Renowned Dutch photojournalist Chas Gerretsen is best known for his raw and emotional war photography captured during the Vietnam War and the hostile and violent political turmoil in Chile. However, his career took an interesting turn when he found himself exhausted from covering global conflicts. This turn took him to Hollywood, where he would use his skills sharpened on the battlefield and bring them to the movie set of Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 film, Apocalypse Now.
Hired as the film's official stills photographer, Gerretsen brought the skill set he obtained in conflict and a layer of documentary authenticity. He was able to capture the on-set cinematic spectacle that Coppola was creating but also documented the off-screen chaos that mirrored the film. Just like his war photography, Gerretsen's on-set photographs were gritty, immersive, and emotional.
Gerretsen's experience brought more than just years of conflict photography. He contributed to the film by insisting that Dennis Hopper's character, aptly named "Photojournalist," should be using multiple cameras. He insisted on this for authenticity; a real war photographer would be using multiple cameras with a variety of focal lengths so as not to miss the moment. To add to the realism of the use of multiple cameras, Hopper's character's rambling and frantic energy was a fictional reflection of many war photographers, including Gerretsen himself, covering the Southeast Asia conflict.
His photographs from the set, long unseen by the public, have become historical artifacts. They show Coppola directing under pressure, Martin Sheen's intensity, and Marlon Brando cloaked in mystery as Colonel Kurtz. These images, though staged on a film set, documented a film preserved as a dream of artistic ambition, ego, and madness—a reflection of war itself.
Gerretsen’s work on the Apocalypse Now set wasn’t just movie magic; it was a combination of his journalistic skills and storytelling. His work was later shown in a 2019 documentary showcasing his work on set, then eventually published in 2021's Apocalypse Now: The Lost Photo Archive. He would go on to win the FELIFA International Award for his work in Chile and have the same photographs on display at Santiago’s Museum of Memory and Human Rights. In the video above, from The Developing Tank, take a deeper dive into the emotional and captivating work or Chas Gerretsen.
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