HAANSTRA. Bert 1952 Dijkbourw( Dike Builders)(+ sc, ed) 1954 Ont staan en vergaan (The Changing Earth)(+ sc); De Nationality: Dutch. Born: Holten, Holland, 31 May 1916. Educa- opsporing van aardolie (The Search for Oil)(+ sc); De tion: Academy of Arts, Amsterdam. Career: Painter and press erkenningsboring(The Wildcat)(+ sc) Het olieveld (The Oilfield)(+ sc) photographer, from late 1930s; joined Royal Dutch Shell Film Unit, 1955 The Rival World(Strijd zonder einde)(+ed, sc); God Shiva 1952: producer and manager, Shell Film Unit, Venezuela, 1956; founded production company, Bert Haanstra Filmproductie, 1960 ( SC, pr, ed): En de zee was niet meer(And There Was No Awards: Grand Prix(documentary ) Cannes Festival, for Mirror of More Sea)(+ pr, sc, ed) Holland. 1951. Died: 23 October 1997. in Hilversum. Netherlands. 1957 Rembrandt, schilder van de mens (Rembrandt, Painter of Man)(+ pr, sc, ed 1958 Over glas gesproken(Speaking of Glass)+ pr, sc, ed): Glas Films as director ( Glass)+co-ed, pr, sc): Fanfare(+ co-sC, co-ed) 1960 De zaak M.P. (The M P Case)(+ co-SC, cO-ed, pr) 1948 De Muiderkring herleeft(The Muryder Circle Lives Again) 1962 Zoo(+ pr, sc, ed); Delta Phase 1(+ pr, sc,ed) ( sc, ph, ed) 1963 Alleman (The Human Dutch)(+ co-sc, narration for English 1950 Spiegel van Holland (Mirror of Holland)(+ Sc, ph, ed) and German versions) 951 Nederlandse beeldhotwkunst tijdens de late Middeleeuwen 1966 De stem van het water(The Voice of the Water)(+co-sc, pr, ed (Dutch Sculpture)(+ co-ed) Panta Rhei(All Things Flow) 1967 Retour Madrid (Return Ticket to Madrid)(+ c0-pr, co-ph) 1972 Bij de beesten af(Ape and Super Ape)(+ pr, sc, ed -commentary, co-add'I ph, narration) 1975 Dokter Pulder zaait papavers(Dr. Pulder Sows Poppies, When the Poppies Bloom Again)(+ pr 1978 Nationale Parken. noodzaak(National Parks.. a Neces- siry, National Parks in the Netherlands)(+ pr, sc, ed 1979 Een pak slaag(Mr. Slotter's Jubilee)(+ pr) 1983 Vroeger kon je lachen(One Could Laugh in Former Days) 1988 Kinderen van ghana Other films 1949 Myrte en de demonen(Myrte and the Demons)(Schreiber) (ph); Boer Pietersen schiet in de roos(Bull's Eye for Farmer Pietersen)(Brusse)(ph) 1955 Belgian Grand Prix(Hughes)(co-ph 1957 De gouden lsy (The Golden llsy)(van der Linden)(ph); Olie op reis(Pattern of Supply)(Pendry)(pr) 1959 Paleontologie(Schakel met het verleden; Story in the Rocks) an Gelder)(pr, tech advisor) 1960 Lage landen(Hold Back the Sea)( sluizer)(tech advisor) 1962 De overal (The Silent Raid)(Rotha)(co-sc, uncredited) 1968 Pas assez(Not Enough; Niet genoeg)(van der Velde)(ed) 1970 Trafic(Tati)(collaborator): Summer in the Fields(van der 1972 Grierson(Blais)(role as interviewee) 1979 Juliana in zeventig bewogen jaren(uliana in Seventy Turb Bert haanstra lent Years)(Kohlhaas)(advisor) 415
415 HAANSTRA, Bert H Nationality: Dutch. Born: Holten, Holland, 31 May 1916. Education: Academy of Arts, Amsterdam. Career: Painter and press photographer, from late 1930s; joined Royal Dutch Shell Film Unit, 1952; producer and manager, Shell Film Unit, Venezuela, 1956; founded production company, Bert Haanstra Filmproductie, 1960. Awards: Grand Prix (documentary), Cannes Festival, for Mirror of Holland, 1951. Died: 23 October 1997, in Hilversum, Netherlands. Films as Director: 1948 De Muiderkring herleeft (The Muyder Circle Lives Again) (+ sc, ph, ed) 1950 Spiegel van Holland (Mirror of Holland) (+ sc, ph, ed) 1951 Nederlandse beeldhouwkunst tijdens de late Middeleeuwen (Dutch Sculpture) (+ co-ed); Panta Rhei (All Things Flow) (+ sc, ph, ed) Bert Haanstra 1952 Dijkbouw (Dike Builders) (+ sc, ed) 1954 Ont staan en vergaan (The Changing Earth) (+ sc); De opsporing van aardolie (The Search for Oil) (+ sc); De verkenningsboring (The Wildcat) (+ sc); Het olieveld (The Oilfield) (+ sc) 1955 The Rival World (Strijd zonder einde) (+ ed, sc); God Shiva (+ sc, pr, ed); En de zee was niet meer (And There Was No More Sea) (+ pr, sc, ed) 1957 Rembrandt, schilder van de mens (Rembrandt, Painter of Man) (+ pr, sc, ed) 1958 Over glas gesproken (Speaking of Glass) (+ pr, sc, ed); Glas (Glass) (+ co-ed, pr, sc); Fanfare (+ co-sc, co-ed) 1960 De zaak M.P. (The M.P. Case) (+ co-sc, co-ed, pr) 1962 Zoo (+ pr, sc, ed); Delta Phase I (+ pr, sc, ed) 1963 Alleman (The Human Dutch) (+ co-sc, narration for English and German versions) 1966 De stem van het water (The Voice of the Water) (+ co-sc, pr, ed) 1967 Retour Madrid (Return Ticket to Madrid) (+ co-pr, co-ph) 1972 Bij de beesten af (Ape and Super Ape) (+ pr, sc, ed, co-commentary, co-add’l ph, narration) 1975 Dokter Pulder zaait papavers (Dr. Pulder Sows Poppies, When the Poppies Bloom Again) (+ pr) 1978 Nationale Parken . . . noodzaak (National Parks . . . a Necessity, National Parks in the Netherlands) (+ pr, sc, ed) 1979 Een pak slaag (Mr. Slotter’s Jubilee) (+ pr) 1983 Vroeger kon je lachen (One Could Laugh in Former Days) (+ pr, sc); Nederland (The Netherlands) (+ pr, sc, ed) 1988 Kinderen van Ghana Other Films: 1949 Myrte en de demonen (Myrte and the Demons) (Schreiber) (ph); Boer Pietersen schiet in de roos (Bull’s Eye for Farmer Pietersen) (Brusse) (ph) 1955 Belgian Grand Prix (Hughes) (co-ph) 1957 De gouden Ilsy (The Golden Ilsy) (van der Linden) (ph); Olie op reis (Pattern of Supply) (Pendry) (pr) 1959 Paleontologie (Schakel met het verleden; Story in the Rocks) (van Gelder) (pr, tech advisor) 1960 Lage landen (Hold Back the Sea) (Sluizer) (tech advisor) 1962 De overval (The Silent Raid) (Rotha) (co-sc, uncredited) 1968 Pas assez (Not Enough; Niet genoeg) (van der Velde) (ed) 1970 Trafic (Tati) (collaborator); Summer in the Fields (van der Linden) (ed) 1972 Grierson (Blais) (role as interviewee) 1979 Juliana in zeventig bewogen jaren (Juliana in Seventy Turbulent Years) (Kohlhaas) (advisor)
HALLSTROM DIRECTORS, 4 EDItION Publications elsewhere. Alleman and Bi de beesten af were nominated for Acad emy Awards. Although the number of movie-goers in Holland ha By HAANSTRA: article sharply decreased, Haanstra's public has remained large and loyal In 1975 Haanstra made his first novel-based film Dokter pulder Gresprek met Bert Haanstra en prof dr G P. Behrends, withR du zaait papavers gives a subtle and detailed analysis of a number of Mee and others, in Skoop(Amsterdam), vol8, no 6, 1972. fundamental human problems: loss of love, social failure, aging, and Geen klachten over hoeveelheid aandacht voor Nederlandse film addiction to drugs and liquor. The film is psychologically convincing in Skoop(Amsterdam), February 1976 and full of tension. Een pak slaag, again based on a novel by Anton Interview with Freddy Sartor, in Film en Televisie+ Video(Brussels), Koolhaas, failed to interest the public. In 1983 Haanstra brought out November 1996 another feature film with Simon Carmiggelt as the main character On HAANSTRA: book Carmiggelt's ability to render this type of monologue had won a wide audience for his daily columns, which have appeared since 1945 in Verdaasdonk, Dorothee, editor, Bert Haanstra, Amsterdam, 1983. a dutch a Dutch newspaper. The film, Vroeger kon je lachen, was well received On HAANSTRa: articles- By virture of Haanstra's diversity of films and of his great reputation with critics and the public, Haanstra made an invaluable Director of the Year. in International Film Guide. London, 1966. contribution to the establishment of a dutch film tradition .He Cowie, Peter, ""Bert Haanstra, "in Focus on Film (London ), remains a very important representative of the Dutch documentary Spring 1972 school, which grew to fame in the 1960s and won countless awards at Bert Haanstra, in Film Dope (London), March 1981 international film festivals. Haanstra's own films have won over 70 Bertina, BJ,"Haanstra en het onverzorgde corpus van Dorothee prizes; he received an Academy Award for Glas, a short documentary Verdaasdonk, in Skoop(Amsterdam), December 1983/Janu 1984. film. As a director of feature films he convinced a large audience that "Niet van deze wereld, in Skoop, December-January 1987-1988. Dutch films can (and should) be judged according to the same Daems, Jo, ""Het beste van Bert Haanstra. Lang verborgen schat standards as important foreign films her)ontdekt, in Film en Televisie Video(Brussels), May His films, and also his cooperation with Simon Carmiggelt and Anton Koolhaas, show that Haanstra's work is firmly rooted in Dutch Hommel, Michel, and Hauffmann, F, "Hulot in de menigte. Twee culture, which, however, he transcended by taking it as an example of apiteins op een schip, in Skrien(Amsterdam), June-July 1991 more general aspects of human behavior. This is beautifully exempli Monster, Ruud, and others. 'Ecce homo. Hommage Bert Haanstra, fied in Bij de beesten af. Although his films do not contain explicit in Skrien(Amsterdam), August-September 1996 political statements, Haanstra was anything but a "neutral observer. Obituary, in Skrien(Amsterdam), December-January 1997-1998 By the art of montage he gave his films a deeper meaning which not infrequently embodied a critical view of human society and poignar Bert haanstra is one of holland s most renowned filmmakers. The twenty-eight films he made between 1948 and 1988 belong to various genres. His first films were documentaries. Typical of these, and hallmark of Haanstra's personal style, is the frequent use of rhyming images "and of images blending into each other. Critics HALLSTROM. Lasse sponded warmly to the lyrical and pictorial qualities of Haanstra's early work. In his films about oil drilling, commissioned by Shell Haanstra showed that instructional films can be of artistic as we Nationality: Swedish. Born: Stockholm, Sweden, 1946. Family Married actress Lena Olin; one daughter, Tora, 1995. Career: Made Haanstra's first feature film, Fanfare, was a comedy and a big hit 16mm film as a teenager that was eventually screened on Swedish at the box office. The film, however, was also praised for its artistic TV filmed and edited inserts for Swedish TV; directed program importance and considered by many as a turning point in Dutch film Shall We Dancefor Danish TV; director and producer of TV This film should set the tone for the future production of Dutch programs and feature films. Awards: Academy Award nominations, feature-films, wrote a critic. His second feature film, De zaak M. P, director and screenplay, for My Life as a Dog. Agent: International was very coolly received, however, and Haanstra turned again to Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, Califor- making documentaries nia, 90211. U.S.A Discussions in the 1960s about the establishment of a tradition of influenced by the views on film expressed by the French nouvelle vague cineastes. Haanstra's long documentaries, Alleman, De stem Films as director an het water, and Bij de beesten af, show him perfectly able to catch the peculiarities of human behavior, especially those of the Dutch. 1975 A Lover and His Lass These three films still enjoy a firm reputation in Holland and 1977 ABBA-The Movie 416
HALLSTROM DIRECTORS, 4th EDITION 416 Publications By HAANSTRA: articles— ‘‘Gresprek met Bert Haanstra en prof. dr. G.P. Behrends,’’ with R. du Mèe and others, in Skoop (Amsterdam), vol.8, no.6, 1972. ‘‘Geen klachten over hoeveelheid aandacht voor Nederlandse film,’’ in Skoop (Amsterdam), February 1976. Interview with Freddy Sartor, in Film en Televisie + Video (Brussels), November 1996. On HAANSTRA: book— Verdaasdonk, Dorothee, editor, Bert Haanstra, Amsterdam, 1983. On HAANSTRA: articles— ‘‘Director of the Year,’’ in International Film Guide, London, 1966. Cowie, Peter, ‘‘Bert Haanstra,’’ in Focus on Film (London), Spring 1972. ‘‘Bert Haanstra,’’ in Film Dope (London), March 1981. Bertina, B.J., ‘‘Haanstra en het onverzorgde corpus van Dorothee Verdaasdonk,’’ in Skoop (Amsterdam), December 1983/January 1984. ‘‘Niet van deze wereld,’’ in Skoop, December-January 1987–1988. Daems, Jo, ‘‘Het beste van Bert Haanstra. Lang verborgen schat (her)ontdekt,’’ in Film en Televisie + Video (Brussels), MayJune 1990. Hommel, Michel, and Hauffmann, F., ‘‘Hulot in de menigte. Twee kapiteins op een schip,’’ in Skrien (Amsterdam), June-July 1991. Monster, Ruud, and others,’’Ecce homo. Hommage Bert Haanstra,’’ in Skrien (Amsterdam), August-September 1996. Obituary, in Skrien (Amsterdam), December-January 1997–1998. *** Bert Haanstra is one of Holland’s most renowned filmmakers. The twenty-eight films he made between 1948 and 1988 belong to various genres. His first films were documentaries. Typical of these, and a hallmark of Haanstra’s personal style, is the frequent use of ‘‘rhyming images’’ and of images blending into each other. Critics responded warmly to the lyrical and pictorial qualities of Haanstra’s early work. In his films about oil drilling, commissioned by Shell, Haanstra showed that instructional films can be of artistic as well as informative value. Haanstra’s first feature film, Fanfare, was a comedy and a big hit at the box office. The film, however, was also praised for its artistic importance and considered by many as a turning point in Dutch film: ‘‘This film should set the tone for the future production of Dutch feature-films,’’ wrote a critic. His second feature film, De zaak M. P., was very coolly received, however, and Haanstra turned again to making documentaries. Discussions in the 1960s about the establishment of a tradition of Dutch feature films—a tradition lacking at that time—were heavily influenced by the views on film expressed by the French nouvelle vague cineastes. Haanstra’s long documentaries, Alleman, De stem van het water, and Bij de beesten af, show him perfectly able to catch the peculiarities of human behavior, especially those of the Dutch. These three films still enjoy a firm reputation in Holland and elsewhere. Alleman and Bij de beesten af were nominated for Academy Awards. Although the number of movie-goers in Holland has sharply decreased, Haanstra’s public has remained large and loyal. In 1975 Haanstra made his first novel-based film. Dokter Pulder zaait papavers gives a subtle and detailed analysis of a number of fundamental human problems: loss of love, social failure, aging, and addiction to drugs and liquor. The film is psychologically convincing and full of tension. Een pak slaag, again based on a novel by Anton Koolhaas, failed to interest the public. In 1983 Haanstra brought out another feature film with Simon Carmiggelt as the main character listening to the tragicomic monologues of various ordinary people. Carmiggelt’s ability to render this type of monologue had won a wide audience for his daily columns, which have appeared since 1945 in a Dutch newspaper. The film, Vroeger kon je lachen, was well received. By virture of Haanstra’s diversity of films and of his great reputation with critics and the public, Haanstra made an invaluable contribution to the establishment of a Dutch film tradition. He remains a very important representative of the Dutch documentary school, which grew to fame in the 1960s and won countless awards at international film festivals. Haanstra’s own films have won over 70 prizes; he received an Academy Award for Glas, a short documentary film. As a director of feature films he convinced a large audience that Dutch films can (and should) be judged according to the same standards as important foreign films. His films, and also his cooperation with Simon Carmiggelt and Anton Koolhaas, show that Haanstra’s work is firmly rooted in Dutch culture, which, however, he transcended by taking it as an example of more general aspects of human behavior. This is beautifully exempli- fied in Bij de beesten af. Although his films do not contain explicit political statements, Haanstra was anything but a ‘‘neutral observer.’’ By the art of montage he gave his films a deeper meaning which not infrequently embodied a critical view of human society and poignant tragicomic scenes. —Dorothee Verdaasdonk HALLSTROM, Lasse Nationality: Swedish. Born: Stockholm, Sweden, 1946. Family: Married actress Lena Olin; one daughter, Tora, 1995. Career: Made 16mm film as a teenager that was eventually screened on Swedish TV; filmed and edited inserts for Swedish TV; directed program ‘‘Shall We Dance’’ for Danish TV; director and producer of TV programs and feature films. Awards: Academy Award nominations, director and screenplay, for My Life as a Dog. Agent: International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, 90211, U.S.A. Films as Director: 1975 A Lover and His Lass 1977 ABBA—The Movie
DIRECTORS, 4 EDITION HALLSTROM On HALLstRom: articles- Powers, John, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, in New York, 17 anuary 1994 Alleva, Richard, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, in Commonweal, 22 April 1994 Schickel, Richard, " Something to Talk About, in Time, 14 Travers, Peter, Something to Talk About, in Rolling Stone, 24 August 1995. Blocker, Jane, Woman-House: Architecture, Gender, and Hybridity What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, ""in Camera Obscura(Bloom ington), September 1996. Rooney, David, The Cider House Rules, in Variety(New York 13 September 1999 Lasse Hallstroms career has been built upon the substantial foundation of a single film, My Life as a Dog, the film that brought him immediate intermational recognition and achieved (for a film in a foreign language)an appreciable popular success outside Sweden, and on the strength of which he was invited to Hollywood. The lure of Hollywood is obviously very potent-especially ou are a youn filmmaker on the threshold of your career. Whether it was wise of Hallstrom to accept the invitation remains, at this point, after three Hollywood movies of varying distinction, open to discussion. Lasse hallstrom Hallstroms is the kind of gentle, somewhat diffident talent that can easily get submerged or misused in the Hollywood machinery, its 79 Father to be businessmen's eyes on box office receipts as production costs(and stars'salaries) soar into the stratosphere 1981 The rooster 983 Happy We My Life as a Dog is a minor masterpiece, and one of the finest 1985 My Life as a Dog(+ co-sc) films about childhood ever made, sensitive without sentimentality 1986 The Children of Bullerby Village generous but clear-sighted, disturbing in its full awareness of what 987 More about the Children of Bullerby Village w.B. Yeats called"the ignominy of boyhood, in turns painful 1991 Once Around (+ sc) poignant, and hilarious. Essentially, it is a film about survival, 1993 What's Eating Gilbert Grape(+co-exec pr) celebrating the resilience of its young hero Ingemar while unflinch 1995 Something to Talk abou ingly depicting experiences that must leave lifetime scars. 1996 The Golden hotr One can imagine such a film being made within the Hollywood context only in a much softened, sentimentalized, and bowdlerized 1999 The Cider House rules 2000 Chocolat form. The early sequences depict Ingemar's experiences in a family from which the father is completely absent(according to Ingemar, loading bananas somewhere abroad, a task for which the boy tries to convince himself that his father is indispensable-though this may be Other films either pure fantasy or a lie he has been told by adults who lie to him as matter of course), and otherwise consisting of a mother who is dying 1993 World of Film(television special)(role) of(presumably ) consumption and an elder brother who has inoculated himself with insensitivity and an assumption of superiority-afam- ily,in which his only comfort is a dog on which he showers his Publications otherwise unwanted attentions, and which is casually(while Ingemar is away)"put to sleep"as a mere inconvenience. A running theme is By HALLSTROM: articles- Ingemar's exposure to adult sexuality in its multitudinous variety Especially problematic in Hollywood would be his relationship with a young girl who wants to be perceived as a boy in order to continue Interview with W. Schneider in Video, June 1988 playing on the boys football team, and who becomes Ingemar's Interview with Anneli Jordahl and H. Lagher, in Chaplin(Stock- sparring partner/opponent in the boxing ring--her ambivalence to her holm), vol. 33, no. 2, 1991 sexuality expressed in her attempts to conceal her developing breasts 417
DIRECTORS, 4th EDITION HALLSTROM 417 Lasse Hallstrom 1979 Father to Be 1981 The Rooster 1983 Happy We 1985 My Life as a Dog (+ co-sc) 1986 The Children of Bullerby Village 1987 More about the Children of Bullerby Village 1991 Once Around (+ sc) 1993 What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (+ co-exec pr) 1995 Something to Talk About 1996 The Golden Hour 1999 The Cider House Rules 2000 Chocolat Other Films: 1993 World of Film (television special) (role) Publications By HALLSTROM: articles— Interview with W. Schneider, in Video, June 1988. Interview with Anneli Jordahl and H. Lagher, in Chaplin (Stockholm), vol. 33, no. 2, 1991. On HALLSTROM: articles— Powers, John, ‘‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,’’ in New York, 17 January 1994. Alleva, Richard, ‘‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,’’ in Commonweal, 22 April 1994. Schickel, Richard, ‘‘Something to Talk About,’’ in Time, 14 August 1995. Travers, Peter, ‘‘Something to Talk About,’’ in Rolling Stone, 24 August 1995. Blocker, Jane, ‘‘Woman-House: Architecture, Gender, and Hybridity in ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?,’’’ in Camera Obscura (Bloomington), September 1996. Rooney, David, ‘‘The Cider House Rules,’’ in Variety (New York), 13 September 1999. *** Lasse Hallstrom’s career has been built upon the substantial foundation of a single film, My Life as a Dog, the film that brought him immediate international recognition and achieved (for a film in a foreign language) an appreciable popular success outside Sweden, and on the strength of which he was invited to Hollywood. The lure of Hollywood is obviously very potent—especially if you are a young filmmaker on the threshold of your career. Whether it was wise of Hallstrom to accept the invitation remains, at this point, after three Hollywood movies of varying distinction, open to discussion. Hallstrom’s is the kind of gentle, somewhat diffident talent that can easily get submerged or misused in the Hollywood machinery, its businessmen’s eyes on box office receipts as production costs (and stars’ salaries) soar into the stratosphere. My Life as a Dog is a minor masterpiece, and one of the finest films about childhood ever made, sensitive without sentimentality, generous but clear-sighted, disturbing in its full awareness of what W. B. Yeats called ‘‘the ignominy of boyhood,’’ in turns painful, poignant, and hilarious. Essentially, it is a film about survival, celebrating the resilience of its young hero Ingemar while unflinchingly depicting experiences that must leave lifetime scars. One can imagine such a film being made within the Hollywood context only in a much softened, sentimentalized, and bowdlerized form. The early sequences depict Ingemar’s experiences in a family from which the father is completely absent (according to Ingemar, loading bananas somewhere abroad, a task for which the boy tries to convince himself that his father is indispensable—though this may be either pure fantasy or a lie he has been told by adults who lie to him as matter of course), and otherwise consisting of a mother who is dying of (presumably) consumption and an elder brother who has inoculated himself with insensitivity and an assumption of superiority—a ‘‘family’’ in which his only comfort is a dog on which he showers his otherwise unwanted attentions, and which is casually (while Ingemar is away) ‘‘put to sleep’’ as a mere inconvenience. A running theme is Ingemar’s exposure to adult sexuality in its multitudinous variety. Especially problematic in Hollywood would be his relationship with a young girl who wants to be perceived as a boy in order to continue playing on the boys’ football team, and who becomes Ingemar’s sparring partner/opponent in the boxing ring—her ambivalence to her sexuality expressed in her attempts to conceal her developing breasts
HANI DIRECTORS, 4 EDItION whilst repeatedly attracting Ingemar's attention to them. The film HANI Susumu sexual/gender problems apparently resolved. C Of Hallstrom's three Hollywood films the second, What's Eating Nationality: Japanese. Born: Tokyo, 19 October 1926. Education: bert Grape?, is clearly the most successful; it is also, not coinc Graduated from Jiyu Gakuen, Tokyo. Family: Married actress Sachik dentally, the closest to My Life as a Dog, the characters so memorabl Hidari, 1960. Career: Began working for Kyoto News Agency, incarnated by Johnny Depp and leonardo di caprio both relating in 1945: joined Iwanami Eiga production company, initially as still somewhat difterent ways to Ingemar, with Juliette Lewis replacing photographer, 1950; directed first film, 1952: producer, writer and his idiosyncratic and rebellious girlfriend. Far less audacious than the director for TV. from 1959; formed Hani productions, mid-1960s Swedish film, it is nevertheless a very offbeat project for Hollywood, Awards: First Prize (educational short), Venice Festival, and First conceived perhaps as much for its variously eccentric stars as for its atypical director. It allows Hallstrom license to develop his favorite Prize(short film), Cannes Festival, for Children Who Draw,1955 themes-the dysfunctional family, survival within conditions so Special Jury Prize for Best Direction, Moscow festival, for Children unpromising as to appear to predetermine defeat-and his finest Hand in Hand, 1965 qualities of generosity and emotional delicacy. One might single out (because on paper they would appear particularly hazardous) Depp scenes with Mary Steenburgen, the lonely and desperate older woman who uses him as a sexual outlet. hazardous because such a situation Films as director: has traditionally(and not only in Hollywood films) been taken as a pretext for the most vindictive and gloating cruelties at the womans expense. Here, Hallstrom achieves the perfect balance between 1952 Seikatsu to mizu(Water in Our Life)(co-d, co-sc)Yuki inflicting needs, each treated with equal sympathy: Steenburgen's matsuri(Snow Festival)(+ sc) sense of deprivation, Depp's need to extricate himself from a situation 1953 Machi to gesi (The Town and Its Drains)(+ sc) he has entered into because he is used to being used (everyone in the film has claims on him) and now feels to be false. The least successful 954 Anata no biru(Your Beer)(+ sc); Kyoshitsu no kodomotachi Children in the Classroom)(+ sc) seems to me Hallstroms Hollywood debut, Once Around, although it 1955 Eo kaku kodomotachi(Children Who Draw)(+ sc) contains some wonderful scenes and fine performances: its central premise, that a wealthy and aggressive American businessman, with 1956 Group no shido(Group Instruction)(+ sc); Soseiji gakkyu the kind of energy that goes into the multiplication of dollars, might (Twin Sisters)(+ sc); Dobutsuen nikki(Zoo Story)(feature) legitimately incarnate the"life force, rejuvenating(with occasional setbacks)all the other characters, is quite simply inadmissible, at least 1958 Shiga Naoya(+ sc); Horyu -ji(Horyu Temple)(+ sc): Umi wa as presented here, without apparent irony ikiteirt(The Living Sea)(feature)(+ sc): Nihon no buyo Hallstroms film Something to Talk About got a generally bad Dances in Japan)(+ sc): Tokyo 1958(co-d, co-sc, co-ed) press(a side-effect, perhaps, of backlash against Julia Roberts, as 1960 Furyo shonen(Bad Boys) mindless as the previous adulation): it seems to me a more interesting, 1962 Mitasareta seikatsu(A Full Life)(+co-sc): Te o tsunagu kora intelligent, and coherent film than it has been given credit for. It does, Children Hand in Hand however, raise a question: a new departure for Hallstrom(one would 1963 Kanojo to kare(She and He)(+ co-sc) ever,I think, guess it was his film), or evidence of his final 1965 Bwana Toshi no uta(The Song of Bwana Toshi)(+ co-sc) absorption into"Hollywood"and all that word has come to convey? 1966 Andesu no hanayome(Bride of the Andes)(+sc My present inclination is to defend it, as I think it has been misrepre- 1968 Hatsuoki jig ok uhen(Inferno of First Love; Nanami: Inferno sented. It has been perceived, generally, as a somewhat banal account of how Dennis Quaid, the unfaithful husband, gets his comeuppance rst Love)(+ co-sc) 969 Aido(Aido, Slave of Love critically than the other characters. The real subject of the film(and 1970 Mio(+ sc, Co-ed) he real meaning of its title) is that sexual and gender tensions and 972 Gozenchu no jikamwari (Timetable; Morning Schedule)(+co-sc problems in marriage should be""something to talk about, "not push 1981 Afurika monogatari(A Tale of Africa)(co-d) under the carpet. The films critique of marital infidelity(in the older, s well as the younger, generation) rests essentially on the old but still operative‘ double standard”: husbands do it., wives don't. Roberts’s of its ubiquity, although greeted on all sides with horror. Publications becomes an act of liberation, potentially for everyone, male and male. It is only superficially that the film can be read along conventional lines("Husbands should be punished for infidelity"); it By HAN: books- is open to a different reading, that our attitudes toward marriage fidelity, etc, all need to be rethought and, above all, opened discussion. It seems to be an open question as to where Hallstrom will Engishinai shuryakutachi [The Leading Players Who Do Not Act, The or indeed can, go from here Non-professional Actor 1958. Camera to maiku no roni [Aesthetics of Camera and Micro- -Robin Wood phonel., 1960 418
HANI DIRECTORS, 4th EDITION 418 whilst repeatedly attracting Ingemar’s attention to them. The film ends with them huddled up together on a sofa, their complicated sexual/gender problems apparently resolved. Of Hallstrom’s three Hollywood films the second, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, is clearly the most successful; it is also, not coincidentally, the closest to My Life as a Dog, the characters so memorably incarnated by Johnny Depp and Leonardo di Caprio both relating in somewhat different ways to Ingemar, with Juliette Lewis replacing his idiosyncratic and rebellious girlfriend. Far less audacious than the Swedish film, it is nevertheless a very offbeat project for Hollywood, conceived perhaps as much for its variously eccentric stars as for its atypical director. It allows Hallstrom license to develop his favorite themes—the dysfunctional family, survival within conditions so unpromising as to appear to predetermine defeat—and his finest qualities of generosity and emotional delicacy. One might single out (because on paper they would appear particularly hazardous) Depp’s scenes with Mary Steenburgen, the lonely and desperate older woman who uses him as a sexual outlet. Hazardous because such a situation has traditionally (and not only in Hollywood films) been taken as a pretext for the most vindictive and gloating cruelties at the woman’s expense. Here, Hallstrom achieves the perfect balance between conflicting needs, each treated with equal sympathy: Steenburgen’s sense of deprivation, Depp’s need to extricate himself from a situation he has entered into because he is used to being used (everyone in the film has claims on him) and now feels to be false. The least successful seems to me Hallstrom’s Hollywood debut, Once Around, although it contains some wonderful scenes and fine performances: its central premise, that a wealthy and aggressive American businessman, with the kind of energy that goes into the multiplication of dollars, might legitimately incarnate the ‘‘life force,’’ rejuvenating (with occasional setbacks) all the other characters, is quite simply inadmissible, at least as presented here, without apparent irony. Hallstrom’s film Something to Talk About got a generally bad press (a side-effect, perhaps, of backlash against Julia Roberts, as mindless as the previous adulation); it seems to me a more interesting, intelligent, and coherent film than it has been given credit for. It does, however, raise a question: a new departure for Hallstrom (one would never, I think, guess it was his film), or evidence of his final absorption into ‘‘Hollywood’’ and all that word has come to convey? My present inclination is to defend it, as I think it has been misrepresented. It has been perceived, generally, as a somewhat banal account of how Dennis Quaid, the unfaithful husband, gets his comeuppance and learns to behave ‘‘correctly.’’ In fact, Quaid is presented no more critically than the other characters. The real subject of the film (and the real meaning of its title) is that sexual and gender tensions and problems in marriage should be ‘‘something to talk about,’’ not push under the carpet. The film’s critique of marital infidelity (in the older, as well as the younger, generation) rests essentially on the old but still operative ‘‘double standard’’: husbands do it, wives don’t. Roberts’s exposure of its ubiquity, although greeted on all sides with horror, becomes an act of liberation, potentially for everyone, male and female. It is only superficially that the film can be read along conventional lines (‘‘Husbands should be punished for infidelity’’); it is open to a different reading, that our attitudes toward marriage, sex, fidelity, etc., all need to be rethought and, above all, opened to discussion. It seems to be an open question as to where Hallstrom will, or indeed can, go from here. —Robin Wood HANI, Susumu Nationality: Japanese. Born: Tokyo, 19 October 1926. Education: Graduated from Jiyu Gakuen, Tokyo. Family: Married actress Sachiko Hidari, 1960. Career: Began working for Kyoto News Agency, 1945; joined Iwanami Eiga production company, initially as still photographer, 1950; directed first film, 1952; producer, writer and director for TV, from 1959; formed Hani productions, mid-1960s. Awards: First Prize (educational short), Venice Festival, and First Prize (short film), Cannes Festival, for Children Who Draw, 1955; Special Jury Prize for Best Direction, Moscow festival, for Children Hand in Hand, 1965. Films as Director: 1952 Seikatsu to mizu (Water in Our Life) (co-d, co-sc) Yuki matsuri (Snow Festival) (+ sc) 1953 Machi to gesui (The Town and Its Drains) (+ sc) 1954 Anata no biru (Your Beer) (+ sc); Kyoshitsu no kodomotachi (Children in the Classroom) (+ sc) 1955 Eo kaku kodomotachi (Children Who Draw) (+ sc) 1956 Group no shido (Group Instruction) (+ sc); Soseiji gakkyu (Twin Sisters) (+ sc); Dobutsuen nikki (Zoo Story) (feature) (+ sc) 1958 Shiga Naoya (+ sc); Horyu-ji (Horyu Temple) (+ sc); Umi wa ikiteiru (The Living Sea) (feature) (+ sc); Nihon no buyo (Dances in Japan) (+ sc): Tokyo 1958 (co-d, co-sc, co-ed) 1960 Furyo shonen (Bad Boys) 1962 Mitasareta seikatsu (A Full Life) (+ co-sc): Te o tsunagu kora (Children Hand in Hand) 1963 Kanojo to kare (She and He) (+ co-sc) 1965 Bwana Toshi no uta (The Song of Bwana Toshi) (+ co-sc) 1966 Andesu no hanayome (Bride of the Andes) (+ sc) 1968 Hatsuoki jig ok uhen (Inferno of First Love; Nanami: Inferno of First Love) (+ co-sc) 1969 Aido (Aido, Slave of Love) 1970 Mio (+ sc, co-ed) 1972 Gozenchu no jikanwari (Timetable; Morning Schedule) (+ co-sc) 1981 Afurika monogatari (A Tale of Africa) (co-d) Publications By HANI: books— Engishinai shuyakutachi [The Leading Players Who Do Not Act, The Non-professional Actor], 1958. Camera to maiku no ronri [Aesthetics of Camera and Microphone], 1960
DIRECTORS, 4 EDITION HANI 峡辅街 Susumu hani Afurika konnan ryoko [My Travels in Africa, Report about Film On HAN: article- Making in Africa, 1965 Andes ryoko [Travels in the Andes, Report About Film Making in the Susumu Hani, "in Film Dope(London), September 1981 Andes], 1966 By HANI: articles- Susumu Hani was born in Tokyo in 1928, the son of a famous Interview with James Blue, in Film Comment(New York), Spring 1969 En preparant Mio. in Ecran(Paris), July/August 1972 yoto Press and entered filmmaking as a documentarist in 1950 when Susumu Hani a decouvrir avec bwana toshi. interview with A. he joined Iwanami Productions. Most of his later dramatic features Tournes, in Jeune Cinema( Paris), April/May 1979. reflect his early documentary training, relying on authentic locations amateur actors hand-held camera On HANi: books- contemporary social issues. His film career comprises three areas: documentary narra- tives relating to social problems, especially among the young; and Mellen, Joan, Voices from the Japanese Cinema, New York, 1975 dramas focusing on the emerging woman Of the 18 documentaries made between 1952 and 1960. the best known are Children in the Richie, Donald, Japanese Cinema: An Introduction, New York, 1990 Classroom and Children Who Draw Pictures. The latter won the 1957 Davis, Darrell William, Picturing Japaneseness: Monumental Style, Robert Flaherty Award National Identity, Japanese Film (Film and Culture), New his previous concerns. The film, a loose series of situations about Hani's first dramatic feature, Bad Boys, further develops many of 419
DIRECTORS, 4 HANI th EDITION 419 Susumu Hani Afurika konnan ryoko [My Travels in Africa, Report about Film Making in Africa], 1965. Andes ryoko [Travels in the Andes, Report About Film Making in the Andes], 1966. By HANI: articles— Interview with James Blue, in Film Comment (New York), Spring 1969. ‘‘En préparant Mio,’’ in Ecran (Paris), July/August 1972. ‘‘Susumu Hani: a decouvrir avec Bwana Toshi,’’ interview with A. Tournès, in Jeune Cinéma (Paris), April/May 1979. On HANI: books— Mellen, Joan, Voices from the Japanese Cinema, New York, 1975. Sato, Tadao, Currents in Japanese Cinema, Tokyo, 1982. Richie, Donald, Japanese Cinema: An Introduction, New York, 1990. Davis, Darrell William, Picturing Japaneseness: Monumental Style, National Identity, Japanese Film (Film and Culture), New York, 1995. On HANI: article— ‘‘Susumu Hani,’’ in Film Dope (London), September 1981. *** Susumu Hani was born in Tokyo in 1928, the son of a famous liberal family. After schooling, he worked for a while as a journalist at Kyoto Press and entered filmmaking as a documentarist in 1950 when he joined Iwanami Productions. Most of his later dramatic features reflect his early documentary training, relying on authentic locations, amateur actors, hand-held camera techniques, and an emphasis upon contemporary social issues. His film career comprises three areas: documentary films; narratives relating to social problems, especially among the young; and dramas focusing on the emerging woman. Of the 18 documentaries made between 1952 and 1960, the best known are Children in the Classroom and Children Who Draw Pictures. The latter won the 1957 Robert Flaherty Award. Hani’s first dramatic feature, Bad Boys, further develops many of his previous concerns. The film, a loose series of situations about