Lutz Mommartz,

Born 1934 in Erkelenz
Lives since 1937 in Düsseldorf

1952 - 1975 Official of the council administration
1967 first 16-mm Movie

1978 - 1999 Professorship for Film at the Kunstakademie Münster

Works and lives in Düsseldorf and since 2001 also in Berlin.

... in 1967 the official of the council administration Lutz Mommartz decided to produce 16mm short movies. He finished 4 up to deadline for applications of the 4th Experimental-film festival in Knokke; All 4 movies were accepted, 3 were shown in the competition, one received a price. Knokke and the Hamburger Filmschau 1968 made Mommartz popular, so popular that the public in the cinema already applauds, when his name is mentioned in the pre movie.

( Film Jan. 68)

..... after his success in Knokke followed high leveled interpretations of his films from all sides. Mommartz reacted with the laconic statement, that he "actually never wanted to become a film maker". Originally the official of the council administration, who was born 1934 in Erkelenz, was interested in painting. Until he stated that he could not express thereby, what he wanted to say. So he gave it up. Also in the medium film Mommartz does not trust a lot. Therefore he tries to extend its possibilities.

(K.U. Reinke DN 27.7. 68)

....... the films of Mommartz are based in each case on only one idea; the effect is then lasting, mentions Mommartz. These ideas are often brilliantly, sharp and provocative, but they often lose their astringency during the realization. Although Mommartz is a very conscious film produces, His films remain first to a picture of a naive author. Mommartz succeeds to unite both courses in its films. He knows about his enormous naive play-rubbed, brings it under rational control and uses it so consciously. Because he would like to obtain effects with his films. Film should be a trip, which knocks at the spectator. The film could create climatic improvements lead to better general climatic conditions, not however to direct political acts. The connection from aesthetics and politics appears to him rationally de placed; the commitment would lose itself in the art. Mommartz believes in socialism, but (letter that!): "chemistry is the only chance for socialism!" Because 5% conscious humans would face always 95 % not-conscious. For Mommartz there is no system of government, which could work against that. The relationship between these two groups is the only tragedy, which still goes on. In order to make the relationship more bearable, Mommartz sees only one solution: the drug.

(H.P. Kochenrath Film Jan. 69)

..... Film, then Lutz Mommartz says, is one of the many pretexts, in order to produce communication and carry out social work. He found this pretext relatively late and probably by coincidence, but used it then however consciously and consistently.

(Hans Schütz NRZ 20.3.70)

..... He regards the medium as distrustfully, the more he is praised for his handling of it.

(RP 8.8.70)

..... Lutz Mommartz (born 1934) produced 1967 a set of short movies apparently of playful nature, which possessed however with a quite theoretical background and tried to fix the parameters of a new cinema. His most important film was '"Eisenbahn" (Railway), in which the same film loop was 17 times repeated - an attitude from the window of a driving railway train on the by-pulling landscape. In "Selbstschüsse" ( Self shots ) Mommartz threw the camera over himself into the air, ...

(Ulrich Gregor: Geschichte des Films ab 1960, Bertelsmann 1978)