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Frans Zwartjes is a filmmaker, musician,painter and sculptor. Heavily involved in film since 1968, both as a filmmaker and as a teacher.Frans Zwartjes is a very peculiar, extraordinary filmmaker.

His film all seem to exist completely disconnected from the real world. While this can probably be assumed to partially be due to the fact that he almost exclusively shoots interiors, the few times that his camera deviates into the outside world, his unique lens still shows the world in utter disconnect.In his films, actors are adorned with make-up and costumes and are put in a setting to enact a staged event. Sexuality, psychosis, cruelty, power and powerlessness are ever recurring themes in his films. The images are abstracted in ruthless black and white. The general idea of reality is broken down by brilliant camera work and neurotic editing to replace it with a personal and often disturbing reality.

Often times while viewing a Zwartjes film one gets the feeling that they're not supposed to be watching this, that their act of viewing is transcending simple voyeurism and actually attaining violation. And this is why Zwartjes is amazing.

Frans Zwartjes: Visual Training (1969)

"A seemingly imperturbable man gets involved in a food orgy with two voluptuous, half-naked women. All the actions - one of the women is blindfolded and sprinkled with baking powder, after which lots of food is smeared about - have a strong sinister charge. Make-up, lighting and the editing reinforce this effect. With Christian Manders, Trix Zwartjes and others."