Kars Tuinder

Kars Tuinder is a Dutch photographer and filmmaker renowned for his documentary work and contemporary art photography. He began his formal training at the Photo Academy at the age of 15 and has spent the past 35 years capturing visual storytelling to address social issues around the world. Tuinder’s work has received international acclaim, including the National Geographic Public Award, Human in Europe, and the Monovisions Photography Award. His photographs have been exhibited globally and featured by prestigious platforms such as LensCulture and Life Framer.
Now based in Bangkok, where he has lived for the past four years, Tuinder founded the Photohostel & Photocafe, a creative hub that combines accommodation, a café, and an art gallery. He also leads JTKT Productions, working on a wide range of international film projects across Thailand as a project manager.
Kars Tuinder’s debut as a documentary director and producer follows the extraordinary true story of a 19-year-old Nepali student who earns a scholarship to study at a Russian university. Just months after arriving, he is unexpectedly drawn into the war in Ukraine. Armed with a camera, he documents his surreal transformation from student to foreign soldier in the Russian military, capturing a journey of lost innocence, identity, and the desperate fight for survival.