Born April 4, 1938, in Amsterdam; died January 7, 2001, in Amsterdam, was a Dutch documentary filmmaker and photographer.

Life and Work

From 1956 to 1958, van der Keuken studied in Paris at the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques (IDHEC). Over the course of his career, he directed 55 films, often serving simultaneously as director and cinematographer. His works include a four-hour portrait of his hometown titled Amsterdam Global Village, two films about blind children (Blind Childand Herman Slobbe / Blind Child II), and a portrait of the jazz musician Ben Webster, who spent his final years in the Netherlands.

Many of van der Keuken’s films were produced for Dutch public broadcasting, particularly for VPRO, as well as for the Dutch Ministry of Culture. His final film, The Long Holiday (De grote Vakantie), was made following a journey to Bhutan after his doctor informed him that he had only a few years left to live due to cancer. The film reflects on illness as a transformation of time and space, while also addressing questions of meaning, interconnectedness, and hope.

Van der Keuken earned his international reputation as a documentary filmmaker through his complex and innovative montage techniques. From 1982 onward, he also performed film concerts in collaboration with the Willem Breuker Kollektief, combining film and live music.

After his death, van der Keuken’s photographic works and drawings were donated by his widow, Noshka van der Lely, to the Nederlands Fotomuseum.

Reference

Biography text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), German edition.
Retrieved January 19, 2026.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_van_der_Keuken