This is how the exciting audio tour through Amsterdam-Noord starts. Audio and video clips lead you as a searcher a step closer every time, as you discover the district before finally solving the mystery of Kung Fu Franky.
We talked to filmmaker and museum teacher Sjoerd Niekamp about the audio tour, which you can now take part in.
Children create exciting audio tour of Amsterdam-Noord
A group of enthusiastic children from Amsterdam-Noord district have been working hard during the past year in and around Eye Filmmuseum to create the free audio tour The Mystery of Kung Fu Franky. Supervised by filmmaker and museum teacher Sjoerd Niekamp, they came up with a highly imaginative story: “It was great to see how the children developed. The group learned a lot and worked together well.”
By Sophie Lasance29 August 2022
A group of children find an old film can in the attic of a gym in the Vogelenbuurt neighbourhood. They bring it to Eye Filmmuseum. When the old film is screened, something magical happens. Protagonist Kung Fu Franky steps out of the frame and disappears. No one knows where he went… intrepid Haily sets off to find him, and needs your help!
Why did Eye initiate this project?
“Eye was celebrating its 75th anniversary, and we wanted to give something to all the local children. Because here in the Netherlands, when it’s your birthday you give others a treat! So we came up with this educational project, where a group of local children could make something themselves for all of the children in Noord. A kind of gift to the whole district.”
How did you go to work?
“The project group met every Wednesday in Eye for six months. At first, we gave workshops and the children learned things like how to tell a good story, make and edit a film. They also got acting lessons, which they found really interesting. Then the group made the audio tour. Which turned out to be a huge job!”
What did the children like doing most?
“The thing they liked best, alongside shooting and editing, was acting. Which is why they all play a role in the audio tour. But there was also someone who really likes drawing, and they made a poster.”
How was it, looking back on the project?
“I found it really special to see how much enthusiasm and dedication the children put into making the tour. Last spring we had a closing celebration for the project, which had been on hiatus for a while because of the pandemic, with a real première in Eye. All the children came and brought their parents and grandparents. They were so proud, it was really great! For me, this was also the highlight of the whole project.”
Who is Kung Fu Franky?
If you’re from the Van der Pek neighbourhood, you might recognise the protagonist of the audio tour. Fictional character Kung Fu Franky is played by local kid Franky. He is a source of inspiration for the children, but in real life he’s maybe a little less mysterious and better at Tai Chi than Kung Fu.
Check the calendar of community centre De MeevaartWant to know more? You can download the audio tour ‘The Mystery of Kung Fu Franky’ for free and set off on an exciting walk around the district. Afterwards, you can collect a special badge from the Eye Shop.
How does it work?
The audio tour starts from the entrance to Eye Filmmuseum and takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. It is suitable for families with children aged 7 up. You will need a fully charged smartphone and a set of headphones for everyone taking part.
Download
Download the izi.travel app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
Location: on
Give the app permission to track your phone’s location.
Search
Look for ‘Het mysterie van Kung Fu Franky’ in the app’s search box.
Start
Download the audio tour and press start.
Green arrow
See the green arrow? That’s you. Walk down the steps from Eye, and the first hidden location will appear by itself.
Have fun solving the mystery of Kung Fu Franky!
Developed in cooperation with:
Fedy, Adiba and Noam, reporters from NurLimonade media, made a report about this project and give you a look behind the scenes:
