Jon Bang Carlsen
Birthday: 1950-09-28 Place of Birth: Vedbæk, Denmark
Synopsis
Jon Bang Carlsen is a Danish filmmaker, director, screenwriter, producer, actor, photographer and author. In the drama/documentary "Déjà Vu" (2016) he depicts parts of his life and his filmmaking.
Acting
Déjà Vu
The documentary began years ago in director Jon Bang Carlsen's childhood home in rural Denmark when he committed a dreadful act that still reverberates within him. His father had hung a painting of Jesus above his bed. Every evening before closing his eyes, he would beg the man on the cross to look after his family. When his family collapsed and his father left their home, in spite of all his prayers, young Jon blinded his father's gift, burning Jesus' eyes with a glowing poker. Since then the director has travelled the world with his camera to find ways of making up for the damage. His film tells of this journey, mirroring his own life's story in images and clips from his more than forty films made in a variety of genres.
Déjà vu
To what extent does a director stay objective and anonymously hidden behind the camera? The Danish director Jon Bang Carlsen knows for sure that the choices he makes in his films aren’t accidental. Several excerpts from his own work show that events in his personal life have a major influence on his work. In fact, he appears to be using images that he recognizes in particular. It’s a revelation for this filmmaker, who used to think he could stay objective and invisible. Topics such as doubting his faith, his runaway father and impressions from a carefree childhood are recurring themes in his diverse oeuvre. Showing us individual scenes, Carlsen comments in voice-over on the images and muses about his life and work.
