Michael Obert

Michael Obert

Michael Obert (born April 30, 1966 in Breisach am Rhein ) is a German journalist and book author . He became known through his bestseller Rain Magic , in which he describes his seven-month journey from the source to the mouth of the Niger in West Africa. His directorial debut Song from the Forest (2013) won several international documentary film prizes and made it into the preselection for the Oscars in 2016. In 2017 Michael Obert founded the Reporter Academy Berlin. As a certified Master Life Coach and Business Coach, he supports people, teams and companies in developing and successfully implementing a strong vision.

Books

Michael Obert's prose works and narrative non-fiction books are primarily dedicated to the subject of travel and the description of foreign worlds from the inside. His work is fed by numerous extensive trips to Africa, Latin America and the Islamic world, to Central Asia and the South Pacific.

Journalistic work

His multiple award-winning reports have appeared in Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin , ZEITmagazin , Die Zeit , GEO , Greenpeace Magazin and Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung , among others . International media also publish his work, including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Journal (New York), GQ France, Courrier International , Das Magazin and SonntagsZeitung (Zurich), Dagens Næringsliv (Oslo) and Himal Southasian (Katmandu).

Movie

Song from the Forest is Michael Obert's directorial debut, a feature documentary about the American Louis Sarno , who has lived among Bayaka pygmies in the Central African rainforest for 25 years and who takes his son, the pygmy boy Samedi, on a trip to New York City. Song from the Forest premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2013, where it received the main prize, the “Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary”. Song from the Forest was also awarded the German Documentary Film Prize 2015 and made it into the preselection for the Oscars in 2016.

Bibliography (selection)

• In the realm of death , in: Henri Nannen Prize 2014 (2014 Gruner + Jahr Verlag) ISBN 978-3-652-00375-9
• The Mayor of Hell , in: Hansel-Mieth-Preis 2013 (2013 Schwoerer Verlag) ISBN 978-3-927704-28-2
• The blood of the revolution , in: Hansel-Mieth-Preis 2012 (2012 Schwoerer Verlag) ISBN 978-3-927704-28-8
• The greatest pygmy , in: Hansel-Mieth-Preis 2011 (2011 Schwoerer Verlag) ISBN 978-3-927704-24-4
• Chatwins Guru and me. My search for Patrick Leigh Fermor (2009 Malik Verlag), ISBN 978-3890293714
• Good smoke, bad smoke , in: Traveling Until the Doctor Comes (2009 National Geographic Publisher) ISBN 978-3890297538
• Children's chocolate , in: Hansel-Mieth-Preis 2009 (2009 Schwoerer Verlag) ISBN 978-3927704183
• The edges of the world. Patagonia, Timbuktu, Bhutan & Co. (2008 Malik Verlag) ISBN 978-3890293530
• South of the silence, u. a .; in: Travel. Impressions (2007 Belleville Verlag) ISBN 978-3936298611
• Bakassi Boys, in: Windows to the Parallel World (2006 Verlag iz3w) ISBN 978-3922263234
• Rain magic. On the River of the Gods (2003 Droemer Verlag) ISBN 978-3426273159
• Lebanon. Art and Culture (2000 Belser Verlag) ISBN 978-3763022540
• Oasis of secret desires , u. a., in: The most beautiful travel reports (2000 Werd Verlag) ISBN 978-3859323292
• Persia. Culture and art between Orient and Occident (1999 Belser Verlag) ISBN 978-3763022519
• Faces of Islam. Selected travel reports from the Islamic world (1999 Nomad Verlag) ISBN 978-3980653800

Filmography

• 2013: Song from the Forest , written and directed - documentary, world premiere: International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2013.

Awards (selection)

• 2018: Liberty Award for Die Menschenfänger (Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin No. 23/2017)
• 2018: European Press Prize , Distinguished Reporting Award for Die Menschenfänger (Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin No. 23/2017)
• 2017: Amnesty International Marl Media Prize for Human Rights for The Curse of White Skin (Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin No. 14/2015)
• 2016: Preselection for the Oscars with Song from the Forest
• 2016: Shortlist Journalist of the Year, European Diversity Awards London 2016
• 2015: German Documentary Award for Song from the Forest
• 2015: Nominated for the European Press Prize , Distinguished Writing Award, with Boko Haram
• 2014: Grand Prix for Song from the Forest , Planete + Doc International Film Festival Warsaw / Wrocław
• 2014: Nominated for the Henri Nannen Prize , Reportage category
• 2014: Hansel Mieth Prize (10 best) for In the Realm of Death (Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin)
• 2013: IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary for Song from the Forest , International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2013
• 2013: Otto Brenner Prize for critical journalism for the report In the Realm of Death about human trafficking and torture of African migrants in Sinai (Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin 29/2013)
• 2013: Lighthouse Prize for special journalistic achievements (together with the photographer Moises Saman )
• 2013: Nominated for the European Press Prize , News Reporting Award
• 2013: Hansel Mieth Prize (10 best) for The Mayor of Hell (Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin 16/2012)
• 2012: German Reporter Award in the Best Free Reportage category
• 2012: Hansel Mieth Prize (10 best) for the report The Blood of the Revolution about the Arab Spring in Egypt. (Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin 22/2011)
• 2011: Hansel Mieth Prize (10 best) for the report The greatest pygmy about the American Louis Sarno , who has lived with the pygmies in the Central African rainforest for 25 years. (Zeit Magazin 3/11)
• 2009: Sangam House Writers´ Residency, Pondicherry, India
• 2009: Hansel-Mieth-Preis (10 best) for the report Kinderschokolade about child labor in the cocoa plantations of the Ivory Coast (Greenpeace Magazin 3/2009)
• 2008: Single House Writers' Residency, New York
• 2008: Herbert Breiter Scholarship, Greece
• 2005: Globetrotter literary prize for rain magic

Web links

• Literature by and about Michael Obert in the catalog of the German National Library
• Official website of Michael Obert
• Fanpage from Michael Obert
• Detailed interview with the Journalists Network association

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Preselection Oscars 2016 [1]
2. ↑ Reporter Academy Berlin [2]
3. ↑ Michael Obert Vision Coaching [3]
4. ↑ Sinai: In the Realm of Death, SZ Magazin [4]
5. ↑ Mogadishu: The Mayor of Hell, SZ Magazin [5]
6. ↑ Arab Spring, Cairo: The Blood of the Revolution, SZ Magazin [6]
7. ↑ Central African Republic: The Greatest Pygmy, ZEIT Magazine [7]
8. ↑ Eastern Congo: The dark side of the digital world, ZEIT magazine [8]
9. ↑ Tangier: Do you know Matisse ?, Die ZEIT [9]
10. ↑ Afghanistan: A Small Handicap, Die ZEIT [10]
11. ↑ Interview on the GEO report Boko Haram , 3sat Kulturzeit [11]
12. ↑ Interview on the GEO report Boko Haram , Die Welt [12]
13. ↑ Ivory Coast: Kinderschokolade Archived copy ( Memento of the original from July 15, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
14. ↑ Sierra Leone: The Secret of the Diamonds [13]  ( page no longer available , search in [ = obert web archives])  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
15. ↑ South Sudan: "We live like animals" [14]  ( page no longer available , search in [ = obert web archives])  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
16. ^ Song from the Forest, website of the film [15]
17. ^ Film review Variety [16]
18. ↑ Film review Indiewire [17]
19. ↑ Film review The Hollywood Reporter [18]
20. ↑ Song From the Forest wins the German Documentary Film Award 2015 [19]
21. ↑ Preselection of the Oscars 2016 [20]
22. ↑ Liberty Award 2018 [21]
23. ↑ European Press Prize 2018 [22]
24. ↑ Amnesty International Marl Media Prize for Human Rights [23]
25. ↑ Preselection of the Oscars 2016 [24]
26. ↑ Shortlist European Diversity Awards 2016 Archived copy ( memento of the original from January 31, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
27. ↑ Song From the Forest wins the German Documentary Film Award 2015 [25]
28. ^ European Press Prize. Awards 2015: The Distinguished Writing Award Archived copy ( memento of the original from February 15, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
29. ↑ Planete + Doc Complete Winners' List 2014 [26]
30. ↑ Henri Nannen Prize nominee 2014 Archived copy ( memento of the original from February 19, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.