6/5 THE SIXTH OF MAY European Film Showcase

The line between reality and fiction is blurred in 06/05, the compelling final film from Theo van Gogh. Based on the book by Thomas Ross, the film is van Gogh’s version of events leading to the assassination of popular Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn in 2002. Ironically, the controversial Dutch filmmaker was also murdered-shot and stabbed by a Muslim extremist allegedly motivated by SUBMISSION, van Gogh’s 2004 documentary about the abuse of Muslim women.

The film begins with Fortuyn’s assassination, and a curious news photographer (Thijs Romer) coincidentally at the scene who risks everything in hopes of unraveling the conspiracy. As he searches for the truth, his investigation leads him to Aisa (Taro Elders), a Turkish immigrant and former political prisoner somehow linked to the plot. Who had the most to gain from Fortuyn’s death?

The film’s historic accuracy will continue to be debated, but there is no denying 06/05’s effectiveness as a taut, thought-provoking thriller. Comparisons to MEDIUM COOL are also inevitable. Just as Haskell Wexler played out his docudrama on the real stage of the 1968 Democratic Convention, van Gogh intelligently incorporates fictional elements with with archival footage of Fortuyn and actual newscasts to create an absorbing, often cynical, sociopolitical commentary.