Birthday:
08-25-1973
(51 years)
Birthplace:
Hamburg, Deutschland
Biography
Fatih Akin born 25 August 1973 is a German film director, screenwriter and producer. His films have won numerous awards and accolades, including the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for his film Head-On (2004), Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival for his film The Edge of Heaven (2007), and the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film for his film In the Fade (2017).
Akin was born in Hamburg to Turkish parents. He has one brother, Cem Akin, who works as an actor. He attended the University of Fine Arts of Hamburg to study visual communications and graduated in 2000.
Akin has been married to German-Mexican actress Monique Obermüller since 2004. The couple live in Hamburg-Altona, close to where he was raised.[4] They have two children.
Akin made his debut as director of a full-length film as early as 1998 with Short Sharp Shock (Kurz und schmerzlos), which brought him the "Bronze Leopard" award at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland and the "Pierrot", the Bavarian Film Award for Best New Director in Munich the same year. Since then he has directed feature films such as In July (Im Juli) in 2000, We forgot to go back (Wir haben vergessen zurückzukehren) in 2001 and Solino' in 2002.
His fourth film, Head-On (Gegen die Wand), starring Sibel Kekilli, was a major success in 2004 and received several prizes, among them the Golden Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival and the "Best Film" and the "Audience Award" at the 2004 European Film Awards.
In 2005, he directed a documentary about the Istanbul music scene, Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, which includes musicians such as Ceza, Sezen Aksu, Aynur Doğan and Brenna MacCrimmon. It is narrated by a member of a German experimental band Einstürzende Neubauten, Alexander Hacke, who also produced music for Head-On.
In 2007, Akin's The Edge of Heaven, a German-Turkish cross-cultural tale of loss, mourning and forgiveness, won the prize for Best Screenplay at the 60th Cannes Film Festival in 2007. On 24 October 2007 the same film was awarded the first edition of the LUX prize for European cinema by the European Parliament.
About the comedy Soul Kitchen (2009) he has said he chose this more light-hearted film because he needed a break after making the "tough" films Head-On and The Edge of Heaven before making his next planned film The Devil. "But", he says, "now I feel ready to finish the trilogy".
In 2012, his documentary film Polluting Paradise was screened in the Special Screenings section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. His 2014 film The Cut was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.
In 2017, Akin's film In the Fade was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes that year, Diane Kruger won the Best Actress award. The film was subsequently selected as the German entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist. In the Fade won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.
Akin was born in Hamburg to Turkish parents. He has one brother, Cem Akin, who works as an actor. He attended the University of Fine Arts of Hamburg to study visual communications and graduated in 2000.
Akin has been married to German-Mexican actress Monique Obermüller since 2004. The couple live in Hamburg-Altona, close to where he was raised.[4] They have two children.
Akin made his debut as director of a full-length film as early as 1998 with Short Sharp Shock (Kurz und schmerzlos), which brought him the "Bronze Leopard" award at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland and the "Pierrot", the Bavarian Film Award for Best New Director in Munich the same year. Since then he has directed feature films such as In July (Im Juli) in 2000, We forgot to go back (Wir haben vergessen zurückzukehren) in 2001 and Solino' in 2002.
His fourth film, Head-On (Gegen die Wand), starring Sibel Kekilli, was a major success in 2004 and received several prizes, among them the Golden Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival and the "Best Film" and the "Audience Award" at the 2004 European Film Awards.
In 2005, he directed a documentary about the Istanbul music scene, Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, which includes musicians such as Ceza, Sezen Aksu, Aynur Doğan and Brenna MacCrimmon. It is narrated by a member of a German experimental band Einstürzende Neubauten, Alexander Hacke, who also produced music for Head-On.
In 2007, Akin's The Edge of Heaven, a German-Turkish cross-cultural tale of loss, mourning and forgiveness, won the prize for Best Screenplay at the 60th Cannes Film Festival in 2007. On 24 October 2007 the same film was awarded the first edition of the LUX prize for European cinema by the European Parliament.
About the comedy Soul Kitchen (2009) he has said he chose this more light-hearted film because he needed a break after making the "tough" films Head-On and The Edge of Heaven before making his next planned film The Devil. "But", he says, "now I feel ready to finish the trilogy".
In 2012, his documentary film Polluting Paradise was screened in the Special Screenings section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. His 2014 film The Cut was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.
In 2017, Akin's film In the Fade was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes that year, Diane Kruger won the Best Actress award. The film was subsequently selected as the German entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist. In the Fade won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.
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The Experiment
Act like Cab Driver (voice)
event2001 star_border 7.4
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20 volunteers agree to take part in a seemingly well-paid experiment advertised by the university. It is supposed to be about aggressive behavior in an artificial prison situation. A journalist senses a story behind the ad and smuggles himself in among the test subjects. They are randomly divided into prisoners and guards. What seems like a game at the beginning soon turns into bloody seriousness.
A Goddamn Job
Act like Ex-Gott
event2001 star_border 6
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After 1000 years of being God, Jonathan finally wants to get rid of the arduous job and not only has to answer to the tough goddess of the universe for his term in office, but also has to find a successor: the chaotic comic artist Niklas is supposed to be the lucky one. He just ran into pizza delivery driver Tess - and there was a spark between the two.
In July
Act like Rumänischer Grenzbeamter
event2000 star_border 7.3
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Can Daniel follow the sun from Hamburg to the Bosporus by Friday to meet his love?
Short Sharp Shock
Act like Nejo
event1998 star_border 6.7
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Gabriel, Bobby and Costa are old friends from Altona, a multicultural hood in Hamburg. Just out of prison, Gabriel wants to turn his back on crime, but the others continue to operate as petty criminals. Friendships are tested as the trio navigate a dark world of mafia bosses and deals gone wrong.
From Caligari to Hitler
Act like Self - Filmmaker
event2015 star_border 7.4
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Film journalist and critic Rüdiger Suchsland examines German cinema from 1919, when the Republic of Weimar is born, to 1933, when the Nazis come into power. (Followed by Hitler's Hollywood, 2017.)
Robbery Alla Turca
Act like Lokman
event2005 star_border 4.6
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With the death of a billionaire engaged in illegal practices, his billion-dollar fortune is up for the grabs. As his art collection is being prepared to be sold at an auction, two Turkish thieves from Germany are hired to steal valuable paintings from the art collection. Meanwhile, Seckin the fashioner designer - also the brother of Binnur, wife of the late billionaire - prepares for a fashion show in the same hotel that the robbery is going to take place. With the intervention of police, the beautiful model and her ex-lover, a hip papparazi, the two "Laz" mafia bosses seeking revenge, and the getaway driver straight out of Selcuk Erdem caricatures, the robbery is bound to go wrong. Prepare for a twist at the end as the plot unfolds towards a climactic ending...
Getürkt
event1997 star_border 4.2
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Akin plays a loser who pretends that he has good dope and finds that he has to deliver in real to a gangster.
Trickser
event1997
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After a successful bank robbery, Erik and Bingo have to part again. While Erik is stuck in a demolition house with his booty and broken foot, Bingo believes Erik has settled with the money. The accomplices become bitter rivals.
Ein krasser Deal
Act like Bouncer
event2004
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Hip hoppers Yogi and Kemel dream of a big break in the music business. But just before an important competition, another band steals the song from them, and loan shark Harry confiscates their system.
Planet der Kannibalen
Act like Mr. Dark
event2001 star_border 8
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A television reporter searches for alien life forms and gets entangeled in a web of intrigue.
German Dream
Act like Fatih Akin
event2004
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A documentary about the integration and lifestyle of Turks who immigrated to Germany, especially young people, who are defined as the third generation today. The film contains a wide range of perspectives ranging from hip hop artists to businessmen, retired workers to film directors.
Champions: A Comic Tale
Act like Self
event2011 star_border 6
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A comic tale. The issue of film education has been a Gordian link for many years in Greece. Starting from the time of Stavrakos in 1950, the documentary reaches up to the present day, exploring this issue through a dialogue between the people who dealt and are dealing. Among them Theodoros Angelopoulos, Pantelis Voulgaris, Dinos Katsouridis, Nikos Koundouros, Manos Zacharias, Werner Herzog, Emir Kustouritsa, Fatih Akin.
Back in Trouble
Act like Kebab-Fatih
event1997 star_border 5
top_panel_open
Unsuccessful Luxembourg bank robber Johnny Chicago is released from prison and immediately and incompetently attempts to resume his life of crime. In a few days he manages to get his old partner fired and thrown out of the house, his girlfriend arrested and jailed, all the while scheming to rob a bunch of German pensioners, stop a train and make some quick money to make a name for himself.
The Lovers of the Hotel Osman
Act like Ahmet
event2001
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Ahmet and Ili are in love with one another and with Istanbul. They want to stay for a night in a hotel room with a view on the wonderful Bosporus and with a little creative thinking avoid having to show a 'marriage-pass'.
We Have Forgotten to Return Home
Act like Himself
event2001 star_border 5
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A documentary by Fatih Akin about turkish immigrants in Germany.
The Last Flight
event1999 star_border 5
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In an apartment building in Nuremberg, Germany, a night amongst four young adults has just begun. Talk, laughter, and a few intravenous shots to escape and fly towards another place. But one amongst them seems to have not returned from his trip. The jury speaks: His heart is no longer beating, the dose seems to have been fatal. What are they to do now? How should they get rid of the body? A solution is found, make him fly, but the landing turns out to be not so soft for those left behind.
Kusturica - Balkan's Bad Boy
Act like Himself
event2012 star_border 8
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A film director, an actor, a musician, an organizer of festivals, a husband, a father, a grand-father, a friend, a professor... This film is an unexpected meeting with one of the most fascinating European film directors: Emir Kusturica. This is a journey to memory and forgetfulness. Beyond success, money, dependencies and pride. A deeper look into the world of Kusturica and his Wooden city at Mokra Gora. A tale about the won battles, as well as the lost ones. About the everlasting curiosity in filmmaking.
Doppelter Einsatz
Act like Erdal (1 ep.)
event1994 star_border 2.3
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Doppelter Einsatz is a German television series about the cases of two female detectives of the Hamburg police.
SK-Babies
Act like Bekir (1 ep.)
event1996
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SK-Babies is a German television series.
Through the Night with...
Act like Self (2 ep.)
event2002 star_border 8
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Durch die Nacht mit … is a German documentary film television series produced by ZDF for Franco-German television channel ARTE. Locations are mainly in France or Germany.
The title of the French version is Au cœur de la nuit.
Two Celebrities spend an filmed evening together. One of them is the host who sets the location and the program. There is no moderator.
Bambi Awards
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1948 star_border 9
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The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and other fields "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year", both domestic and foreign. First held in 1948, it is the oldest media award in Germany. The trophy is named after Felix Salten's book Bambi, A Life in the Woods and its statuettes are in the shape of the novel's titular fawn character. They were originally made of porcelain until 1958, when the organizers switched to using gold, with the casting done by the art casting workshop of Ernst Strassacker in Süßen.
TV total
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1999 star_border 6.1
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TV total is a German late-night television comedy talk show.
The set of TV total includes a floating interview stage that can be moved from one studio corner to the other. The show featured buttons with sounds and clips before Craig Ferguson's The Late Late Show.
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event2015 star_border 5.7
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Some of this year's most talked about talent open up about the challenges and triumphs of creating critically acclaimed series and performances.
Head-On
Producer (1 ep.)
event2004 star_border 7.5
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With the intention to break free from the strict familial restrictions, a suicidal young woman sets up a marriage of convenience with a forty-year-old addict, an act that will lead to an outburst of envious love.
The Edge of Heaven
Producer (1 ep.)
event2007 star_border 7.2
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The lives of six German-Turkish immigrants are drawn together by circumstance: An old man and a prostitute forging a partnership, a young scholar reconciling his past, two young women falling in love, and a mother putting the shattered pieces of her life back together.
Kebab Connection
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event2004 star_border 6.6
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In Hamburg, Ibrahim "Ibo" Secmez, of Turkish descent, wants to direct the first German kung-fu movie. For now, he makes commercials for his uncle's kebab restaurant. Titzie, an aspiring actress and Ibo's German girlfriend, finds she's pregnant. Ibo is uncertain about fatherhood - compounded by his father's disowning him for getting a German girl pregnant - so Titzie sends him packing. He makes attempts at getting it right, but as the birth approaches, he's still not ready. In the background are three thugs in search of good tripe soup and a Capulet-Montegue feud between the kebab joint and a Greek taverna across the street. Can Ibo be the glove upon that hand?
Takva: A Man's Fear of God
Producer (1 ep.)
event2006 star_border 7.2
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Humble and introvert Muharrem lives in a solitary and meager existence of a prayer and sexual abstinence adhering strictly to the most severe Islamic doctrines.His extraordinary devotion attracts the attention of the leader of a rich and powerful Istanbul religious group and he offers him an administrative post as a rent collector for their numerous properties. Muharrem's new job throws him into the modern outside world he has successfully avoided for so long. He soon witnesses conflict attitude toward alcohol consumption and goodwill.He notices that he himself has become proud, domineering and even dishonest.To make matters worse, Muharrem's inner peace is unnerved by the tormenting image of seductive woman who tempts him in his dreams,both night and day.With the balance of his devotion now upset,his fear of God begins to eat away at his senses.
Soul Kitchen
Director (1 ep.)
event2009 star_border 6.9
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In Hamburg, German-Greek chef Zinos unknowingly disturbs the peace in his locals-only restaurant by hiring a more talented chef.
Chiko
Producer (1 ep.)
event2008 star_border 6.4
top_panel_open
This is the story of Isa, who grows up in a Hamburg suburb. It might be one of the world's richest cities but every beast has its belly and here, in the very underbelly, Chiko lives in a world where violence, staking and keeping a claim, and drug taking are the norm. Where down is not an option, Chiko is determined to rise to the top, whatever and whomever it costs.
Solino
Director (1 ep.)
event2002 star_border 7.1
top_panel_open
The movie portrays the story of an Italian family emigrated in Germany in the 1970s. Romano (Gigi Savoia), the father, decides to open a pizzeria which, by mutual decision with the wife Rosa (Antonella Attili), will call Solino, leaving his sons Gigi and Giancarlo to work there. A hostile relationship comes to life between the father and his sons, which will end up in the escape of the boys from family.
Visions of Europe
Director (1 ep.)
event2004 star_border 4.9
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Twenty-five films from twenty-five European countries by twenty-five European directors.
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
Director (1 ep.)
event2005 star_border 7.3
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German musician Alexander Hacke explores Istanbul's rich music culture and attempts to create a portrait of Turkey through music genres. On this journey, he encounters a mosaic that covers countless genres from rock to arabesque, electronic to hip-hop.
Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash
Co-Producer (1 ep.)
event2021 star_border 6.2
top_panel_open
Ajo Kawir is a fighter who fears nothing, not even death. His raging urge to fight is driven by a secret: his impotence. When he crosses paths with a tough female fighter named Iteung, Ajo gets beaten black and blue, but he also falls head over heels in love. Will Ajo’s path lead him to a happy life with Iteung, and, eventually, his own peace of mind?
Germany ’09 – 13 Short Films About the State of the Nation
Director (1 ep.)
event2009 star_border 5.8
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Thirteen German directors present short films exploring the state of their country.
Polluting Paradise
Director (1 ep.)
event2012 star_border 5.6
top_panel_open
Villagers in Turkey's Black Sea village of Camburnu struggle with the government's decision to turn their community into a garbage dump.
The Cut
Director (1 ep.)
event2014 star_border 5.9
top_panel_open
In 1915 a man survives the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire, but loses his family, speech and faith. One night he learns that his twin daughters may be alive, and goes on a quest to find them.
Rhinegold
Director (1 ep.)
event2022 star_border 6.5
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Xatar’s way from the ghetto to the top of the charts is as dramatic as it is daring: Fatih Akin’s new film is based on the autobiographical novel »Alles oder Nix« (»All or Nothing«) of the probably most authentic exponent of German gangsta rap. From the hell of an Iraqi jail, Giwar Hajabi (Emilio Sakraya) emigrated to Germany as a young boy with his family in the mid-1980s and has to start right at the bottom. There are opportunities, but far more obstacles. Giwar’s rise from petty criminal to major dealer is swift. Until one shipment goes missing. In order to clear his debts with the cartel, he plans a legendary gold heist. But just as everything goes wrong, another door opens for Giwar thanks to his passion for music …
New York, I Love You
Director (1 ep.)
event2008 star_border 5.9
top_panel_open
New York, I Love You delves into the intimate lives of New Yorkers as they grapple with, delight in and search for love. Journey from the Diamond District in the heart of Manhattan, through Chinatown and the Upper East Side, towards the Village, into Tribeca, and Brooklyn as lovers of all ages try to find romance in the Big Apple.
Goodbye Berlin
Director (1 ep.)
event2016 star_border 6.7
top_panel_open
Maik, a fourteen-year-old teenager, sets out on a road trip during summertime with Tschick, a new classmate, in a stolen car. The two share life changing experiences during the eventful journey.
In the Fade
Director (1 ep.)
event2017 star_border 6.9
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Katja's life collapses after the deaths of her husband and son in a bomb attack. After a time of mourning and injustice, Katja seeks revenge.
Amrum
Writer (1 ep.)
new_releases Release: October 09, 2025
Island Amrum, early 1945: Hunting seals, fishing at night, nothing is too dangerous for 10-year old Nanning. He helps his mother to feed their family during the last days of war. After the war ends, new conflicts and challanges arise and Nanning has to find his own path in life.
The Golden Glove
Director (1 ep.)
event2019 star_border 6.9
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A serial killer strikes fear in the hearts of residents of Hamburg during the early 1970s.
Before Your Eyes
Co-Producer (1 ep.)
event2009 star_border 6.3
top_panel_open
After their parents are murdered, two young Kurdish children are forced to live on the street
30/30 Vision: Three Decades of Strand Releasing
Director (1 ep.)
event2019 star_border 5
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Over 30 filmmakers and friends of Strand Releasing have come together to honor the company’s indelible contribution to independent cinema over the past thirty years. The participating filmmakers have each created a short film for the project, all shot on iPhones.
UFO in Her Eyes
Executive Producer (1 ep.)
event2011 star_border 6.4
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Kwok Yun is a simple woman who leads a peasant’s life in the peaceful mountains around remote Three-Headed Bird Village. One day, after a countryside tryst with a married man, she sees a UFO – a giant glowing thing in the shape of a dumpling! The ambitious village leader Chief Chang takes advantage of the sighting, stimulating tourism with UFO tours and getting the local economy roaring with progress. Busy aspiring to strengthen relations with the USA, she is blind to the dangers such radical change can bring.
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