NZIFF: Signed, Theo Schoon - Meet The Filmmakers

Luit & Jan Bieringa

Signed, Theo Schoon

Luit Bieringa, the art historian, gallery director, curator and photography specialist, added filmmaking to his bow in 2006 and together with Jan Bieringa they have made five feature documentaries around art, education and culture. All of the films premiered at NZIFF and continue to be screened widely.

Filmmaker and art historian Luit Bieringa (Ans Westra: Private Journeys/ Public Signposts NZIFF 2006, The Man in the Hat NZIFF 2009 and The heART of the matter NZIFF 2016) pieces together the tale of Theo Schoon from historic archive footage, photos and audio recordings, underpinned by his own encounters and correspondence with this mercurial artist.

Raised in Indonesia, Schoon grew up appreciating the country’s indigenous culture more than the trappings of his Dutch colonial upbringing. Art training in Europe gave him first-hand experience of the progressive Bauhaus movement, bringing a fresh eye at a time when Modernism was emerging in Aotearoa. When he arrived in conservative, mid- century New Zealand in 1939, he might as well have landed from another planet.

Schoon crossed paths with the likes of Rita Angus, Colin McCahon, Len Castle, Helen Mason and, significantly, Gordon Walters, but his most powerful encounters were with Māori culture. From his work to preserve historic cave paintings, to his exploration of koru and kowhaiwhai, he unapologetically traced a maverick path towards a legacy that remains controversial and relevant today. — Andrew Clifford

Director/Screenplay:
Luit Bieringa
New Zealand 2021 | 100 mins With: Theo Schoon
Creative Producer: Jan Bieringa Cinematography: Scott Mouatt, Bruce Foster, Joseph Kelly,
David Paul
Editor: Lala Rolls
Music: Gareth Farr
Q&A: Luit & Jan Bieringa*