Red Light Blues

This documentary is about the Red Light district of Amsterdam, as it is going through radical, far-reaching changes, the consequences of which might be felt all over Europe.

Red Light Blues starts with the Red Light district’s Open Day, which was organized by Mariska Majoor (37), an ex prostitute who runs an information center on the Red Light district. This Open Day was sort of an idyllic reflection of paradise. All this was in total contrast to what was going on in the political corridors. Politicians and business people, for their close-mouthed reasons, were beginning to push for the closure of the Red Light District.

There’s a total freedom of religion in this particular world as the prostitutes and the clients don’t care a bit if you’re a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim or a Buddhist. The discrimination of color also doesn’t exist here. The Netherlands was the world’s first country to introduce the Law of Tolerance and thus the first country to stop treating prostitution in a hypocritical way. Until now.

The City reclaimed hundreds of windows, under the pretext that they were run by criminals, painted them all in white and rents them out to fashion designers.

We’ll attempt to understand what’s going on by talking with Amsterdam’s Mayor Mr. Job Cohen, with prostitutes and ex-prostitutes, with ordinary people, politicians, clergy people, police officers, sociologists, historians and tourist guides.

So, there is still hope. Red Light Blues is a light-hearted, straightforward (no hidden camera) documentary with a touch of poetic flair.