German director Michael Verhoeven has died at the age of 85. In his personal life, Austrian actress Senta Berger was by his side for 60 years.
His list of film successes is long, as is his list of awards: Verhoeven has made a name for himself as a critical mentor who doesn't shy away from difficult subjects and fights back against the odds.
“Today I think about how short 85 years have been and how rich and full my life has been,” he said before his 85th birthday. Professional life and personal life go hand in hand. While filming he met his love Senta Berger, with whom he founded a production company, and whose two sons, Simon and Luca, have also gone on to become successful in the film industry.
“My life and my life are closely connected – yet describe two different, incommensurable paths. “I'm glad that I succeeded in some work, and it was able to achieve a lot,” Verhoeven looked back.
Although he came from an acting family and had his first small film roles as a child, Berlin-born Verhoeven initially studied medicine and worked as a doctor. However, the film industry did not leave him completely and he continued to stand in front of the camera even during his studies. From the late 1960s, Verhoeven began working more frequently as a director. One of his first projects, his experimental anti-Vietnam War film “Okay,” caused a scandal at the 1970 Berlinale, as American jury president George Stevens felt insulted, and the jury eventually split with no awards.
Most popular films
- One of Verhoeven's most famous films was 1982's “The White Rose” with lead actress Lena Stolz.
- Lena Stolz, who also played Verhoeven's leading lady in “The Terrible Girl” (1990), was particularly praised by film critics at the time. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1991.
- “The Test of Courage (1982) dealt with conscientious objectors and “Land of Cocaine” (1990) dealt with German-German history between the fall of 1989 and the fall of 1990.
- With “Unknown Soldier” (2006), Verhoeven made a documentary about two Wehrmacht exhibitions, which caused debate in Germany until the early 2000s.
His life is love
Senta Berger met Verhoeven in 1963 while filming “Jack and Jenny.” The two have been married since 1966 and had a scandal-free marriage. They always work together professionally. She appeared in front of the camera as the lead actress in Verhoeven's TV series “The Fast Gertie”. Verhoeven said it was “probably the first television series centered around a taxi driver who maintains his independence and is a feminist without knowing it properly”.
Together with his son Simon, Verhoeven produced the successful comedy “Welcome to Hartmanns” (2016), which revolved around the topic of refugees in Germany. Senta Berger was also there. When asked what he was particularly happy about in retrospect, Verhoeven said: “I'm happy for Senta and the family that kept it together.”
