early films (1980-2005)
“Es bleibt noch viel zu sagen” (There's still a lot to be said) (1980)
A film about Jewish emigrants who have returned to live in Germany.
Scripted and directed in collaboration with Raimund Hoghe. Photography and editing.
45 min. for ARD (German Public TV, Channel 1)
“oder wie sieht die Welt aus” (or what does the world look like) (1981)
A film about Leo and his friends who grew up in downtown Duesseldorf .
They have a unique way of relating their memories of the war and post-war period.
Scripted and directed in collaboration with Marina Achenbach and Paco Knöller.
Photography and editing.
72 min. for WDR (West German Television). Honorary mention.
Distribution:VG Verleih der Filmemacher
“Eine Zeitlang, es war in Rom” (For a while, it was in Rome) (1983)
“An irritating little masterpiece of film noire.” Sueddeutsche Zeitung
Fiction. Script and direction
82 min. for ZDF (German Public TV, Channel 2)
“Dat ändert sich öfter” (Things keep changing) (1983)
The port of Duesseldorf. An exploration.
Script, direction, photography, and editing.
30 min. for West German Television.
“Für Reiner” (For Reiner) (1984)
Portrait of a young man.
Script, direction, photography, and editing.
30 min. for West German Television.
“schauspielen” (Acting) (1984)
A study about drama students. With Bruno Ganz.
Script, direction, photography, and editing.
30 min. for West German Television.
“In eine andere Haut schlüpfen” (Switching identity) (1986)
Transgender men who imitate, caricature and identify with women.
An evening at “Timp”.
Script, direction, photography, and editing.
30 min. for West German Television.
“Kopffeuer” (Heads on fire) (1988)
“Avoids narrative cliché with confidence and elegance.”
Fiction. Script and direction.
87 min. A co-production with NDR (North German Television).
Received Max Ophuls Prize.
Supported by the Film Commissions of North-Rhine Westphalia and Hamburg.
Shown at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Distribution: BASIS-FILM-VERLEIH Berlin.
“Nachtgäste” (Nightly Guests) (1989)
Riding along with Klaus, the poet and taxicab driver.
Script, direction, photography, and editing.
45 min. for West German Television.
“Weit, weit hinaus” (Far, far beyond and away) (1989)
Scenes in a psychiatric clinic.
Script, direction, photography, and editing.
45 min. for West German Television.
"Interface“ (1991)
Comments about, and examples from the world of electronic images.
With Nam June Paik and Peter Weibel.
Script, direction, photography, and editing.
30 min. for West German Television.
“Gesicht der Zeit – Bauarbeiter” (Image of our times – Construction Workers) (1992)
Script, direction, photography, and editing.
30 min. for West German Television.
“Lebenszeichen” (Signs of life) (1992)
At the age of 22, Claude committed suicide. A memorial.
Script, direction, photography, and editing.
45 min. for West German Television.
“Traumstreuner” (Dreamwalker) (1994)
Courageous enough for silence.
Fiction. Script, direction, executive production.
Co-production with Sueddeutscher Rundfunk (South German Television).
94 min. Supported by the Film Commissions of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hamburg, North-Rhine Westphalia,
and Brandenburg.
Distribution: BASIS-FILM-VERLEIH Berlin
“Rettet die Liebe – ums Verrecken” (Rescue love – whatever it takes) (1996)
Spotlights on the times of outcasts, leprosy, plague, cholera and AIDS.
With staged texts from two thousand years.
Interwoven with diary-like notes from the process of living
and dying.
Film essay.
Script, direction, and executive production.
82 min. Co-production with SWR (South-West TV) and West German Television.
Supported by the Film Commissions of Hessen, Hamburg, and North-Rhine Westphalia.
Press
Press
Andreas Wilink, Westdeutsche Zeitung
An expedition through time and space, following associated paths which are constantly crossed and channelled by historical markers which concretise the flow of thought. Erwin Michelberger’s docomentary film essay is a discret revolt, for ist author and director exercises restraint, stays in the background and is apparently objective. He has a chronicler (Peter Heeg) to guide the viewers on his behalf. The chronicler leafs through old books for him, reads in the Bible and ancient writings, finds quotations and contemporaries of theose times, travels through Europe – tracing the epidemics and plagues: the plague, leprosy, cholera, through to cancer, the technologogical computer viruses and Aids (...)
“Ich will kein Jack the Ripper sein” (I don't wanna be Jack the Ripper) (1998)
Convicted sex offenders in therapy.
Script, direction, and executive production.
30 min. for German Public Television, Channel 2.
“Anwalt des Teufels” (The devil's advocate) (2001)
I wonder whether I could kill someone. Of course.
Script, direction, and executive production.
30 min. for German Public Television, Channel 2.
“Blumen lieben oben” (Flowers love on top) (1999)
Documentary narrative in collaboration with Oleg Tcherny.
Script, direction, and executive production.
Co-production with SFB (Radio and TV Free Berlin). West German Television,
and South-West TV.
83 min. Supported by the Film Commissions of Baden-Wuerttemberg
and North-Rhine Westphalia.
Berlin International Film Festival 2000, International Forum.
“schlittenschenken” “Mot a mort” (Give them my sleigh) (2002)
Renate, a friend and unknown poet, has been murdered.
Glances and gestures hover alongside various texts.
Documentary film in collaboration with Oleg Tcherny.
Script, direction, and executive production.
Co-production with BR (Bavarian Radio and TV).
Supported by the German Federal Cultural Fund.
82 min. ARTE-film award for best German documentary film in 2002.
“Traumgewalten” (The power of dreams) (2005)
Tics are omnipresent – abysmal, obscene, unpredictable.
“But we are great. That's our nice little revenge.”
Documentary film in collaboration with Oleg Tcherny.
Script, direction, and executive production.
32 min. Supported by the Film Foundation of North-Rhine Westphalia.
Biennale Venice 2005 – Red Shift Festival New York 2007.