Smoke Signs

Born in Wallau/Lahn (now Biedenkopf) on 14.11.1939; took final school examinations at a Christian boarding school in Gaienhofen near Lake Constance in 1960. Took up studies in German language and literature, philosophy and history in Munich and in Bonn in 1960. Following a trip to Paris, he began writing his first film reviews for the newspaper Bonner Generalanzeiger in 1962. Moved to Munich, where he began writing articles for the periodicals Filmkritik and Film as well as for the Süddeutscher Zeitung. In 1964 he collaborated with Max Zihlmann and Klaus Lemke on his first short film and became managing director of the Munich Film Critics’ Club in 1965. Worked as a loans consultant for the building society Neue Heimstatt and broke off his dissertation on Albert Paris Gütersloh’s novel Sonne und Mond to make his first full-length feature film; moved to Berlin in 1973 where he wrote film reviews for the newspaper Der Tagesspiegel and the magazine, Hobo. Also worked for the Freunde der deutschen Kinemathek. Founded his own production company, Moana Film, in 1977. In 1981 he received the Guild Award in the category second best German film for Berlin – Chamissoplatz and in 1989 he received the International Film Critics’ Award in Montreal for Best Film for The Philosopher. Founded his own distribution company, Prometheus, in 1991. —http://www.moana.de/