Wouter...

There is nothing to say when profound sadness hits a community as closely knit as this. Wouter Barendrecht, co-founder of Fortissimo Films, and a great friend to many in the industry, passed away in Bangkok on Sunday. He was 43.It is tempting at moments like this to revert to journalistic detachment, to observe impassively that Wouter was a champion of independent cinema in this region, that so many filmmakers earned their spurs under his watch, that he started Fortissimo in the early 1990s together with Michael Werner. It makes the news perhaps marginally easier to handle.I did not know Wouter exceptionally well, so instead of eulogising him, I’ll just describe our last encounter, and maybe those of you that knew him better, will add your own stories.I last saw Wouter at the Gala Premiere of Ashes of Time Redux. I had a question about the legality of a new version of the film, and he told me how most of the contracts for the original film had lapsed, and that in any case, they went back to most of the original rightsholders to offer them first dibs at Ashes of Time Redux. Wouter, always keeping good neighbours in the industry… *****Wouter being Wouter at the 33rd HKIFF Awards After Party, 6 days ago.