Saturday, March 21, 2020

March 21 - André Delvaux


Happy Birthday, André Delvaux! Born today in 1928 as André, Baron Delvaux, this Belgian film director is widely regarded as the founder of the Belgian national cinema. 
  
Among his credits, Delvaux is best known for co-writing and directing the 1966 Belgian black and white drama film 'De man die zijn haar kort liet knippen' ('The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short'). 

Based off of the eponymous 1947 novel by Johan Daisne (a pseudonym of Flemish author Herman Thiery), the film tells of Belgian schoolteacher Govert Miereveld (Senne Rouffaer) or "field of ants". 

He later moves away in order to escape his infatuation with Eufrazia 'Fran' Veerman (Beata Tyszkiewicz), one of his students. Despite this, Miereveld only continues to run into her at his new job. 

The film was the first to feature Delvaux’s distinctive style of magic realism, of which he expanded in his later films.  
  
Later that same year, 'The Man Who Had Hid Hair Cut Short' was awarded the Sutherland Trophy at the 9th BFI London Film Festival. 

Born in Oud-Heverlee, Delvaux passed from a heart attack in Valencia, Spain on October 4, 2002. This was after he gave a speech at the World Arts Meeting. Delvaux was 76. 

In his memory, Delvaux posthumously received the Magritte Honorary Award at the 1st Magritte Awards on February 5, 2011.  

Delvaux had been active from 19551989.  

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