Ulrich Seidl is an Austrian screenwriter and director who likes to shoot provocative films. His path to fame began with the creation of documentaries, then moved on to feature films. The popularity of the master was given by the trilogy āParadiseā, which tells about the difficult fate of three women. What else is known about this talented person?
Ulrich Seidl: the beginning of the road
The creator of the provocative trilogy "Paradise" was born in Vienna, it happened in November 1952. Ulrich Seidl was born into a religious family; mother and father dreamed that the only son would become a priest. However, as a child, the boy became interested in the world of cinema, and by the time he finished school he no longer doubted his choice of profession.
Ulrich Seidl presented his first work to the audience court in 1980. It was a short film āMeter in a Capā, telling the story of a short, but very kind person. She did not bring him fame, but the beginning was laid.
Documentaries
Over the next few years, Ulrich Seidl shot only documentaries. For example, he is the creator of the films āAnimal Loveā, āBallā, āLosses are Inevitableā, āLast Menā, āPictures from the Exhibitionā, āIntimate Friendā, āUnstoppable Funā, āModelsā.
The heroes of his early paintings look very natural, since Ulrich used elements of feature films in most of his works. The fascinating drama āModelsā, which tells about the difficult fate of a young girl who is trying to survive in the ruthless realm of the modeling business, succeed and not lose herself, can serve as proof of this.
Movies
Ulrich Seidl is the director who presented his first feature film to the audience in 2001. The painting was called "Dog Heat." The action takes place in a suburb of Vienna, whose inhabitants literally go crazy because of the high temperature. People are forced to go out in bathing suits, however this does not help them protect themselves from the suffocating heat. Tension is growing, and with it the number of crimes. In the end, the inhabitants of the suburbs turn into mad savages and begin to do terrible things that they could not even think of before. The film made a splash during the Venice Festival.
The painting āImport-Exportā, which was released in 2007, was not so favorably accepted by the public. The focus of the audience is two separate fates. A nurse from Ukraine, in search of a better life, moves to Vienna, gets a job as a cleaner in a nursing home. An unemployed guard from Vienna, on the contrary, goes to Ukraine in search of the meaning of life. The main characters are trying to find happiness, but luck does not want to turn to face them. The film, replete with provocative scenes, received many negative reviews, but positively affected the directorās popularity.
Finest hour
In 2012, Ulrich Seidl finally tasted the real glory. The film "Paradise: Faith" made a huge impression on the audience. The focus is on the story of a woman named Anna Maria, whose main life goal is missionary work. Her pilgrimage through Vienna continues every day, she visits one house after another, holding in her hands a statue of the Virgin Mary. The picture quickly acquired a scandalous character, the main complaint against the director was the use of the crucifix in intimate scenes.
The film was originally conceived as a trilogy, so soon the audience got the opportunity to see the sequel. The drama "Paradise: Hope" tells the story of a 13-year-old fat woman Melanie, who goes to a diet camp and falls in love with a local doctor. The main problem is that the chosen one is older than the girl by as much as forty years. Despite this, Melanie is determined to fight for her feelings.
The drama Paradise: Love is another part of the acclaimed trilogy. This time, Ulrich Seidl, whose films are considered in this article, made the main character a woman in her early twenties. Loving Theresa does not want to put up with the fact that her sex life is in the past. In search of romantic adventures, she leaves the phlegmatic Austria and goes to the sensual and hot Kenya, where dozens of priests of love await her.
What else to see
Ulrich Seidl, whose films are considered in this article, continues to shoot documentaries. In 2014, he presented the picture āIn the Basementā to the audience court, which received mixed reviews. The film tells about the secret life of respectable Austrians, about the dangerous hobbies to which they indulge in the basements of their homes.
Safari is another popular directorās creation. This documentary was released in 2016. Its main goal is to expose the ruthless hunter-tourists who destroy animals for entertainment. Entire families of respectable Europeans go to Africa in order to kill beautiful animals and get trophies, which will become an adornment of the interior.
These are the films that Ulrich Seidl managed to make by the age of 64. The full filmography of the director includes 21 pictures.
Personal life
In his personal life, the Austrian director is distinguished by an enviable constancy. He has been legally married for many years. The scriptwriter Veronica Franz became the chosen one of the master. The second half of Ulrich helped him to work on many of his famous paintings, for example, āDog Heatā, āIn the Basementā, āSafariā, āImport-Exportā, and the āParadiseā trilogy. Seidl and Franz raised two children and do not want to share the secrets of family happiness with anyone.