Ahmed Aboutaleb, the mayor of Rotterdam, is still personally involved in the TV series Flikken Rotterdam. “They come and have a cup of coffee with me every year,” he says.
It is important for Ahmed Aboutaleb that there is also a certain media and film presence in his city of Rotterdam. The red carpet was laid out when the makers of Flikken Maastricht also wanted to make an edition in the port city. And after all these years – the Rotterdam edition has been running for seven seasons – that has still not changed.
Rotterdamned
Cop actor Huub Stapel and Aboutaleb sat at the table together last night Renze. The actor is coming up with a sequel to the classic film Amsterdamned. Host Renze Klamer: “I’m thinking about Amsterdamned 2… Of course we also have a mayor from another port city here.”
Aboutaleb responds: “Rotterdamned! Yes… I know that film, I saw it as a youngster in that period. Fantastic to see, so yes, if you want to do it again in Amsterdam, then I understand if it needs a sequel. But sixty kilometers away there is of course also a beautiful city with lots of water.”
‘A bit difficult’
Huub leaves the door ajar. “It seems that they are a bit more difficult with permits in Amsterdam these days, so we can play Femke and Ahmed against each other.”
Renze: “But you would like it in Rotterdam?”
Aboutaleb: “Well, of course another series is being filmed in Rotterdam, Flikken Rotterdam. I have one conversation there every year with the producer who comes along and says: ‘I’m going to make a new series again.’ Then he comes to me for a cup of coffee and then I direct him to one of my employees.”
Blowing up bridge
Rotterdam is very easy to do this, says Aboutaleb. “The nice thing about it is that it is not just an employee sitting at a desk, but also on set. It comes along. I don’t know how things work in Amsterdam, but he has the mandate to simply arrange things with the producer in the public space.”
Renze jokes: “Blow up the Erasmus Bridge, anything?”
Aboutaleb: “No, it must remain intact.”
750 years
However, Aboutaleb thinks that there is little chance that the sequel of Amsterdamded will be shot in Rotterdam. “I understand very well that because part one was in Amsterdam, that it has an Amsterdam character, with those beautiful canals, that you say: ‘We will also do part two there.’ But if you decide otherwise…”
Huub: “I’ll take it with me.”
He seems to be going for the capital: “In 2025, Amsterdam will be 750 years old and then it should be in the cinema.”