The period between the two
World Wars was an explosive period in the arts, in society and in politics that
continues to draw the attention. Special exhibitions in Rotterdam, The Hague,
Madrid and Cordoba try to make the tensions and revolutions in the arts visible
and tangible. With his avant-garde films and social documentaries Joris Ivens
gave form to the renewal in this period. Both in The Hague, Madrid and Cordoba
a number of early films by Ivens are shown in an accompanying film program.
In Rotterdam and The Hague THE BRIDGE is shown continuously. The Kinamo camera
with which THE BRIDGE was shot is on loan in Rotterdam. Besides the Foundation
has lent photographs by Germaine Krull taken during the shooting of THE BRIDGE
to the exhibitions in Rotterdam, Madrid and Cordoba.
What makes the early Ivens films so important for the interbellum period was
described by American film critic Tom Gunning: 'THE BRIDGE and RAIN are not
only avant-garde masterpieces with a unique filmic language, they are also reflections
on the future of a filmic view. Try to categorize them under any existing genre.
They are not feature films, nor are they abstract films. They are important
films in the history of the documentary film, partly because they changed its
form'.
03.06 till 07.10 The Hague, Municipal Museum, exhibition Interbellum, and continuous
show of THE BRIDGE
18.08 till 02.12 Rotterdam, Las Palmas, exhibition Interbellum, with Kinamo
camera THE BRIDGE, photographs by Germaine Krull and continuous show of THE
BRIDGE
24.09 till 07.10 Madrid, Circulo de Bellas Artes, film program Visiones Huizidas,
THE BRIDGE, RAIN, THE SPANISH EARTH
10.09 till 04.11 Madrid, Fondacion Carlos de Amberes, Visiones Huizidas, photographs
by Germaine Krull about The Bridge
15.11 till 24-12 Cordoba, Palacio de Merced, Visiones Huizidas, photographs
by Germaine Krull about The Bridge
Porto and Rotterdam, Cultural capitals of Europe
In their extensive cultural offer for the year 2001 the two ports of Porto and
Rotterdam also paid attention to the work of Joris Ivens. Ivens loved harbors,
ships, water, air and horizons and filmed many towns. Porto showed a very beautiful
and comprehensive survey of documentary film art with the title 'O Olhar de
Ulisses' at three periods. Pierre Marie Goulet who compiled the survey selected
seven Ivens films and put together a splendid catalogue in two volumes.
In the Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam an exhibition 'Hollywood
on the Meuse' showed how the port of Rotterdam served as setting for many domestic
and foreign films. Ivens filmed there two times: in 1928 THE BRIDGE and in 1965
ROTTERDAM EUROPOORT. Marceline Loridan-Ivens, who opened the exhibition, recalled
in her speech the impression the town made on her when she and Ivens collaborated
for the first time in Rotterdam in 1965: the war years, the car-free shopping
streets and the incomprehensible language. The film ROTTERDAM-EUROPOORT was
shown after her speech. The film THE BRIDGE was continuously run during the
exhibition.