In an Amsterdam Court, Houellebecq Plays His Last Card
After failing in the French courts, the writer tried to persuade a court in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, to ban a pornographic film in which he took part. The decision has been reserved until 28 March.
Michel Houellebecq's legal detour has taken him all the way to the Netherlands. More precisely, to courtroom A2 of Amsterdam District Court. This is where his adventure, and that of his wife Qianyum Lysis Li, continues against the art collective KIRAC and director Stefan Ruitenbeek. After his claim was dismissed by the Paris court on 3 March, the author of Serotonin is continuing his battle to prevent, at any cost, the release of KIRAC 27, a pornographic film in which the Houellebecqs are said to appear.
It all began on 1 November, when Stefan Ruitenbeek, a fan of Michel Houellebecq, wanted to meet him to discuss a project. After several exchanges and meetings with his wife in Paris, the author signed a contract with the director and agreed to be filmed having sex with other women. They were not prostitutes but “fans”. In mid-January 2023, excerpts from KIRAC 27 were released on social media. They showed the bestselling author shirtless in bed with a young woman in Amsterdam. The images went around the world. Michel Houellebecq was furious and decided to do everything possible to prevent the film's release, scheduled for 11 March. He filed a complaint.
“Are we in a Houellebecq novel?”
This Tuesday in Amsterdam, the courtroom is not full. Friends of Stefan Ruitenbeek, some KIRAC 27 performers, a cameraman and a few curious onlookers occupy the seats. Michel Houellebecq himself has not deigned to attend. He is represented only by his lawyers: the well-known Jacqueline Schaap, who specialises in defamation and contract negotiation, and J. Klopper.
In defending the writer, Jacqueline Schaap invokes his vulnerability when he signed the notorious contract. “Michel Houellebecq was under the influence of alcohol and medication when he signed,” she insists. “He surrendered his rights without realising the consequences. This contract is unfair and unreasonable.” Opposite her, Alberdingk Thijm grows heated, saying he feels as though he has entered a world of complete delirium. “Are we in a Houellebecq novel? In a mad dream? A show?” Stefan Ruitenbeek's lawyer asks. “This cannot be a real trial.”
The two-hour hearing merely rehearses the same arguments. Jacqueline Schaap stresses her client's mental state in an effort to invalidate the contract and secure a ban on KIRAC 27's release. The strategy prompts Alberdingk Thijm to say that Michel Houellebecq is “using provocation, as usual” to get people talking about him.
Jini Jane (1), a 23-year-old philosophy student from Amsterdam, has followed every word of the arguments. The young woman, a model on OnlyFans, took part in the film. She even had sex with the author in his Paris apartment. But her request to join the proceedings was refused because their encounter was not connected to the filming. At the start of the hearing, she said she feared a Houellebecq victory would be harmful to her. Afterwards, her round glasses do not hide her smile. Confidently, she insists that the author of Submission “cannot win”. The director's lawyers share that optimism, even though they “cannot predict the judge's decision”. The reserved decision is expected on 28 March.
(1) Her first name has been replaced with her stage name at her request.