Thomas Brasch

The poet and writer as a major film artist

Thomas Brasch was a writer, playwright, poet and filmmaker. Born in 1945 in English exile as the son of Jewish emigrants, his family moved to the Soviet occupation zone in 1947, and his father rose to the position of deputy minister for culture in the GDR. He himself experienced the harshness of censorship at an early age and worked in constant resistance. In 1976, he co-signed the resolution against the expatriation of Wolf Biermann. He later applied to leave the country and moved to West Berlin. Brasch died on November 3, 2001. In the West, he made three feature films, including "Angel of Iron" (premiered in Cannes) and "The Passenger" (starring none other than Tony Curtis). Both films are impressive testimonies to his credo that art is not the solution, but "the lasting pain that makes you feel that you are alive." Thomas Brasch's life and his art are marked by many ruptures of the 20th century, which were deeply inscribed in the history of his family. The documentary film "Familie Brasch" tells of this in a masterful way.

Brasch died on November 3, 2001. In the West, he made three feature films, including "Angel of Iron" (premiered in Cannes) and "The Passenger" (starring none other than Tony Curtis). Both films are impressive testimonies to his credo that art is not the solution, but "the lasting pain that makes you feel that you are alive."

Thomas Brasch's life and his art are marked by many ruptures of the 20th century, which were deeply inscribed in the history of his family. The documentary film "Familie Brasch" tells of this in a masterful way.

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