Niek Koppen’s destiny was sealed at the age of 15 when his mother took him to the cinema to see Fellini’s Satyricon. By the age of 17 it was the work of Johan van der Keuken that pointed him in the direction of his true vocation: documentary. Koppen graduated from the Dutch Film and Television Academy in Amsterdam in 1981.

Influenced by the Cinema Verite movement of the 60s and 70s, Koppen was attracted by the freedom offered by the documentary format in exploring the issues that interest him. And it is as simple as that, really. There are no rules, he says, If as long as it’s real. I do not like fake documentaries.

Koppen is motivated by issues that are of direct personal interest to him. For example, The Battle of the Java Sea, a highly acclaimed film of a naval battle in 1942, was influenced by the fact that his mother’s first husband was killed in the battle. His style evolves and is informed by the subject matter with which he is dealing, but one thing remains constant: a quiet, observant and omnipresent camera, and his ability to tell a story through visuals.

The Hunt illustrates his uncanny ability to get so close to his subject matter that it reveals itself, warts and all, without intervention by the filmmaker. The level of access that he is given to the lives of his subjects is testimony to his commitment to unravel people in a positive light.

Koppen was a guest of the 2000 Festival courtesy of the Royal Netherlands Embassy and Holland Film. He introduced the first screenings of each of his films. He was a tutor at the Close Encounters Laboratory 2000.