Dani Levy (born 17 November 1957) is a Swiss
filmmaker
Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...
,
theatrical director,
screenwriter
A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
and actor.
Biography
Levy was born to a
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
family in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
in 1957.
[Deutsche Welt: "Jewish Filmmaker Breaks Taboos with Hitler Send-Up"](_blank)
27 December 2006 His mother was a
Holocaust
The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
survivor.
He moved to
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
in the 1980s.
Levy's
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
s include ''RobbyKallePaul'', ''I Was on Mars'', ''Meschugge'', ''Du mich auch'' and ''Väter''. ''Väter'' starred
Christiane Paul
Christiane Paul (; born 8 March 1974) is a German film, television and stage actress.
Career
Paul first worked as a model for magazines such as '' Bravo''. She was 17 when she obtained her first leading role in the film '. Prior to her acting c ...
. In 2004, he directed ''Alles auf Zucker!'', a
comedy
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
about a secularised
Jew
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
from the former GDR who has to reconcile himself with his
Orthodox brother. In 2007, he directed the
comedy drama
Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
''
Mein Führer – Die wirklich wahrste Wahrheit über Adolf Hitler'', about a Jewish actor hired to enliven
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
's speeches during the final days of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, starring Germans comedian
Helge Schneider
Helge Schneider (born 30 August 1955 in Mülheim an der Ruhr) is a German entertainer, comedian, musician, composer, author, film and theatre director, actor, and screenwriter. He frequently appears on German television and is probably best kno ...
. It was entered into the
29th Moscow International Film Festival.
Levy said he was influenced by the theory of Swiss-based psychologist
Alice Miller, published in 1980, that something must have gone wrong with Hitler in his childhood. His 1995 film ''
Stille Nacht'' won an Honourable Mention at the
46th Berlin International Film Festival.
He is one of the founders of the German company
X Filme Creative Pool.
Filmography
Director
*1986: ''
Du mich auch''
*1989: ''
RobbyKallePaul''
*1991: ''
I Was on Mars''
*1993: ''
Ohne mich'' (Short)
*1995: ''
Stille Nacht''
*1998: ''
Meschugge''
*1999: ''
Das Geheimnis'' (Short)
*2002: '
*2004: ''
Alles auf Zucker!''
*2007: ''
Mein Führer – Die wirklich wahrste Wahrheit über Adolf Hitler''
*2010: '
*2016: '
*2019: ''
Berlin, I Love You''
*2020. ''
The Kangaroo Chronicles''
Actor
*1986: ''
Du mich auch'' .... Romeo
*1989: ''
RobbyKallePaul'' .... Robby
*1991: ''Hausmänner'' .... Paul
*1991: ''
I Was on Mars'' .... Alio
*1993: ''
Ohne mich'' (Short) .... Simon Rosenthal
*1994: ''Burning Life'' .... Neuss
*1995: ''One of My Oldest Friends'' .... Zeto
*1995: ''
The Meds'' .... Jost
*1995: ''Halbe Welt'' .... Katz
*1996: ''
Killer Condom'' .... Prostitute's Client
*1996: ''Tempo'' (1996) .... Bernd
*1998: ''
Meschugge'' .... David Fish
*1999: ''
Aimée & Jaguar'' .... Fritz Borchert
*1999: ''Die Hochzeitskuh'' .... Fleabag Hotel Concierge
*2001: ''
Replay'' .... Matthias
*2004: ''
Alles auf Zucker!'' .... Pool-Spieler (uncredited)
*2009: ''
Germany 09'' .... Himself (segment "Joshua")
*2010: '
*2015: ''
The People vs. Fritz Bauer'' .... Chaim Cohn
*2015: ' .... Moderator
*2018: ''Sohn meines Vaters'' .... Karl Kaufmann
*2019: ''Winter Journey'' .... Landlord
References
External links
Wir sind X Filme*
Theater Basel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levy, Dani
1957 births
Living people
German-language film directors
Actors from Basel-Stadt
Swiss male film actors
Swiss male television actors
20th-century Swiss male actors
21st-century Swiss male actors
Swiss film directors
21st-century Swiss Jews
Best Director German Film Award winners