---
name: "Christian Petzold"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/christian-petzold"
fi1m_id: "christian-petzold"
imdb_id: "nm0678857"
tmdb_id: 2332
wikidata_id: "Q67268"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "14 September 1960"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "director"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-17T20:26:16.399333+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Christian Petzold

## Identity

Christian Petzold

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/christian-petzold
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** christian-petzold
- **IMDb ID:** nm0678857
- **TMDB ID:** 2332
- **Wikidata ID:** Q67268
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Petzold_(director), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q67268, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0678857/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2332

Director. Born 14 September 1960 in Hilden, Germany.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 14 September 1960, Hilden, Germany
- **Berlin International Film Festival:** 3 Berlin prizes (3 won)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Petzold_(director), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q67268, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0678857/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2332

## Biography

Christian Petzold is a German film director and screenwriter. Born in Hilden in 1960, he studied German and theatre at the Free University of Berlin before attending the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb). He worked as an assistant director to Harun Farocki during his studies.

Petzold is associated with the Berlin School of filmmakers. His first theatrical feature was *The State I Am In* (2000). He is known for writing and directing *Barbara* (2012), *Phoenix* (2014), *Transit* (2018), *Undine* (2020) and *Afire* (2023). He frequently collaborates with actresses Nina Hoss and Paula Beer.

Petzold won the Silver Bear for Best Director for *Barbara* at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival. *Afire* received the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 2023 festival.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Afire* (2023), Fi1m 79, Writer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/afire.md)

## Complete filmography (36)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Mirrors No. 3* (2025), Director, Screenplay
- *Afire* (2023), Writer, Director — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/afire.md)
- *Undine* (2020), Director, Screenplay
- *Transit* (2018), Director, Screenplay
- *Where Do You Stand Today, Christian Petzold?* (2017), Screenplay, Director
- *Phoenix* (2014), Director, Screenplay
- *Barbara* (2012), Director, Screenplay
- *Dreileben: Beats Being Dead* (2011), Director, Writer
- *Jerichow* (2008), Director, Writer
- *Yella* (2007), Writer, Director
- *Ghosts* (2005), Screenplay, Director
- *Wolfsburg* (2003), Director, Writer
- *Something to Remind Me* (2002), Director, Writer
- *The State I Am In* (2001), Director, Writer
- *The Sex Thief* (1998), Director, Screenplay
- *Cuba Libre* (1996), Screenplay, Director
- *Pilots* (1995), Screenplay, Director
- *Imaginary Architecture, the architect Hans Scharoun* (1995), Assistant Director
- *Vergangen, vergessen, vorüber* (1994), Sound
- *Deduction* (1994), Director
- *Navy Cut* (1993), Actor
- *Die UFA* (1992), Assistant Director
- *The Warm Money* (1992), Director, Writer
- *Der Beigeschmack des Todes* (1992), Actor
- *Eastward* (1991), Director of Photography, Editor, Writer, Director
- *Barrage and Bunker* (1991), Actor
- *The Cinema and the Wind and Photography* (1991), Co-Producer
- *Am Rand* (1991), Sound
- *South* (1990), Director of Photography, Writer, Editor, Director
- *19 Portraits* (1990), Sound
- *Isaak Babel - Die Reiterarmee* (1990), Actor
- *Glory and Misery of the Gifted* (1990), Director
- *Broads* (1989), Director of Photography, Editor, Writer, Director
- *I'm Working Through Everything... Word of Honor!* (1988), Director
- *Mission* (1987), Director
- *Polizeiruf 110* (1971), series, Director, Writer

## Gallery

- ![Christian Petzold](https://film.one/media/person/16057/gallery-c09025aaf811.jpg) Christian Petzold — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Oliver_Mark_-_Christian_Petzold%2C_Berlin_2002.jpg/1280px-Oliver_Mark_-_Christian_Petzold%2C_Berlin_2002.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Barbara Auer (l.) und Christian Petzold 2018 in Görlitz bei der Vorstellung des Films "Transit"](https://film.one/media/person/16057/gallery-b693802e8293.jpg) Barbara Auer (l.) und Christian Petzold 2018 in Görlitz bei der Vorstellung des Films "Transit" — Dr. Benedikt Vallendar, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Barbara_Auer_und_Christian_Petzold.jpg/1280px-Barbara_Auer_und_Christian_Petzold.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Barbara Auer (l.) und Christian Petzold 2018 in Görlitz bei der Vorstellung des Films "Transit"](https://film.one/media/person/16057/gallery-e5a4d3ebd144.jpg) Barbara Auer (l.) und Christian Petzold 2018 in Görlitz bei der Vorstellung des Films "Transit" — Dr. Benedikt Vallendar, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Barbara_Auer_und_Christian_Petzold_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Christian Petzold at Berlinale 2023](https://film.one/media/person/16057/gallery-8f7ca1b7b23e.jpg) Christian Petzold at Berlinale 2023 — Elena Ternovaja, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Christian_Petzold%2C_Berlinale_2023.jpg/1280px-Christian_Petzold%2C_Berlinale_2023.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Christian Petzold](https://film.one/media/person/16057/gallery-5f39e19a7f4d.jpg) Christian Petzold — Image via TMDB
- ![Christian Petzold](https://film.one/media/person/16057/gallery-aee1447cd6e5.jpg) Christian Petzold — Image via TMDB
- ![Christian Petzold](https://film.one/media/person/16057/gallery-479d4434b07f.jpg) Christian Petzold — Image via TMDB
- ![Christian Petzold à l'avant-première de "Miroirs No. 3" à l'UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles, le 25 août 2025.](https://film.one/media/person/16057/gallery-2d9a9e3cb807.jpg) Christian Petzold à l'avant-première de "Miroirs No. 3" à l'UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles, le 25 août 2025. — ManoSolo13241324, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Christian_Petzold_2025_1.jpg/1280px-Christian_Petzold_2025_1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Christian Petzold à la Cinémathèque française, le 28 août 2025.](https://film.one/media/person/16057/gallery-55f1ab738ab0.jpg) Christian Petzold à la Cinémathèque française, le 28 août 2025. — ManoSolo13241324, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Christian_Petzold_2025_2.jpg/1280px-Christian_Petzold_2025_2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Christian Petzold](https://film.one/media/person/16057/gallery-a177787a372b.jpg) Christian Petzold — Image via TMDB
- ![Christian Petzold](https://film.one/media/person/16057/gallery-3d0cf2140c5b.jpg) Christian Petzold — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Berlin International Film Festival — 3 won

- 2023: Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize (won), for *Afire*
- 2020: Berliner Bär (won)
- 2012: Best Director (won), for *Barbara*

### Other awards — 21 won, 3 nominated

- Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 2021: Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (won)
- European Film Award for Best Film 2020: European Film Award for Best Film (nominated), for *Undine*
- Schiller Prize of the City of Mannheim 2020: Schiller Prize of the City of Mannheim (won)
- Bavarian Film Awards 2018: Bavarian Film Awards (won), for *Transit*
- Julius Campe award 2018: Julius Campe award (won)
- German TV Crime Drama Award 2016: German TV Crime Drama Award (won), for *Polizeiruf 110: Kreise*
- Helmut Käutner Prize 2013: Helmut Käutner Prize (won)
- European Film Award for Best Film 2012: European Film Award for Best Film (nominated), for *Barbara*
- European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film 2012: European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film (nominated), for *Barbara*
- German Film Award for Best Feature Film 2012: German Film Award for Best Feature Film (won), for *Barbara*
- Grimme-Preis 2012: Grimme-Preis (won), for *Dreileben trilogy*
- Preis der deutschen Filmkritik 2012: Preis der deutschen Filmkritik (won), for *Barbara*
- Deutscher Fernsehpreis 2011: Deutscher Fernsehpreis (won), for *Dreileben trilogy*
- Preis der deutschen Filmkritik 2008: Preis der deutschen Filmkritik (won), for *Jerichow*
- Preis der deutschen Filmkritik 2007: Preis der deutschen Filmkritik (won), for *Yella*
- Findling Award 2005: Findling Award (won), for *Ghosts*
- Grimme-Preis 2005: Grimme-Preis (won), for *Wolfsburg*
- Preis der deutschen Filmkritik 2005: Preis der deutschen Filmkritik (won), for *Ghosts*
- FIPRESCI Prize at Berlinale 2003: FIPRESCI Prize at Berlinale (won), for *Wolfsburg*
- Grimme-Preis 2003: Grimme-Preis (won), for *Something to Remind Me*
- Deutscher Fernsehpreis 2002: Deutscher Fernsehpreis (won), for *Something to Remind Me*
- German Film Award for Best Feature Film 2001: German Film Award for Best Feature Film (won), for *The State I Am In*
- Preis der deutschen Filmkritik 2001: Preis der deutschen Filmkritik (won), for *The State I Am In*
- Filmfestival Max Ophuels Prize 1996: Filmfestival Max Ophuels Prize (won), for *Cuba Libre*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/christian-petzold