Schau mir in die Augen, Kleiner

André Schäfer, born on 30 August 1966 in Troisdorf, studied history and journalism at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich from 1987 to 1992. At the same time, he trained at the German School of Journalism in Munich from 1987 to 1993. He then worked as a freelance journalist for various print media and produced numerous articles and documentaries for various television stations. From spring 1999 to spring 2001, Schäfer was editor and 1st reporter in the cultural editorial department of WDR television. Afterwards he founded the production company Florianfilm with his mother Marianne Schäfer in Munich. Since then he has been working with her on his own projects and producing films by other directors.

His numerous TV documentaries and reports include "Culinary delights: Hauptsache Kaviar" (2004), "James Dean - Kleiner Prinz, little Bastard" (2005, in cooperation with Werner Köhnke), "Der Jacobsweg" (2006, in cooperation with Sebastian Lemke) and "Der Bernsteinzug - Eine Reise durchs Baltikum" (2007, in cooperation with Eva Gerberding). His documentary film "100 Porsches and Me" (2006), in which international celebrities such as Jerry Seinfeld talk about their fascination for German sports cars, was premiered at the Leipzig Documentary Film Festival. "Look me in the eye, little one" (2007), about the steadily growing self-confidence of Queer Cinema, was shown in the Panorama at the Berlinale. "Lenin kam nur bis bis Lüdenscheid - Meine kleine deutsche Revolution" (2008), based on the autobiographical book by the philosopher Richard David Precht who grew up in the GDR, was nominated for Best Documentary Film at the German Film Awards 2009.

Schäfer also continued to produce documentaries for television, including those about the writer John Le Carré ("King of Spies - John le Carré", 2008), Johannes Calvin ("Reformer and Appeal Figure", 2009) and the actress Doris Day ("What a Difference a Day Made: Doris Day Superstar", 2009). His other cinema works include "Perry Rhodan - Our Man in Space" (2011), about the makers, readers and cultural impact of the famous series of novels, "Rock Hudson - Beautiful Strange Man" (2010), and "John Irving and How He Sees the World" (2011), about the life and work of the popular writer.

With the author and journalist Moritz von Uslar as the central figure, Schäfer made the documentary "Deutschboden" (2013), about everyday life in a small town in Brandenburg and the extent to which it corresponds with the negative clichés about Brandenburg. "Deutschboden" was awarded the German Film Critics' Prize for Best Documentary Film. For his TV documentary "Willy Brandt - Erinnerungen an ein Politikerleben" Schäfer received the Bavarian Television Award 2014.

Schäfer's documentary film "Herr von Bohlen" celebrated its premiere at the Leipzig DOK-Fest 2015. In a mixture of historical original footage and play scenes, the film traces the unusually multi-faceted life of Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach (1938-1986), the last scion of the Krupp dynasty. In November 2015 "Lord of Bohlen" was released in the cinemas.

Schäfer then shot "You'll Never Walk Alone" (2017), a documentary film about the piece of music of the same name from 1945, which became a hymn for football fans all over the world. In collaboration with Eva Gerberding, he then realized "Auch Leben ist eine Kunst - Der Fall Max Emden" (2018), about the German-Jewish textile entrepreneur and department store pioneer Max Emden (1874-1940), and how his descendants today fight for the return of art treasures that were stolen from the family by the Nazis. The film was released in German cinemas in April 2019.
-filmportal.de

Gus Van Sant was born in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, the son of a travelling salesman. During his early years his family moved constantly, but Van Sant took refuge in artistic pursuits—particularly painting and making semi-autobiographical super-8 films.

He entered the art school at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1970, and it was here that Van Sant came to experience the alternative cinema of such avant-garde directors as Andy Warhol, which became a catalyst for his own studies in filmmaking.

After an unsuccessful period in Hollywood in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Van Sant moved to New York City, honing his skills directing commercials. During his New York period, he saved the money required to produce his first feature film, Mala Noche (1985). A success on the festival circuit, it established a number of recurring themes in Van Sant’s work and brought his name to the attention of Universal. The studio eventually turned down the ideas the openly gay Van Sant pitched, perhaps due to the controversial nature of his preferred subjects.

Returning to independent production, Van Sant made the films Universal had declined—Drugstore Cowboy (1989) and My Own Private Idaho (1991), which showcased his affinity for society’s fringe-dwellers, such as drug-dealers and gay hustlers, and featured established young actors, Matt Dillon, River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, whose reputations no doubt helped to raise Van Sant’s profile.

His subsequent film, however, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1994), was a commercial and critical disappointment, and saw Van Sant return to Hollywood production for his next film, the much-lauded black comedy To Die For (1995), which earned Nicole Kidman a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical.

Having made his reputation with small arthouse films, Van Sant was finally accepted into mainstream Hollywood with 1997’s Good Will Hunting, which earned nine Oscar nominations, winning two.

His next film project was a 1998 homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho; indeed, it was a shot-by-shot remake of the original, albeit in colour.

More recently, Van Sant has directed a trio of films about death: Gerry (2002); Elephant (2003), which won both the Best Director and Palme d’Or at Cannes that year; and Last Days (2005), which was also awarded at Cannes.
-madman.com

Born in Paris, France in 1967, this director and screenwriter studied at La Fémis film school and is now one of the most renowned filmmakers in his country. His work has already screened in the Berlinale Competition four times, with the ensemble cast of one of his most successful films, the comedy 8 femmes , winning the Silver Bear in 2002. In 2012 he was a member of the International Jury. He has made four films with Charlotte Rampling who this year is being presented with the Honorary Golden Bear for her lifetime achievement; Sous le Sable and Swimming Pool are both screening in the Homage .
-Berlinale.de

Wieland Speck is a German film director, who since 1992 has coordinated "Panorama" at the International Filmfestival Berlin (Berlinale). Panorama showcases new films by established directors, as well as debut works by up-and-coming talents.