Michael Verhoeven (born 13 July 1938) is a German

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

Life and work

Verhoeven is the son of the German film director

Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch director, producer and screenwriter, active in the Netherlands, France and the United States. His blending of graphic violence and sexual content with social satire is a trademark of both his dram ...

(not to be confused with the Dutch film director

). He married actress

Senta Berger Senta Verhoeven (née Berger; ''Austrian German:'' , ; born 13 May 1941) is an Austrian-German actress. She received many award nominations for her acting in theatre, film and television; her awards include three Bambi Awards, two Romys, an Ad ...

in 1966; their sons are actor-director

Simon Verhoeven Simon Verhoeven (born in Munich on 20 June 1972) is a German film director, screenwriter, film producer, former actor, and occasional film music composer. Life and family Verhoeven is the son of international screen actress Senta Berger and BAF ...

(born 1972) and actor Luca Verhoeven (born 1979). Together, the couple have a production company to make films. The 1970 anti-

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

film, '' o.k.'' was entered into the

20th Berlin International Film Festival The 20th annual Berlin International Film Festival was supposed to be held from 26 June to 7 July 1970. The festival opened with ''Klann – grand guignol'' by Patrick Ledoux. However, on 5 July the competition was cancelled and no major prizes ...

, but led to a scandal that forced the collapse of the festival without the awarding of any prizes. In 1982, Verhoeven released '' Die weiße Rose'' (''The White Rose''), which, with the Best Foreign film nomination of '' Das schreckliche Mädchen'' (''The Nasty Girl'') in 1990, cemented his reputation as an important political contributor to German film. Along with his films ' and documentary ''Der unbekannte Soldat'' (''The Unknown Soldier''), they have been hailed as an unstinting examination of Germany's

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

period. In 1992, he was a member of the jury at the

42nd Berlin International Film Festival The 42nd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 February 1992. The festival opened with '' The Inner Circle'' by Andrei Konchalovsky. The Golden Bear was awarded to American film ''Grand Canyon'' directed by Lawrence Ka ...

Awards

*1990

Silver Bear for Best Director The Silver Bear for Best Director (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Regie) is an award presented annually at the Berlin International Film Festival since 1956. It is given for the best achievement in directing and is chosen by the International Jury ...

40th Berlin International Film Festival The 40th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 9 to 20 February 1990. The festival opened with ''Steel Magnolias'' by Herbert Ross, which was shown out of competition. The Golden Bear was awarded ''ex aequo'' to the American fi ...

for ''

The Nasty Girl ''The Nasty Girl'' (german: Das schreckliche Mädchen) is a 1990 West German Drama (film and television), drama film based on the true story of Anna Rosmus. The original German title loosely translates as "The Terrible Girl." The film was selecte ...

'' *1995

Bavarian Film Awards The Bavarian Film Awards (german: Bayerischer Filmpreis) have been awarded annually since 1979 by the state government of Bavaria in Germany for “exceptional achievement in German filmmaking.” Along with the German Film Awards, these are the ...

, Best Production *2006 Bavarian Film Awards, Honorary AwardMinisterpräsident Stoiber verleiht Bayerischen Filmpreis 2006
, press release

Selected filmography

Director

Film *''

The Dance of Death The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ) (from the French language), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory of the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of ...

'' (1967) – based on ''

'' by

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

*''

Up the Establishment ''Up the Establishment'' (german: Engelchen macht weiter – hoppe, hoppe Reiter) is a 1969 West German comedy film directed by Michael Verhoeven and starring Mario Adorf, Gila von Weitershausen and Ulli Koch.Reimer & Reimer p.304 Partial cast ...

'' (1969) – screenplay by

Franz Geiger Franz Geiger (1921–2011) was a German screenwriter of film and television.Sadoul p.196 Selected filmography * '' Oh, You Dear Fridolin'' (dir. Peter Hamel, 1952) * '' School for Marriage'' (1954) — based on ''The Art of Being Happily Marrie ...

*''

Student of the Bedroom ''Student of the Bedroom'' (german: Der Bettenstudent oder Was mach' ich mit den Mädchen?) is a 1970 West German comedy film directed by Michael Verhoeven and starring Christof Wackernagel, Gila von Weitershausen and Hannelore Elsner.Reimer & Rei ...

'' (1970) – screenplay by

Volker Vogeler Volker Vogeler (27 June 1930 – 16 April 2005) was a German film director and screenwriter. He directed 13 films between 1967 and 2000. His 1971 film '' Jaider, der einsame Jäger'' was entered into the 21st Berlin International Film Fest ...

, based on a novel by *'' o.k.'' (1970) *''

He Who Loves in a Glass House ''He Who Loves in a Glass House'' (german: Wer im Glashaus liebt... der Graben) is a 1971 West German film directed by Michael Verhoeven. It was entered into the 21st Berlin International Film Festival. Cast * Senta Berger Senta Verhoeven ...

'' (1971) *' (1976) *' (1977) – screenplay by

Elke Heidenreich Elke Heidenreich (née Riegert; born 15 February 1943) is a German author, TV presenter, literary critic and journalist. She has written audio plays, a magazine column, scripts for television plays and books. Heidenreich is known as the ''Kabarett ...

and

Bernd Schroeder Bernd Schroeder (6 June 1944 – 18 June 2023) was a German writer who authored books, television plays, film scripts, and audio plays. He also directed audio plays. He co-authored the bestseller novel '' Alte Liebe'' with Elke Heidenreich, and ...

*'' Sunday Children'' (1980) – based on a play by

Gerlind Reinshagen Gerlind Reinshagen (4 May 1926 – 9 June 2019) was a German writer. Biography The daughter of Ekkehard and Friedel Technau, she was born in Königsberg and studied pharmacy and art. She wrote children's books, novels, poetry and radio plays bef ...

*'' Die weiße Rose'' (1982) *' (1986) *''

'' (1990) *' (1995) – based on a story by

George Tabori George Tabori ( György Tábori; 24 May 1914 – 23 July 2007) was a Hungarian writer and theatre director. Life and career Tabori was born in Budapest as György Tábori, a son of Kornél and Elsa Tábori. His father Kornél (Cornelius) was m ...

*' (2014) – based on an autobiographical novel by Laura Waco Television *'' Der Kommissar: Dr. Meinhardts trauriges Ende'' (1970, TV series episode) *''

Tatort ''Tatort'' ("Crime scene") is a German language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with some 30 feature-length episodes per year, which makes it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed by ...

: '' (1972, TV series episode) *''Ein unheimlich starker Abgang'' (1973) – based on a play by Harald Sommer *' (1975, TV series) *''Die Herausforderung'' (1975) – screenplay by

and

*''Bier und Spiele'' (1977, TV series) – screenplay by

*''Das Männerquartett'' (1978) – based on a novel by

Leonhard Frank Leonhard Frank (4 September 1882 in Würzburg – 18 August 1961 in Munich) was a German expressionist writer. He studied painting and graphic art in Munich, and gained acclaim with his first novel ''The Robber Band'' (1914, tr. 1928). When a Ber ...

*'' 1982: Gutenbach'' (1978) – screenplay by *''Verführungen'' (1979) – screenplay by

*''Freundinnen: Edith und Marlene'' (1979, TV series episode) – screenplay by

and *''Am Südhang'' (1980) – screenplay by , based on a novella by

Eduard von Keyserling Johann Heinrich Eduard Nicolaus Graf von Keyserling (May 14, 1855 – September 28, 1918) was a Baltic German fiction writer and dramatist, an exponent of literary impressionism and associated with the historic region of Courland. Biography ...

*''Die Ursache'' (1980) – based on a novella and a play by

*''Die Mutprobe'' (1982) *''Das Tor zum Glück'' (1984) *''Stinkwut'' (1986) – based on a play by *''Gundas Vater'' (1987) *''Gegen die Regel'' (1987) – screenplay by Daniel Christoff *''Ignaz Semmelweis – Arzt der Frauen'' (1988) – biographical film about

Ignaz Semmelweis Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (; hu, Semmelweis Ignác Fülöp ; 1 July 1818 – 13 August 1865) was a Hungarian physician and scientist, who was an early pioneer of antiseptic procedures. Described as the "saviour of mothers", he discovered that t ...

*'' Die schnelle Gerdi'' (1989, TV series) *''Schlaraffenland'' (1990) *' (1992, TV series) *''Eine unheilige Liebe'' (1993) *''Zimmer mit Frühstück'' (2000) – screenplay by *''Enthüllung einer Ehe'' (2000) – screenplay with Nicole Walter-Lingen *'' Die schnelle Gerdi'', second season (2004, TV series) *''

: Die Spieler'' (2005, TV series episode) *''

Bloch Bloch is a surname of German origin. Notable people with this surname include: A–F * (1859-1914), French rabbi *Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881-1925), Austrian entrepreneur *Albert Bloch (1882–1961), American painter * (born 1972), German motor journal ...

: Vergeben, nicht vergessen'' (2008, TV series episode) *''

: Heißkalte Seele'' (2012, TV series episode) *''

: Die Lavendelkönigin'' (2013, TV series episode) *' (2014) – based on a novel by Documentary and short films *''Tische'' (1970) *''Bonbons'' (1971) *''Coiffeur'' (1973) *''Liebe Melanie'' (1983) – film about

Melanie Horeschowsky Melanie Horeschowsky (1901–1983) was an Austrian stage, film and television actress.Giesen p.228 Selected filmography * '' The Prodigal Son'' (1934) * '' Der Kaiser von Kalifornien'' (1936) * '' Another World'' (1937) * ''Clarissa'' (1941) * ' ...

*''Das Mädchen und die Stadt oder: Wie es wirklich war'' (1990) *''The Legend of Mrs. Goldman and the Almighty God'' (1996) – with

*''George Tabori – Theater ist Leben'' (1998) – film about

*''Der Fall Liebl'' (2001) *''Die kleine Schwester – Die weiße Rose: Ein Vermächtnis'' (2002) *''Der unbekannte Soldat'' (''The Unknown Soldier'', 2006) *''Menschliches Versagen'' (''Human Failure'', 2008) *''The Second Execution of Romell Broom'' (2012)

Producer

*' (dir. , 1983) *'' Welcome to Germany'' (dir.

, 2016)

Actor

* ''

The Flying Classroom ''The Flying Classroom'' (German: ''Das fliegende Klassenzimmer'') is a 1933 novel for children written by the German writer Erich Kästner. In the book Kästner took up the predominantly British genre of the school story, taking place in a b ...

'' (1954), as Ferdinand * ''

Marianne of My Youth ''Marianne of My Youth'' (French: ''Marianne de ma jeunesse'', German: ''Marianne'') is a 1955 French–West German romantic drama film directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Marianne Hold, Horst Buchholz and Pierre Vaneck.McCann p.174 It was r ...

'' (1955), as Alexis * ''

The Crammer ''The Crammer'' (german: Der Pauker) is a 1958 West German comedy film directed by Axel von Ambesser and starring Heinz Rühmann, Wera Frydtberg and Gert Fröbe.''The A to Z of German Cinema''. p. 304 It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich ...

'' (1958), as Peter Wieland * ''

That's No Way to Land a Man ''That's No Way to Land a Man'' (german: So angelt man keinen Mann) is a 1959 West German comedy film directed by Hans Deppe and starring Grethe Weiser, Karin Dor and Karin Baal.Bock & Bergfelder p. 158 It was shot at the Göttingen Studios. The ...

'' (1959), as Horst Burkhardt * ''

The Juvenile Judge ''The Juvenile Judge'' (german: Der Jugendrichter) is a 1960 West German drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Heinz Rühmann, Karin Baal and Lola Müthel.Reimer & Reimer p.304 It was shoat the Tempelhof Studios in Berlin. Main cas ...

'' (1960), as Fred Kaiser * ' (1960), as Richard Denger * '' The House in Montevideo'' (1963), as Herbert * ' (1964), as Karl Schultheiss * ''

Onkel Filser – Allerneueste Lausbubengeschichten ''Onkel Filser – Allerneueste Lausbubengeschichten'' is a 1966 West German comedy film directed by Werner Jacobs and starring Michl Lang, Hans Kraus and Fritz Tillmann. It was based on a novel by Ludwig Thoma and is the fifth in series of f ...

'' (1966), as Karl Schultheiss * '' Der Kommissar: Dr. Meinhardts trauriges Ende'' (1970, TV series episode), as Harro Vogt * '' Der Kommissar: Kellner Windeck'' (1971, TV series episode), as Johannes Windeck

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Verhoeven, Michael 1938 births Living people German male film actors Mass media people from Berlin Male actors from Berlin Silver Bear for Best Director recipients Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Filmmakers who won the Best Foreign Language Film BAFTA Award