Johan van der Keuken: The Complete Collection 1

This nine-film collection from Holland's Johan van der Keuken (1938-2001) offers a rich introduction to his unique talent for blending nonfiction and narrative filmmaking into works of iconoclastic cinema art. Included here are I Love $ (1986), a harsh view of global banking and the chasm between the haves and have-nots; The Eye Above the Well (1988), a compelling look at India's socioeconomic situation; Lucebert: Time and Farewell (1994), a trio of short films that offer homage to the Dutch poet Lucebert (an early mentor of Van der Keuken); and six other films: the feature-length Face Value (1991), the hour-long The Mask (1989), and four shorts. Throughout his work, Van der Keuken observed the human condition both as a sociologist tracing the asymmetrical puzzle pieces that linked the world together and as an artist who was able to find moving and frequently heartbreaking common ground within the rich tapestry of different global cultures. Documentary purists may have issues with the filmmaker's manipulation of people and events to suit his vision (and in the case of the 228-minute Amsterdam Global Village, which is included on Johan van der Keuken: The Complete Collection 2, there is definitely the sense of too much of a good thing), but taken as a whole, this extra-less compilation of original and challenging films is definitely recommended. (P. Hall)