Joris Ivens en Filmtechnische Leergang

From 1930, Studio Joris Ivens was the home of the Dutch avant-garde. When Studio Joris Ivens fell apart owing to Ivens’ long absences abroad, Willem Bon set up the Filmtechnische Leergang (Film Technical Center, FTL), a training centre for young filmmakers. The center’s staff and students alike made – mainly short – films here.

The impetus for the establishment of Studio Joris Ivens was the private screening of Vsevolod Pudovkin’s film Mat (Mother) in Amsterdam in 1927; a public screening had been banned by the local authorities as the film was seen as Soviet propaganda. In a subsequent manifesto, the Filmliga declared its intention to show pure, autonomous film art – in contrast to the commercially oriented cinema, dominated in particular by Hollywood films.

Following on from this screening’s resounding success, a group of artists, filmmakers and intellectuals decided to set up an independent film club to screen foreign art films: the Filmliga.The Filmliga was a meeting place for Dutch avant-garde filmmakers centred around filmmaker Joris Ivens. From 1930, they adopted the name Studio Joris Ivens.

Eight short films

Eye curator Rommy Albers will talk about this early Dutch film avant-garde, and screen eight short films made by Studio Joris Ivens and the Film Technical Center (FTL) between 1929 and 1934.

With live musical accompaniment from Martin de Ruiter (piano).