Henry Brandt
Henry BRANDT (1921, Switzerland − 1998, France) was a self-taught photographer and director. He made his debut with the 1953 short documentary Valangin: Découverte et présentation d'un bourg. Quand nous étions petits enfants (1960) won a Silver Sail at Lorano. In 1962, he co-founded the Swiss Directors’ Association, and two years later he presented the critical short La Suisse s'interroge at the 1964 Swiss national Exposition, in which he discussed social problems in Swiss society such as xenophobia. Brandt directed his final film Le blé des pharaons in 1987. He died in 1998. A collection of his work is kept in the La Chaux-de-Fonds library.
Filmography
(selection) Valangin: Découverte et présentation d'un bourg (1953, short doc), Les nomades du soleil/Nomads of the Sun (1953, mid-length doc), Les hommes des châteaux (1954, short doc), Les seigneurs de la forêt/Masters of the Congo Jungle (1958, co-dir, doc), Madagascar au bout du monde (1960, doc), Quand nous étions petits enfants/When We Were Children (1960, doc), La Chance des autres (1962, doc), Les Hommes de la montre (1964, short doc), Opération Banyarwanda (1964, short doc), La Suisse s’interroge (1964, short doc), Voyage chez les vivants (1969, doc), Chroniques de la Planète Bleue (1972, TV series), Un couple d’écrivains (1973, short doc), Terre à vendre (1973, doc), Le dernier printemps (1977, doc), Eudoxie (1977, doc), Nous étions les rois du monde (1985, co-dir, doc), Le blé des pharaons (1987, doc)
Henry Brandt at IFFR
Les nomades du soleil
One of the earliest audio-visual works on the Wodaabe, a nomadic people now famous for their unique culture and rites.
44'
Switzerland
IFFR 2021
Switzerland Ponders
A critical self-portrait of Switzerland in five short movements, made for the great National Exposition of 1964. A watershed documentary restored.
22'
Switzerland
IFFR 2021