Michael Ballhaus, ASC (5 August 1935 – 12 April 2017) was a German cinematographer and filmmaker, known for his collaborations with directors Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols, and James L. Brooks. He was nominated three times each for the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography, and won two German Film Awards.
Early life Ballhaus was born on 5 August 1935 in Berlin, to actors and . His uncle was actor and director Carl Ballhaus.Filmreference.comThomas Vorwerk,
He was influenced by family friend Max Ophüls, and appeared as an extra in Ophüls' last film Lola Montès (1955).Michael Ballhaus discusses his connection with the Austrian director in the documentary film Working with Max Ophuls: Lola Montès Revisited (2008).
Career Ballhaus came to prominence with his work with Rainer Werner Fassbinder beginning with Whity (1971), in addition to The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), Chinese Roulette (1976) and The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978). In 1990, he was the head of the jury at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.
After settling in the United States, he worked on many American films, such as Goodfellas (1990), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), Wild Wild West (1999) and Gangs of New York (2002).
Ballhaus also made an appearance in Rosa von Praunheim's film Fassbinder's Women (2000).
He was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, but never won. He did win awards at the Chicago Film Critics Association, the Boston Society of Film Critics, and twice at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
His documentary In Berlin, made with Ciro Cappellari, was released in May 2009.
Ballhaus's final film was Sherry Hormann's 3096 Days in 2013.
In 1993, Ballhaus joined the Academy of Arts, Berlin. He was also a member of the Freie Akademie der Künste Hamburg, and was a co-founding member of the Deutsche Filmakademie in 2003.
Personal life Ballhaus was married to actress and art director Helga Maria Betten from 1958 until her death in 2006. They had two sons, Florian, who is also a cinematographer, and Jan Sebastian, an assistant director.
In 2011, Ballhaus married German-American director Sherry Hormann.. bild.de, 28 October 2011. Retrieved on 13 March 2012.
Death Ballhaus died at his home in Berlin at the age of 81 on 12 April 2017, after a short illness.
Filmography Feature film Cinematographer Year Title Director Notes1969 Ralf Gregan Your Caresses Peter SchamoniHerbert Vesely 1970 We Two Ulrich Schamoni1971 WhityRainer Werner Fassbinder Beware of a Holy Whore1972 The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant Tödlicher Poker Ulli Lommel1973 Hark Bohm Ralf Gregan Credited as "Michael Alexander" 1974 Rudolf Thome With Martin Schäfer1975 Fox and His FriendsRainer Werner Fassbinder Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven Ralf GreganGünter Vaessen1976 Peter Stein Satan's BrewRainer Werner Fassbinder With Jürgen Jürges Chinese Roulette 1977 Adolf und Marlene Ulli Lommel 1978 DespairRainer Werner Fassbinder1979 The Marriage of Maria Braun The First Polka Klaus Emmerich1980 Peter Lilienthal Big and Little Peter Stein1981 Lili Marleen Rainer Werner Fassbinder Uncredited Jeanine Meerapfel Walter BockmayerRolf Bührmann With Horst Knechtel Peer Raben1982 The Magic Mountain Hans W. Geißendörfer Dear Mr. Wonderful Peter Lilienthal1983 Sheer Madness Margarethe von Trotta Baby It's You John Sayles Edith's Diary Hans W. Geißendörfer1984 Old Enough Marisa Silver Reckless James Foley Das Autogramm Peter Lilienthal Heartbreakers Bobby Roth 1985 After Hours Martin Scorsese1986 Under the Cherry Moon Prince The Color of Money Martin Scorsese1987 The Glass Menagerie Paul Newman Broadcast News James L. Brooks1988 The House on Carroll Street Peter Yates The Last Temptation of Christ Martin Scorsese Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Frank Oz Working Girl Mike Nichols 1989 The Fabulous Baker Boys Steve Kloves1990 Goodfellas Martin Scorsese Postcards from the Edge Mike Nichols1991 Guilty by Suspicion Irwin Winkler What About Bob? Frank Oz1992 The Mambo Kings Arne Glimcher Bram Stoker's Dracula Francis Ford Coppola 1993 The Age of Innocence Martin Scorsese1994 I'll Do Anything James L. Brooks Quiz Show Robert Redford 1995 Outbreak Wolfgang Petersen 1996 Sleepers Barry Levinson 1997 Air Force One Wolfgang Petersen 1998 Primary Colors Mike Nichols 1999 Wild Wild West Barry Sonnenfeld2000 What Planet Are You From? Mike Nichols The Legend of Bagger Vance Robert Redford 2002 Gangs of New York Martin Scorsese2003 Uptown Girls Boaz Yakin Something's Gotta Give Nancy Meyers 2005 Sonntagsluft Frank A. Buecheler 2006 The Departed Martin Scorsese 2013 3096 Days Sherry Hormann
Executive producer The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
Associate producer Remembrance (2011)
Short film Cinematographer Year Title Director Notes 1978 Teile I Valie Export Segment of I (Beat (It)) 1979 Bourbon Street Blues Hans SchönherrTilman Taube 2001 Gone UndergroundSu Turhan 2002 Mutti2007 Die sanfte Schminke des LichtsAlexander Kluge Nachts träumen die Lampen desAteliers von ihrem wahren Leben 2009 Purple Sunrise Nina Vukovic With Armin Dierolf 2013 First Fassbinder Matthew Cheney
Producer Last Night (2004)
Television Cinematographer Year Title Director Notes 1958–70 1960 Die Nachbarskinder Peter Lilienthal 1961 Die Kassette Rudolf Noelte 1963 Der KlassenaufsatzHarald Benesch1964 Die Wohnung Das Martyrium des Peter O'Hey Peter Lilienthal 1965 Der große Wildenberg – Ein FeuilletonHerbert Vesely 1966 Ein Haus aus lauter Liebe1966 Große Liebe Johannes Schaaf Abschied Peter Lilienthal1968 Ganze Tage in den Bäumen Tom Toelle Gold für Montevasall Thomas Engel 1969 Der Kidnapper Tom Toelle 1971 Sand Peter Palitzsch1972 Der Marquis von Keith Hans Lietzau Der Held Hagen Müller-Stahl Adele Spitzeder Peer Raben1973 World on a Wire Rainer Werner Fassbinder Miniseries Tatort Wolfgang Staudte Episode "Tote brauchen keine Wohnung"1974 Martha Rainer Werner Fassbinder Rosenmontag Peter Beauvais Ein Haus für uns Wim Wenders Episodes "Aus der Familie der Panzerechsen" and "Die Insel" 1974–76 Unter einem Dach1976 Die Wahl Rainer Boldt I Only Want You to Love Me Rainer Werner Fassbinder With Ernst Schmid Dorothea Merz Peter Beauvais Sonntag Niels-Peter Rudolph1977 Auf dem Chimborazo Peter Beauvais Rainer Werner Fassbinder The Stationmaster's Wife Also es war so... Karin Thome with Lothar E. Stickelbrucks 1978 Der Gehilfe Ludwig Cremer 1979 Trilogie des Wiedersehens Botho Strauß 1979 Alpensaga Dieter Berner Episode "Der deutsche Frühling" 1980 Weihnacht '80 – Drei geschichten Wilhelm PevnyDieter Berner Segments "Das Menschenkindl" and "Maria und Josef" 1982 Der Auslöser Maria Neocleous 1985 Death of a Salesman Volker Schlöndorff 1986 Landscape with Waitress Jeffrey Townsend 1988 Baja Oklahoma Bobby Roth
Documentary works Cinematographer Year Title Director Notes 1961 Traumland der Sehnsucht Wolfgang Müller-Sehn with Wolfgang Müller-Sehn 1971 Berlin – Anhalter Bahnhof – XXV Jahre danach Leonid Wawiloff 1973 Ich bin ein Bürger der DDR Erika Runge 1977 Nur zum Spaß, nur zum Spiel Volker Schlöndorff 1977 Curd Jürgens Bernhard Wicki With Xaver Schwarzenberger1978 Germany in Autumn Rainer Werner Fassbinder Venedig – Die Insel der Glückseligen am Rande des Untergangs Christian Rischert 1981 Oye Raimundo, adónde vas? Jaime CarrascoFrancisco ChavezLuis LuponeJesús Sánchez
Director Year Title Notes1971 Die Verabredung mit der Wirklichkeit Fassbinder produziert: Film Nr. 8 With Dietmar Buchmann 2009 In Berlin Also writer and editor 2011 Unser Franken With Ulla Ballhaus
Awards and nominations +Michael Ballhaus awards and nominationsNominations Academy Awards BAFTA Film Awards German Film Award Independent Spirit Awards
Academy Awards Year Category Title Result 1988 Best Cinematography Broadcast News 1990 The Fabulous Baker Boys 2003 Gangs of New York
British Academy Film Awards Year Category Title Result 1991 Best Cinematography Goodfellas 1994 The Age of Innocence 2003 Gangs of New York
German Film Awards Year Category Title Result1973Best CinematographyThe Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant1978Despair2012Honorary Award
Independent Spirit Awards Year Category Title Result 1986 Best Cinematography After Hours
Critics awards Institution Year Category Title Result Boston Society of Film Critics 1989 Best Cinematography The Fabulous Baker Boys Chicago Film Critics Association 1992 Best Cinematography Bram Stoker's Dracula 2002 Gangs of New York 2006 The Departed Los Angeles Film Critics Association 1989 Best Cinematography The Fabulous Baker Boys 1990 Goodfellas National Society of Film Critics1986Best CinematographyAfter Hours1989 The Fabulous Baker Boys 1994The Age of InnocenceNew York Film Critics Circle1989Best CinematographerThe Fabulous Baker Boys1990Goodfellas1993The Age of Innocence2002Gangs of New YorkSeattle Film Critics Society2002Best CinematographyGangs of New YorkSt. Louis Film Critics Association2006Best CinematographyThe Departed
Film festivals Institution Year Category Title ResultBerlin International Film Festival2006Berlinale Camera2016Honorary Golden BearCamerimage1993Golden FrogThe Age of Innocence2006The Departed2010Lifetime Achievement AwardManaki Brothers Film Festival2006Golden Camera 300Shanghai International Film Festival2001Best TechnologyThe Legend of Bagger Vance Other accolades Institution Year Category Title ResultAmerican Society of Cinematographers2003Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical ReleasesGangs of New York2007International AwardBambi Awards2009Honorary AwardBavarian Film Awards2007Honorary AwardBritish Society of Cinematographers1990Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature FilmGoodfellasEuropean Film Awards2007Outstanding Achievement in World CinemaGoldene Kamera1996Honorary AwardMTV Video Music Awards1987Best CinematographyPapa Don't Preach Raymond Loewy Foundation 2001 Romy Award2013Best Cinematography3096 DaysSatellite Awards 2000 Best Cinematography The Legend of Bagger Vance 2002 Gangs of New York See also List of German-speaking Academy Award winners and nominees
References
External links
Cinemascope interview Michael Ballhaus in Genealogy Wiki