Dirk van Weelden

Here is the English translation of the Waterstad typecast of march 8

Translation Water City

Back there, where the sun is rising, you can see the Ijsselmeer lake. Right now the city is still an island of lights surrounded and interspersed by water. Coming from the ocean a cruise ship visits te city. I was standing eighty meters above the city, on top of the tower of the former Shell building in tthe freezing wind. Ice between the pebbles on the roof.
Later we hung out on the quay with our camera crew. In the reflection of the low sun on the white flank of the same ship.
The rest of the day we navigated the river and the canals. I had a conversation with an architect who proposes to build tunnels under the canals. Six stories of fitness clubs, cinema’s, theatres, parking garages. Only bicycles in the streets, and an occasional ambulance or moving van.
Making his shots the cameraman stuck up his head too high above the boat. A low bridge hit his head and he disappeared into the canal, camera and all. Wet, upset and cold, but luckily unharmed, he was hoisted aboard. The police station provided shelter and warmth. The camera turned out to be a total loss. The disc with all the images and conversations could be saved.
A strange day that made my city appear mysterious and magnificent, but also familiar and small. Passing along the centuries old city mansions on the boat I was seduced to imagine an underground mirror city, invisible from streetlevel. Futurism to celebrate the old city and provide a new spirit. The shock of the cameraman falling overboard and the excruciating early start of this cold day helped to produce a dizzy spell when, that night, I tried to think of all of Amsterdam in one go.