Close-Up: In Memoriam: Frans Zwartjes [1]
Frans Zwartjes passed away on November 18, 2017. He was ninety years old.
Best known for his experimental shorts produced in the 1960s and 70s, Zwartjes was goth before there was such a thing (which the culture has since determinedly undermined). He was the first artist to unlock the potential of the selfie (which the culture has since determinedly undermined), and he was the precursor to the Fassbindian approach to "family" filmmaking (which the culture has since determinedly avoided). Susan Sontag called Zwartjes "the most important experimental filmmaker of his generation", and he has been either cited or ripped off whole-sale by a generation of artists and filmmakers since.
Programme:
- Living, Frans Zwartjes, 1971, 15 min, B/W, 16mm
- Spectator, Frans Zwartjes, 1970, 11 min, B/W, 16mm
- Behind your walls, Frans Zwartjes, 1970, 12 min, Colour, 16mm
- How did you know I was in Trouble?, Frans Zwartjes, 1997, 7min, Colour, 16mm
- Toilet, Frans Zwartjes, 1970, 3 min, B/W, 16mm
- Through the Garden and into the Living Room, Frans Zwartjes, 1970, 22 min, Colour & B/W, 16mm
- They are Five, Frans Zwartjes, 1970, 7 min, Colour, 16mm
- Extract from A Portrait of Frans Zwartjes, Stanley Schtinter, 2017, Colour, Digital
In 2013, "the Keeper of the Sacred Flame", Stanley Schtinter, located Zwartjes and uncovered a rich archive of unheard music. As such, Schtinter founded "the most unambitious record label in the world", purge.xxx, to release this music, which has since been reissued by Trunk Records.
For the occasion of this tribute, purge.xxx have produced a cassette release of The Frans Zwartjes Sound System, an officially sanctioned live music project by Schtinter, Samuel Kilcoyne and Takatsuna Mukai performing live at L'Age D'Or festival in Brussels, and London's Whitechapel Gallery. This release will be available only to attendees of the event. Any remaining copies at the end of the evening will be destroyed.
Many thanks to the Zwartjes family, Marleen Labijt (EYE Filmmuseum) and Stanley Schtinter for making this programme possible.
More info:purge.xxx [3]www.eyefilm.nl [4]
Category:
- Screenings [5]
Dates:
Venue:
Close-Up Cinema [6]
“It is very important for me that those fragments of beauty, of paradise, are brought to the attention of friends and strangers equally.” – Jonas Mekas
Close-Up aims to make film culture and history accessible through its library, film screenings and the online publication of Vertigo Magazine. Established in 2005, the company has built up its activities on the basis of reinvesting all its profits into creating an extensive film resource.
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