Chas Gerretsen (born 22 July 1943 in
Groningen,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
) is a
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
-born war photographer, photojournalist and film advertising photographer.
His photographs of armed conflicts,
Hollywood films and
Celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
Portrait
A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this r ...
s have been published in major magazines.
Life
Gerretsen left the Netherlands at the age of sixteen and after travelling through
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
for two years, immigrated to
Australia in 1961. He first started to take pictures while working as a crocodile hunter in
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupació ...
, (
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
,
Australia)
In 1963 he immigrated to the
U.S.A.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, landing in
San Pedro,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, and while working as a cowboy in
Falfurrias
Falfurrias ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Brooks County, Texas. Its population was 4,981 at the 2010 census, in a county that in the same census was just over 7,000. The town is named for founder Edward Cunningham Lasater's ranch, La Mot ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, bought a movie camera and shot his first film
footage
In filmmaking and video production, footage is raw, unedited material as originally filmed by a movie camera or recorded by a ( often special) video camera, which typically must be edited to create a motion picture, video clip, television show or ...
.
In 1967 he arrived in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
and
hitch-hiked through
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
to
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, (
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
) and via
Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi ( th, กาญจนบุรี, ) is a town municipality (''thesaban mueang'') in the west of Thailand and part of Kanchanaburi Province. In 2006 it had a population of 31,327. That number was reduced to 25,651 in 2017. The town ...
to the
Three Pagodas Pass
Three Pagodas Pass ( Phlone ; my, ဘုရားသုံးဆူ တောင်ကြားလမ်း, ''Paya Thon Zu Taung Za Lang'', ; th, ด่านเจดีย์สามองค์, , ) is a pass in the Tenasserim Hills on the ...
where he spent three months with the pro-
U Nu
Nu ( my, ဦးနု; ; 25 May 1907 – 14 February 1995), commonly known as U Nu also known by the honorific name Thakin Nu, was a leading Burmese statesman and nationalist politician. He was the first Prime Minister of Burma under the pr ...
Burmese rebels under the command of
General Bo Yan Naing.
He traveled through
Laos,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
and entered
South Vietnam, on 14 February 1968 with the equivalent of US $0.75 in his pocket.
In 1969, he left South Vietnam and in 1970 covered the devastating
1970 Bhola cyclone in
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wi ...
before returning to
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
.
From 1970 to 1975, Chas would continue to photograph war, political upheavals, elections, droughts and conflicts in
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
,
South Vietnam,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
,
Argentine,
Colombia,
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
,
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
and
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
.
1975–1989 He resided in Hollywood, working on feature films in, as well as outside the USA.
Vietnam (1968–1969)
On 14 February 1968, (during the
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. It was launched on January 30, 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against the force ...
) he walked from
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
into
South Vietnam (via
Gò Dầu Ha) and soon thereafter started his career as a freelance photojournalist and cinematographer. He became friends with
Dana Stone and his wife Louise and acquired his first
Nikon F
The Nikon F camera, introduced in April 1959, was Nikon's first SLR camera. It was one of the most advanced cameras of its day. Although many of the concepts had already been introduced elsewhere, it was revolutionary in that it was the firs ...
with a 105 mm lens from Dana as well as his first lessons in what not to do when out on
patrol.
In April 1968, he became a staff cameraman for
UPITN
United Press International Television News, abbreviated as UPITN, was a television news agency, operating from 1967 to 1985. It was the successor to earlier UPI television news film operations United Press Movietone and United Press International N ...
but after one month had enough of being told what to do and became a
freelance cameraman for
ABC TV and as a
freelance photojournalist sold his still
negatives to
Time Life
Time Life, with sister subsidiaries StarVista Live and Lifestyle Products Group, a holding of Direct Holdings Global LLC, is an American production company and direct marketer conglomerate, that is known for selling books, music, video/DVD, ...
,
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...
and
U.P.I.
At the end of '68 and beginning 1969, there was a relative quiet in South Vietnam and Chas as well as many of the other "resident" war photographers, left (among others:
Sean Flynn and
Dana Stone), only to return upon the
American invasion of Cambodia.
Cambodia (1970–1972)
In 1970, when hearing of the American invasion of Cambodia Chas bought a train ticket in Paris on the
Orient Express
The ''Orient Express'' was a long-distance passenger train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company ''Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits'' (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe and int ...
to
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
, and traveled on by bus through
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
(
Khyber Pass) to
West Pakistan
West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was ...
and from there, he flew to
Phnom Penh,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
. While in Cambodia, he continued working freelance and in addition started contributing articles (under the pseudonym of Bill Steiner) to the
Copley News Service.
In 1972, he joined the French photo agency
Gamma.
Chile (1973)
In 1973 he won the
Robert Capa Gold Medal The Robert Capa Gold Medal is an award for "best published photographic reporting from abroad requiring exceptional courage and enterprise". It is awarded annually by the Overseas Press Club of America (OPC). It was created in honor of the war photo ...
with
David Burnett and
Raymond Depardon
Raymond Depardon (; born 6 July 1942) is a French photographer, photojournalist and documentary filmmaker.
Early life
Depardon was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône, France.
Photographer
Depardon is a mainly self-taught photographer, as he bega ...
. He is best known for his coverage of the
1973 Chilean coup d'état
The 1973 Chilean coup d'état Enciclopedia Virtual > Historia > Historia de Chile > Del gobierno militar a la democracia" on LaTercera.cl. Retrieved 22 September 2006.
In October 1972, Chile suffered the first of many strikes. Among the par ...
. His famous photograph of
General Pinochet became the embodiment of the Latin American Dictator, the opposite side of the political spectrum to
Alberto Korda
Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez, better known as Alberto Korda or simply Korda (September 14, 1928 – May 25, 2001), was a Cuban photographer, remembered for his famous image ''Guerrillero Heroico'' of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara.
...
photograph of
Che Gueverra (
Guerrillero Heroico
''Guerrillero Heroico'' ( en, "Heroic Guerrilla Fighter") is an iconic photograph of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara taken by Alberto Korda. It was captured on March 5, 1960, in Havana, Cuba, at a memorial service for victims of the ''La ...
).
The image of General Pinochet has an unusual history: it was used on posters, flyers and banners and was often reworked to portray the general as an inhuman monster.
And over the years continued to be used by various political factions to illustrate the perceived inhumanity of some political leaders.
In 1982 a couple of art student in Concepción copied Chas’ photo of general Pinochet with the premonitory message, “NINGUNA CALLE LLEVARA SU NOMBRE” (No street will bear your name) It was plastered on walls on the evening before the days of national protests.
The first time Chas photographed General Pinochet, unwittingly, was on 29 June 1973 during the failed "Coup d'Etat", known as
El Tancazo, which the general, ironically, helped put down.
The images taken by Chas on 11 September 1973 were used in the initial concept of the reconstruction of the coup d'état in the film ''
The House of the Spirits
''The House of the Spirits'' ( es, La casa de los espíritus, 1982) is the debut novel of Isabel Allende. The novel was rejected by several Spanish-language publishers before being published in Buenos Aires in 1982. It became an instant best-se ...
'' based on the novel of the same name by
Isabel Allende
Isabel Angélica Allende Llona (; born in Lima, 2 August 1942) is a Chilean writer. Allende, whose works sometimes contain aspects of the genre magical realism, is known for novels such as ''The House of the Spirits'' (''La casa de los espír ...
, a niece of the former president
Salvador Allende
Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (, , ; 26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean physician and socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 3 November 1970 until his death on 11 September 1973. He was the fir ...
.
Hollywood (1975–1989)
In 1975, while visiting
Gamma offices in Paris, wondering where to go next, a fellow Gamma photographer suggested, sarcastically, "why don't you go and find yourself a war in Hollywood."
In June 1975, Chas started the
Hollywood office for
Gamma and in 1977 co-founded the photo agency Mega Productions Inc. In 1976 he was hired as the
still photographer
A unit still photographer, or simply a still photographer, is a person who creates film stills, still photographic images specifically intended for use in the marketing and publicity of feature films in the motion picture industry and network tele ...
/special photographer for the war film ''
Apocalypse Now
''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph ...
''.
Apart from his still photographs, his contribution to the film was the suggestion, during a lunch with
Francis Ford Coppola regarding the scene where a TV correspondent (played by
Francis Ford Coppola) yells at some passing soldiers, "Don’t look at the camera." "..that if
Francis wanted to mock TV correspondents in South Vietnam he should create a
photojournalist because, "we were all crazy."
A couple of days later, after the arrival of Dennis Hopper, Chas was asked by Jerry Ziesmer to report to
Francis Ford Coppola: "on how to dress a
combat photographer." From that moment on the role of
Dennis Hopper as head honcho (Captain Colby) for
Colonel Kurtz (
Marlon Brando) was changed into that of a
photojournalist. Chas sold three of his old
Nikon F
The Nikon F camera, introduced in April 1959, was Nikon's first SLR camera. It was one of the most advanced cameras of its day. Although many of the concepts had already been introduced elsewhere, it was revolutionary in that it was the firs ...
cameras with lenses to
American Zoetrope
American Zoetrope (also known as Omni Zoetrope from 1977 to 1980 and Zoetrope Studios from 1980 until 1990) is a privately run American film production company, centered in San Francisco, California and founded by Francis Ford Coppola and Georg ...
and they were used by
Dennis Hopper in the film.
These cameras are now on display in Coppola Winery Movie Museum, in Geyserville, California
Lee Beaupre,
publicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure – especially a celebrity – or for a work such as a book, film, or album. Publicists are public relations specialists who ...
for "Apocalypse Now " until his murder in 1979, wrote in a publicity release on Chas Gerretsen as a war photographer for
Apocalypse Now
''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph ...
, "From Real to Reel". "His (Chas Gerretsen's) photographic career had come full circle." The release was later withdrawn since it was decided that
Sean Flynn, son of actor
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...
had more publicity value.
In 1984 Chas produced and directed a one-hour documentary "The Longest Holiday" a view on the Joys of Aging in
Sun City, Arizona which was bought by
RAI
RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...
,
ORTF and the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, he worked as a "special advertising and publicity photographer" on over a hundred feature films.
After leaving the French photo agency
were missing, including many from Chile.
The remainder of his files, his negatives and slides are now stored in th
.
In June 2019, KINO Rotterdam made a short (32 min) documentary about Chas's life and the images he had taken during the six months he worked as a still photographer on Apocalypse Now. It was chosen for participation in the
. The documentary, 'The Dutch Angle: Chas Gerretsen & Apocalypse Now' created a lot of interest and was included in the Blue Ray release of 'Apocalypse Now Final Cut'.
Thirty-two years later, in 2021, at the age of 77, Gerretsen's photographs were 're-discovered'. A 256-page photobook, ''Apocalypse Now, The Lost Archives'', with many never-before-published photographs taken during his six-months stay on the set in the Philippines was published by Prestel/Pinguin/Random House. The book was released worldwide in September 2021.
A retrospective exhibition of his work and life was exhibited 16 October 20218 May 2022 at the Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam. A 256 page catalogue, in English and Dutch, accompanied the exhibition.
In addition, his autobiography
was released in the Netherlands on 11 September 2021, to excellent reviews by all the major Dutch newspapers.
2021 ”Apocalypse Now: The Lost Photo Archive” (English)
2021 “Starring Chas Gerretsen” (English)
2021 “In de Hoofdrol Chas Gerretsen” (Dutch)
2021 “Het wonderbaarlijke en vreemde leven van Chas Gerretsen” (Dutch) was originally written in English (“The marvelous and strange life of Chas Gerretsen”) and translated into Dutch. It has not been released in English.
*2021 Rolling Stone Holiday Must-Haves https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/product-recommendations-lists/2021-holiday-gift-guide-1259566/apocalypse-now-the-lost-photo-archive-by-chas-gerretsen-1266741/]
*2021 Interview (English, USA): Huck magazine Apocalypse Now https://www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/rediscovered-photos-from-the-set-of-apocalypse-now/]
*Interview (English, USA): InsideHook Apocalypse Now https://www.insidehook.com/article/movies/photographer-chas-gerretsen-behind-scenes-apocalypse-now]
*”Apocalypse Now: The Lost Photo Archive” Exhibition book https://www.facebook.com/interartparis/videos/chas-gerretsen-apocalypse-nowprestel-publishingreli%C3%83%C2%A9-24-x-30-cm-256-pages-140-il/646695680042894]
*“Starring Chas Gerretsen” Lecturis Exhibition book https://lecturis.nl/en/product/starring-chas-gerretsen-kopie/]
*Interview (English) https://www.dutchnews.nl/features/2022/01/get-the-picture-no-matter-what-a-conversation-with-chas-gerretsen/]
*Interview (Dutch): Volkskrant, met Chas Gerretsen https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-media/chas-gerretsen-is-de-fotograaf-van-de-set-van-apocalypse-now-maar-ook-die-van-het-portret-van-pinochet~bec4a86b/]
*Interview (Dutch): NRC Handelsblad, ‘Dendert voort in de geest van Hemingway, Kuifje en Ik, Jan Cremer.’ (paywall) https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/10/20/vakman-met-scherp-oog-voor-compositie-en-detail-a4062480]
*Review (Dutch): NPO Radio 1, NOS Met het Oog op Morgen Chas Gerretsen https://www.nporadio1.nl/nieuws/cultuur-media/bd0c4dd3-ccb3-48aa-845d-b534db668bf7/het-leven-van-chas-gerretsen-een-echte-avonturier]
*Interview (Dutch): Khalid & Sophie: (Dutch) over het prachtige werk van Chas Gerretsen https://www.npostart.nl/fotograaf-chas-gerretsen-mijn-leven-is-een-serie/15-10-2021/POMS_BV_16666157]
*Review (Dutch): Jeroen Vullings bij Nieuwsweekend op NPO Radio 1, Starts at 6 minutes https://www.nporadio1.nl/fragmenten/nieuwsweekend/5cb8ef8d-4446-4353-a82a-c6de1477ecff/2021-10-09-boekenrubriek-met-jeroen-vullings]
*Review (Dutch): Menno Bentveld bij Tijd voor Max. ‘Een bizar levensverhaal.’ Starts at 30 minutes https://www.npostart.nl/tijd-voor-max/15-04-2022/POW_05267985
*2019 (Eng, UK): the Guardian Apocalypse Now https://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2019/may/30/the-horror-apocalypse-now-unseen-in-pictures]
*2019 (English) Dutch Angle: Chas Gerretsen & Apocalypse Now” (Video) Directed by Baris Azman https://mubi.com/films/dutch-angle-chas-gerretsen-apocalypse-now]
* ''Gerretsen, Chas''. In:
et al.: ''Fotografen in Nederland : een anthologie 1852–2002.'' Ludion, Amsterdam; Fotomuseum, Den Haag 2002, , S. 124–125.
* Veronica Hekking: ''Een foto als voertuig van de macht. Gebruik en hergebruik van Chas Gerretsens portret van Augusto Pinochet.'' In: Nelke Bartelings et al. (Hrsg.): ''Beelden in veelvoud. De vermenigvuldiging van het beeld in prentkunst en fotografie.'' Leids Kunsthistorisch Jaarboek 12, Leiden 2002, S. 409–426.
*On War: "Truth is a personal observation – as is photography. Reality is." (1976)
*On Goals: "I'm going nowhere in particular, and I'm in no hurry to get there." (1989)
*On Beliefs: "A "Belief" equals personal need, based on fear and fantasy." (2005)
*On Being: “Man is Not the sum of his experiences, he is the sum, of what he has learned, and retained from his experiences” (2016)
*On Stupidity: "The inability, or refusal to learn. (e.g. from experience)" (2019)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerretsen, Chas