Matroesjka's
Encyclopedia
Matroesjka's, also known overseas under its English titles Matrioshki, Matrёshki, or Russian Dolls: Sex Trade, is a Flemish
drama
series
about a group of women from Lithuania and Russia who are taken to Belgium
by a gang involved in the sex trade to work as sex slaves
. The series starts in Lithuania
, where the girls are chosen and where they have to sign a contract in Greek, which they cannot understand. The gang, under the lead of Ray Van Mechelen, takes the girls to Cyprus
and from there they are taken to Club 69 in Belgium to work. "Matroesjka's" is sponsored by the Flemish Audiovisual Fund (Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds).
Matroesjka's is produced and directed by Guy Goossens and Marc Punt.
Because of explicit scenes of sex and violence, the program is not appropriate for people under 16 years of age (according to Dutch and Belgian ratings).
The program was first broadcast on the Belgian channels Canal+
(now known as "Prime") and VTM
. After ten episodes, Matroesjka's received a viewership in excess of 1.1 million. Other countries picked up the show as well. A deal was negotiated between VTM, Independent Productions, and several foreign commercial broadcasters to make a second season. The second season finished shooting in October 2007 and aired in Belgium in 2008. Thus far, the series has twenty episodes.
The British composer David Julyan
provided the musical score for the series. The theme song is "Post-Modern Sleaze" by British group Sneaker Pimps
.
, Turkey
, the Netherlands, Great Britain
, France
, Spain
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, Italy
, Finland
, Sweden
, Australia
, Russia
, Serbia
, Brazil
, Hungary
, Poland
, Lithuania
, Latvia
, Montenegro
, Estonia
, Albania
and Chile
. In Portugal
it airs on Fox Crime
. In Turkey
and Italy
show airs on FX. In Mexico
, the series goes out on Once TV
.
The show has also included several guest roles of famous Belgian actors: Wim Opbrouck
(Mike Simons), Ludo Hellincx (Nelson Nilis), Karel Deruwe (officer), Jan Decleir
(Wim Wilson's father), Chris Lomme (Monique Wilson), and Warre Borgmans (Dokter Van Looy).
(Flemish
) TV serial which was released in 2007 fallow the first TV serial Matrioshki/Matroesjka's (2005) dealing with human trafficking
and most especially woman trafficking for prostitution
to Europe.
The series takes place three years after the first serial, when the traffickers from the first season are released from jail and go to Thaïland
. Dealing this time not only with prostitution from eastern Europe girls on European continent, but also with traffic of young Asiatic girls brought back in Europe for prostitution
, sometimes to help their families, it shows the mass problem of human trafficking in the world, one of the most rentable business nowadays, and reflecting the problem of south-asia traffick, more especially from Thailand.
Smugglers Ray Van Mechelen and Eddy Stoefs were released from jail where they were since the end of Matroesjka's, three years before. They discovered then that their partner, Jan Verplancke, disappeared with the money they made to Thailand.
They go then to Thailand, but there Verplanke does not give them the money back : instead, he offers them young Thai girls. But things have changed in three years : the market has grown, and new trafficking groups want to have a place in the market.
The only things the girls have in common is that "they do that for their families".
Directed by Guy Goossens and Marc Punt.
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
about a group of women from Lithuania and Russia who are taken to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
by a gang involved in the sex trade to work as sex slaves
Sexual slavery
Sexual slavery is when unwilling people are coerced into slavery for sexual exploitation. The incidence of sexual slavery by country has been studied and tabulated by UNESCO, with the cooperation of various international agencies...
. The series starts in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, where the girls are chosen and where they have to sign a contract in Greek, which they cannot understand. The gang, under the lead of Ray Van Mechelen, takes the girls to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and from there they are taken to Club 69 in Belgium to work. "Matroesjka's" is sponsored by the Flemish Audiovisual Fund (Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds).
Matroesjka's is produced and directed by Guy Goossens and Marc Punt.
Because of explicit scenes of sex and violence, the program is not appropriate for people under 16 years of age (according to Dutch and Belgian ratings).
General overview
Although based on the problems associated with the sex trade, the series is not so much a documentary or engaged criticism of those problems as it is a source of entertainment. However, director Marc Punt has said that it wouldn't be terrible if the series made people aware of those problems. Already, the series is used to warn women in the former Eastern Bloc of the practices associated with the sex trade.The program was first broadcast on the Belgian channels Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
(now known as "Prime") and VTM
VTM
The abbreviation VTM may refer to::* Vampire: The Masquerade, a popular role-playing game* Virginia Tech massacre* vtm, the main commercial television station in Flanders, Belgium...
. After ten episodes, Matroesjka's received a viewership in excess of 1.1 million. Other countries picked up the show as well. A deal was negotiated between VTM, Independent Productions, and several foreign commercial broadcasters to make a second season. The second season finished shooting in October 2007 and aired in Belgium in 2008. Thus far, the series has twenty episodes.
The British composer David Julyan
David Julyan
David Julyan is an English musician and film score composer. He composed the scores to several Christopher Nolan films including Memento, Insomnia and The Prestige, a collaboration that began with the short film Larceny. Recently he scored the horror movie The Descent and a UK feature, Outlaw...
provided the musical score for the series. The theme song is "Post-Modern Sleaze" by British group Sneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps were a British trip-hop band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1994. They are best known for their first album Becoming X and particularly the singles "6 Underground", "Spin Spin Sugar", and "Tesko Suicide" from the same album...
.
International broadcasts
The first season can be seen in the following countries: GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, the Netherlands, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. In Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
it airs on Fox Crime
Fox Crime
Fox Crime is a television network, launched by the Fox International Channels, which airs across several countries of Europe and Asia, such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and Bulgaria...
. In Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
show airs on FX. In Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the series goes out on Once TV
Once TV
Once TV México, Spanish for México Eleven TV is a Mexican educational broadcast television network owned by Instituto Politecnico Nacional. The network's flagship station is XEIPN channel 11 in Mexico, Distrito Federal. It broadcasts across Mexico through local television affiliates, cable...
.
- The Film Zone shows the first ten episodes in some countries from Latin AmericaLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
Cast
- Peter Van Den Begin - Raymond "Ray" van Mechelen; runs Studio 69.
- Luk Wyns - Eddy Stoefs; the manager of Studio 69 and is very keen of his money.
- Tom Van Dyck - Vincent Dockx; became paralysed when Ray pushed him, after trying to make Kalinka give him a blowjob. At the end of the first season he died.
- Axel Daeseleire - Jan Verplancke
- Marc Van Eeghem - Marc Camps
- Frank Aendenboom - John Dockx; father of Vincent and uncle to Ray. He appears to be the big boss of Studio 69.
- Stany Crets - Clem De Donder
- Lucas Van den Eynde - reporter Nico Maes
- Veerle De Jonghe - Esther Van De Walle
- Ailika Kremer - Eva
- Eugenia Hirivskaya - Kalinka
- Manou Kersting - Danny Bols
- Indre Jaraite - Inesa
- Mila Lipner - Deborah
- Zemyna Asmontaite - Daria
- Vilma Raubaite - Kasandra
- Lyubov TolkalinaLyubov TolkalinaLyubov Nikolaevna Tolkalina is a Russian film and television actress.In 1999 she graduated from the Theatre Faculty of the National Institute of Cinematography ....
- Olga - Saartje Vandendriessche - Sita
- Svetlana Vladimirovna - Luna
The show has also included several guest roles of famous Belgian actors: Wim Opbrouck
Wim Opbrouck
Wim Opbrouck is a Flemish actor and singer. He is especially known for his work on stage.Opbrouck comes from Bavikhove, part of Harelbeke and studied at the Herman Teirlinck Studio. As an actor, he joined the Blue Monday Company. In 1997 he performed in a 12-hour theater marathon production of...
(Mike Simons), Ludo Hellincx (Nelson Nilis), Karel Deruwe (officer), Jan Decleir
Jan Decleir
Jan Decleir is a prolific Belgian movie and stage actor born in Niel, Antwerp .He had his first big role in Fons Rademakers "Mira" and has since then appeared in countless Flemish and Dutch films and tv productions...
(Wim Wilson's father), Chris Lomme (Monique Wilson), and Warre Borgmans (Dokter Van Looy).
Matrioshki 2, Three Years Later
Matrioshki 2 is a BelgianBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
) TV serial which was released in 2007 fallow the first TV serial Matrioshki/Matroesjka's (2005) dealing with human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
and most especially woman trafficking for prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
to Europe.
The series takes place three years after the first serial, when the traffickers from the first season are released from jail and go to Thaïland
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Dealing this time not only with prostitution from eastern Europe girls on European continent, but also with traffic of young Asiatic girls brought back in Europe for prostitution
Prostitution in Europe
The legality of prostitution in Europe varies by country. Some countries outlaw the act of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for money, while others allow prostitution itself, but prohibit most forms of procuring .In eight...
, sometimes to help their families, it shows the mass problem of human trafficking in the world, one of the most rentable business nowadays, and reflecting the problem of south-asia traffick, more especially from Thailand.
Smugglers Ray Van Mechelen and Eddy Stoefs were released from jail where they were since the end of Matroesjka's, three years before. They discovered then that their partner, Jan Verplancke, disappeared with the money they made to Thailand.
They go then to Thailand, but there Verplanke does not give them the money back : instead, he offers them young Thai girls. But things have changed in three years : the market has grown, and new trafficking groups want to have a place in the market.
The only things the girls have in common is that "they do that for their families".
Directed by Guy Goossens and Marc Punt.
External links
- http://reviews.media-culture.org.au/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3392 : Article about Matrioshkis 2 in Media-Culture.org
- http://www.krimineel.com/tv-reeks-trailer-matroesjkas-2-matrioshki-2 : Article about Matrioshki 2 (in Dutch)