Job van Aken

Research Description

Taking the re-burial of Imre Nagy as a starting point, this project will research the symbolism and impact of heroism through archival film material. It focuses on footage from Hősök tere (Heroes’ Square), spanning from late-Socialist Hungary to the present, and investigate how heroism and martyrdom were represented during this period and how heroes have been (re)imagined in narratives of freedom ever since. The research will serve as a foundation for a creative film project that merges archival material with original contemporary documentary footage.

Bio

Job van Aken is a filmmaker and sociologist based in Amsterdam. His films mostly focus on activism and the tensions between the collective and the individual. In his work, he likes to experiment with different art disciplines such as animation and dance, and he often interweaves fiction and reality. Currently, Job works as a director for the Dutch public broadcaster VPRO, while also creating his own independent documentary and fiction films as a freelance filmmaker.