Hans-Jürgen Syeberberg, German filmmaker born in Nossendorf in 1935, is the author of a truly unique set of works. He is one of the representatives of the New German Cinema, in the late 60s, along with such names as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Wim Wenders and Werner Herzog. His films – with a particular highlight on the “German trilogy”, comprised of Ludwig, Requiem for a Virgin King (1972), Karl May (1974) and Hitler: a Film about Germany (1978) – dive into German culture, playing on the interface between history and myth. They have a strong dreamlike and allegorical quality and a fragmentary structure, bringing together different artistic areas, such as theater, opera, literature, cabaret, or puppet theater. He describes his style as a cinematic mixture of Bertolt Brecht's epic theater and Richar Wagner’s opera aesthetics. After Parsifal (1982), he began with Die Nacht (1985), his close collaboration with actress Edith Clever.
Syeberberg will be present at this year’s
edition of the LEFFEST to present his films Ludwig,
Requiem for a Virgin King and Karl
May, and to discuss them with the audience after the screenings.