Ralf Kirsten

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Ralf Kirsten (born May 30, 1930 in Leipzig ; † January 23, 1998 in Berlin ) was one of the most important directors and scriptwriters in the GDR . Kirsten became known to a wider audience primarily through his collaboration with Manfred Krug , for whose films he often wrote the script and directed.

biography

Kirsten was born in Leipzig as the son of a primary school teacher. After graduating from high school and an apprenticeship as an electrician, he began studying German and theater studies at the Humboldt University in Berlin . In 1951 he moved to the theater institute in Weimar and in 1952 to the FAMU film school in Prague, where he began studying directing.

His diploma film from 1956 Bärenburger Schnurre convinced the critics, but he did not get a permanent contract with DEFA and instead ended up with the new medium of television. Here he gained experience with all types and genres and worked in youth television. In 1958 he was given the opportunity to work as assistant director for Slatan Dudow's Confusion of Love again for DEFA, where he was finally hired in 1960 as a director of the DEFA studios for feature films.

His first work, Stone Age Ballad , received little attention from the critics. In 1961 he succeeded in a film that was celebrated by the public with On the Sunny Side , in which Manfred Krug played the leading role. This collaboration proved to be extremely successful, so that Kirsten worked with him in four other films.

In addition to the big DEFA feature films, Kirsten also worked as a director for GDR television . With the reunification and the end of DEFA, his work was no longer in demand. From then on he taught as a lecturer for directing at the University of Film and Television Potsdam .

Filmography

Awards

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Kirsten, Ralf
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German film director and screenwriter
DATE OF BIRTH May 30, 1930
PLACE OF BIRTH Leipzig
DATE OF DEATH January 23, 1998
Place of death Berlin