A captivating documentary airing on France 5 explores the extraordinary life of Germaine Krull, one of the most essential yet largely unknown photographers of the 20th century. This freedom-loving artist, often described as a "female Man Ray," left an indelible mark on photography before mysteriously abandoning her career to run a hotel in Thailand for twenty years.
The film, titled "Germaine Krull, Photography or Life," uniquely blends documentary and fiction elements to trace the remarkable journey of this pioneering photographer. After covering World War II and other significant historical events, Krull made the surprising decision to leave photography behind entirely and exile herself to Thailand, where she managed the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok for two decades.
Director Audrey Gordon chose an innovative narrative approach, telling Krull's story in the first person through actress Imogen Kogge, a German performer who embodies the photographer with striking authenticity. According to Gordon, Kogge's "gestures and face blend in a troubling way with representations of the photographer," creating a seamless connection between past and present.
The 60-minute film unfolds as an intimate encounter between Krull and a fascinated French journalist in 1950s Bangkok. "With such a free character, I infused a part of fiction into the story. Everything takes place during a meeting in the 1950s with a journalist who is fascinated, almost in love, at the bar of the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok," Gordon explains. This framing device allows viewers to journey through Krull's memories as she reflects on the "wild freedom" required to reach that point in her life.
The narrative takes audiences on a sweeping geographical and emotional journey across Europe and beyond. The story begins in Germany, where Krull spent her formative years, then moves to Russia, where she was branded as a revolutionary and dissident before being imprisoned and sentenced to death. The tale continues to the Netherlands, where she rediscovered both her love of life and her passion for photography alongside her romantic partner, Joris.
Throughout the film, Krull's voice resonates with the philosophy that guided her unconventional life choices. "Every time I abandoned everything in my life to do something else, I thought of my father. The only thing he taught me was to always be free to undertake whatever one wants," she declares through Kogge's compelling performance. This principle of absolute freedom defined not only her approach to photography but her entire existence, leading her to make dramatic life changes whenever her spirit demanded it.
The documentary serves as both a celebration of Krull's artistic legacy and an exploration of what it means to live authentically. Her story challenges conventional notions of career and success, showing how true artistic freedom sometimes requires the courage to walk away from acclaim and recognition. By choosing exile and a completely different life in Thailand, Krull demonstrated that for some artists, the pursuit of freedom is more important than fame or artistic continuity.
