The Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen’s partners with Kingston’s independent cinema, The Screening Room, to present the award-winning documentary The New Rijksmuseum in a one-time-only showing on Wednesday 28 January, at 6 pm. This engrossing film follows the decade-long story of the refurbishment of Amsterdam’s beloved national museum, home to many paintings by the renowned Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn. Director Oeke Hoogendijk captures the travails of directors, curators, press officers, architects and government officials as they struggle to complete the visionary project. Even militant Amsterdam cyclists, fighting to maintain their favoured route through the 19^th-century building’s venerable arches, have their say. In spite of many bureaucratic setbacks, chronicled with sensitivity and humour in this engaging film, the museum re-opened in the spring of 2013, and art-lovers are again pouring in to admire the creations of the Dutch Golden Age.

The New Rijksmuseum is the 2014 winner of the Beeld en Geluid IDFA Award for Dutch Documentary, whose jurors praised it as “A wonderful portrait that lets art conquer the mechanics of adversity.”

Dr Stephanie S Dickey, Bader Chair in Northern Baroque Art, Art History Program, Queen’s University, will give a short introduction to the film, which is presented in conjunction with the Agnes exhibition Artists in Amsterdam.

The documentary is 216 minutes long, so will be shown with an intermission. Beer and wine will be available for this screening. $10 general admission / $8 seniors & students. Advance tickets can be purchased at: http://screeningroomkingston.com/special-event-the-new-rijksmuseum/ The Screening Room is located at 120 Princess Street, Kingston.

To read reviews of the film, please see www.filmstransit.com

For more information, please contact Pat Sullivan at (613) 533.2190 or pat.sullivan@queensu.ca.