TV & Film Profile

Tom Tykwer

Renowned German Director By Eric Schneider

One of Germany's most renowned directors.

A highly regarded German filmmaker, Tom Tykwer is not only one of Deutschland's most prominent directors, he is also a cinema scholar, screenwriter, and composer. Thrust into the international cinema spotlight with his third feature, 1998's Run Lola Run, Tykwer impressed audiences with his tense, shifting narrative. The thriller not only proved to be an art-house hit, it made a star out of actress Franka Potente, who also appeared in his relatively understated (and underrated) drama The Princess and the Warrior. Tykwer's next production found him taking on Heaven, a screenplay co-written by the late Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski and working with renowned actress Cate Blanchett. Making use of his higher profile, Tykwer helmed the ambitious and uncompromising adaptation of the lauded novel Perfume, resulting in European accolades but American indifference. As an apparently conscious remedy to the latter reception, Tykwer made the leap to Hollywood with The International, an engaging, if not outstanding, gun-packed thriller starring Clive Owen. Though Tykwer seems most comfortable directing his own material, all of his films showcase his singular taut and focused style.

TAGS: Action, Art House, Composer, Desperate Outsiders, Drama, German Director, Hollywood, Screenwriter, Thriller,

FACTS: Born/Formed: May 23, 1965; Location: Wuppertal, Germany; Official Tom Tykwer Site

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