Jens Westphalen Explained

Jens Westphalen (* 1964 in Hamburg) is a German wildlife filmmaker, director and film producer. His documentaries have received many awards.

Life and career

Jens Westphalen grew up in Hamburg-Langenhorn. During his childhood and youth he was interested in animals and nature, photography and film. This also led to his early desire to become a wildlife filmmaker.[1] After graduating from high school in Heidberg, Jens Westphalen traveled through South America for a year and gained his first experiences as a professional photographer. Jens Westphalen then did community service and then studied biology at the University of Hamburg.[2] Jens Westphalen then worked as a nature photographer in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, mainly during the semester breaks. While studying biology, Jens Westphalen met his fellow student Thoralf Grospitz. He began making his first nature films with him before he finished his studies. They later founded the production company Zorillafilm. Animal and nature films such as Die Nordsee (The North Sea), Wildes Japan (Wild Japan) and the Australien (Australia) series have been made since 1993. The documentaries portray natural areas such as "Poland's East", "Borneo's Secret Kingdom" and "Wild Hamburg" or animal species such as African elephants, dingoes, red kangaroos and sea turtles. But Jens Westphalen is not only taken with large and exotic animals: in 2003 the film Die frechen Spatzen von Berlin (The Cheeky Sparrows of Berlin) was made.

In addition to various European countries, these include: Costa Rica, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia, Borneo, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana and Japan are Jens Westphalen's filming locations. On his film trips he usually travels for months and often in remote areas with his film partner Thoralf Grospitz.Numerous documentaries have received nominations and awards at international film festivals and television awards. In 2011, the two-parter Wild Japan received a nomination for Best Documentary at the International Emmy Award.[3] [4] Other films also received honors: For example, the film Australien – im Reich der Riesenkängurus (Australia – in the realm of the giant kangaroos) won the Deutschen Naturfilmpreis (German Nature Film Prize),[5] the "Best Camera" award at the Green Screen Nature Film Festival, "Best Film" at the Animal Behavior Society[6] and the "Grand Prix" at the Matsalu International Nature Film Festival. Films have also received awards at the New York Festivals several times. Jens Westphalen is therefore one of the most renowned German nature filmmakers.[7] [8] His films are characterized by unusual perspectives, extreme slow motion, aerial shots and epic landscape images.

Jens Westphalen and his film partner Thoralf Grospitz have established themselves on the international television market with their productions and work together with television stations and production companies such as ARD, ZDF, NDR, WDR, BR, Arte, ORF, Deutsche Welle, NDR Naturfilm Doclights, National Geographic Channel, Terra Mater Factual Studios and Wildbear Entertainment.

Jens Westphalen's documentaries are shown in Germany, among others, in the ARD series Erlebnis Erde (Experience Earth) and in the NDR series Expeditionen ins Tierreich(Expeditions into the Animal Kingdom). He also worked for the children's series Die Sendung mit der Maus (The Show with the Mouse) and Löwenzahn (Dandelion).

Jens Westphalen lives with his family in Hamburg.

Filmography

Links

References

  1. https://www.shz.de/lokales/niebuell-leck/artikel/ich-wollte-schon-als-kind-naturfilmer-werden-41387830 Ich wollte schon als Kind Naturfilmer werden
  2. Web site: Tierfilmer*innen bei der Arbeit: Die erstaunlichsten Momente . 26 November 2021 .
  3. https://www.abendblatt.de/vermischtes/article108170931/Zwei-Hamburger-Naturfilmer-fuer-den-Emmy-nominiert.html Zwei Hamburger für den Emmy nominiert
  4. https://www.ndr.de/der_ndr/presse/mitteilungen/pressemeldungndr9027.html NDR Produktionen "Allein gegen die Zeit" und "Wildes Japan" für Emmy nominiert
  5. Web site: Deutscher Naturfilmpreis für NDR/ARTE-Koproduktion "Australien - Im Reich der Riesenkängurus" .
  6. Web site: Deutscher Naturfilmpreis für NDR/ARTE-Koproduktion "Australien - Im Reich der Riesenkängurus" .
  7. https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/article107848449/Diese-Hamburger-zaehlen-zu-den-besten-Naturfilmern-Deutschlands.html diese Hamburger zählen zu den besten Naturfilmern Deutschlands
  8. Web site: Detail . 9 July 2024 .
  9. Web site: Wildes Japan .
  10. Web site: Wildes Japan .
  11. Web site: 2024-07-17 . fernsehserien.de . Universum Namibias Naturwunder (1) - Leben am Limit .
  12. Web site: 2024-07-17 . fernsehserien.de . Wildes Australien . 26 November 2014 .
  13. Web site: Abenteuer Wildnis: Polens wilder Osten · Zwischen Wisenten, Wölfen und Elchen - hier anschauen .
  14. Web site: 2024-07-17 . ORF . Universum Namibias Naturwunder (1) - Leben am Limit .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Jens Westphalen".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.