The first retrospective examination of filmmaker Dirk de Bruyn's prolific and prodigious career.

Migrating by sea from Holland as an eight-year-old, Dirk de Bruyn went on to be a doyen of Australian experimental cinema. But as this intimate film reveals, his work is suffused with the trauma of migration, and the struggle to recognise himself as a ‘new Australian'.

In conversation with documentarian Steven McIntyre, Dirk guides us through more than 40 years of his filmmaking: the early years exploring technique and technology, a subsequent phase of unflinching self-examination brought on by upheaval and overseas travel, and more recent projects where he attempts a fusion of personal, cultural, and historical identity. What emerges is an inspiring, rugged, and at times poignant portrait of an artist committed to self-expression and self-discovery through the medium of film.

The House That Eye Live In features spectacular footage of Dirk's renowned expanded-cinema performances, and newly transferred excerpts from his extensive filmography, some of which are seen here for the first time.

World Premiere
Steven McIntyre and Dirk de Bruyn are festival guests.