Covi/Frimmel:Photographer In Front of the Camera

Erich Lessing, born 1923, Austrian reportage and art photographer, associated to Magnum, famous for photos from Hungary 1956 and for photos of art in museums. And probably for much more – which is not the theme of this film that primarily wants to make a portrait of an old man, a fine artist, who is still going strong, when it comes to select his photos for a book, photos for an exhibition and who has clear opinions about, what he has wanted to catch with his camera.

Those scenes where he discusses and selects and formulates are the best. ”I’’m a storyteller. In my photos there has to be a story… All pictures have a political message” – some of the sentences expressed by Lessing, who is followed by his wife and helper in his métier, a warm side motif, one can say.

It is always inspiring for documentarians to see the work of a photographic artist, who has an eye for people and situations and can talk about his work. And to meet one more fine photojournalist next to Capa and Cartier-Bresson.

Austria, 2014, 75 mins.

http://www.mischief-films.com/filme/der-fotograf-vor-der-kamera/e

http://www.lessingimages.com/

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Tue Steen Müller
Tue Steen Müller

Müller, Tue Steen
Documentary Consultant and Critic, DENMARK

Worked with documentary films for more than 20 years at the Danish Film Board, as press officer, festival representative and film consultant/commissioner. Co-founder of Balticum Film and TV Festival, Filmkontakt Nord, Documentary of the EU and EDN (European Documentary Network).
Awards: 2004 the Danish Roos Prize for his contribution to the Danish and European documentary culture. 2006 an award for promoting Portuguese documentaries. 2014 he received the EDN Award “for an outstanding contribution to the development of the European documentary culture”. 2016 The Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. 2019 a Big Stamp at the 15th edition of ZagrebDox. 2021 receipt of the highest state decoration, Order of the Three Stars, Fourth Class, for the significant contribution to the development and promotion of Latvian documentary cinema outside Latvia. In 2022 he received an honorary award at DocsBarcelona’s 25th edition having served as organizer and programmer since the start of the festival.
From 1996 until 2005 he was the first director of EDN (European Documentary Network). From 2006 a freelance consultant and teacher in workshops like Ex Oriente, DocsBarcelona, Archidoc, Documentary Campus, Storydoc, Baltic Sea Forum, Black Sea DocStories, Caucadoc, CinéDOC Tbilisi, Docudays Kiev, Dealing With the Past Sarajevo FF as well as programme consultant for the festivals Magnificent7 in Belgrade, DOCSBarcelona, Verzio Budapest, Message2Man in St. Petersburg and DOKLeipzig. Teaches at the Zelig Documentary School in Bolzano Italy.

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