacy
  • Nickie Zeakes Hawkins
  • Jack Wingate
  • Jacquelyn Wingate
  • Jackson F. Wingate -Ruff
  • Sheriff Wiley Griffin
  • Myron Mixon
  • Frank & Jesse James
  • Kevin Hollis
  • Helen Brooks
  • Val McKnight
  • Nancy Duren
  • William D. Montgomery
  • Charles Evers
  • Jacqueline Salen
  • Johan Salen
  • Derek W. Shoobridge
  • Bob Johnson
  • Raymond E. Cotner Junior Andy
  • Shaffer Mary
  • Faye Shaffer Sven
  • Amsterdam Pauline
  • Williams Nancy
  • Stoll Mike
  • Caucutt Brian
  • Beard Kit
  • Mayer
  • Kathryn Mayer
  • Timothy Jacobson
  • Napoléon Bonaparte
  • Ray Bassett
  • Sabrina Brie Hendersen
  • Steven Thomas
  • Phil Scriver & John Toenyes
  • Pastor Jack
  • Chesney Sherman
  • Robert Amsterdam
  • Alex Kunkle
  • Don Peeters
  • Gerrit Peeters
  • The people of the Shoshone Paiute Reservation
  • Veronica Alvarado
  • Moon Asked
  • Peter Cook

Additional crew and production details

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Film Crew/detail
Producer(s) Executive Producer Editor(s) Cinematographer(s) Production Company
East

Hubert Toint, & Jean-Jacques Neira

Marie-Sophie Volkenner

Fanny Roussel, Alice de Matha, & Frédéric Dupont

Benjamin Wolf Saga Film
South
Midwest
West

Reception

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Critical and public response

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Amsterdam Stories USA did not receive much media coverage. However, RTBF broadcast it in the years 2013, 2015, and 2017.[2] The film has also received a number of screenings in festivals.

According to Michael Pattison, the non-interventionist approach used by the filmmakers where they would allow interviewees to speak without interruption left them to say anything wild without questioning. He also notes that, although the film is twice as long as it should have been, it hardly talks about the capitalistic nature of American life.[5]

The film is also unavailable on US streaming services.[8]

Awards, festivals, and nominations

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Awards Won

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Year Award Event Place
2013 Winner Audience award for Best Feature film[9][10] Lisbon International Independent Film Festival Portugal

Festivals and nominations

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Year Festival/nomination Place
2012 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam[11] Amsterdam
Private preview at the American Club Brussels[12] Brussels, Belgium
2013 Festival of the Amazing Travelers Rennes, France
International Festival of Ethnological Film[13] Belgrade, Serbia
Francophone Cinema Fortnight Paris, France
Festival Aux Ecrans du Réel Le Mans, France
IndieLisboa Lisbon International Independent Film Festival[14][15] Lisbon, Portugal
International Festival of Books and Films "Étonnants Voyageurs” Saint-Malo, France
Nominated for documentary of the month Paris, France
2014 Taiwan International Documentary Festival[16] Taiwan
4th Magritte Awards[17][18] Mont des Arts, Brussels
2015 Guest at the national studio for contemporary arts, Fresnoy France
2016 Tiburon International Film Festival[19] US
2017 11th Annual KAFFNY[20] New York City, US
Special presentation at the John Adams Institute (Netherlands)[21] Amsterdam
2018 The Short Long World Festival[22] Corrientes, Argentina

References

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  1. ^ Amsterdam Stories USA (2012) – IMDb, retrieved 25 March 2023
  2. ^ a b "Amsterdam Stories USA". Amsterdam Stories USA. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  3. ^ Film-documentaire.fr. "Amsterdam Stories USA". www.film-documentaire.fr (in French). Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  4. ^ "AMSTERDAM STORIES USA". Wallonie Image Production (in French). Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Pattison, Michael. "Amsterdam Stories USA (2012) Movie Review from Eye for Film". www.eyeforfilm.co.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Amsterdam Stories USA". IDFA. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  7. ^ "The American Club of Brussels – Amsterdam Stories USA". www.americanclubbrussels.org. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  8. ^ Amsterdam Stories USA (Movie, 2012) - MovieMeter.com, retrieved 26 March 2023
  9. ^ Amsterdam Stories USA, retrieved 26 March 2023
  10. ^ "IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival (2013)". IMDb. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  11. ^ N, Alok b; i (5 January 2013). "Amsterdam Stories USA – nandi.mobi". Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  12. ^ "The American Club of Brussels – Amsterdam Stories USA". www.americanclubbrussels.org. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  13. ^ "International Festival of Ethnological Film – Schedule". etnofilm.org. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  14. ^ "IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival 2013". MUBI. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  15. ^ "IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival (2013)". IMDb. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival (2014)". IMDb. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  17. ^ "Magritte Awards, Belgium (2014)". IMDb. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Magritte 2014: a more open edition". Cineuropa – the best of european cinema. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  19. ^ "Tiburon International Film Festival". www.tiburonfilmfestival.com. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  20. ^ Cinema, KAFFNY Infinite. "KAFFNY Infinite Cinema 2017 Returns to Brooklyn for 11th Year on Saturday October 14th". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Event Archives". John Adams Institute (Netherlands). Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  22. ^ "Official Selection 2° SLWF". SLWF, 7th Short Long World Festival, Corrientes, Argentina 2023 (in Spanish). 7 November 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
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