Ruigoord – Een Kosmisch Lek

Description

Ruigoord, the village on the outskirts of Amsterdam that was once squatted by hippies, is the oldest cultural free space in the Netherlands. It has continually reinvented itself and managed to save itself twice from Amsterdam’s expansion plans. In 2023, Ruigoord celebrates its 50th anniversary, but what should be a festive highlight could also become its swan song. The port of Amsterdam plans to use the surrounding oil tanks for storing green hydrogen to facilitate Amsterdam’s energy transition. Hydrogen is quite explosive, putting the entire village in a danger zone. Will the cosmic gateway – to which the Ruigoorders attribute the magic surrounding the village – provide relief? How does the community deal with this contradiction, having fought for free space since the 1970s? These complex issues arise as they approach the celebration of their 50th anniversary.