Theo Van Gogh Still Keeps The Dutch Busy

AMSTERDAM -- More than two years after he was slain on the streets of Amsterdam -- on November 2004 -- maverick film-director Theo van Gogh still keeps the Dutch busy.

A monument in his honor will be erected March 18 in Amsterdam and an independent committee will -- on behalf of the Dutch parliament -- investigate the role of the Dutch secret service in failing to prevent the slaughter. Furthermore a German documentary, promising revealing facts about the local secret service AIVD, will be aired on national TV in March. Also, a biography on the Dutch enfant terrible is currently written.

Van Gogh's longtime producer Gijs van de Westelaken is looking forward to the European premiere of "Interview," directed by leading man Steve Buscemi. The film -- a remake of the original Van Gogh-film -- got its world premiere at the Sundance Festival.

According to Van de Westelaken (Column Prods.) "Interview" got a decent reception and was sold to at least 10 smaller territories.

In March and April the two other English-spoken remakes based on Van Gogh's work -- "Blind Date," directed by Bob Balaban, and "06," directed by Stanley Tucci -- will start shooting in the Netherlands.

"Originally we planned to shoot in America," Van de Westelaken said. "But for financial reasons it was better to bring everybody over to Holland. Besides that, most of the action takes place indoors. Unfortunately, we can not shoot in the studios that Theo used. It no longer exist."