George Sluizer
Born(1932-06-25)25 June 1932
Paris, France
Died20 September 2014(2014-09-20) (aged 82)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
OccupationFilm director · Film producer · Screenwriter · Film editor · Author
Years active1961–2014
Notable workThe Vanishing
Utz
Dark Blood

George Sluizer (25 June 1932 – 20 September 2014)[1] was a French-born Dutch[2] filmmaker whose credits included features as well as documentary films.

Career

Born in Paris, France, to a Dutch-Jewish father and a Norwegian mother, he was best known for directing two versions of The Vanishing, a 1988 Dutch-language release, originally titled Spoorloos, and the 1993 American version. Other feature films directed by Sluizer included Utz (1992) for producer John Goldschmidt, Crimetime (1995), and Dark Blood, which was discontinued after the death of its lead actor River Phoenix, but later completed and premiered at the Netherlands Film Festival in 2012.[3]

From 2012 until 2014 he was part of the film jury for ShortCutz Amsterdam.[4][5]

Director Dennis Alink made a documentary called Sluizer Speaks during the final years of Sluizer's life. It premiered two months after his death at the IDFA in Amsterdam.[6][7]

Accusations against Ariel Sharon

Sluizer was accused by Israeli officials of a 'modern blood libel' for his claims – which in 2010 finally achieved front page level publicity in Israel – that he had witnessed the then-Defense Minister Ariel Sharon personally shooting two Palestinian children from close range near the Sabra-Shatilla refugee camp in November 1982, after the Sabra and Shatila massacre.[8][2]

Filmography

Sluizer at the Miami International Film Festival premiere of Dark Blood in 2013

As director

Year Title English title Notes
1961 De Lage Landen Hold Back the Sea
1967 Yankee Sails Across Europe National Geographic Special
1968 The lonely Dorymen National Geographic Special. Documentary about Portuguese fishermen
1969 Siberia: The Lost Horizon National Geographic Special
1971 Stamping Ground Directed with Hansjürgen Pohland
1972 João en het mes João and the knife Entered into the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival
1979 Twee Vrouwen [nl] Twice a Woman
1982 Tepito Si Short film
1983 Adios Beirut
1985 Red Desert Penitentiary Red Desert Penitentiary
1988 Spoorloos The Vanishing
1992 Utz Utz Entered into the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival[9]
1993 The Vanishing Remake of Spoorloos
1996 Crimetime Crimetime
1996 Mortinho por Chegar a Casa Dying to Go Home Directed with Carlos da Silva
1998 The Commissioner The Commissioner Entered into the 48th Berlin International Film Festival[10]
2002 La Balsa de piedra The Stone Raft
2009 The Chosen One The Chosen One
2010 Homeland Homeland
2012 Dark Blood Dark Blood Originally filmed in 1993 and technically unfinished. Entered into the 32nd Netherlands Film Festival

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ^ Director George Sluizer: Best known for two versions of film ‘The Vanishing’
  2. ^ a b Cnaan Liphshiz, "I saw Ariel Sharon murder 2 Palestinian toddlers in Lebanon," Haaretz (19 November 2010). Retrieved 4 August 2013
  3. ^ Roxborough, Scott. "River Phoenix's Last Film 'Dark Blood' to Debut at Film Festival in September". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  4. ^ ShortCutz Amsterdam Jury Team, Shortcutz Amsterdam. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  5. ^ Dutch Short Films Are the Focus - Shortcutz Amsterdam Go Social Film Magazine. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Sluizer Speak". IDFA. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  7. ^ Vijn, Ard (26 March 2013). "Documentary SLUIZER SPEAKS Has A Trailer, Needs Some Funds". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  8. ^ Winter, Leon de (24 November 2010). "Het onvoorstelbare zwijgen van George Sluizer". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Berlinale: 1992 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  10. ^ "Berlinale: 1998 Programme". berlinale.de. Retrieved 15 January 2012.

External links

Films directed by George Sluizer
Authority control databases
Categories