Biography
Jan Heck, born in Balingen in 1991, says he discovered his passion for film as a teenager, especially through the movie theater in his hometown, which was a "window to the world" for him. He completed a bachelor's degree in Motion Pictures at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, during which time he made the short films "Moosgrün" (2011) and "König der Stadt" (2012). He started working as a freelance cinematographer and editor in 2015. From 2018 until the end of 2023 he studied Time-based Media at the University of Applied Sciences in Mainz. Before graduating, Jan Heck realized his first feature-length documentary: "Schleimkeim - Otze und die DDR von unten" ("Schleimkeim - Otze and the GDR from Under Ground"), a portrait of the legendary GDR punk Dieter "Otze" Ehrlich and his band "Schleimkeim". The premiere took place in November 2023 at the Braunschweig Film Festival and the theatrical release started in March 2024.