Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein
Encyclopedia
Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein is a German
cinematographer
. He has collaborated with director Werner Herzog
on a number of projects. Among his many collaborations with other directors, Schmidt-Reitwein is notable for his cinematographic achievement in shooting Alan Greenberg
's acclaimed 1982 documentary
about Jamaica
and death of Bob Marley
, Land of Look Behind
.
. Then he switched on to the Film Industry and went for that in 1959 to Berlin
. He did some various practicum in different film management area such as synchron studio, film laboratory, and sound studio. Suddenly his career structure broke up, as he was captured there after building the Berlin wall
, on the east communist side, as he tried to help his girlfriend be transported to the west. In such a fast political juristic show-process he was sentenced for 5 years imprisonment as an accused human dealer and a bounty hunter. After spending moore then 3 years in penitentiary, the west-government dealt in a conspirative action for his freedom against 84.000DM worth of butter.
.
In 1969 Werner Herzog gave him his greatest chance for the first time by a Doku- Feature Film as Director of Photography. Thereby emerged the most promising film critics for Fata Morgana. Thereafter he worked together 17 more movies and documentary films with Werner Herzog himself. On top of this, he also worked with various well known numbers of directors such as Alexander Kluge
, Herbert Achternbusch, Josef Bierbechler, H.C. Blumenberg, Werner Schroeter, Alan Greenberg
, Markus Fischer, Douglas Wolfsperger, Andre Heller
, etc. He gathered 2 German Film Prize awarded in gold for his light speciality on his films he worked together with Werner Herzog. For his latest feature film he received the 1 st Prize award for his camera work from the Fantasy Film Festival in Malaga
(Spain). Schmidt-Reitwein had worked in Ludwigsburg Film Academy and University of the Philippines ( Film Academy in Manila
) as a Lecturer.
He also work for TV, shooting many commercials for Nike
, Master Card, Swiss Com, Mercedes - Benz.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
. He has collaborated with director Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
on a number of projects. Among his many collaborations with other directors, Schmidt-Reitwein is notable for his cinematographic achievement in shooting Alan Greenberg
Alan Greenberg (film director)
Alan Greenberg is an American film director, screenwriter, photographer and author.Greenberg visited Jamaica from a young age, and was a friend of Bob Marley. Following Marley's death, Marley's family asked Greenberg to make a film about Marley...
's acclaimed 1982 documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and death of Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
, Land of Look Behind
Land of Look Behind
Land of Look Behind is a 1982 documentary film about Jamaica. It was filmed in May and June of 1981 by Alan Greenberg, and was the director's first film. The film's cinematographer was Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein, an associate of Werner Herzog. The musical score is by K. Leimer.The film begins with...
.
Early life and family
Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein is the son of the painter Karl Schmidt-Reitwein. The first twelve years of his life he has been in Lübeck.Early career
He went to Waldorfschool and afterward he studied Physics for a few semester also in LübeckLübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
. Then he switched on to the Film Industry and went for that in 1959 to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He did some various practicum in different film management area such as synchron studio, film laboratory, and sound studio. Suddenly his career structure broke up, as he was captured there after building the Berlin wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
, on the east communist side, as he tried to help his girlfriend be transported to the west. In such a fast political juristic show-process he was sentenced for 5 years imprisonment as an accused human dealer and a bounty hunter. After spending moore then 3 years in penitentiary, the west-government dealt in a conspirative action for his freedom against 84.000DM worth of butter.
Career as a cinematographer
He started his Professional career again from the very beginning. In the first instance as camera assistant in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
In 1969 Werner Herzog gave him his greatest chance for the first time by a Doku- Feature Film as Director of Photography. Thereby emerged the most promising film critics for Fata Morgana. Thereafter he worked together 17 more movies and documentary films with Werner Herzog himself. On top of this, he also worked with various well known numbers of directors such as Alexander Kluge
Alexander Kluge
Alexander Kluge is an author and film director.-Early life, education and early career:Kluge was born in Halberstadt, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany....
, Herbert Achternbusch, Josef Bierbechler, H.C. Blumenberg, Werner Schroeter, Alan Greenberg
Alan Greenberg (film director)
Alan Greenberg is an American film director, screenwriter, photographer and author.Greenberg visited Jamaica from a young age, and was a friend of Bob Marley. Following Marley's death, Marley's family asked Greenberg to make a film about Marley...
, Markus Fischer, Douglas Wolfsperger, Andre Heller
André Heller
Franz André Heller is an Austrian artist, author, singer and actor.- Biography :Heller was born in Vienna into a wealthy Jewish family of sweets manufacturers . His almost daily visits to the Café Hawelka were in his opinion a key element in the development of his literary orientation...
, etc. He gathered 2 German Film Prize awarded in gold for his light speciality on his films he worked together with Werner Herzog. For his latest feature film he received the 1 st Prize award for his camera work from the Fantasy Film Festival in Malaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
(Spain). Schmidt-Reitwein had worked in Ludwigsburg Film Academy and University of the Philippines ( Film Academy in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
) as a Lecturer.
He also work for TV, shooting many commercials for Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Master Card, Swiss Com, Mercedes - Benz.
Personal life
At present he lives together with his Philippine wife and his 5 years old daughter on his farm house in Bavaria in Ering nearby the Inn - river.Filmography (incomplete)
- Fata Morgana
- The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver SteinerThe Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver SteinerThe Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner is a 1974 documentary film by German filmmaker Werner Herzog. It is about celebrated ski-jumper Walter Steiner who works as a carpenter for his full-time occupation...
- The Enigma of Kaspar HauserThe Enigma of Kaspar HauserThe Enigma of Kaspar Hauser is a 1974 West German drama film written and directed by Werner Herzog about the legend of Kaspar Hauser. Its original German title is Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle, which means "Every man for himself and God against them all"...
- Nosferatu the Vampire
- Heart of GlassHeart of GlassHeart of Glass is the title of:*Heart of Glass , a 1976 film directed by Werner Herzog*"Heart of Glass" , a 1979 single by Blondie*Heart of Glass...
- WoyzeckWoyzeck (1979 film)Woyzeck is a 1979 film by the German director Werner Herzog that stars Klaus Kinski and Eva Mattes. It is an adaptation of the play of the same name by German dramatist Georg Büchner.-Plot:...
- Land of Look BehindLand of Look BehindLand of Look Behind is a 1982 documentary film about Jamaica. It was filmed in May and June of 1981 by Alan Greenberg, and was the director's first film. The film's cinematographer was Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein, an associate of Werner Herzog. The musical score is by K. Leimer.The film begins with...
- Where the Green Ants DreamWhere the Green Ants DreamWhere the Green Ants Dream is a 1984 film by German film director Werner Herzog. It was Herzog's first film in English although also dubbed into German. Based partly on the Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd case and making use of professional actors as well as Aboriginal activists who were involved in...
Awards
- 2 Federal Film Awards (Film ribbon in gold)
- 2 nominations for the German Camera Prize
- 1 nomination for the Festival de l image de Film (Chalon sur Soune)
- Jury member Cameraimage 2001
- First Prize for DOP work on FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL 2007 in Malaga (Spain)