Author, producer, director, cinematographer, photographer
1957
Born in Nuremberg. Following high school diploma trained as a photographer and worked as a tennis teacher, barkeeper, cinema projectionist, camera assistant and theater photographer.
1980-83
Studies at the German Film and Television Academy (DFFB) in Berlin.
1983
Foundation of the ODYSEE-FILM production firm. Over the following years he wrote books, made documentaries and worked as a photographer and cinematographer.
From 1991
Numerous teaching posts in film academies and universities.
Since 1997
Member of the board of trustees of the Haus des Dokumentarfilms (House of Documentary Film) Stuttgart.
1999
Co-initiator and subsequently co-organizer of the SWR “New Documentary Film” series featuring debut works by young filmmakers, which was nominated for the Grimme Prize in 2001 and 2002.
Since 2000
Professor at the Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg attached to the Directing/ Documentary Film programme.
2001
Founding member of the documentary film initiative "Der zweite Blick" (On second glance).
2000-2004
Jury member for the “First Steps” award for young filmmakers.
2004-2006
German Television Prize jury member.
2005-2007 Artistic Director of the Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg in Ludwigsburg.
Since 2005
Member of the European and Germany Film Academies.
Since 2007
Managing Director of the Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg.
2010-2011
Managing Director of the Academy for Performing Arts Baden-Wuerttemberg.
Films and Awards (selected)
1982
WAS HAB I IN HAWAII VERLOREN (Why Should I Want to Go to Hawaii?)
Graduation project at the DFFB
16mm, colour, 60 min.
1983
FÜR DIE EWIGKEIT (For Eternity)
Encounters on the former Nazi Party rally grounds in Nuremberg
16mm, b/w, 60 min., NDR III
City of Nuremberg Culture Prize 1984
1985-86
UNTERWEGS NACH IMMER UND ÜBERALL (On the way to Always and Forever)
A journey through Germany
16mm, colour, 80 min., NDR III
1988-89
DAS GEFÜHL DES AUGENBLICKS (The Emotion of the Moment)
In the footsteps of photographer Robert Frank
16mm, b/w, 90 min., BR/WDR III
1989
THRASH-ALTENESSEN
A film from the Ruhr region
16mm, colour, 90 min., SWF/ARD I
1990
DAS MAGAZIN DER BILDER (Picture Magazine)
A chronicle of ongoing events
16mm, b/w, 60 min., ZDF/Kleines Fernsehspiel
1990
PAVLOS BAKOJANNIS
Obituary for a friend in Greece
16mm, colour, 75 min., SWF/ARD I
1991
DER AUTOBAHNKRIEG (War on the Autobahn)
Beta SP, colour, 60 min., SWF/ARD I
Grimme Prize, 1993
1992
DIE VERGESSENE STADT (Forgotten Town)
Butte, Montana/USA
35mm, colour, 90 min., WDR III/ Regional fond
Giampaolo Paoli Prize, Florence 1992
Highly Commended by the German Film and Media Rating Body
1993
ELF FREUNDE MÜSST IHR SEIN (You´ve Got to Be 11 Friends)
The football professionals of FC Bayern Munich
Beta SP, colour, 130 min., SWF/ARD I
1994
MORDKOMMISSION M I/4 (Homicide Squad M I/4)
The Gleser case
Beta SP, colour, 90 min., SWF/ARD I
Grimme Prize nomination 1995
1995
EISERNE ENGEL (Iron Angels)
Air rescue in Germany
Beta SP, colour, 90 Min., SWF/ARD I
Grimme Prize nomination 1996
Prix Italia ARD nomination 1996
1995-96
HERR W UND HERR W (Mr W and Mr W)
35mm, colour, 100 min., NDR/WDR/SWF III/ Regional fond
with Gerd Hoffmeister
Highly Commended by the German Film and Media Rating Body
1997
WALL STREET
A film about money
Beta SP, colour, 60/90 min., ARTE and SWF/ARD I
1997
MANHATTAN STORIES
Seven friends and a big city
Beta SP, colour and b/w, 90 min., NDR III
with Susanne Kammermeier
1998
AUGENZEUGEN (Eye Witnesses)
The photographers Höpker, Lebeck, Moses and Scheler
Beta SP, colour, 60/90 min., ARTE and BR III
with Reiner Holzemer
1998 LEBEN OHNE ARBEIT (Life without a Job)
Long-term unemployed people report
Beta SP, colour, 90 min., SWF/ARD I
with Peter Schmidt
1998
DER KANDIDAT (The Candidate)
Gerhard Schröder on the hustings 1998
DV and Digi-Beta, colour, 90 min., SWR/ARD I
German Television Prize “Best Documentary” 1999
”Marler Gruppe” audience award within the framework of the Grimme Prize 1999
Grimme Prize nomination 1999
Grimme Prize “Special” 1999 for an “outstanding contribution to documentary film in 1998” (“Augenzeugen,” “Leben ohne Arbeit,” “Der Kandidat”)
1999
HAUPTSTADTZEITUNG (Capital City Newspaper)
Two Berlin newspapers and the election of the Federal President
Beta SP, colour, 85 min., PHOENIX
2000
DEMOKRATIE IM SCHLOSS (Palace Democracy)
The Schwerin parliament at work
DV and Digi-Beta, colour, 90 min., NDR III
with Peter Schmidt
”Honorable Mention” Robert-Geisendörfer Prize 2001
2001
MY WAY - JAMES LAST
A portrait
Betacam SP, colour, 90 min., SWR III
2001
KANZLERBILDER (Images of a Chancellor)
Scenes from the large and small theater of politics
DV and Digi-Beta, 90 min., SWR III
2001
STRASSE DES EWIGEN FRIEDENS (Road of Eternal Peace)
Chang An Jie, Beijing
Digi-Beta, colour, 90 min., SWR/NDR/WDR III
2002
BERLIN: SINFONIE EINER GROSSSTADT * (Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis)
A symphonic documentary
35mm, b/w, 75 min., SWR/ARD I and /SFB/ARTE/Telepool/ Regional fond
Highly Commended by the German Film and Media Rating Body
2003
PAUSENFILM (Intermission Movie)
Digi-Beta, colour, 65 min., ARTE/SWR/NDRIII
with Thomas Keller
2004
CAROLA STERN: DOPPELLEBEN ** (The Double Life of Carola Stern)
Docu-drama based on the autobiography of Carola Stern
Super 16mm and Digi-Beta, colour, 90 min., BR/WDR/ARTE
VFF TV-Movie Award nomination 2004
German Television Prize 2004 ( “Best Cinematography” Holly Fink, BVK)
German Television Film Festival 2004, Actor’s award for Maria Simon as Carola Stern
2004
AMOK IN DER SCHULE (Amok in School)
The case of Robert Steinhäuser
Digi-Beta, colour, 90 min., SWR/ARD I
with Knut Beulich
Grimme Prize nomination 2005
Baden-Wuerttemberg Documentary Prize 2005
2004
DAS KANZLERAMT *** (The Chancellery)
Documentary series
DV and Digi-Beta, colour, 5 X 30 min, ARTE/SWR
Director: Mechthild Gassner, Cinematography: Lucas Schmid, Thomas Keller
Director, cinematographer, producer for all films
2006
BERUF LEHRER (Profession: Teacher)
DV and Digi-Beta, colour, 90 min, ARD/SWR
with Wilma Pradetto, Cinematography: Frank Pfeiffer
Grimme Prize nomination 2007
Baden-Wuerttemberg Documentary Prize nomination 2007
2009
DER MANN AUS DER PFALZ ** (The Man from the Palatinate)
Docu-drama about former Chancellor Helmut Kohl
Super 16mm and Digi-Beta, colour, 90 min., ZDF
2011
DER ENGEL MARIA (The Angel Mary)
Screenplay for a feature film
For all films mentioned above: directing, cinematography, production, except:
* Co-production with teamWorx, Nico Hofmann
** Production by teamWorx, Nico Hofmann
** Director only
*** Producer only
Theatre Productions
2011
ICH ERFAND KARL MAY (I Invented Karl May)
Theatre production within the framework of the Ludigsburger Schlossfestspiele (Ludwigsburg Palace Festival)
Starring: Thomas Thieme
2011
RUF DER WILDNIS (Call of the Wild)
Theatre producion at the Academy for Performing Arts Baden-Wuerttemberg
Book publications
1979
VARIATIONEN (Variations)
Photographs, author/publisher (2nd edition 2004)
1992
DIE VERGESSENE STADT – BUTTE, MONTANA (Forgotten Town)
Exhibition project as part of “Facing America,” Municipal Gallery Erlangen
with Susanne Kammermeier
and book publication, Klein+Blechinger Publishing House, Cologne; ISBN 3-927658170 (out of print)
1999
ZUR LAGE DES DOKUMENTARFILMS ALS AUTORENFILM (On the Situation of the Documentary Film as Auteur Film)
Symposium in Haus des Dokumentarfilms in Stuttgart
with Christoph Hübner
including published survey brochure: “What Is a Documentary?”
2002
DAS GEFÜHL DES AUGENBLICKS (The Emotion of the Moment)
On the dramaturgy of the documentary
From the series “Buch und Medien,” Bastei Lübbe Publishing House; ISBN 3-4044940148
2002
BERLIN: SINFONIE EINER GROßSTADT (Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis)
Nicolai Publishers, Berlin; ISBN 3-875841859
2004
UNS WIRFT NICHTS MEHR UM (Nothing Is Going to Unsettle Us Anymore)
Rowohlt Publishing House, Hamburg; ISBN 3-498063804
(with Carola Stern)
2006
REGIEBEKENNTNISSE (Directors` Confessions)
UVK Publishers, Constance, ISBN 10: 3-89669-673-4
(Co-editor with Beatrice Ottersbach)
2007
SCHAUSPIELERBEKENNTNISSE (Actors´ Confessions)
UVK Publishers, Constance, ISBN 10: 3-89669-685-8
(Co-editor with Beatrice Ottersbach and Nina Haun)
2007
DREHBUCHBEKENNTNISSE (Screenwriters´ Confessions)
UVK Publishers, Constance, ISBN 10: 978-3-89669-649-6
(Co-editor with Beatrice Ottersbach)
2008
KAMERABEKENNTNISSE (Cinematographers´ Confessions)
UVK Publishers, Constance, ISBN 10: 978-3-86764-055-6
(Co-editor with Beatrice Ottersbach)
2009
SCHNITTBEKENNTNISSE (Editors´ Confessions)
UVK Publishers, Constance, ISBN 10: 978-3-86764-138-8
(Co-editor with Beatrice Ottersbach)
2009
FILMMUSIKBEKENNTNISSE (Film Score Composers´ Confessions)
UVK Publishers, Constance, ISBN 10: 978-3-86764-193-7
(Co-editor with Beatrice Ottersbach)
2010
FILMPRODUZENTENBEKENNTNISSE (Film Producers´ Confessions)
UVK Publishers, Constance, ISBN 10: 978-3-86764-214-9
(Co-editor with Beatrice Ottersbach)
2012
DAS GEFÜHL DES AUGENBLICKS (The Emotion of the Moment)
Third, revised and etxtended edition
UVK Publishers, Constance, ISBN 10: 978-3-86764-216-3
Photographic works
1977
8h37 - 20h42 - EINE ZEITBESCHREIBUNG (A Description of Time)
b/w photo series
1979
DIE KAMERA UND ICH (The Camera and I)
b/w photos
1979
VARIATIONEN (Variations)
Description of a row house settlement; b/w photo series
1979
ANONYME PORTRAITS (Anonymous Portraits)
b/w photo series
1979
BILDER EINER DEUTSCHEN GROSSSTADT (Images of a German Metropolis)
b/w photos
1983-85
DEUTSCHLAND: IMMER UND ÜBERALL (Germany: Always and Forever)
b/w photo series
RENTA-Prize for Photography, Nuremberg 1985
1986
KEEP ON SMILING WITH THE DUMMY
b/w photo series
1988-96
UNDER THE BIG SKY I-IV
b/w photos and polaroids
2004
RESTE VOM SCHÄUFERLE (The Remains of the "Schäuferle")
polaroids
2010
EVERYWHERE AND NOWHERE
100 color photos
