The Speeltoren in Edam was about to fall over 50 years ago. It held the residents in its grip for a week. Fokke de Koe made an exciting documentary about this with a lot of original photo and film material. “It’s like being there. You feel the fear and tension.” The film will be broadcast on NH Nieuws today at 5.10 pm.
The young photographer Barton van Flymen was sent to Edam in early May 1972 to take pictures for Het Parool of the tower that was in danger of falling. “I had never been to Edam,” says Barton, who now lives in Edam. “I took some pictures of the tower and got into a conversation with the local residents. Heard and felt their enormous anxiety, panic and fear.” He stayed for several days and took hundreds of photos.
Marianne Jonkman, photographer born and raised in Edam was six when this happened. When she saw the photos in Barton’s archive, she became interested in the story. “Of all those photos, only two made the newspaper at the time.” Now the photos have been published for the first time. First in a book and exhibition and now in the documentary. The title 10 to 11 refers to the tower clock that stopped when the power went out.
In the documentary, those involved have their say and what is striking is that half a century later it still evokes so many emotions. Barton: “You have to imagine that if the tower had fallen, half of the historic downtown would have been wiped out.”