RED STAR LINE
Info
a 3-part documentary series by Daniël Cattier and Kristof Bilsen, in coproduction with VRT-Canvas, supported by the Flanders Media Fund.
Between 1873 and 1934 the Red Star Line transported more than 2.7 million emigrants from Antwerp to New York. The aim of this three-part creative documentary is to use the history of the Red Star Line to tell the story of emigrants who fled the civil war, poverty and persecution and went in search of the American dream. A story of drama, hope and confusion, failure and willpower.
Director
Daniel Cattier is a freelance film director. His aim is to tell stories linked with Africa. Through his mixed cultural and linguistic background, his father being Belgian and his mother Zimbabwean, the issue of identity is at the core of his interests. After completing the first cycle of a law degree, he read Politics and History at London University School of Oriental and African Studies. Prior to filmmaking he worked as a Reasearch and Campaign Assistant at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International. He then moved into TV production by working as a Reasercher for documentaries produced for Channel 4, BBC and France 3. Beside his personal projects, he does storyboards and directs corporates, TV programmes as well as commercials.
Kristof Bilsen
Kristof Bilsen completed a filmmaking BA in Brussels (2002) and then worked as a cinematographer, editor and director in contemporary theatre and dance, where he collaborated with Peter Missotten, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Meg Stuart, amongst other artists and also co-directed several plays and dance performances for youngsters. His first documentary Three Women, a film about female detainees in Ghent prison, was shortlisted for the Henri Storck Prize in 2005 and shown twice on Belgian National Television. In January 2010, he was selected to attend a workshop tutored by Werner Herzog in Los Angeles. He then studied at the prestigious National Film and Television School (UK) where he graduated with top marks doing his Masters in Documentary Direction. His previous work includes: Three Women (Nominated Henri Storck Awards, Belgium), Parallel Lives and The Perfect Belgian (One World Romania Best of Fest) and the short film White Elephant.