Germany 2011, 26 min. 

Directed by: Reiner Holzemer

Production: Reiner Holzemer Filmproduktion commissioned by DER and in cooperation with ARTE

 

August Sander (1876–1964) arrived in the photography history books as the author of the epochal project “People of the 20th century”, which the artist created in the Twenties and which had a lasting impact on the concept of portrait photography. The project included photos of representatives of all social classes and many of the jobs performed at the time.

In March and April 1927 he, together with the writer Ludwig Mathar, went on a tour of Sardinia. Using this unique opportunity to come into contact with this archaic, even from the contemporary point of view, community, living according to unchanging customs and cultivating their old traditions, Sander took about 300 photos. Although the purpose of the journey to the island was to issue a joint book with Sander’s photos and Marthar’s text, these plans didn’t come to fruition and the photographs were only first published in 2009.

Reiner Holzemer is the creator of this film portrait of August Sander. The present documentary is a supplement to this, and reveals previously unknown works by the great photographer.