Hoyte van Hoytema is officially the first Dutch cameraman to win an Oscar. During Sunday night’s star-studded ceremony, he claimed the top prize for his cinematography for Oppenheimer.

The epic spectacle about the so-called father of the atomic bomb was the big winner of the night, picking up seven awards.

Remember his name (it’s pretty catchy)

Hoyte van Hoytema has already won a BAFTA and the American Society of Cinematographers prize for his work in Oppenheimer — but who is the decorated Dutchie?

Born in Switzerland to Dutch parents, van Hoytema mastered his craft at the Łódź National Film School in Poland after being rejected by the Dutch Film Academy in Amsterdam ().

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This is not the only time the Oscars recognised his incredible cinematography. He earned his first nomination for Dunkirk in 2017, also directed by Christopher Nolan.

The frequent collaborators are adventurous cameramen, choosing to shoot on heavy but SUPER high-resolution IMAX cameras. These were placed on top of the actors’ faces for the ultimate cinematic intimacy.

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Was it worth it? Well, the Oppenheimer trophy cabinet is certainly gleaming.

In addition to being crowned Best Picture, the Oppenheimer team also won awards for Directing (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr. — surprisingly his first ever!), Original Score (Ludwig Goransson) and Editing (Jennifer Lame). 

Reaching new Hoyte-s 

If van Hoytema is one of the few Dutchies to take home an iconic statue, what else can be said for the Netherlands’ silver-screen success?

In total, 11 Dutch nationals have won an Oscar. The most recent was Erik-Jan de Boer for his work on visual effects for Life of Pi in 2013. 

The first Oscar ever won by a Dutchie went to King of Jazz art director Herman Rosse all the way back in 1930 — and did you know Rosse also designed the interior of the Peace Palace?!

Cinema styles of old were coincidentally on van Hoytema’s agenda last night — he took his acceptance speech as a chance to encourage more celluloid filmmaking in this digital age. 

Congratulations to Hoyte, and here’s to more Dutch cinema silverware in the future!

Did you watch Oppenheimer or other van Hoytema projects? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Great news! Time to dust off your sunglasses, as spring is set to arrive in the Netherlands with a spell of dry and sunny days this weekend.

In fact, ditch your winter coats as well, warmer weather is also on the horizon, making a change from the infamous cold Dutch downpours.

READ MORE | Dutch quirk #47: Complain about the weather non-stop

The sun is already shining and the temperature is finally into the double figures. Well, just about. 

Today, it will be about 10 degrees today, and a few clouds remain, but Buienradar confirms there will also be plenty of blue skies to enjoy.

In het zuiden wisselen zon en stapelwolken elkaar af. In het noorden is er meer bewolking aanwezig, maar ook daar lost de bewolking geleidelijk wat op. Hoe ziet het er morgen uit?! Check: https://t.co/GOcfh0MsTO pic.twitter.com/KtO41mpMWb

— Buienradar (@BuienRadarNL) March 6, 2024

Translation: In the south, sun and cumulus clouds alternate. There are more clouds in the north, but the clouds are gradually dissipating. What will it look like tomorrow?!

The weekend is warming up

It just gets better — by tomorrow there won’t be a cloud in the sky.

And Saturday? It will feel HOT (by Dutch standards, at least), with southerly regions set to enjoy temperatures as high as 16 degrees. 

No fear, the north won’t be far behind at a (slightly balmy) 13 degrees.

READ MORE | Visit the Japanese Garden in the Hague this spring

We can’t believe it! And maybe for good reason… 

Helaas, the clouds will creep back from Sunday onwards, and they threaten to bring some rain with them. 

You know what that means: you better embrace the spring in your step this weekend and make the most of it!

What’s your favourite way to spend sunny spring days in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments!

LeydenJar, a Dutch manufacturer developing batteries that can store huge amounts of energy, has announced that it will open its first factory in Eindhoven. 

The young innovators shared plans to begin production in 2026, as they continue to create the world’s most energy-dense battery.

LeydenJar’s super-chargers might be small, but they’re extremely powerful!

What does LeydenJar do?

LeydenJar started in solar technology, before a failing project proved more hopeful in the battery world. 

READ MORE | 7 innovative Dutch projects for a sustainable future

Now they are focused on their greater, greener vision: the “battery of the future” — a battery that holds twice the amount of energy and can be recharged in just 5 minutes. 

Better battery life means longer driving ranges, shorter charging times, and vastly increased functionality for all electrical goods. Fully charged phone in just a few minutes? Ja, please!

Speedy, superior AND sustainable

LeydenJar’s new Eindhoven home, the PlantOne factory, will produce enough power to fuel four million smartphones annually. So, how are they contributing to a greener future? 

Well, their flagship anodes (a part of the battery) are made of pure silicon (AKA one of the most useful elements to humankind) instead of conventional graphite-based batteries.

This means they can store up to 70% more energy.

READ MORE | 13 forward-thinking things Dutch people do

Higher energy density and thinner designs are the key here — and a single charge lasts much longer.

Even better, the climate change impact of LeydenJar’s production is decreased by up to 85% when compared to regular batteries.

With its new Eindhoven factory, LeydenJar will continue its mission to reduce society’s greenhouse gas emissions, working towards the EU goal of being net zero by 2050.

Do you currently own an electric or hybrid vehicle in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!

It’s official: Dutch train troubles will continue as forecasted, with ongoing inconveniences expected to last for YEARS to come.

Oh, and if you’re planning any days out in Amersfoort this summer, you might want to think again. More on that later.

Big project, big consequences

As part of joint renovation works by ProRail and the NS, various Dutch rail routes are due for work over the coming years.

Huge expanses of track are being replaced, and the resulting disruptions for passengers are major.

As ProRail CEO John Voppen tells NU.nl, “after forty years, everything has to be replaced” — and the peak of work will take a whopping six years to occur.

READ MORE | NS unveils massive timetable change for 2025

Why so long? The delays are mainly down to staff shortages, meaning more work has to be carried out during the day and outside of holidays.

Oh, and Amersfoort will be completely inaccessible

The planned track works will affect one city in the Netherlands significantly more than others this summer. 

A major maintenance project taking place in Amersfoort between July and August means few or no trains will be running for seven weeks.

First up, trains between Amersfoort and Amsterdam will stop running for four weeks. Then, in mid-July, there will be no trains between Amersfoort and Utrecht.

There will be three whole weeks where Amersfoort will be completely inaccessible by train. You’ve got to feel for the approximately 80,000 travellers from, via or to Amersfoort every day.

READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #26: Complain about the NS

The work starts on Thursday, July 4, and will go on until Monday, August 19 — when all trains should run accordingly again. 

ProRail ensures it will provide more information “in a timely manner,” but as far as we can see, their updates about the “period, nature and duration of the work” are still stuck in 2023…

Has your 2024 commuting experience got off to a bad start? We feel you. Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Eating a lot of cheese is a well-known Dutch daily habit, but did you know you could win global titles for it?

Well, the Netherlands just did! New research by Mintel lists the top 10 cheese-loving nations across the world — and the Dutch have won the crown.

Crunching the nom-bers

So how exactly do you quantify a nation’s love of cheese? The research considered factors such as cheese imports, production and general interest. 

The stats were gathered using the UN Comtrade, Cheese.com (yes, it’s a real site), and Google search data. 

Each country then received a score out of 100 — and the Netherlands really sliced up the competition, beating the likes of France and even the US!

So, who else did the Netherlands beat? Check out the rankings below:

The Dutch go above and brie-yond

As you can see, the Dutch won by a long shot, and the whopping score of 76.8 is even more impressive when you consider the relatively small Dutch population of 17 million. 

This doesn’t stop the Netherlands from scoring big elsewhere in the cheese leagues — they also made the most Google searches for ‘cheese’ per capita in the whole world.

READ MORE | Let’s talk cheesy: cheese tourism in the Netherlands

And once they’re done staring at cheese on their computer screens, it’s time for the Dutch to import some. The research found that per Dutchie, an average of more than 3.1kg and $14 worth of cheese is imported annually. 

However, the biggest importer globally is actually France, spending $374 million on cheese every year. A good investment, we believe!

READ MORE | Dutch cheese varieties: the comprehensive (and cheesy) guide

We already knew the Dutch loved cheese so edam much. Now they have the official title to prove it.  

What’s your favourite Dutch cheese? Tell us in the comments below!

Police officers in the Hague arrested a suspiciously successful street newspaper seller on Saturday. 

To the officers’ surprise, the paper in the seller’s possession went far beyond the expected product. Newspapers, yes, but also stacks of €50 notes — 636 of them.

Providing his papers?

Initially approached in connection with an ongoing check for ondermijning (“subversion”), the vendor was unable to show any ID. 

“That is why he was arrested”, explains a spokesperson for The Hague police to the AD.

Show me the money!

Once at the station, he was asked to empty his pockets onto the table. 

It must have taken a while — after all, counting out €31,800 in €50 notes can’t be quick.

With the total counted, the man was interrogated and found to be staying in the Netherlands illegally. 

So where did the cash come from? No idea. The man has now been released and the mystery money is in the hands of the Identification and Human Trafficking Department (AVIM).

Looks like this newspaper seller has plenty of issues — legal ones, at least.

Were you as surprised as us to hear about this suspicious seller? Tell us in the comments below!