Ralf Kirsten
Ralf Kirsten | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 May 1930 |
| Died | 23 January 1998 (aged 67) Berlin, Germany |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1955–1986 |
Ralf Kirsten (30 May 1930 – 23 January 1998) was a German film director and screenwriter. He directed 22 films between 1955 and 1986. His 1984 film Where Others Keep Silent was entered into the 14th Moscow International Film Festival.[2]
Life and career[edit]
After doing an apprenticeship as an electrician, Kirsten went to university to study German literature and theatre, first at Humboldt University of Berlin, and later the Theater Institute in Weimar.[1] He then went on to study film direction at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) alongside fellow East German Frank Beyer.[3] He graduated in 1956, and began working in television.[1]
In 1960, Kirsten joined DEFA, the state-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), where he had previously produced both his FAMU diploma film, Bärenburger Schnurre (English: Bärenburger Farce), and his first feature film, Skimeister von morgen (English: Ski Champions of the Future).[1] His first film for DEFA was Steinzeitballade (English: Stone Age Ballad), an experimental film about rubble women in post-war Berlin, which was well received by critics.[1] In 1961 Kirsten found popular success with Auf der Sonnenseite (English: On the Sunny Side), a comedy about a factory worker who dreams of becoming a star, featuring Manfred Krug in the lead role. Kirsten and Krug would go on to collaborate on several other films.[1]
In 1966, Kirsten directed a film adaptation of Der verlorene Engel, a Franz Fuhmann novel about sculptor Ernst Barlach. The film was initially banned, and was only shown in public for the first time in 1970, with a general release the following year. Kirsten made several films about historical figures, including 1984's Where Others Keep Silent, about the early 20th century German communist leader Clara Zetkin.[1]
When DEFA closed following the reunification of Germany, Kirsten taught at the Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg.[1] He died in Berlin on 23 January 1998.[1]
Filmography[edit]
- Bärenburger Schnurre (Bärenburger Farce, 1957)
- Skimeister von morgen (Ski Champions of the Future, 1957)
- Steinzeitballade (Stone Age Ballad, 1960)
- Auf der Sonnenseite (On the Sunny Side, 1961)
- Beschreibung eines Sommers (It Happened One Summer, 1962)
- Mir nach, Canaillen! (Follow Me, Scoundrels, 1964)
- Der verlorene Engel (The Lost Angel, 1966, released 1971)
- Frau Venus und ihr Teufel (Lady Venus and Her Devil, 1967)
- Netzwerk (Network, 1969)
- Zwei Briefe an Pospischiel (Two Letters for Pospischiel, TV mini-series, 1970)
- Elexire des Teufels (The Devil’s Elixir, 1972)
- Junger Mann (Young Man, TV, 1973)
- Unterm Birnbaum (Under the Pear Tree, 1973)
- Eine Pyramide für mich (A Pyramid for Me, 1975)
- Ich zwing dich zu leben (I'll Force You to Live, 1977)
- Lachtauben weinen nicht (Doves Don’t Cry, 1979)
- Wo andere schweigen (Where Others Keep Silent, 1984)
- Käthe Kollwitz – Bilder eines Lebens (Käthe Kollwitz: Images of a Life, 1986)
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Kirsten, Ralf". DEFA Film Library. University of Massachusetts Amherst. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ "14th Moscow International Film Festival (1985)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 16 March 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ Berghahn, Daniela (15 July 2005). Hollywood Behind The Wall: The Cinema of East Germany. Manchester University Press. p. 78. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
External links[edit]
- Ralf Kirsten at IMDb
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