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Hans Jürgen Syberberg

"For me, political art is only credible if it risks something. You have to go so deep into the wound that you come under suspicion."

Photo: Hans Jürgen Syberberg (l.) and Susan Sontag (r.)

Syberberg is considered a central figure in post-war German cinema, and his admirers include Susan Sontag, Heiner Müller, Michel Foucault, Naum Kleiman, and Albert Serra. In the context of New German Cinema, he sought his own path as a nonconformist and enfant terrible—his films, which often deal with Germany's past and history, continue to polarize audiences to this day.

Syberberg films cannot be pigeonholed, appropriated or easily understood, and therefore fit in well with us.

Biography

Hans Jürgen Syberberg
Films since 1953 (Bln/Brecht) and Munich 1963 (Kortner)
Theater since 1984 (Die Nacht/Paris)
Books since 1975 (Film aesthetics for the Cinematheque in Paris)
Locations since 1982 (documenta/Kassel)
Nossendorf since 2003 (for Paris Centre Pompidou)
www.syberberg.de

Filmography

- SYBERBERG FILMT BEI BRECHT, 1953/1993
- FÜNFTER AKT, SIEBTE SZENE. FRITZ KORTNER PROBT „KABALE UND LIEBE“, 1965
- FRITZ KORTNER SPRICHT MONOLOGE FÜR EINE SCHALLPLATTE, 1966
- ROMY - PORTRÄT EINES GESICHTS, 1967
- DIE GRAFEN POCCI – Einige Kapitel zur Geschichte, 1967
- SCARABEA – WIEVIEL ERDE BRAUCHT DER MENSCH?, 1968
- SEX-BUSINESS – Made in Pasing, 1969/1970
- SAN DOMINGO, 1970
- NACH MEINEM LETZTEN UMZUG... (Brecht-Film), 1971-1993
- LUDWIG – Requiem für einen jungfräulichen König, 1972
- THEODOR HIERNEIS ODER: WIE MAN EHEM. HOFKOCH WIRD, 1972
- KARL MAY, 1974
- WINIFRED WAGNER UND DIE GESCHICHTE DES HAUSES WAHNFRIED, 1975
- HITLER, EIN FILM AUS DEUTSCHLAND, 1977
- PARSIFAL, 1982
- DIE NACHT, 1985
- MOLLY / EDITH CLEVER LIEST JOYCE, 1985
- FRÄULEIN ELSE, 1986
- PENTHESILEA, 1987-1988
- DIE MARQUISE VON O...., 1989
- EIN TRAUM, WAS SONST?, 1994
- BRAHMSREQUIEM FÜR DEMMIN, 2020
- DEMMINER GESÄNGE, 2023
- NACHTGESANG, 2025

Theater productions

DIE NACHT
- Festival d’Automne, Théâtre des Amandiers, Nanterre, 1984

PENTHESILEA
- Festival d’Automne, Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, Paris, 1987
- Schauspielfrankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, 1987
- Hebbel-Theater, Berlin 1990

DIE MARQUISE VON O...
- Hebbel-Theater, Berlin 1989

EIN TRAUM, WAS SONST?
- Hebbel-Theater, Berlin 1990
- Szene Salzburg, Salzburg 1994

HÖLDERLIN/EDITH CLEVER: SOLO FÜR DREI STIMMEN
- Hebbel-Theater, Berlin 1993
- Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin 1993

FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE. ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA (ursprünglich mit Einar Schleef geplant)
- Kunstfest Weimar, Weimar 1994
- Szene Salzburg, Salzburg 1994

Films in the program

GER 2023, 214 min

Home song with harmonium. Collected and edited by Hans Jürgen Syberberg. From the restored kitchen of the former estate house in...

GER 1985, 367 min

A six-hour monologue composed of poems, prose, letters, speeches and dramatic texts, performed by Edith Clever. In a setting approximating...

FR/GER 1982, 244 min

Syberberg’s film adaptation of Richard Wagner’s “Parsifal”.

GER/FR/GB 1977, 442 min

Syberberg’s controversial film essay on Hitler as possible projection of the secret wishes of the German.

GER 1974, 187 min

The last ten years in Karl May’s life. A man fighting for his work, which lets him become an iconic figure of his time.

GER 1972, 139 min

The last king of the old type, within the setting of his fantasies, at the beginning of the industrial age.

GER 1972-1977, 768 min

3 films in a handmade filmbox (6 Discs, 13 hours). Includes an exclusive booklet with texts by Susan Sontag, Boris Groys and Rochell Fack...

Films in the program

GER 2023, 214 min

Home song with harmonium. Collected and edited by Hans Jürgen Syberberg. From the restored kitchen of the former estate house in Nossendorf.

GER 1985, 367 min

A six-hour monologue composed of poems, prose, letters, speeches and dramatic texts, performed by Edith Clever. In a setting approximating the darkness of night, entirely focused on the speaker,... more

FR/GER 1982, 244 min

Syberberg’s film adaptation of Richard Wagner’s “Parsifal”.

GER/FR/GB 1977, 442 min

Syberberg’s controversial film essay on Hitler as possible projection of the secret wishes of the German.

GER 1974, 187 min

The last ten years in Karl May’s life. A man fighting for his work, which lets him become an iconic figure of his time.

GER 1972, 139 min

The last king of the old type, within the setting of his fantasies, at the beginning of the industrial age.

GER 1972-1977, 768 min

3 films in a handmade filmbox (6 Discs, 13 hours). Includes an exclusive booklet with texts by Susan Sontag, Boris Groys and Rochell Fack (In German only). All 3 films are English subtitled, KARL... more

Aktuell

On the occasion of Hans Jürgen Syberberg's 90th birthday on December 8, the German Film Institute in Frankfurt am Main (DFF) is honoring the director with a tribute. Syberberg will be present in person at the opening and premiere of the third part of his trilogy DEMMINER GESÄNGE on December 9.

Dates: Link to the DFF – German Film Institute & Film Museum