Claus Drexel (filmmaker)

Claus Drexel, born June 24, 1968, is a Bavarian screenwriter, filmmaker and stage-director, mainly working in France.

Claus Drexel moved to Grenoble, France with his parents at the age of three. His father worked as a scientist in fundamental research in particle physics.

During his teenage years, he was very active in sports. First as an alpine ski downhill racer. Then he joined the Centaures de Grenoble American football team, where he played tight-end. He won the French National 2nd division championship in 1989 and played in the 1st division for several years. He is part of the team's Hall of Fame.

After attending international school and studying cinematography and sound at the University of Grenoble, Claus moved to Paris, where he went to film school. After his graduation, he first worked as sound engineer, editor and cinematographer, before starting his career as a director.

He has directed three short-films : C4 (1996), Max au bloc (1998) and La Divine Inspiration (2000), with lead actor Keir Dullea, star of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: a space odyssey.

His first feature-film, Affaire de famille, with André Dussollier and Miou-Miou, was theatrically released on June, 4th 2008. The screenplay, co-written with Claude Scasso, won the screenplay prize of the French National Cinema Center (CNC). The film was selected in many international festivals and won several prizes.

In 2012, Claus directed a stage version of Johann Sebastian Bach's St Matthew Passion at the famous Cirque d'Hiver in Paris.

Au bord du monde (On the Edge of the World), his documentary about the homeless people of Paris, premiered in the Acid section of the Cannes Film Festival in 2013. The film won many international awards, including the FIPRESCI-Prize in Thessaloniki. It has been screened at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and received the "La Croix – Best documentary of the year" award in 2014. That same year, the film was among the 8 nominees for the prestigious "Louis-Delluc – Best French film of the year" award, along with works from directors such as Jean-Luc Godard, Olivier Assayas and Abderrahmane Sissako. French art-magazine Telerama listed Au bord du monde among the "15 best films of 2014", along with films such as Winter Sleep, Mommy, Ida and the Grand Budapest Hotel...

Claus Drexel is descendant of Martin Luther.

He is the great-grandson and grandnephew of Munich painters Wilhelm and Rudolf Schacht. He is a painter himself and attended classes at the Beaux-Arts de Paris.

Feature films

• 2008 : Affaire de famille
• 2014 : Au bord du monde (On the Edge of the World)
  

Short films

• 1996 : C4
• 1998 : Max au bloc
• 2000 : La Divine Inspiration

• 2012 : St Matthew Passion (Bach) (Cirque d'hiver, Chœur symphonique de Paris)
• 2012 : Le Bal (Oscar Strasnoy) (Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, Orchestre National de France)
• 2000 : Ephéméra (Oscar Strasnoy) (Musée d'Orsay, Paris)

• 2015 : Nominated: Prix Louis-Delluc, Au bord du monde
• 2014 : Won: « La Croix » best documentary of the year, Au bord du monde
• 2014 : Won: FIPRESCI- International critics award, Thessaloniki, Greece, Au bord du monde
• 2014 : Won: Best documentary, Festival de Nador, Morocco, Au bord du monde
• 2014 : Won: Best documentary, Teheran Film Festival, Iran, Au bord du monde
• 2008 : Won: National Screenplay Prize, Franch National Cinema Center, Affaire de famille
• 2008 : Best European Film, 25th Avignon Film Festival, Affaire de famille

• Au bord du monde, official website
• Claus Drexel on imdb