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Herz Frank
A Merited Artist of the Latvian SSR (1975).
Has been awarded the Latvian SSR State Prize (1967).
He is a documentary film director, a scriptwriter, photographer,a lawyer according to his educationand, and a cameraman.
He was born in Latvia, in 1926, studied law in Moscow. Graduated from the School of Law in Moscow, USSR (1945 – 1947).
Worked as a journalist, lecturer and advertisement designer in Vladimir from 1952 till 1954.
Worked in the newspapers "Padomju Jaunatne" and "Rigas Balss" in Latvia from 1954.
Starting from 1959 worked at Riga Film Studios as a photographer, editor and a documentary film script writer and director. Directed more than 30 documentaries. His debut as a director of documentary films is THE SALT BREAD (1965).
Since 1965, Herz Frank works solely as a film director, and he is famous by his fine understanding of human psychology Characteristic features of Frank's films are philosophical generalisations, his ability to get into the depths of human soul, and the desire to discover secrets in relations between a human being and the surrounding world, Being an author of more than 30 films, he has received a number of international prizes at various film festivals. Since 1993, Frank resides in Israel and in Latvia. In 2002, Frank was elected member of the TV Academy of Eurasia, In 2002, Frank founded his own production company "Studio EFEF" that will continue and keep up the traditions of the Riga School of Poetic Documentary Cinema.
Herz Frank is also writing the theory of documentary filmmaking. Frank has written the book "The Map of Ptolemy" (Moscow, 1975) about the documentary cinema as art. Besides, more than 160 publications in books, magazines, newspapers in the USSR, Poland, Germany, France, USA, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, and Israel are devoted to the art of Herz Frank, including an article in the four-volume History of Soviet Film Art (Moscow, 1980) and the Encyclopaedia of Cinema (Moscow, 1986).
Herz Frank was a member of the Editorial Board of the magazine Art of Cinema (Moscow) until 1993. Herz Frank is one of the beginners of the Riga School of Poetic Documentary Cinema. The main theme of his creative work is the destiny of mankind, the tragic in life, even criminality. However, the films of Herz Frank appeal to kindness and faith as eternal values.
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Herz Frank- Dialogue with Epoch, People, and Oneself
by Abrams Kleckins, Dr.Art
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Filmography
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Selected titles
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2004
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Aufenhalt Germania
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52' |
Beta SP |
colour |
script, director, director of photography
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2004
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28' |
Beta SP |
colour |
script, director, director of photography
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2002
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102' |
Beta SP |
colour / b/w |
script, director, director of photography
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2001
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10' |
Beta SP |
b/w |
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2001
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The Man of Wall
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58' |
Beta SP |
colour |
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1992
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The Jewish Street
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52' |
Beta SP |
colour |
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1990
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A Prayer
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10' |
35 mm |
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1989
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10' |
35 mm |
colour |
script, director
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1989
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There Were Seven Simeons
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90' |
35 mm |
b/w / colour |
script, director
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1987
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73' |
35 mm |
b/w |
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1984
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Till the Dangerous Verge
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53' |
35 mm |
b/w |
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1980
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The Last Celebration
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46' |
35 mm |
b/w |
script, director
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1979
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The Awakening
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10' |
35 mm |
colour |
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1978
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10' |
35 mm |
b/w |
script, director
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1975
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66' |
35 mm |
b/w |
script, director
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1974
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The Joy of Being
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21' |
35 mm |
b/w |
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1973
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10' |
35 mm |
b/w |
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1972
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22' |
35 mm |
b/w |
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1971
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Your Pay-Day
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54' |
35 mm |
b/w |
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1967
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Without Legends
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38' |
35 mm |
b/w |
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1967
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110' |
35 mm |
b/w |
script
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1967
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Catolicism in the USSR
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30' |
35 mm |
b/w |
script, director
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1965
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Noon
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16' |
35 mm |
b/w |
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1964
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20' |
35 mm |
b/w |
script, director
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1962
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The White Bells
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30' |
35 mm |
b/w |
script
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Awards
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"Once There Were Seven Simeons"
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1991
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Grand Prix at the IFF in San-Sebastian, Spain
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1991
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The Runner-up Prize at the IFF in Yamagata, Japan
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1991
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The Special Prize of La Sept at the IFF Cinema du Reel in Paris, France
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1990
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Grand Prix, "Golden Dove,"at the IFF in Leipzig, Germany
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"The Last Judgement"
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1989
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IFF in Sverdlovsk, Russia
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1987
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Grand Prix, at the IFF in Nyon. Switzerland
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"The Trace of the Soul"
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1973
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First Prize at the IFF in Oberhausen, Germany
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Honorary Diplomas
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1993
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"The Jewish Street"
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1979
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"10 Minutes Older"
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1975
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"The Joy of Being"
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1967
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"235.000.000"
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1963
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"The White Bells"
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at IFF in San Francisco, Leipzig, Paris, Krakow, Washington, Bornholm, and Jerusalem
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Participation in International Events
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2002
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Workshop in the Documentary Film Centre in Stuttgart, Germany
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2001
1999
1996
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Workshop in the Film School in Moscow, Russia
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2000
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Filmmakers Meeting "Transit Zero" in Vickleby, Sweden and Liepaja, Latvia
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2000
1999
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Workshop in the Film School in Jerusalem, Israel
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1999
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Workshop in the IFF in Bornholm, Denmark
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1997
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Participation in the International Holocaust Film Programme, Jerusalem, Israel
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1996
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Retrospective in the Cinematheque in Jerusalem, Israel
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1995
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Seminar in the Film Institute of Sweden in Stockholm
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1994
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Retrospective in the "7e festival du Cinema Nordique" in Rouen, France
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1991
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Retrospective in educational program together with Richard Lickok in Augsburg, Germany
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1989 -
1991
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Retrospective and participation in the "Glasnost" Film Festivals in Washington, New York, Glasgow, Lubeck, Edinburgh, Vienna, Amsterdam, Madrid, Bilbao, and Graz
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1988-
1990
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Workshop in the Academy of Art in Berlin, Germany
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1988
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Member of the first official
delegation of the USSR cinematographers at the IFF in Jerusalem, Israel
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1987-
1988
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Retrospective in the framework of the International Film Festivals in Nyon-Berlin
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Member of Jury
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2000
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IFF "Dok-Aviv," Tel-Aviv, Israel
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1998
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IFF "Eurasia," Almaty, Kazakhstan
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1996
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IFF Petersburg, Russia
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1994
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IFF Jerusalem, Israel
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1992
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IFF Bilbao, Spain
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1990
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IFF Oberhausen, Germany
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1989 IFF
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of European prize "Felix," Berlin-Paris
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