Documentaries, old and new, with stills and notes for students, makers, and observers of documentary film and video. ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Frank van den Engel
Frank van den Engel's Photo & Copyright by G.P. Fieret (2009) is an appreciative portrait of the Dutch photographer Gerard Petrus Fieret. 1960s-era archival footage shows an exuberant Fieret at work in The Hague, chasing around (and taking pictures of) young women. In interviews, museum specialists, collectors, former models, and even Fieret's landlady reflect on his life and legacy. Ironically, the art market valued Fieret's oeuvre more than anyone seemed to value his well-being. In the film, Fieret's physical decline is paralleled by the squalorous condition of his negatives and prints.