Michael Roes
Encyclopedia
Michael Roes is a German
writer
and filmmaker.
Roes was born in Rhede
and grew up in Bocholt
, North Rhine-Westphalia
.
, Anthropology
and Psychology
at the Free University of Berlin
. He holds a Diploma
in Psychology (1985) and a PhD
in Philosophy (1991).
His anthropological field research was conducted in Israel
and the Palestinian territories
(1987,1991), Yemen
(1993–1994), the United States
(Native American
s in the State of New York
1996-1997; The Social Construction of Race at the Mississippi1999) and Mali
(1999).
He has been a lecturer at universities in Berlin, Konstanz
and Budapest
. Roes was a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Budapest
(1994–1995).
Roes was the guest professor at the Central European University
, Budapest (2004; 2005/2006)
At present Michael Roes is research fellow at the International Research Center „Interweaving Performance Cultures“ of Freie Universität Berlin (2012 / 2013)
Leeres Viertel published in 1996, was the novel that earned Roes his reputation as one of the leading German Poeten des Fremden. In this novel the protagonist is an anthropologist travelling in Yemen researching traditional children's games. His account is a juxtaposition of travel writing, observations on daily life, anthropological lists, and reflections on the theory of play. Another complementary narrative strand in the novel comprises a diary written by an early nineteenth-century traveller to Yemen, Ferdinand Schnittke. Sharing a sensitivity to local customs, an interest in the traditions of the Arab world, and a similar fate, the two diary accounts closely intertwine.
Nah Inverness, published in 2004, likewise features two diary accounts. One is by Hal Dumblatt, an American director hell-bent on filming a production of Macbeth in the Yemeni hinterlands, using Yemeni tribesmen as actors. The second narrative strand is provided by Ahmed, a Yemeni officer appointed to report on the film crew's activities. The novel's plot is based on real events: Michael Roes took a small film crew to Yemen in 2000 to film a version of Macbeth, entitled Someone is Sleeping in my Pain: Ein west-östlicher Macbeth (2001). This daring project can only be viewed as the epitome of the experimentation, and an eagerness to approach the unknown, that is inherent in Roes' work as a whole. Of all Roes' works the novel is, however, the least optimistic about the possibilities of making a successful and meaningful connection with people from different cultures.
In his most recent novel, Geschichte der Freundschaft, published 2010, Roes returns to this theme with a novel that tells the story of a friendship between a German tourist and an Algerian student. – In all these novels intercultural encounters are portrayed as being complex and fragile. Relationships and friendships between people of vastly different backgrounds induce personal growth, deeper cultural understanding and involve a questioning of one's own cultural prejudices.
An idea fundamental to Roes' thinking on the topic of interculturality is the concept that that which unites the human race is much greater than that which divides it. No matter where on earth he or she may live, every human being has one thing in common – a physical body. Language and culture may keep people apart, but the experience of physical sensation forms a bond that is deeper than the superficial factors which separate the human race.
and film work with adolescents in Berlin. He worked as Director's assistant at Schaubühne Berlin (1987–1989) and at Munich Kammerspiele
(1989).
His first feature film Someone is Sleeping in My Pain, a contemporary version of Shakespeare's Macbeth
, was shot in New York and Yemen with tribal warriors (2000–2001).
In 2003/2004 Roes made the documentary film City of Happiness about the present situation of young men in Algeria
.
He also made the feature film Timimoun, an Algerian road movie
, based on the Greek tragedy of Orestes
(2004/2005).
This road movie and the novel Weg nach Timimoun by Michael Roes are based on the Ancient Greek myth of Orestes who returned to Mycenae
together with his friend Pylades to kill his mother and her lover in revenge of their murder of his father. Laid owns a small photo studio in the Algerian harbour city of Bejaia
. In a letter his sister appeals to him to avenge his father who was shot by Laid’s mother in an act of desperation. Together with his friend Nadir young Laid reluctantly embarks on a trip to his hometown Timimoun, the legendary oasis in the Sahara desert.
The film and novel are a kind of anthropological journey full of danger and adventure through a country torn with political tension and under the growing influence of religious fundamentalism. In strong and vivid language Roes paints a picture of a society with violent fathers and hard-hearted mothers, but also with tenderful friendships.
Main subject of Roes' poetical and academic work is the role of the "stranger" or the "foreigner" in our societies. Specially the European view to the Arab world is one of the main topics in his major novels and recent films. His wide talent as a poet, novelist, play writer, essayist and film maker and his interest in outsiders puts him into the tradition of Jean Cocteau
, Pier Paolo Pasolini
or Bruce Chatwin
.
2. ↑ http://www.matthes-seitz-berlin.de/scripts/autoren/autor.php?ID=5
3. ↑ http://www.literaturport.de
4. ↑ http://www.ash-berlin.eu/profil/auszeichnungenpreise/alice-salomon-poetik-preis/preistraeger-2006/
5. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1128861/
6. ↑ http://www.cinefacts.de/dvd/58980/timimoun-dvd.html
7. ↑ http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Roes
8. ↑ http://www.perlentaucher.de/autoren/3575/Michael_Roes.html
9. ↑ http://handlungsreisedialog.blogwerft.de/2007/12/13/michael-roes/
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...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and filmmaker.
Roes was born in Rhede
Rhede
Rhede is a municipality in the district of Borken in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the border with the Netherlands, approx. 5 km east of Bocholt.-External links:*...
and grew up in Bocholt
Bocholt, Germany
Bocholt is a city in the north-west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, part of the district Borken. It is situated 4 km south of the border with the Netherlands.-Geography:...
, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
.
Education and academic career
He was a student of PhilosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
. He holds a Diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
in Psychology (1985) and a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Philosophy (1991).
His anthropological field research was conducted in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
(1987,1991), Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
(1993–1994), the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
s in the State of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
1996-1997; The Social Construction of Race at the Mississippi1999) and Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
(1999).
He has been a lecturer at universities in Berlin, Konstanz
Konstanz
Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
and Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. Roes was a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
(1994–1995).
Roes was the guest professor at the Central European University
Central European University
For other uses, see European University Central European University is a graduate-level, English-language university offering degrees in the social sciences, humanities, law, public policy, business management, environmental science, and mathematics...
, Budapest (2004; 2005/2006)
At present Michael Roes is research fellow at the International Research Center „Interweaving Performance Cultures“ of Freie Universität Berlin (2012 / 2013)
Literature
Michael Roes is a novelist, poet, anthropologist and film-maker with an interest in interaction with the foreign. He has drawn inspiration from a wide and diverse range of cultures in his work, from the North American Indians, featured in the novel Der Coup der Berdache, to contemporary China in Die Fünf Farben Schwarz, and from Welsh mythology in Lleu Llaw Gyffes, to the Islamic world in Leeres Viertel, Weg nach Timimoun, Nah Inverness, and Geschichte der Freundschaft. His work is characterised by syncretism, experimentation and a multicultural flavour. It reveals a desire to engage with people from other cultures, and he has a vision of intercultural learning as an active exchange, an experience that must be sought, in which one must give as well as take.Leeres Viertel published in 1996, was the novel that earned Roes his reputation as one of the leading German Poeten des Fremden. In this novel the protagonist is an anthropologist travelling in Yemen researching traditional children's games. His account is a juxtaposition of travel writing, observations on daily life, anthropological lists, and reflections on the theory of play. Another complementary narrative strand in the novel comprises a diary written by an early nineteenth-century traveller to Yemen, Ferdinand Schnittke. Sharing a sensitivity to local customs, an interest in the traditions of the Arab world, and a similar fate, the two diary accounts closely intertwine.
Nah Inverness, published in 2004, likewise features two diary accounts. One is by Hal Dumblatt, an American director hell-bent on filming a production of Macbeth in the Yemeni hinterlands, using Yemeni tribesmen as actors. The second narrative strand is provided by Ahmed, a Yemeni officer appointed to report on the film crew's activities. The novel's plot is based on real events: Michael Roes took a small film crew to Yemen in 2000 to film a version of Macbeth, entitled Someone is Sleeping in my Pain: Ein west-östlicher Macbeth (2001). This daring project can only be viewed as the epitome of the experimentation, and an eagerness to approach the unknown, that is inherent in Roes' work as a whole. Of all Roes' works the novel is, however, the least optimistic about the possibilities of making a successful and meaningful connection with people from different cultures.
In his most recent novel, Geschichte der Freundschaft, published 2010, Roes returns to this theme with a novel that tells the story of a friendship between a German tourist and an Algerian student. – In all these novels intercultural encounters are portrayed as being complex and fragile. Relationships and friendships between people of vastly different backgrounds induce personal growth, deeper cultural understanding and involve a questioning of one's own cultural prejudices.
An idea fundamental to Roes' thinking on the topic of interculturality is the concept that that which unites the human race is much greater than that which divides it. No matter where on earth he or she may live, every human being has one thing in common – a physical body. Language and culture may keep people apart, but the experience of physical sensation forms a bond that is deeper than the superficial factors which separate the human race.
Theatre and Film
Michael Roes took part in theatreTheatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and film work with adolescents in Berlin. He worked as Director's assistant at Schaubühne Berlin (1987–1989) and at Munich Kammerspiele
Munich Kammerspiele
The Munich Kammerspiele is a successful German language theatre in Munich. The Schauspielhaus in the Maximilianstrasse is the major stage.-History:...
(1989).
His first feature film Someone is Sleeping in My Pain, a contemporary version of Shakespeare's Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, was shot in New York and Yemen with tribal warriors (2000–2001).
In 2003/2004 Roes made the documentary film City of Happiness about the present situation of young men in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
.
He also made the feature film Timimoun, an Algerian road movie
Road movie
A road movie is a film genre in which the main character or characters leave home to travel from place to place. They usually leave home to escape their current lives.-History:...
, based on the Greek tragedy of Orestes
Orestes (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Orestes was the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. He is the subject of several Ancient Greek plays and of various myths connected with his madness and purification, which retain obscure threads of much older ones....
(2004/2005).
This road movie and the novel Weg nach Timimoun by Michael Roes are based on the Ancient Greek myth of Orestes who returned to Mycenae
Mycenae
Mycenae is an archaeological site in Greece, located about 90 km south-west of Athens, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Argos is 11 km to the south; Corinth, 48 km to the north...
together with his friend Pylades to kill his mother and her lover in revenge of their murder of his father. Laid owns a small photo studio in the Algerian harbour city of Bejaia
Béjaïa
Béjaïa, Vgaiet or Bejaya is a Mediterranean port city on the Gulf of Béjaïa in Algeria; it is the capital of Béjaïa Province, Kabylia. Under French rule, it was formerly known under various European names, such as Budschaja in German, Bugia in Italian, and Bougie...
. In a letter his sister appeals to him to avenge his father who was shot by Laid’s mother in an act of desperation. Together with his friend Nadir young Laid reluctantly embarks on a trip to his hometown Timimoun, the legendary oasis in the Sahara desert.
The film and novel are a kind of anthropological journey full of danger and adventure through a country torn with political tension and under the growing influence of religious fundamentalism. In strong and vivid language Roes paints a picture of a society with violent fathers and hard-hearted mothers, but also with tenderful friendships.
Main subject of Roes' poetical and academic work is the role of the "stranger" or the "foreigner" in our societies. Specially the European view to the Arab world is one of the main topics in his major novels and recent films. His wide talent as a poet, novelist, play writer, essayist and film maker and his interest in outsiders puts him into the tradition of Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, María...
, Pier Paolo Pasolini
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Pier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian film director, poet, writer, and intellectual. Pasolini distinguished himself as a poet, journalist, philosopher, linguist, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, newspaper and magazine columnist, actor, painter and political figure...
or Bruce Chatwin
Bruce Chatwin
Charles Bruce Chatwin was an English novelist and travel writer. He won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel On the Black Hill...
.
Publications
- Jizchak EssayEssayAn essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
, Berlin 1992/2005 - Cham PlayPlay (theatre)A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, Berlin 1993 - Lleu Llaw Gyffes NovelNovelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, Berlin 1994 - Rub Al-Khali Novel, FrankfurtFrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
1996 - Madschnun Al-Malik Play, Frankfurt 1997
- Durus Arabij Poems, Frankfurt 1998
- Der Coup Der Berdache Novel, Berlin 1999
- Haut Des Südens Novel, Berlin 2000
- David Kanchelli Novel, Berlin 2001
- Kain. Elegie Poems, Berlin 2004
- Nah Inverness Novel, Berlin 2004
- Weg Nach Timimoun Novel, Berlin 2006
- Krieg und Tanz Essays, Berlin 2007
- Perversion und Glück, Essays, Berlin 2007
- Ich weiss nicht mehr die Nacht, Novel, Berlin 2008
- Die fünf Farben Schwarz, Novel, Berlin 2009
- Geschichte der Freundschaft, Novel, Berlin 2010
- Engel und Avatar, Essay with Hinderk Emrich, Berlin 2011
Premieres
- Aufriss Theater der Stadt Koblenz, 1992
- Cham Schauspielhaus Köln 1993
- Madschnun Al-Malik Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf, 1998
- Durus Arabij, Berliner Festwochen, 1998
- Kain. Elegie Hebbel Theater, Internationales Poesie Festival Berlin, 2004
- Der Coup Der Berdache, Palast der Republik, Berlin, 2004
Features
- Ein Kurzer Sommer in Tichy. Diary of a Journey into the Rebellious Kabylei. Radiofeature, SWR Baden-Baden, WDR Cologne, 2003
- Der Internetharem. Radiofeature. WDR, Köln 2005
- Weg nach Timimoun. Radiofeature. SWR, 2007
Films
- Abdallah and Adrian Documentary, Yemen 1996
- Someone is Sleeping in My Pain Feature, Yemen, USA 2000
- City of Happiness Documentary, Algeria, 2003/2004
- Phaidra Remade, an Essay on Film, Budapest 2004
- Timimoun Feature, Algeria, 2004/2005
- Elevation Feature, HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, 2006
Grants and Awards
- Grant of the Deutscher Literaturfonds (1991, 2007/2008)
- Else-Lasker-Schüler-Award (1993)
- Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies Budapest (1994–1995)
- Grant of the Foundation Preussische Seehandlung (1995, 2000)
- Literary Award of the City of BremenBremenThe City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
(1997) - Elected member of the German P.E.N. (1998)
- Grant of the Niederländisch-Deutsche Kulturstiftung (2004)
- Alice-Salomon-Poetry-Award, Berlin (2006)
- China-Stipendium des Auswärtigen Amtes (2007)
- Grant of the Stiftung für deutsch-polnische Zusammenarbeit, Villa Decius, Krakau (2011)
- Fellowship at the International Reseach Center „Interweaving Performance Cultures“ of the Freie Universität Berlin (2012 / 2013)
Links
1. ↑ http://handlungsreisen.de/2. ↑ http://www.matthes-seitz-berlin.de/scripts/autoren/autor.php?ID=5
3. ↑ http://www.literaturport.de
4. ↑ http://www.ash-berlin.eu/profil/auszeichnungenpreise/alice-salomon-poetik-preis/preistraeger-2006/
5. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1128861/
6. ↑ http://www.cinefacts.de/dvd/58980/timimoun-dvd.html
7. ↑ http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Roes
8. ↑ http://www.perlentaucher.de/autoren/3575/Michael_Roes.html
9. ↑ http://handlungsreisedialog.blogwerft.de/2007/12/13/michael-roes/