Black eyes - Jan Bosdriesz

Original Dutch film title:
ZWARTE OGEN
Year:
2008
Length:
75 minutes (television version) & 100 minutes (theatre version)

Tagline:
Personal film about the Russian/Romanian singer Pyotr Leshchenko.

Logline:
BLACK EYES is the account of a journey following the traces people have left behind in their lives. It is a film about the passage of time, about the loss and reemergence of memories starting from the 78 rpm record I inherited from my father: the tango “Tschernye Glaza“, Black Eyes.

Synopsis:
Jan Bosdriesz’ father was a fanatical collector of gramophone records. Most exotic and romantic were the records by the Russian singer: Pyotr Leshchenko, popular Russian singer from the nineteen thirties and forties. Banned, yet heard everywhere. Eventually he died in a Romanian work camp.
In the film, Jan Bosdriesz will go looking for any memories he can find in Eastern Europe of Leshchenko. Looking for memories of people, for landscapes and cities that have something to do with Leshchenko and his music, shot now and in archive footage. Archive footage which also reveals tangibly yet en passant something of the gruesome history of the 1930s and 1940s in Eastern Europe.
During his research trip, Jan Bosdriesz was however repeatedly confronted with memories of the family he grew up in. That in turn became an important part of the film.

Cast:
nvt

Crew:
script & direction: Jan Bosdriesz
camera: Peter Lataster
sound: Tom d’Angremond
editing: Emile Bensdorp
sound post-production: Paul Gies / Klink
image post-production: Loods Lux & Lumen
music van a.o.: Pjotr Leschenko
production manager: Edwin Trommelen
producer: Digna Sinke

this film is a co-production of SNG Film with NPS televisie

this film is financially supported by:
Netherlands Film Fund
CoBO-fonds
Dutch Cultural Media Fund
Thuiskopie Fonds