Michael Roes
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Michael Roes (born 7 August 1960) is a German writer and film maker. He was born 7 August 1960 in Rhede, Germany.
Roes was born in Rhede and grew up in Bocholt, North Rhine-Westphalia.
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[edit] Education and academic career
He was a student of Philosophy, Anthropology and Psychology at the Free University of Berlin. He holds a Diploma in Psychology (1985) and a PhD in Philosophy (1991).
His anthropological field research was conducted in Israel and the Palestinian territories (1987,1991), Yemen (1993-1994), the United States (Native Americans in the State of New York 1996-1997; The Social Construction of Race at the Mississippi1999) and Mali (1999).
He has been a lecturer at universities in Berlin, Konstanz and Budapest. Roes was a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Budapest (1994-1995).
Roes was the guest professor at the Central European University, Budapest (2004; 2005/2006)
[edit] Theatre and Film
He took part in theatre and film work with adolescents in Berlin. Director's assistant at Schaubühne Berlin (1987-1989) and at Munich Kammerspiele (1989).
His first feature film Someone is Sleeping in My Pain, a contemporary version of Shakespeare's Macbeth, was shot in New York and Yemen with tribal warriors (2000-2001).
Roes made the documentary film City of Happiness about the present situation of young men in Algeria (2003/2004).
He also made the feature film Timimoun, an Algerian road movie, based on the Greek tragedy of Orestes (2004/2005).
This road movie and the novel Weg nach Timimoun by Michael Roes are based on the ancient Greek myth of Orestes who returned to Mycenae together with his friend Pylades to kill his mother and her lover in revenge of their murder of his father. Laid owns a small photo studio in the Algerian harbour city of Bejaia. In a letter his sister appeals to him to avenge his father who was shot by Laid’s mother in an act of desperation. Together with his friend Nadir young Laid reluctantly embarks on a trip to his hometown Timimoun, the legendary oasis in the Sahara desert.
The film and novel are a kind of anthropological journey full of danger and adventure through a country torn with political tension and under the growing influence of religious fundamentalism. In strong and vivid language Roes paints a picture of a society with violent fathers and hard-hearted mothers, but also with tenderful friendships.
Main subject of Roes' poetical and academic work is the role of the "stranger" or the "foreign" in our societies. Specially the European view to the Arab world is one of the main topics in his major novels and recent films. His wide talent as a poet, novelist, play writer, essayist and film maker and his interest in outsiders puts him into the tradition of Jean Cocteau, Pier Paolo Pasolini or Bruce Chatwin.
[edit] Publications
- Jizchak Essay, Berlin 1992/2005
- Cham Play, Berlin 1993
- Lleu Llaw Gyffes Novel, Berlin 1994
- Rub Al-Khali Novel, Frankfurt 1996
- Madschnun Al-Malik Play, Frankfurt 1997
- Durus Arabij Poems, Frankfurt 1998
- Der Coup Der Berdache Novel, Berlin 1999
- Haut Des Südens Novel, Berlin 2000
- David Kanchelli Novel, Berlin 2001
- Kain. Elegie Poems, Berlin 2004
- Nah Inverness Novel, Berlin 2004
- Weg Nach Timimoun Novel, Berlin 2006
- Krieg und Tanz Essays, Berlin 2007
- Perversion und Glück, Essays, Berlin 2007
- Ich weiss nicht mehr die Nacht, Novel, Berlin 2008
[edit] Premieres
- Aufriss Theater der Stadt Koblenz, 1992
- Cham Schauspielhaus Köln 1993
- Madschnun Al-Malik Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf, 1998
- Durus Arabij, Berliner Festwochen, 1998
- Kain. Elegie Hebbel Theater, Internationales Poesie Festival Berlin, 2004
- Der Coup Der Berdache, Palast der Republik, Berlin, 2004
[edit] Features
- Ein Kurzer Sommer in Tichy. Diary of a Journey into the Rebellious Kabylei. Radiofeature, SWR Baden-Baden, WDR Cologne, 2003
- Der Internetharem. Radiofeature. WDR, Köln 2005
[edit] Films
- Abdallah and Adrian Documentary, Yemen 1996
- Someone is Sleeping in My Pain Feature, Yemen, USA 2000
- City of Happiness Documentary, Algeria, 2003/2004
- Phaidra Remade, an Essay on Film, Budapest 2004
- Timimoun Feature, Algeria, 2004/2005
- Elevation Feature, Hungary, 2006
[edit] Grants and Awards
- Grant of the Deutscher Literaturfonds (1991, 2007/2008)
- Else-Lasker-Schüler-Award (1993)
- Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies Budapest (1994-1995)
- Grant of the Foundation Preussische Seehandlung (1995, 2000)
- Literary Award of the City of Bremen (1997)
- Elected member of the German P.E.N. (1998)
- Grant of the Niederländisch-Deutsche Kulturstiftung (2004)
- Alice-Salomon-Poetry-Award, Berlin (2006)
