Conversation with Eric de Kuyper and Nicola Mazzanti

Jacques Ledoux was one of the pioneers of film archives, and like his colleagues in Paris, London or New York, he was a legendary personality. Under his direction the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique – now Cinematek – was one of the most advanced in the fields of archiving, restoring and also screening films. His knowledge and love for cinema was very eclectic, ranging from silent movies to experimental works. One of the two movie theaters in Brussels was dedicated to silent movies only. He was also the curator of the Exprmtl festival in Knokke, which is still considered a landmark in the history of avant-garde and experimental movies, The filmmaker and writer Eric de Kuyper – who was also deputy director of the Nederlands Filmmuseum, now Eye – knew Ledoux personally very well and developed a friendship with him during the 1960s and 70s.

Nicola Mazzanti