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You don’t discriminate between female and male nudity. That idea of filmmaker Pim de la Parra led to a sensational first in 1971: the first erection in a Dutch feature film. The penis in question belonged to the young actor Hugo Metsers; in Blue Movie he appeared in full view in a scene with Carry Tefsen, later so successful as Mien Dobbelsteen in Say Aaa.
The opinion pages of newspapers were full of shame about the film, but long lines formed at the cinemas. Over 2.3 million visitors made director Wim Verstappen and producer De la Parra millionaires in a few months.
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Ode to Pim de la Parra: the man who put sex and Suriname on the map
Pim de la Parra, who died on Friday at the age of 84, made many candid films as a producer, screenwriter, director and actor. Filming himself naked on a rocking horse at the age of 40, as he did in Dirty Picture (1980), De la Parra was not bothered by it.
With his regular companion Verstappen and Turks fruit-director Paul Verhoeven is regarded as a key figure in the early years of modern Dutch cinema, filmmakers who breathed life into a boring, over-structured film climate, as columnist and former film critic Jan Blokker once stated.
De la Parra was one of the first students of the Film Academy in Amsterdam, founded in 1958. The young filmmakers translated the freedom and joy of flower power into a series of provocative feature films that contributed greatly to the “blowing up”, as Verstappen called it, of the Central Commission for Film Censorship.
This body responsible for age rating and preventive censorship of films had Blue Movie initially called “contrary to public decency.” But after a bombastic defense by Verstappen, visitors aged 18 and over were allowed to see the cheerful sex film – all in all, the best publicity the film could get.
A few years later, the film censorship was deemed redundant and abolished. A feat that De la Parra discussed in 2013 in a conversation with the people’s newspaper looked back with pride: “We felt after Blue Movie “very successful as film pioneers and important as artistic-cultural-social innovators.”
Hollywood
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Pim de la Parra, born in Paramaribo in 1940, was descended from Sephardic Jews who had lived in Suriname for four centuries. He wanted to go to Hollywood, but his father, a cosmetics shopkeeper, advised him to go to the Netherlands. In Amsterdam he started studying political and social sciences, but soon switched to the Film Academy. With a number of students he founded the film magazine Scope and in 1965 he started Verstappen Scorpio Films. Together, ‘Pim & Wim’, as the film duo was affectionately called, would make thirteen feature films.
The first feature film that De la Parra directed was called Obsessions (1969), an erotic thriller co-written by then-unknown American film director Martin Scorsese. Growing up in a time when sexuality was so repressed left its mark on his films, De la Parra said in an interview with Fidelity: “There was a sexual revolution going on and our films reflected that zeitgeist. We showed that sex is part of life, that nudity is something normal. And of course it was also fun to provoke a little.”
The millions of Blue Movie disappeared with Wan Pipel (One People), the first feature film about Suriname, and a film that is still considered relevant. Wan Pipel tells a Surinamese Romeo and Juliet story. Creole economics student Roy goes to Suriname when his mother is dying there. He falls in love with a Hindustani girl and realizes that he does not belong in the Netherlands but in Suriname. In the meantime, the problems of a mixed couple in Surinamese society pile up.
The film is considered one of De la Parra’s most personal films. Critics and audiences couldn’t care less about it at the time. The reviews were negative. The 150,000 visitors the film attracted didn’t cover the costs. The production flopped and Scorpio Films went bankrupt.
During the same period, De la Parra’s marriage also ended. He emigrated to Aruba, lived at his father’s expense, and wrote his autobiography in a “rhythmic Caribbean style”, Prince Pim. Reflections of a bon vivant (1978). “I had lost my company and my wife. The meaning of my life. But in Aruba I discovered Buddhism and that saved my life, I can say. By immersing myself in Eastern religious traditions, I got a different orientation to life.”
Paul Chevrolet
De la Parra moved back to the Netherlands in 1985 and made the critically acclaimed comeback film that same year Paul Chevrolet and the Ultimate HallucinationIn the nineties he emerged as the ‘king of minimal movies’: low-budget films shot in a short period of time that were a learning experience for novice filmmakers, but which often did not make it to the cinema. In Paramaribo, where he has lived since 1996, he founded a film academy. Having fun was the main focus of his minimal movies, De La Parra said.
In a column in the Surinamese daily newspaper The Real Time he announced in 2017 that he had stopped as a filmmaker: “Today, after careful consideration, I have decided to give up my ultimate dream.” He had to give up shooting a last major film in Suriname, a long-cherished wish. He had not succeeded, he wrote, in raising the necessary budget.
The filmmaker is survived by two children: the actress Bodil and the cabaret artist Nina de la Parra.
7 Sept: This obituary has been supplemented with a description of Wan Pipel.
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Pim de la Parra: The Pioneer of Dutch Cinema and Champion of Creative Freedom
Pim de la Parra, a trailblazing filmmaker, director, producer, and screenwriter, left an indelible mark on the Dutch film industry. Born in Paramaribo, Suriname in 1940, De la Parra’s innovative approach to filmmaking challenged societal norms and pushed the boundaries of creative expression. His passing on September 6, 2024, at the age of 84, marks the end of an era, but his legacy continues to inspire and influence generations of filmmakers.
Early Life and Career
De la Parra’s fascination with filmmaking began at a young age. Despite his father’s advice to pursue a career in Hollywood, De la Parra opted for the Netherlands, where he studied political and social sciences before switching to the Film Academy in Amsterdam. In 1965, he co-founded Verstappen Scorpio Films with fellow filmmaker Wim Verstappen, and the duo went on to produce thirteen feature films, earning them the affectionate nickname “Pim & Wim.”
Breaking Barriers with Blue Movie
In 1971, De la Parra’s provocative film Blue Movie made headlines with its bold depiction of sexuality, featuring the first erection in a Dutch feature film. The film’s success, despite initial controversy, marked a turning point in De la Parra’s career and cemented his reputation as a champion of creative freedom. The film’s influence extended beyond the cinematic sphere, contributing to the eventual abolition of film censorship in the Netherlands.
A Personal and Artistic Odyssey
De la Parra’s films often reflected his personal experiences and struggles. Wan Pipel (1976), his first feature film about Suriname, told a Surinamese Romeo and Juliet story, exploring themes of identity, culture, and love. Although the film received mixed reviews, it remains a significant work in De la Parra’s oeuvre. Following the film’s commercial failure and the subsequent bankruptcy of Scorpio Films, De la Parra emigrated to Aruba, where he discovered Buddhism and wrote his autobiography, Prince Pim. Reflections of a bon vivant (1978).
Later Life and Legacy
De la Parra returned to the Netherlands in 1985 and made a critically acclaimed comeback with Paul Chevrolet and the Ultimate Hallucination. In the 1990s, he earned the title “king of minimal movies,” producing low-budget films that served as a learning experience for novice filmmakers. In 1996, De la Parra founded a film academy in Paramaribo, Suriname, where he continued to mentor and inspire
Paramaribo Suriname map
Pim de la Parra: The Pioneer of Dutch Cinema and Sexual Liberation
Pim de la Parra, a Surinamese-Dutch film director, made a significant impact on Dutch cinema with his provocative and explicit films that pushed the boundaries of sexual freedom and nudity. De la Parra, born in 1940 in Paramaribo, Suriname, is best known for his 1971 film Blue Movie, which featured the first erection in a Dutch feature film, sparking controversy and debate in the Netherlands.
Early Life and Career
De la Parra’s fascination with filmmaking began at a young age. He initially wanted to pursue a career in Hollywood, but his father, a cosmetics shopkeeper, advised him to study in the Netherlands instead. In Amsterdam, De la Parra studied political and social sciences before switching to the Film Academy, where he co-founded the film magazine Scope with fellow students. In 1965, he started Verstappen Scorpio Films with Wim Verstappen, his long-time collaborator and friend.
Breaking Taboos with Blue Movie
Blue Movie, released in 1971, was a game-changer in Dutch cinema. The film’s explicit content, including the first erection in a Dutch feature film, shocked audiences and sparked outrage in the media. However, the controversy only added to the film’s popularity, with over 2.3 million visitors flocking to cinemas, making De la Parra and Verstappen millionaires in just a few months [[1]].
The film’s explicit content was not only a reflection of the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s but also a deliberate attempt to challenge the Dutch film censorship board. Blue Movie was initially deemed “contrary to public decency” by the Central Commission for Film Censorship, but Verstappen’s defense of the film led to its eventual release, albeit with an 18+ rating [[2]].
Pioneering Dutch Cinema
De la Parra’s contribution to Dutch cinema extends beyond Blue Movie. Along with Verstappen and Paul Verhoeven, another prominent Dutch filmmaker, De la Parra is credited with breathing life into a stagnant film climate in the Netherlands [[3]]. His films, including Obsessions (1969), co-written with Martin Scorsese, and Wan Pipel (One People) (1976), a film about Suriname, showcased his ability to push boundaries and challenge social norms.
Legacy and Impact
De la Parra’s legacy in Dutch cinema is undeniable. His films not only reflected the changing attitudes towards sexuality in the 1960s and 1970s but also paved the way for future generations of filmmakers. In an interview with the people’s newspaper in 2013, De la Parra reflected on his contribution to Dutch cinema, saying, “We felt after Blue Movie ‘very successful as film pioneers and important as artistic-cultural-social innovators'” [[4]].
Today, De la Parra is remembered as a true pioneer of Dutch cinema, who dared to challenge convention and push the boundaries of sexual freedom and nudity on screen.
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