Visions du Réel founder Moritz de Hadeln dies aged 85

Moritz de Hadeln, founder of Visions du Réel, has died aged 85 Keystone-SDA

Moritz de Hadeln, who directed some of the world’s leading international film festivals, has died at the age of 85 following a long illness. He is best known for founding Visions du Réel in 1969 in Nyon, Switzerland, and for the film screenings on the Piazza Grande in Locarno.

Diego Demougeot, co-head of communications at the Nyon Film Festival, confirmed his death to the Keystone-ATS news agency on Tuesday. De Hadeln died in hospital following complications arising from surgery.

He was born on December 21, 1940 in England, into a family with links to the art world. He grew up in Italy, France and Switzerland, developing an interest in photography and cinema from a very young age.

After completing his studies, he attended an experimental film workshop in Paris as well as classes taught by the director Raimond Rouleau. He began his career as a photographer and documentary filmmaker, shooting Le Pèlé in 1963, followed in 1966 by Ombres et Mirages. At that time, de Hadeln was also working as an editor and assistant director.

+ Documentaries are the strength of Swiss cinema

He enjoyed his moment of glory in 1969, when he founded, together with his wife Erika von dem Hagen, the Nyon International Documentary Film Festival, now known as Visions du Réel. Over time, it has become one of the most important international events dedicated to documentary film.

Piazza Grande

In 1972, de Hadeln was appointed director of the Locarno International Film Festival, a post he held until 1977. He strengthened the event’s international profile, expanded the programme dedicated to independent cinema and introduced open-air screenings on the Piazza Grande. Over the years, these have become the symbol of the Ticino festival.

From 1980 to 2001, de Hadeln went on to head the Berlin International Film Festival. Over the course of those 21 years, the festival consolidated its position amongst the world’s leading film festivals. In 2000, he oversaw the festival’s move to its new venue at Potsdamer Platz.

As if to round off his tour of the major European festivals, he was appointed artistic director of the Venice International Film Festival in March 2002, becoming the first foreign director in the festival’s history. He took up his post a few months before the event began and put together a programme featuring five Miramax films by Harvey Weinstein, including Frida and The Hours.

Advisor and jury member

When the producer became embroiled in the sexual harassment scandal, Mr de Hadeln came under fierce criticism for describing the former mogul as one of the few figures in Hollywood who genuinely loved cinema, and for complaining about the public condemnation Weinstein was facing.

His tenure as artistic director, marked by political tensions and pressures, continued until 2003, when de Hadeln was replaced by Marco Müller. In the years that followed, he continued to work as a consultant in the film industry. Together with his wife, he had founded a company specialising in event organisation and consultancy for international festivals.

He also served on numerous juries at international festivals and received many international honours himself.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.