Joris Ivens on DVD

[Steven H]

I'm extremely excited about this news (read on the Masters of Cinema homepage). Some information here. Rain is amazing (watched a poor quality VHS), I can't wait to get a chance to see the rest of his films (the Spanish Earth DVD is a little expensive for me, and now I guess this is a reason to wait on it). Can anyone share thoughts about his other films?

[swingo]

Rain+Hans Eisler you just can't go wrong.

I'm an admirer of Joris Ivens as well, I'd love to see a box set of his work in China.


Axel.

[Adam]

Found this on the European Foundation Joris Ivens page:

International release Joris Ivens DVD-box

date: 5/13/2008 (of the press release)

Joris Ivens is regarded worldwide as one of the pioneers of the documentary film art with avant-garde films such as The Bridge (1928), Rain (1929), Borinage (1934) and
The Spanish Earth (1937). Twenty of Ivens’ classic films, ranging from his youthful film experiment The Flaming Arrow (1912) to his cinematic testament A Tale of the Wind (1988) will be included in the DVD-box, among them films that have been awarded with either the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival or the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
All films have been extensively researched by the Ivens Foundation in numerous collections all over the world, and great care has been taken to find or restore every film to its (most) authentic state. The audio-visual company Edit’B, which is based in the city of Nijmegen, Ivens’ place of birth, has worked intensively for the last two years on the digital restoration of the material, totalling more than a million film frames. The DVD-box will be accompanied by a book, containing extensive information on all the films.

The release of this film collection will take place on the 18th of November in LUX Nijmegen and on the 21st of November at the Film Museum in Amsterdam, and
Marceline Loridan-Ivens (Ivens’ wife), German director Edgar Reitz (director of the acclaimed Heimat-series) and American film scholar Tom Gunning will be among the many guests. During the coming edition of IDFA (International Documentary Festival Amsterdam) the Film Museum will show a daily programme of Ivens films, as well as housing an exhibition on his life and work.

André Stufkens, Director of the Ivens Foundation, states: ”The films made by Ivens are shown worldwide at numerous film festivals, but I’m pleased that with the release of this box-set the films will be available to everybody.”
The DVD-collection will be released in three languages: Dutch, English and French.

In Paris the Cinémathèque Française, following the Dutch programme, will organize a large-scale Ivens-retrospective in the Spring of 2009, when the DVD-box will be released in France by ARTE. In the US the MoMA, Museum of Modern Art, in New York will organize a programme of Ivens films on the occasion of the collection’s release.

Apart from the films, a lot of unique bonus material has been included in the box-set, among them a previously unreleased film interview (60 min.) with Joris Ivens from 1983, in which he talks about his life, and a lively film interview with Ivens by French director Jean Rouch. Of many films special versions have been included: the film Rain will be presented with three different soundtracks, and The Spanish Earth will feature the commentary tracks spoken by both Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles. A special featurette will show what the digital restoration of the Ivens films entailed.

To present this DVD-box the European Foundation Joris Ivens cooperates with CAPI Films in Paris and the Film Museum in Amsterdam.
In the Netherlands the box-set will be released by JUST Entertainment, and in France and the US by ARTE and Facets respectively.

More information: European Foundation Joris Ivens / André Stufkens / Tel. 024-3888774 / www.ivens.nl

[Matt]

All fantastic news until you get to the word "Facets."

[Adam]

That sent a shudder through me as well.

But ideally Facets will just be distributing, and not involved in production, or reproducing it for America. The films of Heinz Emigholz are like that - made by him & his gallery in Germany, and Facets buys a bunch to sell in the US. Heinz told me that Facets is good as a distributor - they buy a bunch, pay on time, etc.

[stephan73]

If Just Entertainment are releasing it in Holland, then I'm sure it will be a great package. They've already been responsible for one of my favorite boxsets; Bert Haanstra Complete! (link is in Dutch)

[ptmd]

The films that Facets just buys transfers of and distributes are almost always first-rate (i.e., the Blaq-Out ports and the Sokurovs), so I don't think there's anything at all to worry about on that front and I'm also glad to hear that this is finally getting off the ground.

[Faeton]

If Just Entertainment are releasing it in Holland, then I'm sure it will be a great package. They've already been responsible for one of my favorite boxsets; Bert Haanstra Complete! (link is in Dutch)

A bit OT, but could you post some details about that boxset? Has it got english subtitles?

[stephan73]

If Just Entertainment are releasing it in Holland, then I'm sure it will be a great package. They've already been responsible for one of my favorite boxsets; Bert Haanstra Complete! (link is in Dutch)

A bit OT, but could you post some details about that boxset? Has it got english subtitles?

All titles have either English dialogue or subtitles, and the discs (10) are filled with extras (making of, interviews)!

Shipping is 2,50 euros!

[Scharphedin2]

Stephan, is there any way (possibly in a separate thread) that you could talk a little about Haanstra and his films. The set looks amazing, but I am sure that I am not the only one who has never even heard of this filmmaker before.

[HerrSchreck]

I don't know if Rain aka Regen in the box set you're mentioning, but Kino made it available in their sublime Avant Garde (the first one w all the Epstein & Kirsanoff) dvd. Buy it for the Ivens, but treasure it for all the absolutely mesmerizing classics on there. If you like the work/style of Ivens, you should not by any means be without the two Kino Avant Garde's, and Image/Anthology's absolutely breathtaking Unseen Cinema set... still imho probably the finest use of the dvd medium outside of a big studio (that award would go to Fox for both Ford At Fox as well as the upcoming Borzage/Murnau box, whatever it's called.. they could call it White Snot In A Bearded Talking Thermos for all I care.. I just wanta see the contents furthechrissakes!).

[What A Disgrace]

White Snot In A Bearded Talking Thermos

I know what I'm naming my first born child.

[Faeton]

All titles have either English dialogue or subtitles, and the discs (10) are filled with extras

Thanks! This one has gone straight to the top of my purchasing list

[Sheriff Chambers]

Rain - at last!

[stephan73]

Stephan, is there any way (possibly in a separate thread) that you could talk a little about Haanstra and his films. The set looks amazing, but I am sure that I am not the only one who has never even heard of this filmmaker before.

Haanstra is a documentary filmmaker who is considered to be one of Hollands best directors.
Some of his films were critically aclaimed outside of Holland aswell (premiers at Cannes for example).

His Oscar winning short (Glass) can be seen on Youtube!

[Adam]

More on the Ivens box on the Ivens Foundation site:

International release Joris Ivens DVD-box

Joris Ivens is regarded worldwide as one of the pioneers of the documentary film art with avant-garde films such as The Bridge (1928), Rain (1929), Borinage (1934) and The Spanish Earth (1937). Twenty of Ivens’ classic films, ranging from his youthful film experiment The Flaming Arrow (1912) to his cinematic testament A Tale of the Wind (1988) will be included in the DVD-box, among them films that have been awarded with either the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival or the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

All films have been extensively researched by the Ivens Foundation in numerous collections all over the world, and great care has been taken to find or restore every film to its (most) authentic state. The audio-visual company Edit’B, which is based in the city of Nijmegen, Ivens’ place of birth, has worked intensively for the last two years on the digital restoration of the material, totalling more than a million film frames. The DVD-box will be accompanied by a book, containing extensive information on all the films.

The release of this film collection will take place on the 18th of November in LUX Nijmegen and on the 21st of November at the Film Museum in Amsterdam, and Marceline Loridan-Ivens (Ivens’ wife), German director Edgar Reitz (director of the acclaimed Heimat-series) and American film scholar Tom Gunning will be among the many guests. During the coming edition of IDFA (International Documentary Festival Amsterdam) the Film Museum will show a daily programme of Ivens films, as well as housing an exhibition on his life and work.

André Stufkens, Director of the Ivens Foundation, states: ”The films made by Ivens are shown worldwide at numerous film festivals, but I’m pleased that with the release of this box-set the films will be available to everybody.” The DVD-collection will be released in three languages: Dutch, English and French.

In Paris the Cinémathèque Française, following the Dutch programme, will organize a large-scale Ivens-retrospective in the Spring of 2009, when the DVD-box will be released in France by ARTE. In the US the MoMA, Museum of Modern Art, in New York will organize a programme of Ivens films on the occasion of the collection’s release.

Apart from the films, a lot of unique bonus material has been included in the box-set, among them a previously unreleased film interview (60 min.) with Joris Ivens from 1983, in which he talks about his life, and a lively film interview with Ivens by French director Jean Rouch. Of many films special versions have been included: the film Rain will be presented with three different soundtracks, and The Spanish Earth will feature the commentary tracks spoken by both Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles. A special featurette will show what the digital restoration of the Ivens films entailed.

To present this DVD-box the European Foundation Joris Ivens cooperates with CAPI Films in Paris and the Film Museum in Amsterdam. In the Netherlands the box-set will be released by JUST Entertainment, and in France and the US by ARTE and Facets respectively.

More information:
[email protected]
31- 24 – 3888774

Next films are presented on the DVD-box:

CONTENT JORIS IVENS DVD BOX
DVD-1 1912-1933
Film: De Wigwam /The Tipi, 1912
Bonus: De Wigwam / The Tipi, 1912 (versie 1931)
Film: Etudes des mouvements a Paris, 1927
Film: De Brug / The Bridge, 1928
Film: Regen / Rain (zwijgend), 1929 (met Mannus Franken)
Bonus: Regen / Rain (geluid, Lichtveld), 1929/1932 (met Mannus Franken)
Bonus: Regen / Rain (geluid, Eisler), 1929/1941 (met Mannus Franken)
Bonus: Regen / Rain (geluid,Lichtveld, uitvoering Micha Hamel), 2002 (met M. Franken)
Film: Philips Radio, 1931
Film: Komsomol, 1933
Film: Nieuwe Gronden / New Earth, 1933
Bonus: Nieuwe Gronden / New Earth, 1933 (live-uitvoering ASKO Ensemble HK Grüber)
Subtotaal DVD-1: 2 uur 58 min\

DVD-2 1934-1940
Film: Borinage, 1934 (met Henri Storck)
Film: The Spanish Earth (versie Ernest Hemingway), 1937
Bonus: The Spanish Earth (versie Orson Welles), 1937
Film: The 400 Million, 1939
Film: Power And The Land, 1940
Subtotaal DVD-2: 2 uur 51 min.

DVD-3 1946-1966
Film: Indonesia Calling, 1946
Film: La Seine a rencontré Paris, 1957
Film: …à Valparaiso, 1963
Film: Pour Le Mistral, 1965
Film: Rotterdam Europoort, 1966
Film: Rotterdam Europoort, 1966 (Franse versie Chris Marker, Yves Montand)
Subtotaal DVD-3: 2 uur 26 min.

DVD-4 1968-1976
Film: Le 17ieme Parallèle, 1969
Film: Histoire d`un Ballon:Le Lycée nr. 31 à Pékin,(uit Yukong deplaça les montagnes) 1976 (met Marceline Loridan-Ivens)
Film: La Pharmacie nr. 3: Shanghai (uit Yukong deplaça les montagnes), 1976 (met M.L-I)
Subtotaal DVD-4: 3 uur 26 min.

DVD-5 1980-1988
Film: Une Histoire de Vent, 1988 (met Marceline Loridan-Ivens)
Bonus: Ciné-Mafia (rencontre 1) – Jean Rouch, 1980
Bonus: Témoins, interview Joris Ivens, 1983 (door Robert Destanques)
Bonus: Restauratie Joris Ivens digitaal, 2008
Subtotaal DVD-5: 3 uur 8 min.

Totaal Joris Ivens DVDbox: 14 uur 50 min.

[mikebowes]

Looks like Loin du Vietnam is coming towards the end of the month!

... Italian subs.

[gelich]

Two sites so far have the Joris Ivens set on sale.

Probably more to come...

[ola t]

The Ivens Foundation's own web shop is selling the box set too, with the option of either including the book or not. Without the book, it's 10 euros cheaper. Does anyone know if the book is in Dutch only? I've emailed and asked the Foundation, but haven't got any reply so far.

If I haven't heard anything (either from them or here) by the end of week, I'll probably just take the plunge and report back in this thread once it has arrived.

[Adam]

The Foundation is pretty weak at replying to email. I wrote them two months ago about actually doing an Ivens Retrospective in Los Angeles in conjunction with the release of the set, and they haven't replied. Probably be simpler for someone in Europe to call them.

Edit: I just remembered that i know someone who bought the box at IDFA in November when it was launched. I'll ask her about the book.

[ola t]

Huh! They've now removed the option of not including the book. Well, that simplifies things.

Oookay... I've placed my order but they never asked for any payment details. This will be interesting.

EDIT: They want a good old-fashioned bank transfer. Luckily those are not as expensive as they used to be (within the EU at least).

[gelich]

French edition due out soon: Vol. 1 - Vol. 2

[JAP]

So now that the French edition(s) is/are coming up, does anyone in the forum actually owns the Dutch set? Or at least got a reasonable first-hand impression of it? It seems a real must-have but some kind of endorsement would be nice...
ola t, did you went ahead with your intended purchase?

[ola t]

Yup, but I haven't received it yet.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

I have looked across various sites but am not sure that the different editions are the exact same specs (re contents and subtitle options) . Is this right ... does anyone know definitively?