Michael Ballhaus | Tom Tykwer

Cameraman seems an inadequate title when it comes to describing Michael Ballhaus’ art. His trademark 360-degree-shot – a dynamic all round circling of a scene – is only one of his stylistic devices that have significantly influenced film history. In the 1970s Ballhaus became a central figure of ‘New German Cinema’, working mainly for Rainer Werner Fassbinder, for whom he shot 15 films. Through these he gained a reputation also in the US, and from 1983 he worked in Hollywood with James L. Brooks, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Redford and Volker Schlöndorff. Six cooperations with Martin Scorsese, the latest being “Gangs of New York” (2002), made him the director’s most important “director of photography” – an adequate title for his artistic work. Apart from receiving several German Federal film awards and a ‘Golden Screen’ award, he has been nominated for an Oscar three times.

Tom Tykwer was born in 1965 and is one of or even the most successful German film director of the younger generation, someone who draws his inspiration from the power of images and his strong believe in good stories. From his early youth on Tykwer had become addicted to the ‘moving pictures’, and was inspired by Rosa von Praunheim to make his first short film. From then on things went rapidly uphill. “Lola rennt” (Run Lola Run) featuring Franka Potente was the most successful German movie of 1998, and the one that brought him acclaim also in America, where the film created quite a stir. “Run Lola Run” was followed by “Der Krieger und die Kaiserin” (The Warrior and the Empress, 1999) and “Heaven” (2000). Apart from his work as director Tykwer, together with several close colleagues, is co-owner of a production and distribution company called X-Filme and X-Verleih.