Chris Sievernich
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
"I'm German, but I consider myself an international producer. German producers have to go someplace else to earn money...Germany does not have a history of cultivating its producers. Directors, yes, but producers not at all." --Chris Sievernich
Biography
A German-born producer of international feature films, Chris Sievernich has amassed a body of work that reflects the worldwide nature of the film industry today. In addition to having produced numerous films directed by fellow German Wim Wenders, Sievernich has produced films directed by the British John Schlesinger, the Irish Trish McAdam, and the final film directed by the American turned Irish citizen John Huston.
With a background as a jazz club owner and manager, Sievernich moved into features as a production manager on "Liebe und Abenteuer/Love and Adventure" (1978) and other German films before connecting with Wenders and Nicholas Ray as producer on "Lightning Over Water" (1979), which recounted the last days of Ray's life. He and Wenders continued their association with "Der Stand der Dinge/The State of Things" (1982), which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. On the taut "Paris, Texas" (1984), about a man lost for four years trying to put his life and family back together, Sievernich served as executive producer. Other collaborations with the director include "Chambre 666" (1984) and "Tokyo-Ga" (1985). Sievernich also functioned as a production consultant on "Wings of Desire" (1987), which earned the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
New York became the base for Sievernich's Gray City, Inc., a division of his London-based Nova Films. He has produced two films by Christopher Petit ("Fluchtpunk Berlin/Flight to Berlin" 1983; "Chinese Boxes" 1984) while in 1987, he produced John Huston's final film, the elegiac "The Dead," based on a James Joyce short story. During that film's shoot, he also executive produced the documentary "John Huston & The Dubliners" (1987), a study of the icon's last years, produced and directed by Sievernich's wife, Lilyan. Much of the producer's output in recent years has been filmed in English, from John Schlesinger's period thriller "The Innocent" (1993; released in the USA in 1995) to Trish McAdam's "Snakes and Ladders" (1996), about two female partners in a comedy act whose relationship is threatened when a musician to whom they are both attracted proposes marriage to one of them.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Film Production - Main (Feature Film)
Life Events
1977
Owned and managed Kolbeh Jazz Club in Berlin, Germany
1978
Worked as production manager on "Liebe und Abenteuer/Love and Adventure"
1979
First feature collaboration with director Wim Wenders, "Lightning Over Water"; served as producer, also acted in; film co-directed by Nicholas Ray
1980
Founded Gray City, Inc in NYC; served as president until 1987; succeeded by Lilyan Sievernich
1981
Founded Road Movies GmbH in Berlin
1982
Produced Wenders' "The State of Things"; won Venice Film Festival Golden Lion Award
1984
Executive produced Wenders' "Paris, Texas"; film received the Palme d'Or at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival
1986
Founded Delta Films in Berlin
1987
Served as producer on John Huston's final film, "The Dead"
1987
Executive produced documentary about Huston, "John Huston & The Dubliners", produced and directed by Lilyan Sievernich
1993
Produced John Schlesinger's "The Innocent"; released in the USA in 1995
1996
Served as executive producer on Trish McAdam's "Snakes and Ladders"
2001
Parent company of Kinowelt USA filed for bankruptcy in December
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
"I'm German, but I consider myself an international producer. German producers have to go someplace else to earn money...Germany does not have a history of cultivating its producers. Directors, yes, but producers not at all." --Chris Sievernich
