Thomas Imbach is a filmmaker whose passion for innovation pushes his films to the edge of comfortable viewing. Searching for a filmic language capable of giving adequate expression to our daily lives, he attempts to reinvent film with every new release. Born in 1961 in Lucerne, Switzerland, Imbach studied history and philosophy before beginning a career in cinema, shooting news and making short films.

He received acclaim as an independent filmmaker with his docu-fiction works Schlachtzeichen [1988] and Restlessness [1991] both of which depict Swiss social relationships. Imbach’s first pure documentary, Well Done was released in 1994. Enthusiastically received, it scooped 5 European awards and pitched a radical new set of propositions to challenge traditional documentary techniques

Imbach and cameraman Jurg Hassler prefer to follow a method they call ‘relaxed shooting’: minimal organisation, a total ban on staging, and much use of ‘productive hanging around’. Their method is to stick close to their subjects in order to capture the detail and texture of their lives. “We completely avoid the gap that usually opens up when the film crew hides behind too much equipment”, they remark on their use of hand held mini-dv cameras, a minimalism that allows a new kind of intimacy to open up between filmmaker, subject and spectator. The wide shot images are filmed on 35mm to complement the video close-ups and lend atmospheric depth to the subjects’ environment.

Imbach’s innovative use of technology and filming methodology have won him an enviable and well-deserved reputation as a documentary-maker.

We are pleased to welcome Thomas Imbach as a guest of Pro Helvetia at this (1999) Festival. He will introduce a screening of each of his films and answer questions from the audience. They are Ghetto Monday, 21 June 1999 at 5.45 pm and Well Done Thursday, 24 June 1999 at 9 pm.