Peter von Puttkamer
Encyclopedia
Peter von Puttkamer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, with special interest in environmental issues and in American indigenous peoples and cultures.
, Germany
in 1957. His parents, Baron Jesco Gunther Heinrich von Puttkamer and Delia von Puttkamer emigrated to Canada
in 1958, where they settled and raised Peter and his sister Carina.
Von Puttkamer's father created a landmark, environmentally-conscious resort named Paradise Valley
, along the banks of the Cheakamus River, near Squamish, British Columbia
. Through his father’s positive relationships with native peoples, Peter was introduced to First Nations/Native American
culture at an early age. So began a lifelong fascination and collaboration with the native peoples of the Pacific Northwest and eventually native groups throughout North and South America.
After the death of his father in 1969, Peter began to take an interest in photography
and eventually filmmaking
; producing several Super 8mm films throughout highschool.
where he studied English
Honours and earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Film and Television. It was here he met his wife Sheera who continues to work closely with him, producing award-winning documentary films, more than 25 years later.
; in the same year, he won awards from the Telluride Film Festival
, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival
for Cry of the Forgotten Land.
The company's 2006 documentary The Real Lost World
(Discovery Channel/Animal Planet) followed the search for Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Lost World” in Venezuela. The expedition resulted in the discovery of a new type of microbial life growing on the walls of caves at the top of the 9000’ “Lost World” plateau. Von Puttkamer is the first to connect the legends of indigenous people of the area with the writings of Arthur Conan Doyle—the creation of the “The Lost World” which inspired every movie from King Kong to Godzilla and Jurassic Park. This documentary won "Best of Show" in the Feature Documentary Category at the 2007 Accolade Competition
.
In 2008, Peyote to LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey, aired on The History Channel. The program was co-written and hosted by National Geographic Explorer in Residence Wade Davis
who describes the life of famed Harvard plant-explorer Richard Evans Schultes
. Shot in the Amazon and several other countries, the program reveals how Schultes' discoveries of hallucinogens amongst the indigenous peoples of the Americas inadvertently helped spark the psychedelic era. This documentary won awards from both the CINE Competition and the Columbus International Film & Video Festival
.
Puttkamer's 2009 documentary Uakari: Secrets of the English Monkey, about the Red Uakari monkey
, won awards at both the CINE Competition and the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival.
Other recent productions of note include the series Beyond Invention for Discovery Channel Canada (2003–2004), and the documentary Domus Mactabilis: Real Monster Houses, which looked at spirit-possessed homes and the families who live in them—this documentary was produced to go along with the Steven Spielberg
/Robert Zemeckis
production Monster House
.
Early years
Von Puttkamer was born Baron Marc Peter von Puttkamer, in BonnBonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1957. His parents, Baron Jesco Gunther Heinrich von Puttkamer and Delia von Puttkamer emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1958, where they settled and raised Peter and his sister Carina.
Von Puttkamer's father created a landmark, environmentally-conscious resort named Paradise Valley
Paradise Valley
Paradise Valley may refer to:*Paradise Valley, Alberta*Paradise Valley in Banff National Park, Canada*Paradise Valley, Arizona*A neighborhood in northeastern Phoenix, Arizona located several miles north of the town of Paradise Valley proper...
, along the banks of the Cheakamus River, near Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
. Through his father’s positive relationships with native peoples, Peter was introduced to First Nations/Native American
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
culture at an early age. So began a lifelong fascination and collaboration with the native peoples of the Pacific Northwest and eventually native groups throughout North and South America.
After the death of his father in 1969, Peter began to take an interest in photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and eventually filmmaking
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
; producing several Super 8mm films throughout highschool.
Education
Peter attended the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
where he studied English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
Honours and earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Film and Television. It was here he met his wife Sheera who continues to work closely with him, producing award-winning documentary films, more than 25 years later.
Career
In 1983, von Puttkamer and his wife formed Gryphon Productions, which has created numerous independent documentaries and programs for television. His 1994 film, Healing of Nations, won "Best Documentary at the American Indian Film FestivalAmerican Indian Film Festival
The American Indian Film Festival is an annual non-profit film festival in San Francisco. It is the world's oldest venue dedicated to Native American films and prepared the way for the 1979 formation of the American Indian Film Institute....
; in the same year, he won awards from the Telluride Film Festival
Telluride Film Festival
The Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado, United States. It is operated by the National Film Preserve....
, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
for Cry of the Forgotten Land.
The company's 2006 documentary The Real Lost World
The Real Lost World
The Real Lost World is a documentary, released on December 10, 2006 by Animal Planet, where a team of scientists journey to Monte Roraima in Venezuela, the plateau that inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's literary work, The Lost World. They investigate the legend...
(Discovery Channel/Animal Planet) followed the search for Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Lost World” in Venezuela. The expedition resulted in the discovery of a new type of microbial life growing on the walls of caves at the top of the 9000’ “Lost World” plateau. Von Puttkamer is the first to connect the legends of indigenous people of the area with the writings of Arthur Conan Doyle—the creation of the “The Lost World” which inspired every movie from King Kong to Godzilla and Jurassic Park. This documentary won "Best of Show" in the Feature Documentary Category at the 2007 Accolade Competition
Accolade Competition
The Accolade Competition is an international, non-traditional, virtual awards venue. Awards go to those filmmakers who produce fresh, standout entertainment, animation and compelling documentaries....
.
In 2008, Peyote to LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey, aired on The History Channel. The program was co-written and hosted by National Geographic Explorer in Residence Wade Davis
Wade Davis
Edmund Wade Davis is a Canadian anthropologist, ethnobotanist, author and photographer whose work has focused on worldwide indigenous cultures, especially in North and South America and particularly involving the traditional uses and beliefs associated with psychoactive plants...
who describes the life of famed Harvard plant-explorer Richard Evans Schultes
Richard Evans Schultes
Richard Evans Schultes may be considered the father of modern ethnobotany, for his studies of indigenous peoples' uses of plants, including especially entheogenic or hallucinogenic plants , for his lifelong collaborations with chemists, and...
. Shot in the Amazon and several other countries, the program reveals how Schultes' discoveries of hallucinogens amongst the indigenous peoples of the Americas inadvertently helped spark the psychedelic era. This documentary won awards from both the CINE Competition and the Columbus International Film & Video Festival
Columbus International Film & Video Festival
The Columbus International Film + Video Festival is a Columbus, Ohio, USA annual film festival which is designed to encourage and promote the use of film and video in all forms of education and communication...
.
Puttkamer's 2009 documentary Uakari: Secrets of the English Monkey, about the Red Uakari monkey
Bald Uakari
The bald uakari or bald-headed uakari is a small New World monkey with a very short tail, red face, a bald head, and long coat...
, won awards at both the CINE Competition and the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival.
Other recent productions of note include the series Beyond Invention for Discovery Channel Canada (2003–2004), and the documentary Domus Mactabilis: Real Monster Houses, which looked at spirit-possessed homes and the families who live in them—this documentary was produced to go along with the Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
/Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis
Robert Lee Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future film series, as well as the Academy Award-winning live-action/animation epic Who Framed Roger Rabbit ,...
production Monster House
Monster House (film)
Monster House is a 2006 computer animated motion capture horror/comedy film produced by ImageMovers and Amblin Entertainment, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Executive produced by Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg, this is the first time since Back to the Future Part III that they have...
.