A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON MY WAY TO GOLGOTHA

by Robbe DE HERT
1967 / 16mm / color / sound / 6' 00

An animated film that tells the story of Jesus’ Stations of the Cross in the 20th century, as he searches for a place to plant his cross.

Robbe De Hert was one of the founders and the leading figure of the Fugitive Cinema, an independent collective of filmmakers based in Antwerp. In the 1960s and 70s, Fugitive Cinema injected a dose of political and social engagement into Belgian cinema. Producing anarchic, experimental, and socially critical films, the group offered an alternative to mainstream film culture and became one of the most innovative contributions to Belgian cinema history.
Alongside their own productions, the collective also distributed films ignored by other distributors. In 1969, they published their first distribution catalog, featuring their own short films alongside avant-garde works by other Belgian filmmakers, such as Roland Lethem and Jean-Marie Buchet. "All these productions had one thing in common: they were included in our catalog because existing distributors were not interested in our films—they found them too difficult, too unconventional, too bad, or simply dared not distribute them. Our catalog thus became a gathering place for the 'outlaws,' who had committed only one crime: that of not being commercial. As you know, this crime is punished by starvation in our system."

A Funny Thing Happened on my Way to Golgotha was shot on 16mm film stock received from the Royal Belgian Film Archive (Cinémathèque royale de Belgique) during the EXPRMNTL festival in Knokke. The animation was created by cartoonist and Robbe De Hert’s brother, Grapjos. In addition to Oberhausen, the film received awards in Nyon, Edinburgh, London, and Sydney, marking the beginning of Fugitive Cinema’s international acclaim and recognition of its talent—further solidified by works such as S.O.S. Fonske (1968) and Camera Sutra (1973).

2 PRINTS IN DISTRIBUTION


distribution format DCP on server (SMPTE 2K)
screen 1,37
speed 24 fps
sound sound
rental fee 42,00 €

distribution format Digital file on server (FHD)
screen 1,37
speed 24 fps
sound sound
rental fee 42,00 €