TWEE KEER 2 OGEN
Deux fois 2 yeux

by Robbe DE HERT
1963 / 16mm / b&w / sound / 6' 00

The script is based on a poem by Robbe De Hert, which consisted of four four-letter words, written one below the other: Twee Keer 2 Ogen (Twice 2 Eyes). Two young people in the midst of a crowd at Antwerp Central Station briefly but intensely lock eyes before being separated by the crowd pushing them apart.

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."

In Twee Keer 2 Ogen, the visual influences of Fugitive Cinema are evident: the British Free Cinema movement and the films of Cassavetes, with their use of a free-moving camera and focus on intimate, small gestures, are reflected in their work.

2 PRINTS IN DISTRIBUTION


distribution format DCP on server (SMPTE 2K)
screen 1,37
speed 25 fps
sound sound
rental fee 42,00 €

distribution format Digital file on server (FHD)
screen 1,37
speed 25 fps
sound sound
rental fee 42,00 €