Thomas Heise
Encyclopedia
Thomas Heise is a German documentary
filmmaker.
, Thomas Heise worked as a director's assistant between 1975 and 1978 in East Germany's DEFA Film Studios, finishing his final exams at night school. In 1978 he studied to be a director at the Konrad Wolf Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen. Following his first film, "Why make a film about these people" (Wozu denn über diese Leute einen Film?), about the culture of East Berlin before the wall came down, he broke off his studies, and began to work as a freelance writer and director. All of his early documentary films were banned or prohibited from screening by the East German government, as well as his radio pieces.
In December 1989, 4 weeks after the fall of the Berlin wall, his radio piece Widerstand und Anpassung - Überlebensstrategie. Erinnerungen eines Mannes an das Lager Dachau (Resistance and Adaptation - Survival Strategies. Memories of a Man of the Dachau Camp) was finally broadcast on Berlin radio.
After the fall of the Berlin wall, Thomas Heise finally became known, creating a number of disputed works, on topics affecting his country, such as the radical right-winged youth movement in Halle. Between 1993 and 1998 he directed a number of theater pieces, until in 2005 his film Mein Bruder. We Will Meet Again premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival
in 2005. Heise continues to live and work in Berlin and as a film professor at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design
since 2007.
On September 5, 2008, he created a 24-hour documentary film entitled 24 hour Berlin, publicized across a number of German TV broadcasters exactly one year later.
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
filmmaker.
Life and work
Heise is the son of philosophy professor Wolfgang Heise. He was a printer's apprentice between 1971 and 1973. After a year in the National People's ArmyNational People's Army
The National People’s Army were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic .The NVA was established in 1956 and disestablished in 1990. There were frequent reports of East German advisors with Communist African countries during the Cold War...
, Thomas Heise worked as a director's assistant between 1975 and 1978 in East Germany's DEFA Film Studios, finishing his final exams at night school. In 1978 he studied to be a director at the Konrad Wolf Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen. Following his first film, "Why make a film about these people" (Wozu denn über diese Leute einen Film?), about the culture of East Berlin before the wall came down, he broke off his studies, and began to work as a freelance writer and director. All of his early documentary films were banned or prohibited from screening by the East German government, as well as his radio pieces.
In December 1989, 4 weeks after the fall of the Berlin wall, his radio piece Widerstand und Anpassung - Überlebensstrategie. Erinnerungen eines Mannes an das Lager Dachau (Resistance and Adaptation - Survival Strategies. Memories of a Man of the Dachau Camp) was finally broadcast on Berlin radio.
After the fall of the Berlin wall, Thomas Heise finally became known, creating a number of disputed works, on topics affecting his country, such as the radical right-winged youth movement in Halle. Between 1993 and 1998 he directed a number of theater pieces, until in 2005 his film Mein Bruder. We Will Meet Again premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
in 2005. Heise continues to live and work in Berlin and as a film professor at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design
Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design
The Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe is a Germany university founded in 1992 by Professor Heinrich Klotz, who also founded its sister institution, the Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe...
since 2007.
On September 5, 2008, he created a 24-hour documentary film entitled 24 hour Berlin, publicized across a number of German TV broadcasters exactly one year later.
Filmography
- 1980: Wozu denn über diese Leute einen Film?
- 1981: Anka und… [never completed]
- 1982: Erfinder 82
- 1984: Das Haus (state documentary of the former East German Republic)
- 1985: Volkspolizei 1985 (state documentary of the former East German Republic)
- 1987: Heiner Müller 1
- 1989: 4. November 1989
- 1989/90: Imbiß-Spezial
- 1989/90: Zuchthaus Brandenburg, Dezember 1989
- 1991: Eisenzeit
- 1992: STAU - Jetzt geht's los
- 1997: Barluschke
- 1999/2000: Neustadt (Stau - Der Stand der Dinge)
- 2000: Meine Kneipe
- 2002: Vaterland
- 2004/05: Mein Bruder - We'll Meet Again
- 1999/2006: Im Glück (Neger)
- 2007: Kinder. Wie die Zeit vergeht
- 2009: Material
Links
- Official homepage
- Biography
- Heise at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design
- Biography on kinoreal.at
- Biography on film-zeit.de
- taz-Interview with Thomas Heise about his film Mein Bruder - We'll meet again
- http://www.fatzer.org