Wolfgang Becker (director, born 1954)
German filmmaker (1954–2024)
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Wolfgang Becker (German pronunciation: [ˈvɔlfɡaŋ ˈbɛkɐ]; 22 June 1954 – 12 December 2024) was a German film director and screenwriter, best known to international audiences for his work Good Bye, Lenin! (2003).[1] He was a co-founder of the production company X Filme Creative Pool, which produced his first successful feature film, Das Leben ist eine Baustelle, in 1997.
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- Film director
- screenwriter
Wolfgang Becker | |
|---|---|
Becker at the Berlinale in 2020 | |
| Born | 22 June 1954 Hemer, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany |
| Died | 12 December 2024 (aged 70) Berlin, Germany |
| Occupations |
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Early life and education
Wolfgang Becker was born on 22 June 1954 in Hemer, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany.[2] He studied German, History and American Studies at the Free University in Berlin.[2][3]
Career
In 1980, Becker landed a job at a sound studio and later enrolled at the German Film and Television Academy (DFFB). In 1983 he started work as a freelance cameraman graduating from the DFFB in 1986 with Schmetterlinge (Butterflies), which won the Student Academy Award in 1988,[2] the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival,[3] and the Saarland Prime-Minister's Award at the 1988 Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis Saarbrücken.[2]
Becker directed an episode of the television drama Tatort, titled "Blutwurstwalzer".[4] He made his second feature Kinderspiele (Child's Play) in 1992.[2] He created a documentary the same year, Celibidache, about Sergiu Celibidache returning to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic after 38 years.[5]
In 1994, Becker co-founded the production company X Filme Creative Pool with Tom Tykwer, Stefan Arndt, and Dani Levy.[6] He worked with Tykwer on the Berlinale competition feature Das Leben ist eine Baustelle (Life Is All You Get, 1997).[2]
Becker was a founding member of the Deutsche Filmakademie in 2003.[3] He was a member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 2004.[7]
Becker's biggest success was the 2003 film Good Bye, Lenin!, with over 6 million viewers.[8] The short film Ballero was produced for the 2006 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony and broadcast worldwide on television.[9]
Becker completed his final film, Der Held vom Bahnhof Friedrichstraße, in October 2024, shortly before his death; it was released in December 2025.[10][11]
Personal life
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Schmetterlinge | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1991 | Tatort (TV series) | Yes | No | No | 1 episode, "Blutwurstwalzer" |
| 1992 | Child's Play (Kinderspiele) | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Sergiu Celibidache: The Triumphant Return | Yes | No | No | Documentary about Sergiu Calibidache | |
| 1997 | Life Is All You Get (Das Leben ist eine Baustelle) | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2003 | Good Bye, Lenin! | Yes | Yes | No | Co-writer |
| 2004 | Welcome to São Paulo (Bem-Vindo a São Paulo) | Yes | Yes | No | Segment |
| 2005 | Ballero | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2009 | Germany 09: 13 Short Films About the State of the Nation | Yes | Yes | No | Segment "Krankes Haus" |
| 2015 | Me and Kaminski | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2025 | Der Held vom Bahnhof Friedrichstraße | Yes | Yes | No |
Awards
- 1997 Berlin International Film Festival, Honourable Mention for Das Leben ist eine Baustelle[13]
- 1998 Bavarian Film Awards, Best Production, for Das Leben ist eine Baustelle[14]
- 2003 Berlin International Film Festival, Blue Angel for Good Bye Lenin![15]
- 2003 European Film Awards, Audience Award for Best Director for Good Bye Lenin![3]
- 2004 Goya Awards, Best European Film for Good Bye Lenin![2]
- 2004 Bavarian Film Awards, Audience Award for Good Bye Lenin![16]
- 2004 César Awards, Best European Union Film for Good Bye Lenin![2]
