Van der Keuken (1938) moved from Amsterdam to Paris in 1956 to study at the School of Film, the Institute des Hautes Etudes Cinématographiques (Idhec). He was confronted in Paris with life and man's loneliness living in a metropolis. Van der Keuken took thousands of photographs, the city acting as a background to his feelings of desolation. In 1963 a selection of these registrations were published in the book "Paris Mortel," a title that reflects the gloomy undertone of the contents of the book. In this book, Van der Keuken attempted to reflect the complexity of the city.

As well as being a photographer, Van der Keuken is also a film maker, but seldom practises both media at the same time. His photography was a breeding ground for his film-making and functions as a "holiday from film making". His films became more and more socially critic in due course, an involvement that had already become apparent in the photo series "Paris Mortel."