Matroesjka's

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This article is about a Belgian television series. For the Russian nesting dolls see Matryoshka doll. For the French film, please see The Russian Dolls

Matroesjka's, (Dutch for Matryoshka doll), also known overseas under its English titles Matrioshki or Russian Dolls: Sex Trade, is a Flemish drama series about the life in Club/Studio 69. It is 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 start 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 Mark Punt.

Thus far, the series has ten episodes. It follows a serial format.

Because of explicit scenes, namely sex and violence, the program is not appropriate for people under 16 years of age (according to Belgian ratings).

Contents

[edit] The series, generally

Although based on the problems associated with the sex-trade, the series is not so much a painful documentary or engaged criticism of those problems as it is a source of entertainment. Yet it is also true that 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+ (now known as "Prime") and VTM. After ten episodes, Matroesjka's received a viewership in excess of 1.1 million. Above all it is its raw treatment of sex and violence that accounts for this level of viewership. Other countries picked up the show as well, in the Netherlands the series were broadcast on Yorin and MTV. In France on M6, where the number of viewers was 3.7 million on two episodes and the second best viewed show of that day. Also Georgia, Russia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Estonia and Australia have picked up the show.

The British composer David Julyan provided the music score for the series. The theme song is Post Modern Sleaze by British group Sneaker Pimps.

[edit] 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; first paralyzed after falling, being pushed by Ray, after he wanted Kalinka to suck his penis. 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
  • Wim Opbrouck - Mike Simons
  • 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 Tolkalina - Olga
  • Saartje Vandendriessche - Sita
  • Svetlana Vladimirovna - Luna

The show also included several guest roles of famous 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).

[edit] International broadcasts

[edit] External links