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Alexander Kluge

Date of Birth
02/14/1932 - 12:00
Geburtsort
Halberstadt
Biography

Alexander Kluge, who as a writer has not only created innovative films and TV formats but also important literary texts and theoretical essays, was born 1932 as the son of a physician in Halberstadt. After finishing school in Halberstadt and in Berlin, he began his intellectual career and studied law, history, and church music in Marburg and in Frankfurt am Main where he attended lectures by Theodor W. Adorno, among others. At the age of 24, he obtained his PhD with his doctoral dissertation "Die Universitätsselbstverwaltung".

In 1958, he became an assessor and started to work as a lawyer in Berlin and in Munich. At the same time, he also started his career as a writer and artist and devoted himself to film. Kluge made his first experiences with the film business under legendary filmmaker Fritz Lang who had returned from exile. Kluge was a trainee at Artur Brauner's production company CCC when Lang directed "Das indische Grabmal" ("The Indian Tomb") for CCC. In 1960, Kluge finished his first short film in Munich together with Peter Schamoni. "Brutalität in Stein" ("Brutality in Stone") dealt with the topic of Nazi architecture (the footage later appeared in an episode of "Die Zweite Heimat" - "Heimat II" by Edgar Reitz).

In 1962, Kluge was one of the filmmakers who signed the "Oberhausen Manifest" that announced the claim to create the "New German Film". In the same year, Kluge, Edgar Reitz, and Detten Schleiermacher took over the direction of the film department of Ulm's Hochschule für Gestaltung. Furthermore, Kluge set up his own production company Kairos-Film that exists until today. In addition, he was one of the founding members of Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film and was involved in the legal regulation of film subsidy, a topic that he had already dealt with as a lawyer.

But it took several years until the theoretically postulated removal of the "old" cinema had been put into action. Again, it was Kluge who made the internationally appreciated breakthrough for "New German Cinema" with his programmatically titled feature-length film debut "Abschied von gestern" ("Yesterday Girl", 1966). In several other essay films like "Die Artisten in der Zirkuskuppel: ratlos" ("The Artists Under The Big Top: Perplexed", 1968) or "Gelegenheitsarbeit einer Sklavin" ("Part-Time Work of a Domestic Slave", 1973), Kluge further developed his associative-analytical style. He portrayed his father in the short film "Ein Arzt aus Halberstadt" (1970) who as a so called "opera doctor" went to theatre performances every night in case of emergencies. The opera as "generator of feelings" is a recurring theme in Kluge's works.

Together with Edgar Reitz, Kluge finished "In Gefahr und größter Not bringt der Mittelweg den Tod" ("In Danger and Dire Distress the Middle of the Road Leads to Death", 1974) and participated in several political collective film projects: "Deutschland im Herbst" ("Germany in Autumn", 1978), "Der Kandidat" ("The Candidate", 1980), and "Krieg und Frieden" ("War and Peace", 1983). Although the form of his films did not produce any star actors as such, Hannelore Hoger still came close to this status. Furthermore, Kluge's sister Alexandra repeatedly appeared as an actress in his films.

Kluge was always concerned with film and culture politics. His first publication was the essay "Kulturpolitik und Ausgabenkontrolle" (1960). From 1964 on, he also published novels like "Schlachtbeschreibung", stories, and essays. Kluge has won several important awards for his work as a writer: the Fontane award (1979), the Kleist award (1985), the Lessing award (1990), the Heinrich Böll award (1993), the Ricarda Huch award (1996), the Schiller award (2001), or the Georg Büchner award (2003).

In 1973, Kluge was appointed honorary professor at Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Universität in Frankfurt am Main and started his collaboration with the sociologist Oskar Negt. Together they published "Öffentlichkeit und Erfahrung" (1973), "Geschichte und Eigensinn" (1981), "Maßverhältnisse des Politischen" (1992), and "Der unterschätzte Mensch" (2001), among other works. Furthermore, he formulated his deliberations on film and media theory in "Bestandsaufnahme - Utopie Film" (1983) and other publications. Kluge's thinking is influenced by Walter Benjamin, by the Frankfurt school, and by Habermas – the term "public" is most important for him.

When commercial television became more and more popular in 1980s Germany, Kluge made use of a law that obligated the TV channels to supply time slots for independent cultural magazines. To carry out his idea of "publisher television", he set up the production company dctp (Development Company for Television Programs) in 1988. The SPIEGEL publishing house and others participated in this company. Initially, dctp made broadcasts on RTL and SAT 1, and from 1993 on, also on the new TV channel VOX. dctp even had shares in the station and temporarily took over the direction during a crisis of the TV channel in 1994.

Kluge's TV formats included the cultural magazines "Prime Time/Spätausgabe", "10 vor 11/Ten to Eleven", and "News & Stories". He broadcasted unusual documentary insights and historic side glances on a weekly basis. Thus, for him it came true what he had made his leading character from "Die Artisten...", Leni Peickert, say in 1968: "Someday, everything grows together – the love for your cause, the novels, and TV technology."

On the occasion of Alexander Kluge's 75th birthday, a DVD edition with all 57 of his theatrically released films (short films and feature films, supplemented by selected television works and texts) was released in 2007, published by the Goethe-Institut, the Filmmuseum München and the Kulturstiftung des Bundes. In the same year, Kluge was awarded the Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. The year after that, he received the German Film Prize for his "outstanding services to German film". Other accolades he received include the Theodor W. Adorno Prize (2009), and the Grimme Prize (2010) in recognition of his services to the development of television.

Despite such honours for his achievements, Kluge has not yet retired. He shot documentaries such as "Der Deutschlandkomplex" (2009, together with Stefan Aust) and "Mensch 2.0 - Die Evolution in unserer Hand" (DE/CH 2012, together with Basil Gelpke) and published numerous books. He also had several exhibitions dedicated to him, among others at the Cinémathèque française in Paris (2013) and at the Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin (2014).

In 2017, Kluge was awarded the Jean Paul Prize for his literary lifetime achievement. Also in 2017, he realized "Alexander Kluge. Pluriversum", an exhibition that was on show at the Folkwang Museum in Essen. At the Venice Film Festival 2018, Kluge presented a new work, the experimental film essay "Happy Lamento". The German theatrical release took place in June 2019.

Two years later he followed up with "Orphea," co-directed by Khavn De La Cruz, a highly idiosyncratic interpretation of the Orpheus myth with Lilith Stangenberg in the title role. The film premiered at the 2020 Berlinale in the Encounters section and opened in theaters in the summer of 2021.

Filmography
2025
Primitive Diversity
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
2023
Cosmic Miniatures
  • Director
  • Director of photography
  • Production design
  • Editing
  • Sound design
  • Producer
2019/2020
Orphea
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
2019/2020
The Leaks of Venice
  • Producer
2017/2018
Happy Lamento
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
2016/2017
Werner Nekes - Das Leben zwischen den Bildern
  • Participation
2012-2014
Mülheim - Texas. Helge Schneider hier und dort
  • Participation
2013
Die neun Rebellen von Oberhausen
  • Participation
2011/2012
Mensch 2.0 - Die Evolution in unserer Hand
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Executive producer
2010
Wer sich traut, reißt die Kälte vom Pferd
  • Director
2010
So wie wir hier zusammen sind
  • based on
2009
Nachrichten vom Tausendfüßler
  • Director
  • Screenplay
2009
Der Deutschlandkomplex
  • Director
2009
Beinahe wären wir Römer geworden
  • Director
  • Screenplay
2009
Früchte des Vertrauens
  • Director
2006-2008
Gegenschuss - Aufbruch der Filmemacher
  • Participation
2008
Nachrichten aus der ideologischen Antike - Marx/Eisenstein/Das Kapital
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Commentary
2007
Das Fahrzeug ist die zweite Haut
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
2007
Der Abschrecker
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
2006
Musik im Fahrtwind
  • Participation
2006
Schnitte in Raum und Zeit
  • Participation
2002
Der gefrorene Blitz
  • Director
  • Screenplay
2000
Bernd Eichinger. Wenn das Leben zum Kino wird
  • Consultant
1998
Curt Siodmak
  • Director
199?
Triebwerkhusten
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1994/1995
Die Nacht der Regisseure
  • Participation
1993
Veränderung ist das Salz des Vergnügens
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1991
Schneeweissrosenrot
  • Participation
1989/1990
Neues vom Tage. Die plebejische Nachricht. Ein Raster in fünf Teilen
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1989
Einen Ausweg muß es geben
  • Participation
1988
Changing Time (Quickly)
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1985/1986
Vermischte Nachrichten
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1985
Filmgeschichte(n). Die Stunde der Filmemacher
  • Cast
  • Director
  • Producer
1984/1985
Der Angriff der Gegenwart auf die übrige Zeit
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1983/1984
Auf der Suche nach einer praktisch realistischen Haltung
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1981-1983
Die Macht der Gefühle
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1981-1983
Krieg und Frieden
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Commentary
  • Co-Producer
1981-1983
Krieg und Frieden. 03. Episode: Vom Standpunkt der Infanterie
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Commentary
1981-1983
Krieg und Frieden. 02. Episode: Der Friedensmarsch der Dreihunderttausend in Bonn
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Commentary
1981-1983
Krieg und Frieden. 01. Episode: Rahmenhandlung
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Commentary
1980-1982
Zwischen den Bildern. 3. Über die Trägheit der Wahrnehmung
  • Participation
1980/1981
Das ist Film - Kluge, Godard und andere...
  • Participation
1980
Der Kandidat
  • Participation
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Commentary
  • Interviews
  • Co-Producer
1977-1979
Die Patriotin
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1977/1978
Deutschland im Herbst. Episode 03: Staatsakt für Hanns Martin Schleyer
  • Director
1977/1978
Deutschland im Herbst. Episode 14: Die Beerdigung in Stuttgart
  • Director
1977/1978
Deutschland im Herbst. Episode 09: Gabi Teichert
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1977/1978
Deutschland im Herbst
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Commentary
  • Interviews
  • Editing
  • Co-Producer
1977/1978
Deutschland im Herbst. Episode 12: Auf dem Parteitag der SPD in Hamburg
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1977/1978
Deutschland im Herbst. Episode 01: Prolog: Beerdigung von Hanns Martin Schleyer
  • Director
1977/1978
Deutschland im Herbst. Episode 11: Herbstlied von Tschaikowsky
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1969/1977
Zu böser Schlacht schleich ich heut Nacht so bang
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Set design
  • Producer
1977
Nachrichten von den Staufern
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1977
Die Menschen, die das Staufer-Jahr vorbereiten
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1975/1976
Der starke Ferdinand
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1974
In Gefahr und größter Not bringt der Mittelweg den Tod
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Set design
  • Music
  • Producer
1973
Gelegenheitsarbeit einer Sklavin
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1973
Biermann-Film
  • Director
  • Producer
1973
Die Reise nach Wien
  • Screenplay
1973
Besitzbürgerin, Jahrgang 1908
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1969-1972
Willi Tobler und der Untergang der 6. Flotte
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1969/1970
Der große Verhau
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1969/1970
Wir verbauen 3 x 27 Millia. Dollar in einen Angriffsschlachter
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Unit production manager
1970
Zum Begriff des 'kritischen Kommunismus' bei Antonio Labriola (1843-1904)
  • Producer
1969/1970
Ein Arzt aus Halberstadt
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1967/1969
Die unbezähmbare Leni Peickert
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1967/1968
Die Artisten in der Zirkuskuppel: ratlos
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1968
Die Erben von Papas Kino
  • Participation
1968
Feuerlöscher E. A. Winterstein
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1967
Frau Blackburn, geb. 5. Jan. 1872, wird gefilmt
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1966/1967
Mahlzeiten
  • Screenplay
1965/1966
Abschied von gestern
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • based on
  • Producer
1966
Das Pokerspiel
  • Director
  • Producer
1964/1965
VariaVision. Unendliche Fahrt - aber begrenzt
  • Commentary
1964/1965
Porträt einer Bewährung
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1965
Geist und ein wenig Glück
  • Participation
1962/1963
Lehrer im Wandel
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Editing
  • Producer
1963
Die Ewigkeit von gestern
  • Director
1960/1961
Brutalität in Stein
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer
1961
Rennfahrer
  • Director
  • Producer
1961
Thema Amore
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1961
Rennen
  • Director
  • Producer
1958/1959
Das indische Grabmal
  • Intern
1958/1959
Der Tiger von Eschnapur
  • Intern
Source-URL: https://www.filmportal.de/en/person/alexander-kluge_efc121b05f2a6c3fe03053d50b3736f2