Prof. Ulrike Franke

Ulrike Franke was born in Dortmund in 1970. She studied theatre, film and television, Romance languages and art history at the University of Cologne and received a vocational grant for directing from the Filmstiftung NRW in 1992. In 1996 she founded the film production company “loekenfranke” (with Michael Loeken).

Ulrike Franke has worked as an author, director and producer since 1998 and also as a lecturer since 2005.

In recent years she has also created video installations in collaboration with Schauspiel Bochum and the international theatre group Rimini Protokoll among others.

Her films have received international attention and numerous awards (incl. Best Film Award, Hot Docs Toronto; Best Film Award, One World, Prague; Grimme Prize; German Film Prize nomination…).

Selected films (with Michael Loeken): “Und vor mir die Sterne – Das Leben der Schlagersängerin Renate Kern” (1998, 90 min.); “Herr Schmidt und Herr Friedrich – eine deutsch-deutsche Liebe” (2001, 69 min.); “Soldatenglück und Gottes Segen” (2002, 92 min.), nominated for the German Film Prize 2003; “Losers and Winners” (2006, 96 min.), awarded  the prize for best film at Toronto Hot Docs Festival 2007 and the Grimme Prize 2009, among others; “Arbeit Heimat Opel” (2012, 90 min.); “Göttliche Lage” (2014, 99 min.), awarded the Grimme Prize 2016, among others.

Selected video installations: “Under Construction” (2007); “Losers and Winners” (2008), Hartware MedienKunstVerein Dortmund; “Next Generation/Opel” (2010), Kulturhauptstadt RUHR.2010; “Zeitraffer Phönixsee” (2015), Museum für Kunst und Kultur Dortmund; “Truck Tracks Ruhr” video concept for the theatre group Rimini Protokoll, Ruhrtriennale (2016/17) .