Joris Ivens Retrospective in Seoul
In the month of June, Seoul shines light on the work of the great Joris Ivens
Cinematheque Seoul Art Cinema presents a programme titled Camera Meets Revolution: Joris Ivens Retrospective in Seoul, South Korea from June 6th until June 27th. With the support from the Dutch Embassy in Seoul and Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam, this programme is to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 25 films of Ivens screen through this retrospective, from his very early works to the last film, including some rare ones, such as We Are Building and Travel Notebook.
Born as Georg Henri Anton Joris Ivens in 1898 in Nijmegen, Ivens was always fascinated by the medium film, as he completed his first one, under the direction of his father, at the age of 13. First focusing on the technique of film, he later started focusing on more social themes. He worked in the Soviet-Union as well as the United States and was responsible for allied propaganda films around the Second World War period. After the war, and because of his pro-leftist views, he was forced to leave the United States due to the red scare in the late 1940s.
He was not in good terms with the Dutch government in this period. He declined to make a film about Indonesia, as he stated that there was an ongoing imperialism. Instead, he made Indonesia Calling (1946) in secret, which focused more on the Australian seamen and waterside workers that refused to service Dutch ships that contained weapons and ammunition destined for Indonesia to suppress the country's move to independence. This film is just an example of his endless effort to represent the ongoing struggle against social injustice around the world.
Ivens, often labeled as the Father of Documentary, was one of the devoted witnesses to the turbulent history of the 20th century. With his camera he explored the possibilities and conditions on revolution in the 20th century. He was always with the people fighting against the power of capital and colonialism. His astma made him try to catch the wind by filming the blowing of the Mistral. Or he was a documentarist of poetic modes, portraying daily life of the people who walk in cities and rest in the riverside. Or, he was a director of experimental films, pioneering the avant-garde movement and exploring the future of moving images. He was the true definition of an artist.
Since 2004, a devoted group of people tried to create a retrospective of Ivens' work and it is finally real. Cinematheque Seoul Art Cinema believes that his films will give inspiration to whomever to seek a way, how to see the world and what to do.
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