Famous German Directors

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 1 
Werner Herzog
(German Film Director Regarded as a Pioneer of 'New German Cinema')
Werner Herzog
5
Birthdate: September 5, 1942
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
Werner Herzog, one of the prominent figures of the New German Cinema era, has directed films such as Fitzcarraldo and Aguirre, and documentaries such as Grizzly Man. Named to TIME 100, he has written countless books and directed many operas. He was also seen playing The Client in The Mandalorian.
 2 
Christoph Waltz
(Best Known for His Academy Award Winning Roles in the Films: ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and 'Django Unchained')
Christoph Waltz
8
Birthdate: October 4, 1956
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Christoph Waltz is best known for his Academy Award-winning performances as Colonel Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds and Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained, both by Quentin Tarantino. Waltz had begun as a stage and TV actor in Germany. Some of his other notable projects are Spectre and Big Eyes.
 3 
Leni Riefenstahl
(Film Director, Photographer and Actress Known for Her Seminal Role in Producing Nazi Propaganda)
Leni Riefenstahl
5
Birthdate: August 22, 1902
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: September 8, 2003

Leni Riefenstahl was a German film director and actress best remembered for her role in producing Nazi propaganda. She made her directorial debut in 1932, becoming one of the few women to direct a movie during the Weimar Period. Riefenstahl is credited with directing two of the most technically innovative propaganda films of all time, Olympia and Triumph des Willens.

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 4 
Roland Emmerich
(Director Best Known as 'Master of Disaster' for His Science Fiction and Disaster Films)
Roland Emmerich
6
Birthdate: November 10, 1955
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Stuttgart, Germany
German director/producer Roland Emmerich is best known for his blockbuster disaster/war films such as The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day, Godzilla, and The Patriot. The LGBT activist is also openly gay. He is also an avid art collector. He has also worked for women’s rights and environmental causes.
 5 
F. W. Murnau
(Film director)
F. W. Murnau
2
Birthdate: December 28, 1888
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bielefeld, Germany
Died: March 11, 1931

F. W. Murnau was a German film director best remembered for directing the 1922 silent horror film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, which is widely regarded as a masterpiece of German Expressionist cinema. He also made Hollywood films like Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, which is often counted among the best movies ever made by critics and film directors.

 6 
Ernst Lubitsch
(Film director)
Ernst Lubitsch
2
Birthdate: January 29, 1892
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: November 30, 1947
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 7 
Michael Haneke
(Film director, Screenwriter, Writer, University teacher)
Michael Haneke
4
Birthdate: March 23, 1942
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Munich

Award-winning Austrian film director and screenwriter Michael Haneke, who teaches film direction at the Film Academy Vienna, is best-known for films like The Piano Teacher, Caché, The White Ribbon and Amour. Haneke has made films in English, French and German, and mostly deals with subjects that examine social issues and portrays feelings of individuals facing social alienation in modern society.

 8 
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
(Prominent Figure and Catalyst of the New German Cinema Movement)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
3
Birthdate: May 31, 1945
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bad Wörishofen, Germany
Died: June 10, 1982

Rainer Werner Fassbinder was a German actor, filmmaker, and playwright. He grew up in the aftermath of World War II and had a tough childhood. He sought solace by watching films and took acting lessons. He began his career in theater and eventually entered films as well. He is considered a prominent figure of the New German Cinema movement. 

 9 
Wolfgang Petersen
(Film director, Film producer, Screenwriter)
Wolfgang Petersen
3
Birthdate: March 14, 1941
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Emden

Wolfgang Petersen is a German film producer, director, and screenwriter. One of the most popular and critically acclaimed German filmmakers of all time, Petersen is credited with directing successful films like In the Line of Fire, Troy, and Outbreak. His 1981 West German war film Das Boot earned him two Academy Award nominations.

 10 
Uwe Boll
(German Filmmaker Who Came to Limelight for His Adaptations of Video Game Franchises)
Uwe Boll
7
Birthdate: June 22, 1965
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Wermelskirchen, Germany
German filmmaker Uwe Boll has faced a lot of backlash for his supposedly poor-quality films, many of which have been crowdfunded. The Golden Raspberry Award-winning director has now moved on to the restaurant business and has also inspired the documentary F*** You All: The Uwe Boll Story
 11 
Til Schweiger
(German Actor and the Country’s Most Successful Director)
Til Schweiger
7
Birthdate: December 19, 1963
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

Til Schweiger is a German actor, filmmaker, and voice actor. Apart from playing important roles in German films, Schweiger has also appeared in several American films, such as Investigating Sex, King Arthur, and Already Dead. Til Schweiger is credited with establishing a production company named Barefoot Films.

 12 
Wim Wenders
(German Film Director Who was a Major Figure in New German Cinema)
Wim Wenders
4
Birthdate: August 14, 1945
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Düsseldorf, Germany

Wim Wenders is a German filmmaker and playwright. He is considered to be a major figure in New German Cinema.  Buena Vista Social Club and Pina are among his best-known works. He has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Besides filmmaking, he is also active as a photographer and has published several books. 

 13 
Tom Tykwer
(Best Known as the Director of Films: 'Run Lola Run', 'Heaven' and 'Perfume: The Story of a Murderer')
Tom Tykwer
2
Birthdate: May 23, 1965
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Wuppertal, Germany

Tom Tykwer is a German film producer, director, composer, and screenwriter. Tykwer is best known for directing thriller films like Perfume: The Story of a Murderer and Run Lola Run. The recipient of three Bavarian Film Awards, Tom Tykwer is also known for co-creating the popular German TV series Babylon Berlin.

 14 
Lotte Reiniger
(Director)
Lotte Reiniger
2
Birthdate: June 2, 1899
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Berlin-Charlottenburg, German Empire
Died: June 19, 1981

Lotte Reiniger was a German film director best remembered for making animated films. A pioneer of silhouette animation, Reiniger is credited with directing The Adventures of Prince Achmed, which is the oldest surviving feature-length animated film. Lotte Reiniger is also credited with devising the first form of a multiplane camera. 

 15 
Oskar Fischinger
(Animator)
Oskar Fischinger
2
Birthdate: June 22, 1900
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: elnhausen, Germany
Died: January 31, 1967

German-American abstract animator, filmmaker, and painter Oskar Fischinger is most-noted for creating abstract musical animation decades before development of computer graphics. Among the 50 short films he made, the short animated film Motion Painting No. 1 is listed on the United States National Film Registry. He also created special effects for the German sci-fi silent film Woman in the Moon.

 16 
Cosima Wagner
(Composer)
Cosima Wagner
2
Birthdate: December 24, 1837
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bellagio, Italy
Died: April 1, 1930
 17 
Maria Schrader
(Actress)
Maria Schrader
2
Birthdate: September 27, 1965
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hanover, West Germany
 18 
Fatih Akın
(Director)
Fatih Akın
2
Birthdate: August 25, 1973
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hamburg
 19 
I. Marlene King
(Screenwriter)
I. Marlene King
2
Birthdate: May 22, 1962
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Regensburg, Germany

I. Marlene King is a German film director, producer, and writer. Also known for her contribution to the TV industry, King is best known for executive producing the popular American teen drama mystery thriller series Pretty Little Liars.

 20 
Lexi Alexander
(Film director)
Lexi Alexander
2
Birthdate: August 23, 1974
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Mannheim, Germany
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 21 
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
(German Film Director)
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
2
Birthdate: May 2, 1973
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Cologne, Germany
Height: 6'9" (206 cm)
 22 
Robert Schwentke
(screenwriter, film director)
Robert Schwentke
2
Birthdate: 1968 AD
Birthplace: Stuttgart
 23 
Max Ophüls
(Film Director)
Max Ophüls
2
Birthdate: May 6, 1902
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Saarbrücken, Germany
Died: March 26, 1957
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 24 
Dean Reed
(Actor)
Dean Reed
2
Birthdate: September 22, 1938
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States
Died: June 13, 1986
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 25 
Ulrich Mühe
(Actor)
Ulrich Mühe
2
Birthdate: June 20, 1953
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Grimma, Germany
Died: July 22, 2007
 26 
Hito Steyerl
(Filmmaker)
Hito Steyerl
2
Birthdate: January 1, 1966
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
 27 
Martin Wuttke
(Actor)
Martin Wuttke
2
Birthdate: February 8, 1962
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 28 
Thea von Harbou
(Screenwriter)
Thea von Harbou
2
Birthdate: December 27, 1888
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tauperlitz, Döhlau, Germany
Died: July 1, 1954
 29 
Gustav Frohlich
(Actor)
Gustav Frohlich
2
Birthdate: March 21, 1902
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hanover Hannover, Germany
Died: December 22, 1987
 30 
Marcus Nispel
(German Film Director and Producer)
Marcus Nispel
2
Birthdate: May 26, 1963
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
 31 
Christian Petzold
(German Film Director and Screenwriter)
Christian Petzold
1
Birthdate: September 14, 1960
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hilden, Germany
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 32 
Volker Schlöndorff
(German Film Director, Screenwriter and a Leading Member of the Postwar Cinema Movement in West Germany)
Volker Schlöndorff
2
Birthdate: March 31, 1939
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Wiesbaden, Germany

German filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff, a Sorbonne alumnus, excelled in philosophy and political science in college, though he later focused on film studies. Starting his career as an assistant director, he later became a significant figure of the New German Cinema movement and also won an Academy Award for The Tin Drum.

 33 
Anna Foerster
(Cinematographer)
Anna Foerster
2
Birthdate: 1971 AD
Birthplace: Germany

Anna Foerster is a cinematographer and director. She began her career in the 1990s as a second unit cinematographer. She often collaborates with director Roland Emmerich and has worked with him on several films. Independence Day and Godzilla are among her best-known works as a cinematographer. She made her directorial debut with the horror film Underworld: Blood Wars. 

 34 
Thor Freudenthal
(Special effects artist best known for his work on Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters)
Thor Freudenthal
2
Birthdate: October 20, 1972
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: West Berlin, Germany
 35 
Oliver Hirschbiegel
(Film director)
Oliver Hirschbiegel
1
Birthdate: December 29, 1957
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
 36 
Dolly Buster
(Retired Czech-German Porn Star)
Dolly Buster
4
Birthdate: October 23, 1969
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Prague, Czech Republic

Dolly Buster is a Czech-German author, filmmaker, and retired pornographic actress. She appeared in more than 100 X-rated European movies and was named the hottest porn star in Germany in 2009. Dolly Buster also has a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented at the Venus Awards, and a Special Jury Award under her belt. Buster has also written a series of crime-novels.

 37 
Robert Siodmak
(Film Director)
Robert Siodmak
1
Birthdate: August 8, 1900
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Dresden, German Empire
Died: March 10, 1973

Robert Siodmak was a German film director best remembered for a series of stylish Hollywood films noirs he made in the mid-20th century. He began making silent films in the late 1920s. He moved to Paris following the rise of Nazism in Germany and thrived there. He later shifted to USA and found great success in Hollywood. 

 38 
Helmut Griem
(Actor)
Helmut Griem
1
Birthdate: April 6, 1932
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
Died: November 19, 2004
 39 
Natja Brunckhorst
(Actress)
Natja Brunckhorst
1
Birthdate: September 26, 1966
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 40 
Margarethe von Trotta
(Film director)
Margarethe von Trotta
1
Birthdate: February 21, 1942
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
 41 
Heinz Rühmann
(Actor)
Heinz Rühmann
1
Birthdate: March 7, 1902
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Essen, Germany
Died: October 3, 1994
 42 
Uli Edel
(Film director)
Uli Edel
1
Birthdate: April 11, 1947
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Neuenburg am Rhein
 43 
Nora Fingscheidt
(Film director)
Nora Fingscheidt
1
Birthdate: February 17, 1983
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Braunschweig, Germany
 44 
Uta Briesewitz
(Cinematographer)
Uta Briesewitz
1
Birthdate: September 1, 1967
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Leverkusen, Germany
 45 
Ulli Lommel
(Actor)
Ulli Lommel
1
Birthdate: December 21, 1944
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sulecin, Poland
Died: December 2, 2017
 46 
Otto Waalkes
(German Actor, Comedian, and Musician)
Otto Waalkes
1
Birthdate: July 22, 1948
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Emden, Lower Saxony, Germany
 47 
Veit Harlan
(Director)
Veit Harlan
1
Birthdate: September 22, 1899
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: April 13, 1964
 48 
Hans Richter
(Artist and Filmmaker Known for His Role in the 'Dada Movement')
Hans Richter
1
Birthdate: April 6, 1888
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Berlin, German
Died: February 1, 1976

German artist and filmmaker Hans Richter was initially associated with the Blaue Reiter and later inspired by Cubism. He made a significant impact on Dadaism. A Jew, he fled the Nazi regime by escaping first to the Soviet Union, then to Switzerland, and then finally to the US.

 49 
Erwin Piscator
(Theatre director)
Erwin Piscator
1
Birthdate: December 17, 1893
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Greifenstein
Died: March 30, 1966
 50 
Marian Dora
(Director)
Marian Dora
1
Birthdate: 1970 AD
Birthplace: Southern Germany