May 6th
Length: 02:00 Type of program: World Cinema
Directed by Theo van Gogh
Holland, 117 minutes
A radical Muslim took the life of outspoken Dutch director Theo van Gogh in November of 2004, when he was working on the final edit of his last film: May 6th. Ironically, May 6th is about another real political murder, that of the fast-rising right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn, who was running for Prime Minister. He was killed at the hands of an animal and environmental rights activist on May 6, 2002.
Theo van Gogh offers a conspiracy theory using the bare facts of Fortuyn’s murder as the seeds of this mercurial thriller. While on a promotional shoot with an actress, photojournalist Jim De Booy accidentally catches an image of Fortuyn’s murderer on film, and begins to delve into the crime. Jim teams up with Ayse, a young Arab woman who is a former member of the animal rights group that claimed responsibility for the assassination, and unearths a governmental-industrial conspiracy against Fortuyn.
May 6th offers a fascinating look at Dutch society, where from van Gogh’s perspective, a façade of liberal social policy and laissez faire attitudes mask deeper, darker undercurrents.
To be released on DVD by KOCH Lorber Films in March 2007. To learn more about this film, visit May 6th's official site.
CINEMONDO
This film is part of Link TV’s new world cinema series Cinemondo, premiering entertaining and award-winning foreign films from some of the world’s most talented directors. For a full list of films, click here.
