JORIS IVENS

Born 18 November 1898 at Nijmegen, died 28 June 1989, Paris.

Here’s a director well worth getting to know, a Dutch leftwing internationalist documentary film-maker with a feeling for the natural elements and forces, genuine concern for ordinary people in their political-economic-geographic environment, and in warfare; Joris Ivens underlined our common humanity with a keen intellect, adventurous curiosity, an eye for image and a few surprises up his sleeve. As Frank Witkam has said below, Ivens has been a controversial figure in...