Born in Nossendorf, Pomerania, in 1935, Hans-Jürgen Syberberg studied literature and made documentaries before turning to theatrical, operatic films that shape history with puppets, projections and music. His 'German trilogy' consists of Ludwig: Requiem for a Virgin King (1972), Karl May (1974) and Hitler: A Film from Germany (1977), a seven-hour meditation on the Third Reich that uses back-projection and a stage in place of realistic scenes. He then made a film of Wagner's Parsifal (1982). His work was praised by Susan Sontag and Francis Ford Coppola but criticised by some for its approach to history.
Filmography
- Ludwig: Requiem for a Virgin King (1972)
- Karl May (1974)
- Hitler: A Film from Germany (1977)
- Parsifal (1982)