Hugo Niebeling

Hugo Niebeling

Hugo Niebeling in December 2014.
Born Hugo Niebeling
February 2, 1931
Düsseldorf, Germany
Occupation Film director
Film producer
Years active 1956 – present
Awards See list of awards in the article.

Hugo Niebeling, born in Düsseldorf on February 2, 1931,[1] is a German film-director and producer. He has been particularly noted for his work on industrial and music-films, and is considered one of the most important renewers of these genres in Germany. His style is credited to have influenced and helped create the modern music video.[2] His feature-film documentary Alvorada was nominated for an Academy Award in 1963.

Biography

Hugo Niebeling was born and raised in Düsseldorf. As a child, he was evacuated to the countryside during World War II. Once the war ended and he returned home, he found his parents' music store destroyed by bombs.[3] Niebeling developed an interested in modern art, classical music and theatre, but was unable to study acting for financial reasons, and therefore enrolled in a business degree at the Mannesmann-AG in Düsseldorf. Parallel to that, he studied acting privately with Otto Ströhlin, an actor at the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus who had many pupils. Niebeling's role model was Gustaf Gründgens, a famous theatre actor.[4]

After working as a theatre actor for a while in Augsburg, Niebeling turned to directing. In 1957 he directed his first film "Stählerne Adern", inspired by the German experimental director Walter Ruttmann. In 1962 he created the Oscar-nominated documentary Alvorada - Brazil's Changing Face, which received numerous awards. Throughout the early 1960s he mostly worked on much-acclaimed industrial and experimental films, frequently collaborating with composer Oskar Sala. His experimental industrial film Petrol was the only West German film screened at Cannes Film Festival 1965, and went on to become one of the most awarded industrial films worldwide.[5]

From the late 1960s on, Niebeling turned to directing mostly music- and ballet-films. In 1967, he directed a film on Beethoven's sixth symphony "Pastorale", performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker and conducted by Herbert von Karajan. In this film, he used highly experimental editing-, camera- and lighting-techniques to set the music to images. A film on Beethoven's third symphony "Eroica" that Niebeling directed in 1972 featuring the same performers was recut heavily against Niebeling's wishes on Karajan's initiative to make its style more conventional. Niebeling's director's cut of "Eroica" was released in 2010 to positive reviews.[6] Both films were considered revolutionary in the way the visuals complement the music, and many filmic techniques pioneered in these films set trends for the following decades.

Giselle, Niebeling's first ballet-film featuring Carla Fracci, Erik Bruhn and the American Ballet Theatre, premiered in 1969 at the Lincoln Centre in New York under patronage of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and was praised for its innovative visual style that complements the ballet-performance.[7] Since the early 1970s, Niebeling often worked in New York City and directed mostly Ballet films in collaboration with the choreographer George Balanchine.

In 1991, Niebeling directed a feature-film in Germany showing the passion of Christ based on Bach's Johannespassion, evoking antique tragedy with its combination of music, language and dance. Niebeling planned it for three decades prior to realizing it, and himself considers it one of his most important works.[8]

As of 2014, Hugo Niebeling continues to be active as a director, planning numerous new projects.[9][10] In 2015, Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival awarded him with its "Award of Excellence" for artistic innovation.[11]

My definition of art? It's mostly condensed life (...), put into a form. Art, born out of the conflict of emotions, cleared by reason, released into the form, mirroring the whole in a limited form. Released into the form because the creative process is a painful one.[12]
—Hugo Niebeling, interviewed by Joachim Thommes.[13]

Reception

A perfection of transforming music into visuals that has never been achieved again.[14]
—Roger Willemsen, about "Pastorale".[15]
The Pastorale - a highlight of filmed music. This wasn't Karajan's merit, but Niebeling's![16]
—Humphrey Burton, about "Pastorale".[17]
On this level technique becomes what it originally meant in greek: Art.... Today I SAW music.[18]
—Pierre Barthès, about "Pastorale".[19]
An expressionistic work of art, which equally transports the power of music and the intense effect of images.[20]
—Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden, about the Director's Cut of "Eroica".[21]
Niebeling's experiment is a coherent masterpiece.[22]
—Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden, in 1970 about "Giselle".[23]
No technique, no angle, no method of camera transport has been left unexplored. What results is an exciting and beautiful kaleidoscope of images.
—Melbourne Film Festival, about "Alvorada".[24]

Industrial Films: Filmography and Awards

  • Bundesfilmpreis 1957, Filmband in Gold, Category: Best feature-length cultural- and documentary-film (Mannesmann AG)[25]
Niebeling's second work as a director. Commissioned by Bavaria Film.
  • Bundesfilmpreis 1961, Filmband in Gold, Category: Bester Sonstiger Kurzfilm (Mannesmann AG).[26]
  • Grand Prix, International Industrial-film-festival, Rouen 1960.
  • Grand Prix in Gold as "Best Industrial film of the past 40 years", 1st Price as "best Film of the years 1957-1966“, Industriefilm-Festival, Kassel 1997
  • Two Bundesfilmpreis, Filmbands in Gold, 1963:
  • Category: Bester Director (Hugo Niebeling)[27]
  • Category: Best feature-length cultural- and documentary-film (Mannesmann AG)[28]
additional awards in various film-festivals, amongst others Edinburgh and Cork
  • Prädikat „Besonders Wertvoll“, Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden.
  • Wirtschaftsfilmpreis 1984

Music- and Ballett-films: Filmography and Awards

  • „Besonders Wertvoll“, Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden
  • Grand Prix, Menton 1971
  • Award for directing, Menton 1971
  • Bundesfilmpreis, Filmband in Gold 1974, Category: Best Short Film, (Continental Film)
  • „Besonders Wertvoll“, Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden
  • Grand Prix, Besançon 1974
  • Grand Prix, Besançon 1975
  • Audience-Award, Besançon 1975
  • "Wertvoll“, Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden [37]
  • "Wertvoll“, Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden [38]

Retrospectives

References

  1. ↑ Thommes, Joachim: "In jeden dieser Filme wollte ich Kunst reinbringen, soviel ich nur konnte." Hugo Niebeling, die Mannesmann-Filmproduktion und der bundesdeutsche Wirtschaftsfilm 1947-1987, Norderstedt 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-8257-9, p. 102
  2. ↑ "Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival: Overview of Hugo Niebeling retrospecive, with description of his style.". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  3. ↑ Thommes 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-8257-9, p. 102
  4. ↑ Thommes 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-8257-9, pp. 102-104
  5. ↑ Thommes 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-8257-9, pp. 188-189
  6. ↑ "German Historic Museum Official Website: Information Sheet about "Eroica". (PDF)". Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "German Historic Museum Official Website: Information Sheet about "Giselle". (PDF)". Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  8. ↑ Thommes 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-8257-9, pp. 184-187
  9. ↑ "Article on Niebeling's new projects and on his film St. John's Passion.". Retrieved 7 April 2014..
  10. ↑ Thommes 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-8257-9, p. 106
  11. ↑ "Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival: List of Awards 2015.". Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  12. ↑ Quote originally in German, translated into English for this article. Original quote: "Meine Vorstellung, was Kunst ist? (...) vor allem verdichtetes Leben (...), in eine Form gebracht. Kunst, geboren aus dem Widerstreit der Gefühle, durch den Verstand geklärt, in die Form erlöst, in begrenzter Form das Ganze spiegelnd. In die Form erlöst deshalb, weil der kreative Prozess schmerzhaft ist."
  13. ↑ "Video-Interview on youtube". Retrieved January 1, 2015..
  14. ↑ Quote originally in German, translated into English for this article. Original quote: "Nie wieder erreichte Vervollkommnung der Umsetzung von Musik ins Bild."
  15. ↑ "German Historic Museum - Website about Hugo Niebeling Retrospective with quotes". Retrieved December 31, 2014..
  16. ↑ Quote originally in German, translated into English for this article. Original quote: "Die Pastorale – ein Höhepunkt der gefilmten Musik. Das war aber nicht Karajans, sondern Niebelings Verdienst."
  17. ↑ "German Historic Museum - Information-sheet about Pastorale". Retrieved December 31, 2014..
  18. ↑ Quote originally in German, translated into English for this article. Original quote: "Auf diesem Niveau wird Technik wieder zu dem, was sie ursprünglich im Griechischen bedeutete: Kunst... Heute habe ich Musik GESEHEN."
  19. ↑ "German Historic Museum - Website about Hugo Niebeling Retrospective with quotes". Retrieved December 31, 2014..
  20. ↑ Quote originally in German, translated into English for this article. Original quote: Ein expressionistisches Kunststück, das die Kraft der Musik und die intensive Wirkung von Bildern gleichwertig transportiert."
  21. ↑ "German Historic Museum - Website about Hugo Niebeling Retrospective with quotes". Retrieved December 31, 2014..
  22. ↑ Quote originally in German, translated into English for this article. Original quote: Niebelings Experiment ist ein in sich geschlossenes Meisterwerk"
  23. ↑ "German Historic Museum - Information sheet about Giselle.". Retrieved December 31, 2014..
  24. ↑ "Melbourne Film Festival Official Website: Entry for "Alvorada"". Retrieved December 31, 2014..
  25. ↑ "Deutscher Filmpreis: List of Winners". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  26. ↑ "Deutscher Filmpreis: List of Winners". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  27. ↑ "Deutscher Filmpreis: List of Winners". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  28. ↑ "Deutscher Filmpreis: List of Winners". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  29. ↑ "35th Academy Awards: List of Nominees and Winners". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  30. ↑ "Cannes Film Festival 1963: List of Films in Competition". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  31. ↑ "Melbourne Film Festival: Entry for Alvorada". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  32. ↑ "Cannes Film Festival 1965: List of Official Selections". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  33. ↑ "Melbourne Film Festival: List of Hugo Niebeling's films shown there". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  34. ↑ "Melbourne Film Festival: List of international awards for the film". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  35. ↑ "Melbourne Film Festival: Page for "Magic Light".". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  36. ↑ "Melbourne Film Festival: Page for "Allegro".". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  37. ↑ "Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden, Page for "Klage der Ariadne".". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  38. ↑ "Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden, Page for "Eroica".". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  39. ↑ "German Historical Museum - Retrospective 2013.". Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  40. ↑ "Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival: Announcement of the retrospective on the main site of the festival's homepage.". Retrieved 19 September 2014.

External links and sources