Ruth Beckermann
Encyclopedia
Ruth Beckermann is a Jewish Austrian filmmaker.
Ruth Beckermann lives and works as an independent author and filmmaker in Vienna
and Paris
. Her films have been shown at prestigious festivals (most of them premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival
or the Cinéma du Réel
Festival in Paris). Her films Paper Bridge and East of War have won several major awards.
. During her studies she worked as an editor for the magazines Weltwoche and Trend.
Her first film was made in cooperation with the Videogroup Arena in 1977. Shot on video and 16mm film "Arena squatted" documents the squatting of the old viennese slaughterhouse "Arena". In the following years Ruth Beckermann founded the film distribution "Filmladen" and kept working there for the next 7 years.
1978 and 1981 she shot two documentaries ("Suddenly, a strike" and "The steelhammer out there on the grass") on the topic of labour and strike, both films where shot on 16mm. She also wrote her first books during that period of time.
In 1983 "Return to Vienna" was made. The film is the first of a trilogy, in which Ruth Beckermann deals with Jewish identity following traces of individual and collective paths through various cultures. Three films - "Return to Vienna", "Paper Bridge" and "Towards Jerusalem" - that use different forms of traveling and being-on-the-road, as both content and formal principle.
1996 "East of War" was made at and during the so called "Wehrmachtsausstellung
". In front of the out-of-focus-photographs former soldiers of the German Wehrmacht talk about their experiences beyond the "normal" war. A film which not only pushes forward the destruction of the "good-Wehrmacht" myth, but also takes a close look at the process of constructing history in post-WW2 Austria.
In her 1999 film "A fleeting Passage to the Orient" Ruth Beckermann follows the traces of Elisabeth,empress of austria
. A woman whose rejection of the tight corset her society offered, created a myth between fairy-tale cinderella and depressed marionette of the austrian monarchy.
2001 "homemad(e)" depicts how the political turn in 2000 was reflected in an viennese coffeehouse.
5 years later, the filmmaker followed four 12-year-olds on their journey to Bar Mitzva. "Zorros Bar Mitzva" was shown on Festivals in Paris (Cinema du Reel
), Vienna (Viennale
06), Buenos Aires and Chicago and became a great success with audiences.
Her most recent film "American Passages" will premiere in the competition at the 2011 edition of "Cinéma du Réel
".
Ruth Beckermann is a founding member of the Austrian Documentary-filmmakers Society (www.dok.at).
She taught at the University of Salzburg
, the University of Illinois and at the University of Applied Arts Vienna
. A DVD-Collection of her entire work as a filmmaker was released in Autumn 2007.
Most of her feature-length films are available in the U.S.
Ruth Beckermann lives and works as an independent author and filmmaker in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Her films have been shown at prestigious festivals (most of them premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
or the Cinéma du Réel
Cinéma du Réel
Cinéma du Réel is an international documentary film festival organized by the BPI-Bibliothèque publique d'information in Paris and was founded in 1978. The festival presents about 200 films per year in several sections by experienced documentary directors as well as first timers...
Festival in Paris). Her films Paper Bridge and East of War have won several major awards.
Life and career
Ruth Beckermann studied Journalism/Communications Studies and Art History in Vienna and Tel Aviv, and graduated in 1977 as Dr.phil. In New York she studied Photography at the School of Visual ArtsSchool of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
. During her studies she worked as an editor for the magazines Weltwoche and Trend.
Her first film was made in cooperation with the Videogroup Arena in 1977. Shot on video and 16mm film "Arena squatted" documents the squatting of the old viennese slaughterhouse "Arena". In the following years Ruth Beckermann founded the film distribution "Filmladen" and kept working there for the next 7 years.
1978 and 1981 she shot two documentaries ("Suddenly, a strike" and "The steelhammer out there on the grass") on the topic of labour and strike, both films where shot on 16mm. She also wrote her first books during that period of time.
In 1983 "Return to Vienna" was made. The film is the first of a trilogy, in which Ruth Beckermann deals with Jewish identity following traces of individual and collective paths through various cultures. Three films - "Return to Vienna", "Paper Bridge" and "Towards Jerusalem" - that use different forms of traveling and being-on-the-road, as both content and formal principle.
1996 "East of War" was made at and during the so called "Wehrmachtsausstellung
Wehrmachtsausstellung
The so-called Wehrmachtsausstellung was an exhibition focusing on War crimes of the Wehrmacht committed on the East Front from 1941 to 1944.-Original exhibition 1995 - 1999:...
". In front of the out-of-focus-photographs former soldiers of the German Wehrmacht talk about their experiences beyond the "normal" war. A film which not only pushes forward the destruction of the "good-Wehrmacht" myth, but also takes a close look at the process of constructing history in post-WW2 Austria.
In her 1999 film "A fleeting Passage to the Orient" Ruth Beckermann follows the traces of Elisabeth,empress of austria
Elisabeth of Bavaria
Elisabeth of Austria was the spouse of Franz Joseph I, and therefore both Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. She also held the titles of Queen of Bohemia and Croatia, among others...
. A woman whose rejection of the tight corset her society offered, created a myth between fairy-tale cinderella and depressed marionette of the austrian monarchy.
2001 "homemad(e)" depicts how the political turn in 2000 was reflected in an viennese coffeehouse.
5 years later, the filmmaker followed four 12-year-olds on their journey to Bar Mitzva. "Zorros Bar Mitzva" was shown on Festivals in Paris (Cinema du Reel
Cinéma du Réel
Cinéma du Réel is an international documentary film festival organized by the BPI-Bibliothèque publique d'information in Paris and was founded in 1978. The festival presents about 200 films per year in several sections by experienced documentary directors as well as first timers...
), Vienna (Viennale
Viennale
The Vienna International Film Festival, or Viennale, is a film festival taking place every October since 1960 in Vienna, Austria.The average number of visitors is about 75,000. Traditional cinema venues are Gartenbaukino, Urania, Metro-Kino, Filmmuseum and Stadtkino...
06), Buenos Aires and Chicago and became a great success with audiences.
Her most recent film "American Passages" will premiere in the competition at the 2011 edition of "Cinéma du Réel
Cinéma du Réel
Cinéma du Réel is an international documentary film festival organized by the BPI-Bibliothèque publique d'information in Paris and was founded in 1978. The festival presents about 200 films per year in several sections by experienced documentary directors as well as first timers...
".
Ruth Beckermann is a founding member of the Austrian Documentary-filmmakers Society (www.dok.at).
She taught at the University of Salzburg
University of Salzburg
The University of Salzburg, or Paris Lodron University after its founder, the Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron, is located in the Austrian city of Salzburg, Salzburgerland, home of Mozart. It is divided into 4 faculties: catholic theology, law, humanities and natural science.Founded in 1622, it...
, the University of Illinois and at the University of Applied Arts Vienna
University of Applied Arts Vienna
The University of Applied Arts Vienna is an institution of higher education in Vienna, the capital of Austria. It has had university status since 1970.-History:...
. A DVD-Collection of her entire work as a filmmaker was released in Autumn 2007.
Filmography
- American Passages (2011)
- Zorros Bar Mizwa (2006)
- Homemad(e) (2000)
- Ein flüchtiger Zug nach dem Orient (1999) aka A Fleeting Passage to the Orient - International (English title)
- Jenseits des Krieges (1996) aka East of War - USA
- Nach Jerusalem (1991) aka Towards Jerusalem - International (English title)
- The Paper Bridge (1987)
- Return to Vienna (1983)
- Arena squatted
Most of her feature-length films are available in the U.S.