Percy Adlon

Paul Rudolf Parsifal "Percy" Adlon (German: [ˈpɛɐ̯si ˈaːdlɔn]; born 1 June 1935) is a German director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his film Bagdad Café. He is associated with the New German Cinema movement, whose "members" also include Werner Herzog and the illustrious Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Adlon was born in Munich. He grew up in Ammerland/Starnberger See. He studied art, theater history, and German literature at Munich's Ludwig-Maximilian University; took acting and singing classes; and was a member of the student theater group.

Percy's films are shown and compete regularly at international film festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, and others.

He started his professional career as an actor, became interested in radio work, was a narrator and editor of literature series and a presenter and voice-over actor in television for 10 years.

In 1970, he made his first short film for Bavarian television, followed by more than 150 documentary films about art and the human condition. His first one-hour portrait Tomi Ungerer's Landleben started a very successful co-operation with Benigna von Keyserlingk who became the Adlon's television producer of documentaries and feature films.

Their first feature film Céleste, drew international attention at Cannes in 1981. Bagdad Cafe (1987) started their co-operation with Dietrich v. Watzdorf (Bayerischer Rundfunk). The story of Jasmin Münchgstettner and the Café owner Brenda was an international hit. Marianne Sägebrecht whom Percy Adlon discovered in 1979 became a cult figure, and he developed songs with Tony, Oscar, and Grammy award nominated Bob Telson on such songs as "Calling You" a classic.

Percy and Eleonore Adlon have won numerous awards, including top honors in Rio de Janeiro for Bagdad Cafe, and in Montreal for Salmonberries, two Césars, the Ernst-Lubitsch-Award, the Swedish and the Danish Academy awards, the Prix Humanum, Belgium, prizes in Venice, Chicago, Valladolid, Brussels, Tokyo as well as Bavarian and German Federal Film Awards, among others.

Percy Adlon is the recipient of the Officer's Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany, and a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Currently he is working on his new film, "Thank You, Thank You" (2017). This is the first time that Percy directs a film he did not write himself.

Percy is the great-grandson of Lorenz Adlon the founder of the Hotel Adlon. He grew up in the Bavarian countryside with his mother and attributes the strong, often unconventional, women's roles in his films to his being brought up in this manner. His son, Felix, an accomplished director in his own right, is the former husband of Pamela Adlon.

• 1982 Bavarian Film Award, Best Director
• 1987 Bavarian Film Award, Best Screenplay
• 1991 Bavarian Film Award, Best Director

• Bayern.de

• Vormund und sein Dichter, Der (1978) (TV) Director, Writer (written by), Producer ... a.k.a. The Guardian and His Poet (USA) (Adolf Grimme Award in Gold)
• Herr Kischott (1980) (TV) Director
• Céleste (1981) Director, (Writer Special Jury Award IFF Chicago)
• Fünf letzte Tage (1982) Director ... a.k.a. Last Five Days ... a.k.a. The Five Last Days (German Federal Film Award, Bavarian Film Award, OCIC-Prize, IFF Venice, 1982)
• Die Schaukel (1983) Director, Writer ... a.k.a. The Swing
• Zuckerbaby (de) (1985) Director, Writer ... a.k.a. Sugarbaby (Ernst-Lubitsch-Award for Marianne Sägebrecht)
• Herschel und die Musik der Sterne (1986) (TV) Director, Writer
• Out of Rosenheim a.k.a. Bagdad Cafe (USA) (1987) Director, Writer, Producer (Grand Prix IFF Rio de Janeiro, César, best foreign Film (French FIlm Award), Ernst-Lubitsch-Award (Director), Swedish and Danish Film Academies, Bavarian Film Award (original screenplay) Prix Humanum, Belgium.)
• Babycakes (1989) (TV) Writer (screenplay Zuckerbaby, aka, Sugarbaby)
• Rosalie Goes Shopping (1989) Director, Writer, Producer (Official German Entry, 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Best Film - Section "Cinema & Denaro", IFF EuropaCinema & TV, Viareggio.)
• Red Hot and Blue (1990) (TV) Director
• Salmonberries (1991) Director, Writer ... a.k.a. Percy Adlon's Salmonberries (Germany: poster title) (Grand Prix des Ameriques, Montreal. Bavarian Film Awards for director P.A. and for Rosel Zech, Best Actress.)
• Younger and Younger (1993) Director, Writer, Producer. (Special Prize of the Jury, Brussels. Best Actress IFF Tokyo Lolita Davidovich)
• In der glanzvollen Welt des Hotel Adlon (1996) (TV) Director ... a.k.a. Hotel Adlon (Germany: short title) (Bavarian Television Award)
• Eat Your Heart Out (1997) Producer
• Die Straußkiste (1999) Director, Writer Cinematographer ... a.k.a. Forever Flirt (International: English title)
• Hawaiian Gardens (2001) Director, Writer
• Koenig's Sphere (2001) Director ... a.k.a. Koenigs Kugel (German title)
• Bagdad Cafe - The Musical (2003–2006) Director
• Orbela's People (2007)
• Mahler auf der Couch (2010)

• Elisir D'Amore (2003) opera by Gaetano Donizetti, directed by Percy Adlon for the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden.
• Wolkenstein (2004) A new opera by Wilfried Hiller and Felix Mitterer, directed by Percy Adlon. Premiere at the State Opera Nürnberg.