Hark Bohm, one of the most prominent and committed German filmmakers, is dead. The director, author, producer, actor and university professor died on Friday at the age of 86 in Hamburg with his family. His daughter told the German Press Agency.
Most of all thanks socially critical coming-of-age productions such as “Nordsee ist Mordsee” (1976), “Moritz, Dear Moritz” (1978) and “Yasemin” (1988)for which he received the Federal Film Prize in Gold, Bohm made cinema history. With his student Fatih Akin – now a successful director himself – he wrote the script for his internationally successful NSU drama “Out of Nothing” with Diane Kruger.
Filmmaker until almost the very end
The most recently reclusive artist made 2025 once again a furorewhen Akin’s film “Amrum”, which is based on Bohm’s autobiographically inspired novel of the same name, celebrated its acclaimed world premiere at the International Film Festival in Cannes, France – again with Hollywood star Kruger in the cast.
Bohm was born in Hamburg on May 18, 1939, the son of a senior senator and descendant of farmers and captains. He also leaves a strong mark on film politics. In 1971, the left-liberal lawyer co-initiated the “Authors’ Film Publishing House” in Munich. He was also a co-founder of the Hamburg Film Office and the Hamburg Film Festival (both 1979). In 1992, Bohm and theater man Jürgen Flimm launched film studies at the University of Hamburg.
The man with the weathered face is also remembered as a striking actor in small and supporting roles. He worked several times with legendary director Rainer Werner Fassbinder (“The Marriage of Maria Braun”, 1978). Also in Bernhard Wicki’s Joseph Roth adaptation “The Spider’s Web” (1989) and in Helmut Dietl’s Hitler diary farce “Schtonk!” (1992) you saw him.
With his wife, the producer Natalia Bowakow, the enthusiastic father Bohm had four adopted children – including the actor Uwe Bohm (1962-2022) – as well as two foster children.