In Memoriam: Evert de Beijer
65 min.
On 28 January 2024, Dutch animator Evert de Beijer passed away. The Netherlands lost one of its most passionate animators. A perfectionist and relentless creative, de Beijer leaves behind a small yet highly influention film legacy, including The Characters (1986), named the best Dutch animated film of the 20th century by Holland Animation. His oeuvre spans multiple decades - from his 1979 graduation short Gerard all the way up to his final film Lucy in 2015. Acclaimed at numerous international film festivals, Evert de Beijer never stopped innovating. At the turn of the century he learned 2D and 3D computer graphics and sound design to create the truly original eco-scifi short Car Craze (2003).
Of his working method de Beijer himself said: "Every new film project is a design adventure for me; I always want to try something new. I think graphic design for an animated film is part of the fun. I combine design principles and like to try something with new technology. Especially now [2006], during the digital revolution, it is possible to fuse cinematographic stylistic devices with graphics." De Beijer's technique has evolved over time, from completely analogue to a combo of analogue and digital, always maintaing his idiosyncratic and distinct voice.
Gerard
In 1979, Evert de Beijer made his graduation film. Gerard is a film about a dog that roams and rambles around, witnessing a few peculiar incidents concerning chairs.
The Characters
De Beijer's first professional production, The Characters, was elected by the Dutch animated film community as the best Dutch animated film of the 20th century. It shows an amorous but jealous couple that is confronted with graphic symbols and letter-forms which have come to life.
Hotel Narcis
The narcism of a young man in an exotic holiday country leads to blindness for the danger that's lying on the lurk for him.
Car Craze
An ecological inspector gets stranded in a forgotten oil town, dominated by monstrous cars. Cars evolve into parasitic live forms, enchanting mankind and taking vital juices from the earth. De Beijer learned 2D and 3D computer graphics and sound design to create this eco-scifi short, which was awarded a Special Distinction at Annecy in 2003.
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Lucy
Evert de Beijer's final film was a computer animated short dedicated to the rich history of our world. Here, Lucy, a four-million-year old lady, comes alive in the imagination of a boy when he visits a paleological exhibition with his parents. She takes him on a short, colourful excursion to the prehistory, populated by exotic prototypes in the early evolution.
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