biography

Born in Münster (Germany) - where I studied journalism, History of Art and the Romance Languages - At the age of 15, I started to shoot films in 8mm and made my first photographic portraits with a Hasselbladt 1000F - Between 1968 and 1971 I realized some films for the City Theatre of Münster - Together with some of the actors from the theater I shot my first short films - From 1972, I studied at a film school in Rome - Part of my thesis entitled "Literature in Films" (1975) is my short film "My miracles", seven poems by Else Lasker-Schüler, in German.

In Rome I had the occasion to watch some well-known Italian film directors working on their sets including Roberto Rossellini, Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti. I also met the French-German film director Jean-Marie Straub and his wife Daniele Huillet in 1974, during the shooting of Arnold Schönberg's opera "Moses and Aaron". Over the years we developed a close personal and also professional relationship. In two of Straub's films I worked as an actor ("Klassenverhältnisse" and "Der Tod des Empedokles").

I went on to make films as an independent filmmaker and in 1977, I started directing films and radio programs for German and Italian television and radio stations. Some of the most successful music films I wrote and directed are: "Poemi Asolani" (Italy, 1985); "A Ray of Sun" (Italy 1996); "Luna Rossa – Red Moon over Naples" (Italy 1998) "Palestrina" (Italy 2009); "Santini's Network" (Italy/Germany 2013). I also wrote and directed a Brazilian musical trilogy with films like "Symphonia Colonialis" (Brazil 1992), "O Trem Caipira" (Brazil 1994) and "Drums and Gods" (Brazil 2002). A few of my earlier films are literary documentaries like: "I Put Things Straight" (Germany 1979) and "Penn'a Du" (USA 1981).

The radio programs which I wrote and produced for the German station SWF of Baden-Baden (formerly SWR), known as "acoustic films", include: "Allein mit Meinem Zauberwort" (1977) (The life of the German poetess Annette von Droste Hülshoff); "Ich sterbe am Leben und atme im Bild wieder auf" 1979 (The life of the German poetess Else Lasker-Schüler ); "Bis wohin reicht mein Leben" 1982 (The relationship between Rainer Maria Rilke and Lou Andreas Salomé); "Pausen des Schweigens" 1986 (The life and music of the Italian composer Gian Francesco Malipiero); "Nicht ich habe Angst, die Angst hat mich" 1990 (The life of Gustav Meyrink) and "Die Akzeptierte Tragodie" 1991 (Life and work of Hermann Keyserling).