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11/1 Jurists want to stay in Oudemanhuispoort

8/2 Mayor’s portrait

8/2 Websites for social cohesion

7/2 Spreading tourism proceeds with difficulty

7/2 GroenLinks on districts: Be a man

6/2 Zuideramstel opens new office on Sabbath

5/2 The truth about integration

4/2 Wilders has little support on Amsterdam

3/2 Elite involved in neighbourhood

2/2 Johnnie Walker avoids taxes in Amsterdam

1/2 Rotterdam to tinker with district councils as well

31/1 Wooden rowing boats to disappear from Amstel

31/1 ZeeburgTV launched

27/1 Privacy activists to mess up loyalty card system

27/1 A few were still coughing, but that was an act

27/1 Chrisis in de Baarsjes

26/1 Youth have positive view of districts

24/1 Action groups call for Carmel and Jaffa boycott

24/1 PvdA members dismiss plan for districts

23/1 KLM takes on crisis with new uniform

23/1 District office not squatted

21/1 Merge districts

20/1 Closing squat bar Vrankrijk not necessary

20/1 Cleaners welcome new Schiphol director

18/1 Palestine at the Jewish Historical Museum

18/1 What is the right size for a district?

17/1 PvdA Oost against fewer districts

16/1 Committee: 7 districts by 2010

15/1 Soldiers may attend Afghanistan debate after all

15/1 Bait bike leads to arrest

14/1 Youth for Christ to republish vacancies

13/1 Paintings of the Zuidas

13/1 New Youth for Christ contoversy

11/1 Social cohesion initiative raises eyebrows

10/1 Fewer districts in 2010

10/1 Zuidas: People feel that we are losers

9/1 Fun on the ice - but not for all

9/1 Supermarket coupon fraud thwarted

9/1 I Amsterdam must remain exclusive

8/1 Use term Apartheid in every discussion

8/1 No city kiosk in Amsterdam yet

7/1 Snow

7/1 Fatima Elatik to run Zeeburg

7/1 Municipal managers to return to shop floor

4/1 Police: take photo of strange people

3/1 Gaza protest criticises politicians

1/1 Thousands to protest against attacks on Gaza

1/1 Mustapha Laboui leaves district council

 

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We are living in a heavy metal world

11 October 2008 - A group of Iraqi Metallica fans decided to form a heavy metal band called Acrassicauda. Why heavy metal? "Look around. We are living in a heavy metal world". A documentary about the group will open the International Amsterdam Film Festival next Thursday.

'Heavy metal in Baghdad' is a somewhat chaotic but intriguing documentary about the band, but also about everyday life in Baghdad and the impact of the US-led invasion. Now and then, fleeting images reveal what a beautiful city Baghdad must have been.

When the band started out under the Saddam Hussein regime, a representative of the Culture and Media Ministry told them that they would have to play at least one song for Saddam, or they would be sent to jail. Reluctantly, the band obliged: "Follow our leader, Saddam Hussein, we'll make them fall, we'll drive them insane".

Fans were afraid to do any headbanging, for the authorities might mistake the movement of their heads for a suspect form of prayer, because it looks a bit like the way in which Jews pray.

After the invasion, things did not get any better. A grenade blew up the band's practice place and people still cannot say or wear what they want.

The band members moved to Syria, where Iraqis were not welcome and life was even worse than in Iraq. Since, they moved to Istanbul. Their friends from Baghdad are either dead, have left the country or have disappeared from sight.

International Amsterdam Film Festival

 

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