The talented, provocative Dutch director (and, yes, descendant of Vincent's brother Theo) was stabbed to death on an Amsterdam street today (Tuesday); the note left behind by the murderer apparently (so the papers are surmising, but nothing's been confirmed by cops who hold a suspect with dual Moroccan and Dutch citizenship) indicating this was as reprisal for Van Gogh's recent TV film "Soumission" (that's how the French paper reporting translated it) which criticized woman's place within Islam.

Appropriately or not, his most recent film, which ends up as his testament - "06-05" - is dedicated to the assasination in May 2002 of populist leader and gadfly gay conservative Pim Fortuyn. It will be broadcast over the net this December. For more of what I'm paraphrasing from see the link below. (My only acquaintance with his work is the effective thriller BABY BLUE, but critiquing is moot here, anyway, in the face of such shocking news):

http://mesnouvelles.branchez-vous.com/Arts...2/A110208U.html

Here's an AP wire in English (this was linked on the Drudge Report of all places):

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041102/D863NRS80.html

Let's hope this terrible act won't set a precedent for other outspoken filmmakers - no matter what their artistic/political leanings - to be targetted by murderous religious nutters? It's a sad day for freedom of speech...