Jos de Putter is a Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter primarily known for his documentary films. He was born in Amsterdam in 1956 and grew up in the small town of Dronten in the Netherlands. He studied film and television production at the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht.
De Putter's first feature-length documentary, The Long Holiday (1995), won several awards, including the Grand Prix at the International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam. The film follows a group of Dutch holidaymakers on a three-week camping holiday in France. It was praised for its intimate portrayal of the characters and its humorous and observant camera work.
In the 2000s, de Putter continued to make documentaries with a focus on social and political issues. He won the Golden Calf for Best Documentary at the Netherlands Film Festival for his 2003 film, The Little One, about an orphaned girl from India who is adopted by a Dutch couple. His 2005 film, Lucky, tells the story of an African woman who is forced into prostitution after being trafficked to the Netherlands.
In 2008, de Putter's feature-length documentary, Unfinished Sky, won the Golden Calf at the Netherlands Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Prix at the International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam. The film follows a Kurdish refugee who is struggling to build a new life in the Netherlands.
De Putter's films often focus on stories of displacement and alienation, and his approach to filmmaking is highly personal. He prefers to work with a small crew and to shoot without a script. He has said that he likes to “tell a story that is both complex and simple, and that the audience can identify with and recognize.”
De Putter's most recent documentary, The Dream of Shahrazad (2015), was nominated for the Grand Prix at the International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam. The film follows a group of Syrian women who are living in exile in the Netherlands.
Throughout his career, de Putter has continued to explore social and political issues through his filmmaking. His documentaries are characterized by their intimate and sensitive approach, and by their focus on the stories of individuals. He is widely regarded as one of the leading documentary filmmakers in the Netherlands.
