| Erasmus Huis, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. S-3, 12950 Jakarta, 021-5241069, free admission Wednesday, 19 Mey 2010, 19.30
Film, Booklaunching and Opening Drawings Exhibition "Cheese"
Dick Matena
219 drawings Kaas (Cheese) is a brief novel and a classic by Willem Elsschot, a Flemish author. It was published in 1933, has been reprinted many times and was translated into
various languages. In 2008 Dutch artist Dick Matena made 219 drawings to accompany the novel, which became a cartoon novel in the process. The original drawings by Dick Matena have been made available by the Cultural Centre deBuren (Brussels) for an exhibition at Erasmus Huis. The exhibition will be introduced by Willem Bongers, an expert on Elsschot. Before the opening a new translation of the novel Keju, will be launched by PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama. The translator is Jugiarie Soegiarto. Dick Matena: Dick Matena was born in 1943 and has been an artist all his life. In 1968 his first comic strip was published. He became popular in 1963 after his comic strip version of the novel De Avonden (The Evenings) by the popular author Gerard Reve was published. Matena also illustrated other classic Dutch novels: Kort Amerikaans (Short American, by Jan Wolkers, 2006) and Kaas (Cheese) and Het Dwaallicht (The Wildfire, both by Willem Elsschot, 2008).Matena does not make illustrations for books, he illustrates the whole book.The whole text is incorporated into his drawings. According to Matena: I do not make literary comic strips, I use literature to make comic strips. He calls his books stories in pictures. Matenas complete set of original drawings are lent out to the Erasmus Huis by the Flemish-Dutch centre deBuren (Brussels). Kaas (Cheese): Kaas by Willem Elsschot was published in 1933 and is a popular book. It has been translated into thirteen languages. Four new translations are currently being prepared. In 1948 a translation into Indonesian was published. In 2010 a new translation will be launched by Gramedia Pustaka Utama. Kaas tells the story of the subordinate office worker Frans Laarmans, who works at a shipbuilding company and one day decides to change his life. He becomes a representative for Belgium and Luxembourg of an Amsterdam based cheese company and ends up with thousands of kilos of cheese, which he can not sell. At his wits end, he sends back the cheese and goes back to his old office. It is a classic story of failure and too high ambitions. Willem Elsschot: Willem Elsschot is the pseudonym of Alfons de Ridder (1882-1960), who was born and later also died in Antwerp. He worked at a number of trade firms, gaining experience which he later incorporated into Kaas. He also wrote poetry. His Collected Works was published in 1957 and reprinted in 2007. Elsschot is one of the most important Belgian authors in Dutch literature. Villa des Roses and Kaas have been translated into Indonesian. Dutch Director Orlow Seunke made a movie also based on Kaas. Program - 18.00 Screening of the film "Cheese". This is a film version of the novel by Willem Elschot. Director Orlow Seunke
- 19.30 Speeches
- 20.10 Booklaunch by Gramedia
- 20.20 Opening of the exhibition
- 21.00 Screening of the film "Cheese". This is a film version of the novel by Willem Elschot. Director Orlow Seunke
20 May–20 June 2010: Drawings exhibition Cheese 
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