Jan van IJken

Jan van IJken (1965) is a photographer and filmmaker from the Netherlands, fascinated by nature, biology and microscopy. His recent films about starling murmurations and the beginning of life have been selected and awarded by numerous international film festivals. After publications on National Geographic and Aeon, the films went ‘viral’ on the internet. He is self-taught and is working mainly autonomously on long-term projects. As a photographer, he developed a strong eye for natural light, composition and detail. His work is more and more about art and science.

Role: producer

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06:14

BECOMING

BECOMING is a short film by Jan van IJken about the miraculous genesis of animal life. In great microscopic detail, we see the 'making of' an Alpine Newt in its transparent egg from the first cell division to hatching. A single cell is transformed into a complete, complex living organism with a beating heart and running bloodstream. The first stages of embryonic development are roughly the same for all animals, including humans. In the film, we can observe a universal process which normally is invisible: the very beginning of an animal's life.