/// writing about the artist ///

SHADO'MAN

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From the first images projected on screen, this dark, daring and hard-to-watch documentary submerges viewers in the dismal nocturnal world of blind and disabled men who struggle to survive in the slums of Freetown, Sierra Leone. The characters are compelling, their stories are gripping, and the film's stunning cinematography beautifully captures the details of their environment and nuances of their lives. Director/Cinematographer Boris Gerrets creates a dramatic documentary that, despite its darkness, illuminates the dignity of his subjects. IDFA 2013 - Documentaries to Watch List, A List of My Picks from IDFA 2013 by Jennifer Merin

Stylish and gritty... a solid, serious and promisingly distinctive feature-length debut...Neil Young, Hollywood Reporter

... reaches back centuries to a tradition of dark and evocative DUTCH painting.
Peter Debruge, Chief International Film Critic, Variety

DUTCH:

Enerzijds is 'Shado'Man' een vorm van kunst, anderzijds zien we hier de bikkelharde dagelijkse werkelijkheid voor honderdduizenden mensen over de hele wereld. Het schijnbaar moeiteloos in elkaar over laten lopen van kunst en realiteit, maakt van deze film een bijzondere kijkervaring. Patricia Smagge, Cinemagazine
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
On the one hand 'Shado'Man' is a form of art, on the other, it makes us witness the arduous reality that is a daily experience for hundreds of thousands of people in the world. The way that art and reality seamlessly intertwine makes of this film an extraordinary viewing experience. Patricia Smagge, Cinemagazine

DUTCH:

Een schokkende, poëtische, noodzakelijke film. Pauline Kleijer, Volkskrant
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
A shocking, poetic and very urgent film. Pauline Kleijer, Volkskrant

DUTCH:

Hoe langer je met de zelfgedoopte 'Freetown Streetboys' optrekt, hoe meer Shado'man ook een schaduwspel wordt dat associaties oproept met Dantes Hellevaart en de grote schaduwschilders, Caravaggio en Rembrandt. Gerrets blik op Lama, David, Shero en Suley is even humaan als nederig. Dit is geen documentaire die uitlegt wat we zien en daarvan moeten vinden, maar eentje die onbekenden voor onze ogen tot leven wekt. Dana Linssen, NRC Handelsblad
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
As one dwells with the 'Freetown Streetboys'- as they call themselves - gradually a shadowplay unfolds that is reminiscent of Dante's descent into hell and of the great chiaroscuro painters like Caravaggio and Rembrandt. Gerrets' portrayal of Lama, David, Shero and Suley is just as humane as it is humble. This is not a documentary that explains what we are seeing and what we should be thinking about it, but one that brings the world of anonymous people to life, right before our eyes. Dana Linssen, NRC Handelsblad

DUTCH:

Af en toe doet de film denken aan de meest wrede schilderijen van Goya. Maar dan met tekst: Gerrets laat ons ook eindeloos luisteren naar de manier waarop ze spreken over hun problemen en over hun dromen.NRC Next
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Occasionally the film brings to mind Goya's most cruel paintings, but with a dialogue added. Gerrets makes us listen in as they (the protagonists) endlessly speak about their problems and dreams. NRC Next

PEOPLE I COULD HAVE BEEN AND MAYBE AM

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Boris Gerrets' hour-long film, People I Could Have Been and Maybe Am… moved me so deeply I wouldn't be able to watch anything else that day… Still in Motion

This very unique documentary would not be possible without the initial belief that the life of every single person is special, and therefore worth being told. Nisimazine

There were…modern avant-garde masterpieces such as Boris Gerrets' fact and fiction blurring tale of two chance encounters, People I Could Have Been and Maybe Am, shot entirely on a mobile phone. Little White Lies