Dirk Simon

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Dirk Simon in San Francisco, 2008

Dirk Simon (born May 22, 1968 in Nauen ) is a German-American actor , documentary filmmaker , director and film producer .

Professional background

Dirk Simon decided not to take his Abitur after the GDR authorities made this option a condition of an officer career with the NVA . Instead, after the 10th grade, from 1984 to 1986 he did an apprenticeship as a painter at the Potsdam Housing Combine. He then worked in construction until he escaped. In 1988 he made his first attempt to escape via Bulgaria, which he broke off on his own initiative. In 1989 he then fled to the Federal Republic of Germany via the then still-closed Hungarian-Austrian border.

Arriving in Berlin before reunification , he made up his Abitur on the second educational path at the VHS college in Schöneberg. From 1995 to 1999 he studied acting for theater and film at the Athanor Academy for the Performing Arts in - then still - Burghausen and from 1999 to 2001 directing for theater and film in postgraduate studies.

In 2002 he embarked on a month-long journey through Africa and Australia, working near Perth in the Deckchair Theater in Fremantle as a stage worker and later, during the cattle drive , as a cook and stockman on the Mount Augustus Ranch in outback Australia. At the end of 2002, Simon went to America and lived in the USA until 2012, where he acquired American citizenship in addition to German. During the ten years he spent in America, Simon was a lecturer at the University of Colorado in Denver from 2005 to 2008 and Director Corporate Development of the Colorado Film Institute and the Vail Film Festival , which he helped to set up alongside the brothers Scott and Sean Cross. He is also one of seventeen mentors at the BYkids organization .

Back in Germany, Simon worked as an executive producer at Monarda Arts , a subsidiary of Arthaus Musik ( Studio Halle ), until 2014, when he co-founded BoxeeMedia and became its managing director in 2016. This is a multimedia company based in Berlin, which prefers to produce content with an international reference, from the recordings of operas to documentaries and fictional material.

theatre

On stage, Simon was primarily at the Theater Academy, directed by David Esrig . In Strindberg Pelikan he embodied the figure of Frederick and in his play , Mrs. Julie to Jean . At the Landestheater Salzburg he appeared in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet as Benvolio . He also had roles in Beckett's Waiting for Godot ( Vladimir ) and in Gorkis Nachtasyl ( Kleschtsch ) , also directed by Esrig .

Otherwise, Simon was involved in various theater productions. In Germany, he is first assistant director in 1997 with Love, Lies, whims been, and in 2000 he led the director in the orchestra of Jean Anouilh . In 1998 he was responsible for sound design in Gottspiele im Sandkasten and in 1999 took over the choreography of the duels in Shakespeare's Hamlet . In the same year he supported the production of Schiller's Turandot in the style of Commedia dell'arte as an additional teacher and directing student with acting experience . During his apprenticeship in the USA he was responsible for the conception and implementation of video installations for several multimedia performances, in particular for the visual effects and video installations in pieces by Laura Cuetara: in 2005 at Jocasta , a year later at Mayakowski Takes The Stage and 2007 at Front Doors . He received the Meritorious Achievement Award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for his work on Mayakowski Takes The Stage .

Films and projects

When The Dragon Swallowed The Sun

Dirk Simon on the set
Movie poster

The 115-minute documentary When The Dragon Swallowed The Sun deals with Tibet's more than 60 years of resistance to China . Simon worked on the "award-winning film" for seven years, of which he collected 800 hours of raw material over a period of five years on three different continents . The film premiered in Santa Barbara, California in 2010 and has been shown at festivals such as the Reykjavik Film Festival and the 12th  International Documentary Film Festival in Thessaloniki . The film has not yet been shown in Germany. For the film music, Simon won the composer Philip Glass and the musicians Thom Yorke and Damien Rice , who had also been awarded a prize. The prologue was spoken by Dennis Haysbert .

The film was inspired by “a combination of two factors”. He grew up in East Germany and was confronted with communism, but also with a restriction of freedom. That made him feel the "meaning of freedom". In addition, he has a sympathy for the "need of the Tibetans". And because he had studied Buddhism for many years , he was curious about "what happened to Tibet and China in 1949 and 1950".

In August 2013, Simon spoke in a detailed interview about the history of the making of the film and its production conditions, about his collaboration with the participants and the difficulties of even being able to finish the film.

When the dragon swallowed the sun is a film that, in two hours, seeks answers to unresolved questions raised by the world and even the Tibetan people, whose country received no support from the international community, as was demonstrated in the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 .

" When the dragon swallowed the sun is a two-hour film that seeks answers to unresolved questions about the world and the Tibetan people, whose country received no support from the international community, as the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing showed."

- Francisco Castañón : The Prisma

The film includes interviews with the 14th Dalai Lama and shows Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Richard Gere fighting for Tibet. As one of the special features, various Chinese artists and numerous personalities from the freedom movement in Tibet have their say. Simon was "surprised because the film tries to show both sides of the conflict" about the protest that this film triggered on the occasion of its international festival screenings in China. The director of the film festival in Iceland, Hronn Martinosdottir, was summoned to the Chinese embassy in Reykjavik and asked to remove the film from the program. This was refused by the festival management, although political consequences were threatened.

The film received an overall positive rating in the British daily newspaper The Guardian . However, weaknesses were also pointed out there and the question raised whether the Dalai Lama was not fetishized in the West for his “meekness”. The film is also not linked to international discussions about - for example - Burma . For Ben Nicholson of the CineVue blog, the film seeks to "explore the current political climate through the opinions of its citizens - both those who were forced into exile and those who stayed in their homeland"; But it is more something for people who already sympathize with the freedom movement of Tibet than it helps to win new followers.

Between the lines

Document from the film

In 2004, Simon completed the shooting of a documentary that he made in co-production with MDR . There were two versions. The English version is 80 minutes long, the German version - entitled Der Fall B. und die Stasi Revenge Plans  - was shortened to 45 minutes and was broadcast on the MDR on September 7, 2004. Almost 25 years later, the film traces the story of two former border guards from the GDR, which was marketed with media coverage in the Federal Republic in 1980 and processed in the GDR in line with the ideology there. The then 19-year-old Egon Bunge from Leipzig shot his comrade Ulrich Steinhauer at the Berlin Wall on November 4, 1980 in order to flee to the West. This was a special incident in the context of German-German history before the fall of the Wall .

The two actual protagonists of the film, who remained in the background, formed a so-called pair of posts at the time . Steinhauer had the function of post leader , Bunge had been assigned to him as an inexperienced post . The incident occurred near the Spandau city forest in Berlin. The media in the GDR suppressed the fact that Steinhauer had been shot by a border soldier and exploited him. A family funeral was refused. A hero worship that was undesirable and difficult to endure ensued. Steinhauer was named after schools and streets in the GDR. Margarete Raabe considered Steinhauer "abused for propaganda purposes because he was shot by a 'traitor'".

After his arrival in the West, Bunge turned himself in to the Berlin police. He was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months imprisonment, which he was to serve in the Plötzensee correctional facility . After a total of 20 months in prison, he was released early on parole. An extradition request from the GDR was rejected. As a result, the MfS operated what was called decomposition . Bunge should be "emotionally isolated", prepared for "violent repatriation" and eventually driven into suicide. He was assessed as "mentally unstable". The MfS constantly reminded him of the crime and sent horror toys and a postcard to remind him of his father's suicide - reported the responsible Stasi officer.

Bunge declined an interview for the documentary. Instead, his former fiancée and son, who was two months old at the time of the crime, have their say, as does the victim's sister. In addition, Simon was able to win over the then public prosecutor, Bunge's defense attorney - the Berlin lawyer Studier - a former border soldier and the officer of the MfS responsible at the time. Important and not generally known background information was provided by Rüdiger Henkel from the German Society for Social Relations . Behind this name, deliberately chosen inconspicuously, was an organization financed by the Federal Ministry of Defense , which specifically looked after refugees from the border troops of the GDR and the NVA .

With this film, Simon was concerned, among other things, with the question of what “price” we are willing to “pay for freedom”, according to a meeting. The German version of the documentary, almost 45 minutes long, has been available on Vimeo since July 2016, the title has now been shortened. The English version is 80 minutes long.

Further film projects

Lhagyari Trichen Namgyal Wangchuk in My Country is Tibet , 2010

A second documentary was made in 2010 from Simon's preoccupation with Tibet and the political conditions in that country. Under the title My Country is Tibet , this short film tells the story of 17-year-old Lhagyari Trichen Namgyal Wangchuk , who became king after the death of his father and fights for the preservation of his traditional culture. The story of this young Tibetan was initially in front of Simon's interest in Tibet, which seven years later in the first not planned film When The Dragon Swallowed The Sun led. The short film was made by the young king under the guidance of Simon, who later also took over the editing and production. The project took place as part of BYkids , a program that aims to give children a voice and teach them the art of filmmaking. Simon is a mentor there, as The New York Times reported in 2014.

The last remix , a documentary by Olaf Held on behalf of ZDF , for which Simon was Executive Producer alongside Mario Fischer , describes "art forms that have become a mass phenomenon through the Internet" and which in some cases move on the verge of illegality or else they have exceeded.

In December 2012, the Verdi opera Luisa Miller was recorded live in images and sound at the Malmö Opera under Simons' direction and production management . The film was released in 2013. The official trailer was posted on YouTube by Monarda Arts in 2014 . There is also a compilation of various opera trailers from Simon, which also contains the Verdi opera recorded in Malmö.

A project in which Simon was involved dealt with sea trade routes to the Far East. The focus of interest in the so-called Silk Road of the Seas were new finds that had been discovered by underwater archaeologists on the coasts of Indonesia . They led to new knowledge about the history of one of the oldest trade routes known to man. This resulted in the documentary Adventure Orient - Sea Trade Routes to Far East by Reinhard Joksch, for which Simon took over the production management. The documentary was broadcast in two parts under the title Seafarers of the Orient on December 23, 2016 on Arte , the first part was subtitled Arab voyages of discovery to the Far East , the second China's rise to sea power .

Not yet released is the film Tres Revoluciónes under the co-production of Simon. It tells the story of three Cubans - Zurbano, Carlos and Amehel - and their very personal art revolution.

Filmography

  • 2004: The case of B. and the Stasi's plans for revenge , TV documentary, USA, Germany (screenplay and direction)
  • 2004: Between The Lines , documentary, USA, Germany (screenplay, direction, production)
  • 2010: When The Dragon Swallowed The Sun , documentary, USA, Germany (screenplay, direction, production)
  • 2010: My Country is Tibet , short film, documentary, USA (production)
  • 2013: Verdi - Luisa Miller , Live (direction, production management)
  • 2015: Silkroad of the Seas , TV Mini-Series, Documentary (Production)
  • 2015: The Last Remix , Documentary (Co-Production)
  • 2016: Adventure Orient - sea trade routes to the Far East , TV mini-series, documentary film (production management)
  • 2016: Tres Revoluciónes , documentary (co-production)

Film festivals

Awards

  • 2006: Meritorious Achievement Award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the video installation in "Mayakowski takes the Stage"
  • 2009: Maverick Movie Award for Best Chronicle
  • 2010: Santa Barbara International Film Festival , nominated for Best Documentary Film
  • 2010: World Music and Independent Film Festival , for Best Director Documentary Feature ( WMIFF Award )
  • 2010: Award of Merit for Short Documentary at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival
  • 2011: Silent River Film Festival , for Best Feature Documentary ( River Quest Award ) and for Best Director Feature Documentary ( River Rein Award )
  • 2017 nomination for the film prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung

Web links

Commons : Dirk Simon  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Margarete Raabe: The revenge of the state security. In: Berliner Morgenpost. September 7, 2004, accessed November 16, 2016 .
  2. ↑ Dirk Simon. Graduated from Acting 1999. Accessed November 16, 2016 .
  3. ↑ a b c d Dirk Simon. In: Culture database. Retrieved November 16, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Dirk Simon. About. Retrieved November 16, 2016 .
  5. ↑ Dirk Simon. ByKids, accessed March 7, 2017 .
  6. ^ Monarda Arts. Retrieved November 16, 2016 .
  7. ↑ BoxeeMedia. Retrieved November 16, 2016 .
  8. ↑ When The Dragon Swallowed The Sun on YouTube
  9. ↑ a b Gunnar Rehlin: Iceland festival refuses to pull Tibet doc. China's request was turned down. Variety, September 27, 2010, accessed on December 29, 2016 (English): "Last week, fest director Hronn Martinosdottir was summoned to China's embassy in Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, and told that the Chinese government disapproved of the doc and asked for it to be pulled from the fest. [...] The fest committee decided to show the film as originally scheduled. "
  10. ↑ a b News - Press Releases. Press conference. In the Shadow of the Quake, When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun, The Mermaids' Tears: Oceans of Plastic. tdf.filmfestival.gr, April 16, 2010, accessed on December 29, 2016 (English).
  11. ^ When The Dragon Swallowed The Sun. In: Berlinale Talents. Retrieved November 17, 2016 .
  12. ↑ Free translation from the interview with Jerry Lee Davis on January 29, 2010 ( Memento from October 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  13. ^ A b Francisco Castañón: Dirk Simon: When the Dragon swallowed the sun. Interview. August 10, 2013, accessed December 29, 2016 .
  14. ↑ Freely translated from Gunnar Rehlin: Iceland festival refuses to pull Tibet doc. China's request was turned down. In: Variety. September 27, 2010, accessed on November 16, 2016 (English): "Simon said in a statement that the Chinese protest was surprising as the film tries to show the views of both sides in the conflict."
  15. ↑ Peter Bradshaw: When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun - review. This valuable documentary about China and the Tibetan movement could use some more international context. In: The Guardian. August 15, 2013, accessed November 17, 2016 .
  16. ↑ Ben Nicholson: Film Review: 'When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun'. (No longer available online.) In: Cine Vue. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016 ; Retrieved on November 19, 2016 (English): "Rather than giving an edited modern history of Tibet, the film looks to explore the current political climate through the opinions of its citizens - both those that have been forced into exile and those that remain in their homeland. [...] When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun is probably a film for those already sympathetic to the cause than an expose to rally new supporters to the color. "
  17. ^ The case of B. and the Stasi's plans for revenge (2004). Movie dates. crew-united.com, accessed December 27, 2016 .
  18. ^ A b c Margarete Raabe: The revenge of the state security . In: Berliner Morgenpost . September 7, 2004 ( morgenpost.de [accessed December 27, 2016]).
  19. ↑ Martin Ahrends, Udo Baron, Hans-Hermann Hertle: Ulrich Steinhauer. Berlin Wall Memorial, accessed December 27, 2016 .
  20. ↑ Case B. and the Stasi's plans for revenge on Vimeo , duration 43:56 minutes, accessed on March 10, 2017 (quoted at 36:48)
  21. ↑ Case B. and the Stasi's plans for revenge on Vimeo , duration 43:56 minutes, accessed on March 10, 2017 (quoted at 10:41 pm)
  22. ↑ Case B. and the Stasi's plans for revenge on Vimeo , duration 43:56 minutes, accessed on March 10, 2017 (see 39:40)
  23. ↑ Case B. and the Stasi's plans for revenge on Vimeo , duration 43:56 minutes, accessed on March 10, 2017 (quoted at 39:07)
  24. ↑ Case B. on Vimeo , duration 43:56 minutes, accessed on March 3, 2017
  25. ^ Between The Lines. In: Berlinale Talents . 2004, accessed on November 10, 2019 .
  26. ↑ Cold War. Between the lines. A documentary film. In: Wilson Center. Cold War International History Project. November 9, 2007, accessed November 10, 2019 .
  27. ↑ My Country Is Tibet (trailer) on YouTube
  28. ↑ My country is Tibet. Directed by Namgyal Wangchuk Trichen Lhagyari. Retrieved March 11, 2017 .
  29. ↑ BYkids. Their world, their films. Retrieved on March 11, 2017 (English): “BYkids provides kids around the world with the training and the video cameras to make short documentaries about their lives. Renowned filmmakers mentor these young people in the art of filmmaking. "
  30. ↑ Dirk Simon. In: BYkids mentors. Retrieved on March 11, 2017 (English): “BYkids gives the young generation a voice. It also demonstrates the opportunity we all have to make a difference. "
  31. ^ Stacey Stowe: With Youthful Vision, Focusing Lenses on a Wide and Complex World. In: The New York Times. August 26, 2014, accessed March 11, 2017 .
  32. ↑ The Last Remix / The Last Remix (Olaf Held, 2015) - OFFICIAL TRAILER on YouTube
  33. ↑ The final remix. Monarda Arts, accessed December 29, 2016 .
  34. ^ Verdi - Luisa Miller. Live (2013). Movie dates. Crew United, accessed December 29, 2016 .
  35. ^ Göran Forsling: Review. Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901). Luisa Miller - opera in three acts (1849). Arthaus Music 101688 DVD. Retrieved on December 29, 2016 (English): “The Malmö Opera, in southernmost Sweden, with reputedly the biggest stage in northern Europe, regularly explores the byways and this Luisa Miller from 2012 is a worthy addition to the DVD catalog of the opera. "
  36. ↑ Giuseppe Verdi - Luisa Miller [trailer] on YouTube
  37. ↑ Various trailers from Boxee Media on Vimeo . Verdi: Luisa Miller from 7:24 am
  38. ↑ Look & Feel - Adventure Orient Final Trailer on Vimeo
  39. ^ Seafarers of the Orient 1/2. programm.ard.de, accessed on December 29, 2016 .
  40. ↑ Art Crisis Trailer on Vimeo
  41. ↑ TRES REVOLUCIÓNES. animadocs.com, accessed December 29, 2016 .
  42. ↑ a b c Dirk Simon. Awards. imdb.com, accessed December 29, 2016 .
  43. ↑ Best Director - Documentary Feature. Dirk Simon, When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun. 8th Annual World Music & Independent Film Festival, 2010, accessed November 18, 2016 .
  44. ↑ Nominated for the 2017 Film Award. Documentary. Robert Bosch Stiftung, 2017, accessed on March 5, 2017 : “ The Custodians . Director: Jassim Alsaady. Script: Jassim Alsaady, Dirk Simon. Producer: Dirk Simon. Co-producer: Jassim Alsaady. Germany-Saudi Arabia "
personal data
SURNAME Simon, Dirk
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German-American actor, documentary filmmaker, director and film producer
DATE OF BIRTH May 22, 1968
PLACE OF BIRTH Nauen