Oliver Hirschbiegel (born 29 December 1957) 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 ...

. His works include ''

Das Experiment ''Das Experiment'' (English: ''The Experiment'') is a 2001 German drama thriller film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. It is based on Mario Giordano's novel ''Black Box'' and deals with a social experiment which resembles Philip Zimbardo's Sta ...

'' and the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-nominated '' Downfall''.

Life and career

Hirschbiegel was born in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. A Waldorf graduate, Hirschbiegel studied painting and graphic arts, later film, at the Hamburg University of Fine Arts. In 1986, he directed his first film, the made-for-TV movie ''Das Go! Projekt'', the script for which he had written himself. He became a successful TV director, directing numerous episodes of the ''

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 ...

'' and ''

Kommissar Rex ''Inspector Rex'' (German: ''Kommissar Rex''; Italian: ''Il commissario Rex'') is an Austrian-Italian police procedural comedy-drama television series created by Peter Hajek and Peter Moser. Originally an Austrian series aired from 1994 to 2004 ...

'' series. His first theatrical release was the well-received movie ''

''. In 2004, he attracted world-wide attention with the film ''

Der Untergang ''Downfall'' (german: Der Untergang, it, La caduta – Gli ultimi giorni di Hitler) is a 2004 German-language historical drama, historical war film, war drama film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel from a screenplay by its producer, Bernd Eichin ...

'' (released in English-speaking countries as '' Downfall''), produced by Bernd Eichinger. It recounts

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

's last days, and sparked an extensive debate in Germany over the portrayal of Nazi leaders. The film was a critical and commercial success, winning numerous awards and a nomination for the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for the best foreign film. One scene from the film has become the basis for a widespread viral video phenomenon. Before directing the film, he was in talks to direct '' Blade: Trinity''. He directed his first Hollywood feature '' The Invasion'', which was partly re-shot by

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n director

James McTeigue James McTeigue (born December 29, 1967) is an Australian film and television director. He has been an assistant director on many films, including '' Dark City'' (1998), the ''Matrix'' trilogy (1999–2003) and '' Star Wars: Episode II – Atta ...

, at the request of the studio. Hirschbiegel directed the biographical film '' Diana'', about

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

, which was released in September 2013. Actress

Naomi Watts Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama '' For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...

plays the title role. His film '' 13 Minutes'' was selected to be screened out of competition at the

65th Berlin International Film Festival The 65th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 5 to 15 February 2015, with American film director Darren Aronofsky as the President of the Jury. German film director Wim Wenders was presented with the Honorary Golden Bear. The ...

. Oliver's brother Urs is an

assistant director The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to tak ...

and producer.

Filmography

* ' (1997, TV film) * ''Mortal Friends'' (1998, TV film) * ''

'' (2001) * ' (2002) * '' Downfall'' (2004) * ' (2005) * '' The Invasion'' (2007) * ''

Five Minutes of Heaven ''Five Minutes of Heaven'' is a 2009 Irish film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel from a script by Guy Hibbert. The film was premiered on 19 January 2009 at the 25th Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award for ...

'' (2009) * '' Diana'' (2013) * '' 13 Minutes'' (2015) * '' Criminal: Germany'' (2019) * '' Das Engelsgesicht'' (TBA)

Awards

Wins * 1998 , Best Direction of a TV Film or Series for "Das Urteil" and "Trickser" * 1998 Adolf Grimme Awards, Audience Award of the 'Marl Group' for Das Urteil * 1999

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 th ...

for Directing Todfeinde – Die falsche Entscheidung * 2001

Bergen International Film Festival The Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) is a film festival held annually in October in Bergen, Norway since 2000, and is the largest film festival in the nation in number of films. The festival celebrated its 20th edition in 2019, featuring ...

Audience Award for "Das Experiment" * 2001

, Best Direction for ''Das Experiment'' * 2001

Montréal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (WFF; french: le Festival des Films du Monde) was one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF (although the Toronto Internat ...

Best Director, "Das Experiment" * 2002

Istanbul International Film Festival The Istanbul Film Festival ( tr, İstanbul Film Festivali) is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, Tu ...

, People's Choice Award, "Das Experiment" * 2004

Bambi Awards The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and ot ...

Film – National, "Der Untergang" * 2005

Audience Award for "Der Untergang" * 2005 Amanda Awards Best Foreign Feature Film (Årets utenlandske kinofilm), "Der Untergang" * 2006

Bodil Awards The Bodil Awards are the major Danish film awards given by the Danish Film Critics Association. The awards are presented annually at a ceremony in Copenhagen. Established in 1948, it is one of the oldest film awards in Europe. The awards are given ...

Best Non-American Film (Bedste ikke-amerikanske film), "Der Untergang" * 2006

Fajr International Film Festival Iran's annual Fajr International Film Festival ( fa, جشنواره بین‌المللی فیلم فجر), or Fajr Film Festival (little: FIFF; fa, جشنواره فیلم فجر), has been held every February and April in Tehran since 1982. T ...

International Competition – Best Technical or Artistic Achievement, "Der Untergang" * 2006

Robert Award The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, hono ...

Best Non-American Film (Årets ikke-amerikanske film), "Der Untergang" * 2009

Prix Europa {{notability, Events, date=March 2021 PRIX EUROPA – The European Broadcasting Festival – is the Europe's largest annual tri-medial festival and competition. The event takes place in the third week of October in Berlin, Germany. PRIX E ...

Special Commendation – TV Fiction "Five Minutes of Heaven" * 2009

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

Directing Award, World Cinema, Dramatic – "Five Minutes of Heaven" Nominations * 1998 Adolf Grimme Awards Adolf Grimme Award, Fiction/Entertainment – "Das Urteil" * 2001

European Film Awards The European Film Awards (or European Film Academy Awards) have been presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in 19 categories, of which the mo ...

Audience Award, Best Director, "Das Experiment" * 2002

Fantasporto Fantasporto, also known as Fantas, is an international film festival, annually organized since 1981 in Porto, Portugal. Giving screen space to Fantasy film, fantasy/Science fiction film, science fiction/Horror film, horror-oriented commercial fe ...

International Fantasy Film Award, Best Film, "Das Experiment" * 2003

Paris Film Festival The Festival du Film de Paris, also known as Paris Film Festival, was a film festival held annually in Paris, France. It was launched in 1986 as a youth-oriented festival. In 2002, the municipal government withdrew funding and began Festival Paris ...

Grand Prix, "Das Experiment" * 2005

Mar del Plata Film Festival The Mar del Plata International Film Festival ( es, Festival Internacional de Cine de Mar del Plata) is an international film festival that takes place every November in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina. It is the only competitive feature fest ...

Best Film, "Der Untergang" * 2005

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year * 2006

Goya Awards The Goya Awards ( es, Premios Goya) are Spain's main national annual film awards, commonly referred to as the Academy Awards of Spain. The awards were established in 1987, a year after the founding of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sc ...

Best European Film (Mejor Película Europea), "Der Untergang" * 2006

Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards The Argentine Film Critics Association ( es, Asociación de Cronistas Cinematográficos de la Argentina) is an organization of Argentine-based journalists and correspondents. The association presents the ''Silver Condor Awards'' (''Premios Cóndor ...

Best Foreign Film, Not in the Spanish Language (Mejor Película Extranjera), "Der Untergang" * 2009

Grand Jury Prize, World Cinema – Dramatic, "Five Minutes of Heaven" * 2010

Broadcasting Press Guild Awards The Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG) is a British association of journalists dedicated to the topic of general media issues. History The Guild was established in 1974 as a breakaway of The Critics' Circle. Currently it groups over 100 staff and fr ...

Broadcasting Press Guild Award, Best Single Drama – "Five Minutes of Heaven"

References

External links

*
Interview with director Oliver Hirschbiegel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirschbiegel, Oliver 1957 births Crystal Simorgh recipients German television directors Film directors from Hamburg German-language film directors Living people Waldorf school alumni Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize recipients University of Fine Arts of Hamburg alumni