The six-part VPRO drama series Koning van de Wallen (Red Light Empire) draws inspiration from the story of Maurits de Vries, widely known as Zwarte Joop (“Black Joop”). Between the 1940s and 1980s, he rose to prominence in Amsterdam’s Red Light District, creating a notorious empire built around sex, gambling and nightlife. As his influence expanded, however, rivalries, betrayal and growing distrust began to threaten everything he had built.
In the series, Zwarte Joop (Gijs Naber) works his way up through Amsterdam’s infamous Red Light District, determined to live by his own rules and remain independent from anyone else’s authority. His world of sex, gambling and freedom continues to grow, but so does his need for control. Gradually, the empire he has created becomes a trap of his own making, as secrets, manipulation and paranoia begin to close in around him.
Photo credit: Mark de Blok