Born in Heringsdorf on the Baltic island of Usedom, Germany in 1948, he studied cinematography at the German Academy of Cinematic Art 'Konrad Wolf'. Alongside working in their directing department as a teaching assistant and lecturer in camera and some outside studies, he received his diploma in directing there in 1975. Following that he worked as a freelance director, writer and cinematographer including for the DEFA newsreel "Der Augenzeuge". He sat in on Benno Besson's 1976 production of "Die Hamletmaschine" at the Volksbühne Berlin, and Thomas Langhoff’s "Sommernachtstraum" ("A Midsummer Night's Dream") at the Maxim-Gorki-Theater and worked as an assistant director on the DEFA feature film "Das Pferdemädchen". Between 1983 and 1991 he worked as a director at the DEFA studio for documentary films. Since 1991 Brinkmann has been a freelance director and writer. He was a co-founder of the Mecklenburg/Vorpommern Film association and the Schweriner FilmKunstFest. From 1991 to 2006 he chaired the Mecklenburg/Vorpommern Film association and was involved in setting up the film and video workshops at the Landesfilmzentrum Schwerin and the film and media centre in Wismar.

Source: 68. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)