Frans Zwartjes

Born in 1927, Frans Zwartjes did not turn to filmmaking until age 41, in 1968, when he embarked on a series of several dozen black and white experimental shorts over 3 years. Previously he had been a musician, a violin maker and a painter. In his youth he had also been a viola performer with the Netherlands Opera. Abandoning the grind of later concert practice, he worked for a while as a nurse in a psychiatric facility. He investigated the potential of film as a recording medium during the next stage of his career, when he wanted to document exhibitions of his own art and those by his friends. He also taught film to students, encouraging them to work with cheap low contrast stock, one's own surroundings and people you knew (such as his wife) as actors. After 1973, Zwartjes began to use the more common color stock,and later to add more dialogue and story to his visuals. He has now produced full length features.But he continues to innovate and surprise.