Maarten Rens

Dec 15, 1983

Witness Apartheid Aggression

Witness Apartheid Aggression (director/camera/prod) 1983/84

In October 1983 I visited, together with Conny Braam and Fons Geerlings, Lesoto, Mocambique and Angola to film evidence for the Western (European) involvement in the war going on in Southern Africa. One of the hottest fronts in the Cold War at the time. This material was presented at the Public Hearing in December 1983 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. This event resulted in the film Witness Apartheid Aggression.

Feb 10, 1983

Doors of culture shall be opened

The doors of culture shall be opened! (director/camera/prod) 1982/83

In December 1982 a conference was held in Amsterdam under the title “The Voice of Resistance”. Towards 100 in exile living artists from South Africa gathered with Dutch artists to debate South African culture in “De Bali” and “De Populier”. The African National Congress and the Anti Apartheid Movement were the organizers. The cultural accord between the South African Government and the Dutch Government had been broken but the alternative accord with the majority of the SA population was not yet established. A vibrant exposure of SA culture is presented in this film.

Dec 10, 1982

Het Nieuwe Bouwen

Het Nieuwe Bouwen (regie/prod) 1982 (Museum Boymans- van Beuningen)
New media installation

Nov 10, 1981

Ik ben er geweest

Ik ben er geweest (director/camera/prod)
Family portrait in Pretoria 1981

Visit to our family in Pretoria, South Africa. I went there with my 1 year old doughter to do a journalistic experiment in 1981. My idea was to portray an uncommon political situation and not to comment on it in the film. What would happen when I showed the result in the Netherlands? ..The world would never be the same...