Bert Haanstra
Dutch film director
Cite this page
“Bert Haanstra.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/bert-haanstra/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.
Bert Haanstra. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/bert-haanstra/
“Bert Haanstra.” thisDay. Accessed October 23, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/bert-haanstra/.
Who was Bert Haanstra?
Albert Haanstra (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑlbərd bɛrt ˈɦaːnstraː]; 31 May 1916 – 23 October 1997) was a Dutch director of films and documentaries. Albert Haanstra was born in Espelo, a small village near Holten, in the Netherlands. His father was Folkert Haanstra, a schoolteacher, and his mother Jansje Schuiveling. Haanstra grew up in the village of Goor. Because he lived during the poverty of the 1920s, Haanstra grew up with the mindset that to get the most out of life, he would need to work hard and live below his means to survive. Haanstra's father retired early as a schoolteacher and started his lifelong dream of becoming a painter.
Historical significance
His documentary Glass (1958) won the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject in 1959. His feature film Fanfare (1958) was the most visited Dutch film at the time, and has since only been surpassed by Turkish Delight (1973).
Cite this page
“Bert Haanstra.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/bert-haanstra/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.
Bert Haanstra. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/bert-haanstra/
“Bert Haanstra.” thisDay. Accessed October 23, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/bert-haanstra/.