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Natasja Gibbs interviews Machiel Amorison and Florence Rapati: “She’s been dead for over a century, but Mata Hari is still famous all over the world. Who was the woman behind the myth? This researches the American-Dutch documentary ‘Mata Hari, The Naked Spy’, which can now be viewed online. We discuss it with director Machiel Amorison and dancer Florence Rapati.” Watch Now
“She is still an example for many women today” Haarlem 105.nl, Nov. 3 2020
The American-Dutch documentary / feature film ‘Mata Hari, The Naked Spy’, made by the Haarlem filmmaker Machiel Amorison and the American filmmaker Susan Wolf, premiered online. The intention was that the film would be shown in various Dutch cinemas around this time, but the corona pandemic prevented that. Via the internet people can now watch the life story of the Dutch dancer and prostitute, who was shot in France in 1917 because the French suspected her of espionage during the First World War.
Special personality
The idea for the film came from Amorison. For years he had been fascinated by the person Mata Hari, who was born in Leeuwarden in 1876 as Margaretha Zelle. Amorison’s great-great-grandmother was in Mata Hari’s class, he tells Haarlem105. “The stories had circulated in the family for years. As a child, Mata Hari was shown to be notable for her different clothing and extraordinarily charismatic behavior. So she was a special personality from the start. ”
“Mata Hari was the most famous dancer in Europe for seven years”
Read more: https://haarlem105.nl/film-over-mata-hari-van-haarlemse-filmmaker-in-premiere/
About the Film
“Mata Hari – The Naked Spy” celebrates the power we have to re-invent our own lives.
Filmmakers Machiel Amorison and Susan Wolf set out to create a film that would unravel the complex story of Mata Hari, explore what shaped her character and acknowledge Mata Hari’s creativity, courage and intelligence. Newly discovered letters give genuine voice to her struggles as an abused wife and shed new light on her role as a mother.
“With the #Me Too wave that has swept the country, we have to ask what has changed in the 100 years since Mata Hari? The answer is not nearly as much as we would hope,” said Susan Wolf, Director. “Mata Hari was seeking sexual freedom, artistic expression and the right to control her own life – things that women today still strive to attain. In the end she paid dearly, with her life.”
The film, an international co-production between Susan Wolf in California and Machiel Amorison in Amsterdam, was primarily shot in the Netherlands where Mata Hari was born and lived much of her life. Shooting in the Netherlands provided distinct advantages regarding authenticity and access to original materials. Interviews were shot in Paris, the Netherlands, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. The voice over with renowned Dutch actress, Thekla Reuten, was recorded in Amsterdam while Susan Wolf and editor, Bob Sarles, directed from a studio in CA. In spite of the distance and nine hour time difference, thanks to technology, the filmmakers were able to take advantage of the best each side of the world has to offer.
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