Michael Obert (born 1966) is a German book author and journalist who has been compared with the likes of
Bruce Chatwin
Charles Bruce Chatwin (13 May 194018 January 1989) was an English travel writer, novelist and journalist. His first book, ''In Patagonia'' (1977), established Chatwin as a travel writer, although he considered himself instead a storytelling, s ...
,
Jon Krakauer and
Ryszard Kapuściński. His debut movie ''
Song from the Forest'' was honored with the Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary at the
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the world's largest documentary film festival held annually since 1988 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Description
IDFA is an independent, international meeting place for audiences ...
2013. In 2016 ''Song from the Forest'' was considered for the 88th
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
.
Obert is currently based in Berlin.
Journalism
As a journalist Michael Obert reports mainly from Africa and the Middle East and writes for a wide range of prestigious periodicals in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, such as
Sueddeutsche Zeitung Magazin,
GEO, Zeit Magazin,
Die Zeit
(, ) is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles.
History
The first edition of was ...
,
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The (; ''FAZ''; "Frankfurt General Newspaper") is a German newspaper founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt and is considered a newspaper of record for Germany. Its Sunday edition is the ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung'' ( ...
. Obert´s work is also published by international media like
Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
Magazine,
Courrier International
''Courrier International'' (; ) is a Paris-based French weekly newspaper which translates and publishes excerpts of articles from over 900 international newspapers. It also has a Portuguese and a Japanese edition. ''Courrier Japon'' was launche ...
, GQ France, The Journal (New York),
Dagens Næringsliv (Oslo) and Himal Southasian (Kathmandu).
Literature
In his travelogue ''Regenzauber'' (On the River of Gods), published by German National Geographic Editions, he describes traveling for seven months on Africa’s third longest river, the
Niger
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
, from its source in the rainforest of Guinea, 2,600 miles through the Sahel and Southern Sahara, into the mouth of the Niger at the
Bay of Benin.
In ''Die Raender der Welt'' (The Edges of the World), a selection of Obert’s finest literary travel writing, he explores 25 lost locations often overlooked by travelers so far, including war zones like Afghanistan, Sudan, Nigeria, but also forgotten paradises such as the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Bhutan.
In ''Chatwins Guru und ich'' (Chatwin´s Guru and Me) Obert, a self-described modern nomad, follows in the footsteps of the nearly hundred-year-old writing vagabond, Patrick Leigh Fermor. To find this mentor, Obert travels from Berlin via Vienna to Bratislava, through Hungary, Serbia, Rumania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania before reaching the southern Peloponnese. Along the way, he gets to know what is, for him, an unfamiliar part of the world. His encounters become part of a portrait of Eastern Europe that is as personal as it is poetic.
Michael Obert´s literature is not yet published in English language.
Film
''
Song from the Forest'', Michael Obert´s debut movie, tells the story of American
Louis Sarno who has lived among the Bayaka pygmies (also
Aka people
The Aka or Biaka (also ''Bayaka, ''Babenzele) are a nomadic African Pygmies, Mbenga pygmy people. They live in south-western Central African Republic and in northern Republic of the Congo. They are related to the Baka (Cameroon and Gabon), Bak ...
) in the central African rainforest for 25 years and travels with his son, 13-year-old pygmy boy Samedi, to New York City.
The film premiered at the
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the world's largest documentary film festival held annually since 1988 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Description
IDFA is an independent, international meeting place for audiences ...
2013 where it was honored with the Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary. The film also won the 2014 Grand Prix at Planete+Doc International Film Festival in Warsaw and was nominated for the Golden Eye Award for Best International Documentary Film at the Zurich Film Festival 2014. In 2016 ''Song from the Forest'' was considered for the 88th
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
.
Bibliography (selection)
*Chatwins Guru und ich. Meine Suche nach Patrick Leigh Fermor (2009 Malik Verlag),
*Die Ränder der Welt. Patagonien, Timbuktu, Bhutan& Co. (2008 Malik Verlag)
*Regenzauber. Auf dem Fluss der Götter (2003 Droemer Verlag)
Filmography
* 2013: ''
Song from the Forest'', written and directed by Michael Obert - Documentary film, world premiere:
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the world's largest documentary film festival held annually since 1988 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Description
IDFA is an independent, international meeting place for audiences ...
2013.
Awards (selection)
* 2018:
European Press Prize, Distinguished Reporting Award for ''The Human Catcher''
* 2017:
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is an American news media organization established in 2006 that sponsors independent reporting on global issues that other media outlets are less willing or able to undertake on their own. The center's go ...
, International Journalism Grant
* 2017: Amnesty International Media Award for Human Rights for ''The Curse of the White Skin'' (''Der Fluch der weißen Haut'')
* 2016: Considered for the 88th
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
with ''Song from the Forest''
* 2016: Shortlist Journalist of the Year, European Diversity Awards London 2016
* 2015: German Documentary Film Award for ''Song from the Forest''
* 2015: Nominated for
European Press Prize, Distinguished Writing Award, with ''Boko Haram. The rise, beliefs and power of Africa’s most feared terrorist group''
* 2014: Grand Prix, Planete+Doc International Film Festival Warsaw for ''Song from the Forest''
* 2014: Nominated for Henri Nannen Award
* 2014:
Hansel Mieth Prize
* 2013: IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary for ''Song from the Forest'',
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the world's largest documentary film festival held annually since 1988 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Description
IDFA is an independent, international meeting place for audiences ...
2013
[http://www.idfa.nl/industry/press/29-november-song-from-the-forest-wins-the-vpro-idfa-award-for-best-feature-length-documentary.aspx/IDFA, Song From the Forest wins IDFA Award]
* 2013: Otto Brenner Award for Critical Journalism
* 2013: Lighthouse Award for Outstanding Journalistic Work
* 2013: Shortlisted for
European Press Prize, News Reporting Award
* 2013: Hansel Mieth Prize
* 2012: German Reporter Prize
* 2012: Hansel Mieth Prize
* 2011: Hansel Mieth Prize
* 2009: Sangam House Writers´ Residency, Pondicherry, India
* 2009: Hansel Mieth Prize
* 2008: Ledig House Writers´ Residency, New York
* 2008: Herbert Breiter Scholarship, Greece
* 2005: Globetrotter Literature Award
References
External links
www.obert.de (author´s page)www.facebook.com/obert.michael (author´s Facebook page)www.songfromtheforest.com (SONG FROM THE FOREST official website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obert, Michael
Living people
1966 births
German male writers
European Press Prize winners