Senta Berger mourns her husband: Michael Verhoeven has died. The filmmaker set a tone with critical films about the Vietnam War and National Socialism.
The world bids farewell to the esteemed German filmmaker Michael Verhoeven, who passed away at the age of 85 after a brief but serious illness. His son, director and screenwriter Simon Verhoeven, shared the heartbreaking news, expressing the immense loss felt by the family.
Michael Verhoeven’s films, like “The White Rose” and “The Terrible Girl,” delved deeply into the complexities of National Socialism, leaving a powerful mark on audiences.
Senta Berger and Michael Verhoeven resided in Munich till the very end
Verhoeven, born in Berlin on July 13, 1938, grew up in Munich, the son of actress Doris Kiesow and director Paul Verhoeven. Starting with small plays, he ventured into film in the 1950s, starring alongside Heinz Rühmann in “The Flying Classroom” and “The Pauker.”
Verhoeven most recently resided in the Munich neighborhood of Grünwald with Senta Berger. On Friday, he was to be buried in the nearest circle.
About Michael Verhoeven
Michael Verhoeven (July 13, 1938 – April 22, 2024) was a multi-talented German: film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and even a qualified doctor.
Michael Verhoeven, son of German film director Paul Verhoeven, married actress Senta Berger in 1966. Their sons, Simon (born 1972) and Luca (born 1979), are both involved in filmmaking. Together, they run a production company. The 1970 film “o.k.” stirred controversy at the Berlin International Film Festival, leading to its collapse without any prizes awarded.
In 1982, Michael Verhoeven released “The White Rose,” followed by the Best Foreign Film nomination for “The Nasty Girl” in 1990, solidifying his status as a significant political voice in German cinema. His works like “My Mother’s Courage” and the documentary “The Unknown Soldier” are praised for their unflinching portrayal of Germany’s Nazi era. In 1992, he served on the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival.
In the 1990s, Verhoeven became a professor at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg, nurturing the talents of aspiring filmmakers. He was also a founding member of the Deutsche Filmakademie in 2003, akin to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Verhoeven’s dedication to education and his contributions to German cinema will be remembered fondly. He passed away in Munich on April 22, 2024, after a long illness, at the age of 85.
Michael Verhoeven have achieved Awards
- 1990 Silver Bear for Best Director, 40th Berlin International Film Festival for The Nasty Girl
- 1995 Bavarian Film Awards, Best Production
- 2006 Bavarian Film Awards, Honorary Award
Michael Verhoeven directed movies
- The Dance of Death (1967) – based on The Dance of Death by August Strindberg
- Up the Establishment (1969) – screenplay by Franz Geiger
- Student of the Bedroom (1970) – screenplay by Volker Vogeler, based on a novel by Finn Søeborg
- o.k. (1970)
- He Who Loves in a Glass House (1971)
- MitGift (1976)
- Scrounged Meals (1977) – screenplay by Elke Heidenreich and Bernd Schroeder
- Sunday Children (1980) – based on a play by Gerlind Reinshagen
- Die weiße Rose (1982)
- Killing Cars (1986)
- The Nasty Girl (1990)
- My Mother’s Courage (1995) – based on a story by George Tabori
- Let’s Go! (2014) – based on an autobiographical novel by Laura Waco
Michael Verhoeven acted movies
- The Flying Classroom (1954), as Ferdinand
- Marianne of My Youth (1955), as Alexis
- The Crammer (1958), as Peter Wieland
- That’s No Way to Land a Man (1959), as Horst Burkhardt
- The Juvenile Judge (1960), as Fred Kaiser
- Mit 17 weint man nicht(1960), as Richard Denger
- The House in Montevideo (1963), as Herbert
- Tales of a Young Scamp (1964), as Karl Schultheiss
- Onkel Filser – Allerneueste Lausbubengeschichten (1966), as Karl Schultheiss
- Der Kommissar: Dr. Meinhardts trauriges Ende (1970, TV series episode), as Harro Vogt
- Der Kommissar: Kellner Windeck (1971, TV series episode), as Johannes Windeck
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