Mannus Franken

Mannus Franken
Promotional portrait
Born	6 February 1899 Deventer, Netherlands
Died	1 August 1953(1953-08-01) (aged 54) Lochem, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	1920s–1953
Notable work	Regen Pareh
Style	Avant-garde

Mannus Franken (6 February 1899 – 1 August 1953) was a Dutch filmmaker who played an important role in the development of Indonesian cinema. He made his debut as a writer before working with Joris Ivens in producing two documentary films. In 1934 he was called to the Dutch East Indies by Albert Balink to help with the production of Pareh (1936). Franken stayed in the Indies until before World War II, making newsreels. After the war he returned to the country and continued this work. In 1949 Franken returned to the Netherlands, where he made another film before his death.