Understanding Dutch film culture: A comparative approach

Abstract

In terms of cinema attendance, the Netherlands has always differed from other European countries. During the first decade of permanent film exhibition "a crucial phase in cinema's development as a mass medium" the movies failed to gain a firm foothold in Dutch society. After a discussion of the prevailing explanations for the low provision of cinemas in the Netherlands, this article develops a comparative analytical framework to better assess the regional dynamics at work within Dutch film culture. In particular, it looks at cinemagoing in the industrialised countryside, combining a qualitative examination of the local social and cultural infrastructure with a quantitative analysis of census data. The agro-industrial North Eastern part of Groningen and the mining district in the South of Limburg are singled out because in both regions we witness a very high density of film venues, suggesting metropolitan patterns in cinema attendance.

Keywords

• netherlands
• film exhibition
• cinema development
• dutch film culture
• industrialised countryside
• agro-industrial
• groningen
• south of limburg