He became famous with films such as “Schlafes Bruder” or “Comedian Harmonists” (Perathon / DorFilm), “Herbstmilch” or “Austria: Above and Below” – films that the great director realized in co-production with Austria. Now Joseph Vilsmaier died at the age of 81.
The “Bavarian with body and soul” has been active in the film business for more than 50 years and has brought many successful films to the cinemas, presenting both his homeland and historical content (“Stalingrad” or “Die Gustloff”) on the screen.
With “Nanga Parbat” he showed the Himalayan expedition of the mountain climbing brothers Reinhold and Günther Messner, which ended with Günther’s dramatic death.
One of his greatest successes was the film adaptation of the novel “Sleeping Brother” by Robert Schneider from Vorarlberg, a production with Austrian participation that even competed for the Oscar in 1995.
Vilsmaier was able to realize his last directorial work. It was the movie “The Boandlkramer and Eternal Love” with Michael Bully Herbig and Hape Kerkeling in the leading roles. In December 2019, the last stone fell in Munich, the successor of “The story of Brandner Kaspar” should appear on November 5, 2020.
The Austrian film industry mourns the loss of a great artist and partner in many successful Austrian co-productions, he emphasizes Association of Film and Music Industries in the WKÖ. (PWK055 / PM)
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