Jan Kounen

Film Maker
Producer, Director

Born on May 2nd, 1964 in Utrecht (Netherlands).

“The questioning on the nature of reality appears as the founding of each human being. Man can not grasp the absolute nature of things, the reality of men therefore appears as a creation, the fruit of their culture and perceptions."

Jan was a student at the Arts Décoratifs in Nice, France, (E.P.I.A.R.). He learned cinema, animation and pixillation and passed his diploma in 1988 (Diplôme National Supérieur d'Expression Plastique) while shooting his first super 8mm (soft) and 16mm (YELLOW DEATH - THE BROADWORD) short films, as well as his first animated films for Dutch TV. He became assistant operator, directed his first video clips and documentaries, started as a cameraman/reporter for an image agency.

In 1989, he directed GISELE KEROSENE, "Grand Prix du Court-Métrage" award at the Avoriaz Festival.

In 1990, he directed the popular L'AGE DE PLASTIC music video for Elmer Foot Beat. Busy working on several projects (a screen version of a Serge Brussolo novel, the GISELE KEROSENE TV series), Jan also directed his first music videos for Pauline Ester (LE MONDE EST FOU), another Elmer Foot Beat video (DANIELA), videos for Chihuahuas and Erasure (VOULEZ-VOUS, LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME). Jan also directed numerous commercials in France, Germany and UK (Nuts, Peugeot, Tang, Gordon' s Gin, Miko, Adidas...).

In 1995, Jan directed his first, controversial, feature film DOBERMANN.

On locations in Mexico and Peru for BLUEBERRY, Jan discovered Shamanism and the Shipibo-Conibos culture, and fell in love with it. He spent several months there filming a feature-length documentary: OTHER WORLDS (2004). He also created a fund raising association: SPIRIT OF THE ANACONDA and a TV series of one hour documentaries: ANOTHER REALITY.

Since then, Jan has produced and directed “Other Worlds, “Darshan” and other intriguing films about shamanism, spirituality and consciousness.


Watch 'Other Worlds' here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8756441303971858561