Dutch Film So Explicit It Was Buried for Decades Now Screens in Every Cinema Simultaneously, Ushers Issued Blindfolds
A long-suppressed Dutch film has been released in every cinema at once, with ushers handing out blindfolds and the projectionist union demanding hazard pay.
AMSTERDAM — A Dutch film so explicit it sat in a vault for decades was released in every cinema in the country on the same afternoon, with ushers instructed to hand out blindfolds at the door and projectionists demanding hazard pay before threading the first reel.
The film, which had been locked away since its star walked off set and never returned, was finally screened after a coalition of archivists, cinema owners and one very determined projectionist spent three years restoring the reels by hand. The restoration team wore gloves for the entire process and refused to describe the footage in writing, communicating instead through a series of increasingly alarmed hand gestures.
By the second week, every cinema in the Netherlands had adopted a uniform policy: audiences were admitted only in groups of two, seated at least four rows apart, and required to sign a form confirming they had not previously seen the film. The form was one page. Nobody read it.
The projectionist union has since negotiated a new contract classifying the film as «continuous occupational exposure», entitling operators to rotate every twenty minutes and to a free bucket of ice. A spokesperson for the cinema association said the arrangement was «workable» and that ticket sales had exceeded expectations, though he declined to say by how much, citing the blindfolds.
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