De Steeg

Summary

An impression of the daily lives of people on the street in a shabby alleyway in the centre of Rotterdam, without narration or dialogue. There is dramatic and disturbing music made by piano, violins, and wind instruments, interrupted by the sound of an accordion.

Much like Hoogstraat by Andor von Barsy, De steeg shows life in a big city. But where Hoogstraat is primarily a lyrical impression in which the language of the international avant-garde is very much present, De steeg is more closely linked to the social-realist trend of that time. A comparison can be made to classics such as László Moholy-Nagy’s film Groß- stadtzigeuner or Rien que les heures by Alberto Cavalcanti.