Christian Petzold (director)
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Christian Petzold is a German film director.


Early life and education

Born in
Hilden Hilden is a town in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is situated in the District of Mettmann, west of Solingen and east of Düsseldorf on the right side of the Rhine. It is a middle sized industrial town with a forest and numer ...
and raised in
Haan Haan () is a town in the district of Mettmann, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated at the western edge of the Bergisches Land, 12 km southwest of Wuppertal and 17 km east of Düsseldorf. In 1975, Gruiten was incorporated ...
, where he graduated from high school in 1979, Petzold fulfilled his military civil service in a small cinema club of a local
YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
, showing films to troubled adolescents.Interview on DVD ''Die innere Sicherheit'' From 1981 on he lived in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, where he studied
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
and
German studies German studies is the field of humanities that researches, documents and disseminates German language and literature in both its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies often include classes on German culture, German hi ...
at the
Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in political science and t ...
. From 1988-1994, he studied film at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb) where he studied with mentors who "included filmmakers, media artists, and media theorists
Harun Farocki Harun Farocki (9 January 1944 – 30 July 2014) was a German filmmaker, author, and lecturer in film. Early life and education Farocki was born as Harun El Usman FaroqhiMargalit Fox (3 August 2014)''New York Times''. in Neutitschein, which is n ...
and Hartmut Bitomsky, who are both known for their non-narrative films, video work, and film installations in galleries and museums." While at dffb, Petzold appeared in
Thomas Arslan Thomas Arslan (born 16 July 1962) is a German-Turkish film director. He directed more than ten films since 1990. Selected filmography References External links * 1962 births Living people Film directors from Lower Saxony Mass medi ...
's short experimental film ''19 Porträts'' (1990), a 16-millimeter black-and-white film in the tradition of
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
's ''
Screen Tests The ''Screen Tests'' are a series of short, silent, black-and-white film portraits by Andy Warhol, made between 1964 and 1966, generally showing their subjects from the neck up against plain backdrops. The ''Screen Tests'', of which 472 survive ...
''.


Career

His first film was ''Pilotinnen'', which he directed for his film school graduation in 1995. While
The State I Am In ''Tigermilk'' is the 1996 debut album from Scottish pop group Belle and Sebastian. Originally given a limited release (1,000 copies) by Electric Honey, the album was subsequently re-released in 1999 by Jeepster Records. The album is name ...
(German: Die innere Sicherheit) (2000) was his first feature film, also noting his first collaboration with Harun Farocki. In 2005, his film '' Gespenster'' was presented at the
Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...
, as was his 2007 film '' Yella''. Petzold writes his own scenarios, often collaborating with
Harun Farocki Harun Farocki (9 January 1944 – 30 July 2014) was a German filmmaker, author, and lecturer in film. Early life and education Farocki was born as Harun El Usman FaroqhiMargalit Fox (3 August 2014)''New York Times''. in Neutitschein, which is n ...
. As his former teacher at dffb, Farocki was a major influence on Petzold, who, along with
Angela Schanelec Angela Schanelec (; born 14 February 1962) is a German actress, film director and screenwriter. Her film '' Places in Cities'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. At the 69th Berlin International Film ...
and
Thomas Arslan Thomas Arslan (born 16 July 1962) is a German-Turkish film director. He directed more than ten films since 1990. Selected filmography References External links * 1962 births Living people Film directors from Lower Saxony Mass medi ...
, is generally considered to be part of the Berlin School. While the Berlin School is often associated with a new turn towards
realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...
and political cinema, Petzold's films, while they address issues of work and employment, also deal with conflicts between life and death. In ''Gespenster'' the protagonist leads a ghost-like existence. In ''Yella'' the protagonist is, possibly, already dead at the beginning of the film. These three films came to be called the "Gespenster Trilogy". The 2008 film ''
Jerichow Jerichow () is a town on the east side of the river Elbe, in the District of Jerichower Land, of the state of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. With about , the municipality of Jerichow is one of the largest municipalities in area size in Germany. Geo ...
'' was his fourth collaboration with
Nina Hoss Nina Hoss (; born 7 July 1975) is a German stage and film actress. Early life Hoss was born in Stuttgart, West Germany. Her father, , was a German trade unionist and politician (member of the Bundestag with The Greens). Her mother, , was an ac ...
after ''
Something to Remind Me Something to Remind Me (german: Toter Mann) is a 2001 German psychological thriller film directed by Christian Petzold. Cast and characters * Nina Hoss as Leyla * André Hennicke as Thomas Richter * Sven Pippig as Blum * Heinrich Schmieder as ...
'' (German: ''Toter Mann''), ''Wolfsburg'' and ''Yella''. The drama concerns a soldier who, having returned from Afghanistan to Prignitz, becomes involved in a relationship with a married woman. The movie was nominated in the main competition at the
65th Venice International Film Festival The 65th annual Venice International Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, was opened on 27 August 2008 by ''Burn After Reading'',
in 2008. In 2009, Petzold received a 'best director' nomination for the
Deutscher Filmpreis The German Film Award (), also known as Lola after its prize statuette, is the national film award of Germany. It is presented at an annual ceremony honouring cinematic achievements in the German film industry. Besides being the most important ...
award. Although more famous as a director of film and television, Petzold has also staged
Arthur Schnitzler Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist. Biography Arthur Schnitzler was born at Praterstrasse 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire (as of 1867, part of the dual monarchy ...
's ''The Lonely Way'' (German: ''Der einsame Weg'') at the Deutsches Theater following an invitation by Oliver Reese. The drama, with Nina Hoss as protagonist, premiered on March 14, 2009. Petzold's film '' Barbara'' competed in competition at the
62nd Berlin International Film Festival The 62nd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 9 to 19 February 2012. British film director Mike Leigh was the President of the Jury. The first five films to be screened in the competition were announced on 19 December 2011. Am ...
and Petzold won the
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 ...
. The film was selected as the German entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the
85th Academy Awards The 85th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best 2012 in film, films of 2012 and took place on February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, ...
, but it did not make the final shortlist. The film became Petzold's greatest box office success, grossing $4,129,250 worldwide.


Awards

* 1996:
Max Ophüls Maximillian Oppenheimer (; 6 May 1902 – 26 March 1957), known as Max Ophüls (; ), was a German-French film director who worked in Germany (1931–1933), France (1933–1940 and 1950–1957), and the United States (1947–1950). He made near ...
assistance award in category feature-length film for ''Cuba Libre'' * 2001:
Preis der deutschen Filmkritik The Preis der deutschen Filmkritik is a prize given by the German Film Critics Association, awarded to the best German films of the past year. The Preis der deutschen Filmkritik is the only German film prize issued exclusively by film critics. The ...
for ''The State I Am In'' * 2001:
German Film Award The German Film Award (), also known as Lola after its prize statuette, is the national film award of Germany. It is presented at an annual ceremony honouring cinematic achievements in the German film industry. Besides being the most important ...
in category best movie for ''The State I Am In'' * 2002:
Academy of Arts, Berlin The Academy of Arts (german: Akademie der Künste) is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The Academy's predecessor organization was fo ...
, television award for ''Something to Remind Me'' * 2002:
Deutscher Fernsehpreis The Deutscher Fernsehpreis (''German Television Award'') is an annual German award for television programming, created in 1999 by German television channels Das Erste, ZDF, RTL and Sat.1. It was created to be an equivalent to the Emmy Awards, t ...
for ''Something to Remind Me'' * 2003:
Adolf Grimme Award The Grimme-Preis ("Grimme Award"; prior to 2011: Adolf-Grimme-Preis) is one of the most prestigious German television awards. It is named after the first general director of Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk, Adolf Grimme.FIPRESCI The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for Fédération Internationale de la PRESse CInématographique) is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world fo ...
award in panorama of Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin for ''Wolfsburg'' * 2005: Adolf Grimme golden award for ''Wolfsburg'' * 2005:
Findling Award The Findling Award or short Findling (german: Findlingspreis) was a German film award donated by the umbrella organization of cultural cinemas and film clubs Verband für Filmkommunikation. It was founded in 1982 in GDR and was awarded on sever ...
for ''Gespenster'' * 2006: Preis der deutschen Filmkritik for ''Gespenster'' * 2008: Preis der deutschen Filmkritik for ''Yella'' * 2009: Preis der deutschen Filmkritik for ''Jerichow''Verband der deutschen Filmkritik e. V.
Preisträger seit 1956
* 2009: Film award of German city
Hof (Saale) Hof () is a town on the banks of the Saale in the northeastern corner of the Germany, German state of Bavaria, in the Franconian region, at the Czech Republic, Czech border and the forested Fichtelgebirge and Frankenwald upland regions. The town h ...
(
Hof International Film Festival The Hof International Filmfestival is a German film festival that takes place in Hof, Bavaria, every year in October. Apart from numerous foreign productions, the main focus traditionally is on German films. During six festival days, about 130 f ...
) * 2012:
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 ...
of Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin for ''Barbara'' * 2012: Preis der deutschen Filmkritik for ''Barbara'' * 2021: Officers Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...


Filmography

Short films: * 1988: ''Ich Arbeite Alles Ab... Ehrenwort!'' (experimentalfilm) * 1989: ''Weiber'' (spielfilm) * 1989-1990: ''Süden'' (dokumentarfilm) * 1990: ''Ostwärts'' (dokumentarfilm) * 1992: ''Das Warme Geld'' (spielfilm) Television films: * 1994-1995: ''Pilotinnen'' (With Eleonore Weisgerber,
Nadeshda Brennicke Nadeshda Brennicke (born 21 April 1973 in Freiburg im Breisgau; also known as ''Nadja Therésa Brennicke'') is a German actress, singer and author. Biography Brennicke is the adoptive daughter of TV and voice-over actor Michael Brennicke and h ...
,
Udo Schenk Udo is a masculine given name. It may refer to: People Medieval era *Udo of Neustria, 9th century nobleman * Udo (Obotrite prince) (died 1028) * Udo (archbishop of Trier) (c. 1030 – 1078) *Lothair Udo II, Margrave of the Nordmark (c. 1025 – ...
, Annedore von Donop, Barbara Frey) * 1996: ' (With
Richy Müller Richy Müller (born Hans-Jürgen Müller; 26 September 1955) is a German television and movie actor. He is particularly known as a crime scene investigator in the German television series Tatort. Filmography * ' (1979, TV miniseries) * ''Jetzt u ...
, Marquard Bohm, Eleonore Weisgerber) * 1998: ' (German: ''Die Beischlafdiebin'') (With
Constanze Engelbrecht Constanze Engelbrecht (; 6 January 1950 – 21 July 2000) was a German actress who was one of the most popular actresses in the country between 1980 and 1990. She appeared in more than seventy films from 1960 to 1998. Her husband was an actor, and ...
, Richy Müller, Wolfram Berger) * 2002: ''
Something to Remind Me Something to Remind Me (german: Toter Mann) is a 2001 German psychological thriller film directed by Christian Petzold. Cast and characters * Nina Hoss as Leyla * André Hennicke as Thomas Richter * Sven Pippig as Blum * Heinrich Schmieder as ...
'' (German: ''Toter Mann'') (Scenario Jean-Baptiste Filleau, with
Nina Hoss Nina Hoss (; born 7 July 1975) is a German stage and film actress. Early life Hoss was born in Stuttgart, West Germany. Her father, , was a German trade unionist and politician (member of the Bundestag with The Greens). Her mother, , was an ac ...
,
André Hennicke André Hennicke (born 21 September 1958) is a German actor. He has appeared in more than one hundred films since 1984. Hennicke was born in Johanngeorgenstadt in Saxony. He was awarded a German television award for best actor for ''Something to ...
, Sven Pippig, Kathrin Angerer) * 2011: '' Dreileben – Beats Being Dead'' (part of the ''Dreileben'' trilogy, made in collaboration with directors
Dominik Graf Dominik Graf (born 6 September 1952) is a German film director. He studied film direction at University of Television and Film Munich, from where he graduated in 1975. While he has directed several theatrically released feature films since the 198 ...
and Christoph Hochhäusler) * 2015: ''Kreise'' (part of the
Polizeiruf 110 ''Polizeiruf 110'' ("Police call 110") is a long-running German-language detective television series likened to Poirot. The name links to the emergency telephone number of the ''Volkspolizei''. The first episode was broadcast 27 June 1971 in the ...
Season 44 Episode 3) * 2016: ''Wölfe'' (part of the
Polizeiruf 110 ''Polizeiruf 110'' ("Police call 110") is a long-running German-language detective television series likened to Poirot. The name links to the emergency telephone number of the ''Volkspolizei''. The first episode was broadcast 27 June 1971 in the ...
Season 45 Episode 4) Feature films: * 2000: ''
The State I Am In ''Tigermilk'' is the 1996 debut album from Scottish pop group Belle and Sebastian. Originally given a limited release (1,000 copies) by Electric Honey, the album was subsequently re-released in 1999 by Jeepster Records. The album is name ...
'' (German: ''Die innere Sicherheit'') (scenario with
Harun Farocki Harun Farocki (9 January 1944 – 30 July 2014) was a German filmmaker, author, and lecturer in film. Early life and education Farocki was born as Harun El Usman FaroqhiMargalit Fox (3 August 2014)''New York Times''. in Neutitschein, which is n ...
, with
Julia Hummer Julia Hummer (born 24 April 1980) is a German actress and singer. She appeared in more than twenty films since 1999. Selected filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hummer, Julia 1980 births Living people People from Ha ...
, Richy Müller,
Barbara Auer Barbara Auer (; born ) is a German actress. She has appeared in multiple television shows and films including '' My Daughter Belongs to Me'' (for which she won a German Film Award for "Best Actress"), ', ', and ''The Book Thief''. Awards * 19 ...
, Katharina Schüttler) * 2003: ''
Wolfsburg Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth largest city in the German state of Lower Saxony, located on the river Aller. It lies about east of Hanover and west of Berlin. Wolfsburg is famous as the location of Volkswagen AG's hea ...
'' (with Benno Fürmann, Nina Hoss, Astrid Meyerfeldt) * 2005: '' Gespenster'' (scenario with Harun Farocki, with Julia Hummer,
Sabine Timoteo Sabine Timoteo (born 25 March 1975) is a Swiss actress from the Lorraine district of Bern. She has appeared in more than thirty films since 2000. Early life Timoteo grew up dividing time between the United States and Lausanne, Switzerland. As ...
, Benno Fürmann) * 2007: '' Yella'' (scenario with Simone Baer, with Nina Hoss) * 2008: ''
Jerichow Jerichow () is a town on the east side of the river Elbe, in the District of Jerichower Land, of the state of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. With about , the municipality of Jerichow is one of the largest municipalities in area size in Germany. Geo ...
'' (with Nina Hoss, Hilmi Sözer and Benno Fürmann) * 2012: '' Barbara'' (with Nina Hoss and
Ronald Zehrfeld Ronald Zehrfeld (born 15 January 1977) is a German actor. His movie roles include '' Barbara'' (2012), ''Inbetween Worlds'' (2014), and ''Phoenix'' (2014). Career Zehrfeld made his film debut in 2005 with a lead role in Dominik Graf's ''The R ...
) * 2014: ''
Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
'' (with Nina Hoss and Ronald Zehrfeld) * 2018: ''
Transit Transit may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Transit'' (1979 film), a 1979 Israeli film * ''Transit'' (2005 film), a film produced by MTV and Staying-Alive about four people in countries in the world * ''Transit'' (2006 film), a 2006 ...
'' (with
Paula Beer Paula Beer (; born 23 February 1995 in Mainz) is a German actress. She first became known as a teenager for her main role in Chris Kraus' 2010 film ''Poll''. Her breakthrough was in 2016, when she starred in François Ozon's '' Frantz'' (2016), f ...
and Franz Rogowski) * 2020: ''
Undine Undines (; also ondines) are a category of elemental beings associated with water, stemming from the alchemical writings of Paracelsus. Later writers developed the undine into a water nymph in its own right, and it continues to live in modern ...
'' (with Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski)


References


External links

*
'The Cinema of Identification Gets on My Nerves': An Interview with Christian Petzold
Cineaste 33.3 (summer 2008) {{DEFAULTSORT:Petzold, Christian 1960 births Living people Silver Bear for Best Director recipients Mass media people from North Rhine-Westphalia People from Haan Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany