Een kettingzaag voor het verleden

Together with his contemporaries Bert Haanstra and Jan Vrijman, filmmaker Louis van Gasteren gave meaning to the Dutch documentary school. With his investigative and personal observations he made an important contribution to post-war cinematography in the Netherlands. Ad ‘s Gravesande made a portrait in which the 75-year-old documentary filmmaker tells about his thoughts and actions. Van Gasteren grew up in Echternach, Luxembourg, close to the German border. He had a discordant contact with his mother, for whom he even felt repugnance. On the other hand, for his father, the famous actor Louis van Gasteren sr, Van Gasteren had a deep respect. Until today he is aware of his father‘s influence. His experiences during World War II have also left their traces in his work. Een kettingzaag voor het verleden is interlarded with footage from the archive of the Van Gasteren family and with excerpts from his films. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)