Born in Stuttgart in 1959, he studied psychology in Berlin where he also attended seminars in directing at the arts centre Künstlerhaus Bethanien led by Krzysztof Kieslowsky among others. His 1993 film "Balagan" caused a sensation and received numerous awards. His two subsequent documentaries, "Die Überlebenden" (winner of the Adolf Grimme Award) and "Black Box BRD" (winner of the European Film Award for Best Documentary) have been similarly successful. He took part in the Panorama section of the Berlinale in 2006 with "Der Kick".

Source: 61. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)