True Dutch eyes (50′) is a film about the work of a Dutch documentary photographer called Dana Lixenberg who’s living in New York. Her work looks technically simple while the power of her work arises from the intimity with the people she portrays. The film witnesses these intimate moments. Decisive in the career of Lixenberg was a series of pictures she made in 1993 of the inhabitants of Watts, a ghetto in Los Angeles, well known because of it’s militant gangs. Lixenberg succeeded to portray the inhabitants completely separated from the gang-culture. This in contrast with all the other media, who were ignoring humanity in the ghetto and emphasised the aggressive gang-culture.
In Thru Dutch eyes we follow Lixenberg while she’s making a series about homeless women in Louisville Kentucky. This series is made for an exposition in Los Angeles which shows also the pictures of the inhabitants of Watts. Together with Lixenberg we visit the portrayed inhabitants in Watts to confront them with the pictures. In co-production with NPS. With the support of Dutch Cultural Broadcasting Promotion Fund.
Director
Pieter van der Houwen
De in Nieuw Zeeland geboren fotograaf Pieter van der Houwen heeft naast zijn fotowerk een documentaire gemaakt over Dana Lixenberg, een Nederlandse fotografe toen woonachtig en werkzaam in New York. www.pietervanderhouwen.nl
Credits
Cinematographer, Melle van Essen; Edited by Riekje Ziengs.