BWFF Interview: Jonathan Pieterse

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From Hamburg to Sydney: filmmaker Jonathan Pieterse (left on the photo) captures graffiti photographers in unique documentary series Photography plays an indispensable role in capturing and distributing graffiti. During Blind Walls Film Fest, filmmaker Jonathan Pieterse reveals the work of graffiti photographers and the hidden world they capture with his short documentary series With One Eye Open The Series.

A photograph makes a temporary graffiti piece immortal. Photos are widely shared on social media, in books and magazines and at exhibitions. The exhibit With One Eye Open (curated by Jasper van Es, on show as a pop-up during Blind Walls Film Fest) pays tribute to graffiti photography. For that show, filmmaker Jonathan Pieterse created a remarkable documentary series of four video portraits. In With One Eye Open The Series, he follows photographers in Hamburg, Sydney, Paris and London.

Recognition
At the previous edition of Blind Walls Film Fest, Pieterse’s film City Work of Fiction was awarded the prize for ‘Best Short’. According to the jury, he managed to tell a story without using words in a perfect way and in a short space of time. Having his own programme section this year feels like an honour for the young filmmaker. ‘The award motivated me to continue, it’s a confirmation that people like your work. That recognition did a lot to me,’ Pieterse says. It was also the first time one of his films was shown on the big screen.

Pieterse describes his work as poetic and documentary. His career began with photography, later evolving into film. Making With One Eye Open The Series felt like an important step for him. As a filmmaker, he focuses on uncovering a person’s identity, zooming out and looking beyond the surface. When making a documentary, mutual trust is key. This is even more so when illegal subjects are involved. It is to Pieterse’s benefit that he has been around in this world for a long time: ‘They don’t just take anyone with them.’

The Series
In 2019, Australia’s first metro line opened in Sydney – a milestone that did not miss local graffiti writers. In the first episode, one of them recounts how he and his friends were the first to use the metro as a canvas, even before the vehicle was in operation. During a nightly mission, the group painted the carriage, took a picture and immediately removed the work again. The photo serves as proof: they were the very first in all of Australia to take an underground under their wing.

The second episode revolves around Parisian photographer Cat Cent Cat. It is an honest video portrait of a young man who doesn’t actually know much about photography, but takes his analogue camera everywhere he goes. ‘This episode is not so much about graffiti – it’s about the bond between a photographer and his city, where he moves across the roofs like a cat,’ Pieterse explains.

We see the complete opposite in the next episode, in which Edward Nightingale is followed in an underground tunnel in Hamburg. Communication through an earpiece and three people on the lookout make it clear that it is a carefully planned mission. Pieterse looks back: ‘Suddenly we had to flee because the area no longer appeared safe. I had no time to think; ‘run and film’ was the only thing going through my head. This is the moment!’ The tight footage at the beginning of the video, followed by the subsequent chaos, creates a nice contrast.

The series ends with a video portrait of Italian street photographer Alex Fakso, whose career began in the 1990s. Unlike the other three portrayed, he does appear recognisably on screen. Fakso takes the viewer through his process and the changes in his artistry. The interview concludes with an expression of love for trainbombing: ‘I love that stuff so much. It’s just the best thing to happen.’

Extraordinary
With One Eye Open The Series is an extraordinary document that highlights different facets of graffiti photography. About a year after his well-deserved award, Pieterse is back on stage at Blind Walls Film Fest on Thursday 9 February. Pieterse is looking forward to the film screening. ‘I assume that not everyone in the room will be familiar with this world, so I am curious to see what it evokes in them.’

With One Eye Open The Series will be screened on Thursday 6 February during Blind Walls Film Fest at Chassé Cinema in Breda. Jonathan Pieterse and Jasper van Es are present for a Q&A. The programme is hosted by Robin Vermeulen. More info and tickets via www.bwff.nl

 

Interview and text by Anne van Bree

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