Private Project

Living in a piece of furniture – Gerrit Rietveld's houses

Furniture maker and architect Gerrit Rietveld was of the opinion that his houses shouldn’t remain standing any longer than 50 years, because they would have been outdated by then. The iconic Rietveld Schröderhuis, however, celebrates its centennial in 2024.

  • Lex Reitsma
    Director
    The feeling eye
  • Digna Sinke
    Producer
    Kala Azar, The feeling eye, Glory Days
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    52 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 2, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    124,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Netherlands
  • Country of Filming:
    Netherlands
  • Language:
    Dutch
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Netherlands Film Festival
    Utrecht
    Netherlands
    September 23, 2024
  • Rotterdam
    Netherlands
    October 10, 2024
    AFFR selection
Distribution Information
  • SNG Film
    Sales Agent
    Country: Netherlands
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Lex Reitsma

Lex Reitsma – regie

(Delden, 1958), filmmaker / graphic designer
1978-1983 Education Gerrit Rietveld Academie, graphic design

Since 1983 Independent graphic designer.
Works mostly for clients from the cultural circuit.
Has designed for Museum Overholland, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen,
Centraal Museum Utrecht and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam: books, catalogues, posters and exhibition facilities. He also designed stamps, books on photography
and architecture. For more than 24 years responsible for the visual identity of De Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam (1990-2014). In 2014 he had a retrospective exhibition 'Opera at the Stedelijk' of his work for DNO at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
He is also active as a filmmaker.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

My affinity with Rietveld's work arose during my studies in graphic design at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, where I was able to experience the 'opulent simplicity' that he aspired to as an architect, for five years in the academy building designed by Rietveld. In addition, a few years after graduating – in 1988 – I designed the exhibition and publication 'Rietveld-Schröder Archive' for the Centraal Museum Utrecht. Many years later, together with Marijke Kuper, I made the documentary and the publication 'Rietveld's chair'.
As a graphic designer, I have also designed a number of books related to
with the De Stijl movement, such as the oeuvre catalogue 'Theo van Doesburg', the publications 'Robert van 't Hoff, architect', and 'Piet Klaarhamer, architect and furniture designer' and the publication 'The Aubette or the colour in architecture'.
The fact that Rietveld was versatile as a designer and active in several disciplines, as a furniture maker and architect, is special to me and appeals to me very much. He also had an enormous talent for drawing and was very well versed in graphics.
In the film, I want to highlight his clear way of thinking, his versatility and uncomplicatedness, and his almost piecemeal approach. Always wanting to innovate, always looking for something new.