Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen is a partner at Halal and head of the documentary film department, Halal Docs. Halal is an established Amsterdam based film production company & photography agency with a big creative team, connected to people and networks all across the world
De School is my favorite spot in Amsterdam. It opened in January of 2016 on Doctor Jan van Breemenstraat. The place, which used to be a technical school, is more than a nightclub: it’s a restaurant, a café, an exhibition venue, a gym, and many more things. It's owned and run by Post CS BV — the same crew that ran Trouw and Club 11.
The nightclub has a capacity of 700 people, and it's located in the institution's former bicycle storage area. The program focuses on local DJs, who are allowed to play extended sets, but international guests also regularly stop by. The ambiance there is so enchanting that it's hard for me to leave even when I can't feel my legs anymore. It's super dark, fog all over the place, super loud, flawlessly music and introspective humans dancing like there's no tomorrow. Who could ask for anything more?
View from my studio. I love the view from my studio. It is at the University campus and has a great architectural mix of old and new buildings. It is special to have such a large area in the centre of small Amsterdam where it is quiet, no traffic and no stores.
Amsterdam is at it’s best when it is covered in a thick layer fresh fallen snow, I like to go out at night and wander through one of the parks, to experience this beautiful metamorphosis of a city landscape.