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Uwe Belz

Date of Birth
10/05/1937 - 12:00
Geburtsort
Berlin
Sterbedatum
12/17/2002 - 12:00
Sterbeort
Berlin
Biography

Uwe Belz, born October 5, 1937, in Berlin, was a passionate musician as a teenager and taught himself to play the trumpet, the double bass, and the guitar. After finishing high school, he graduated from an apprenticeship as an optician and subsequently attended Fachschule für Fotografie und Optik in Berlin-Weißensee and was trained to become a photographer. After his graduation, Belz worked as an assistant camera operator and finally as cinematographer for Deutscher Fernsehfunk (DFF). During the early 1960s, he made his first filmmaking experiences as assistant director for commercial and corporate films until he found a long-term position at DEFA’s studio for popular scientific films in 1963. When corporate films became more and more important from the mid-1960s on, Belz received several assignments from DEFA in this department.

From 1963 to 1968, he also studied directing at Deutsche Hochschule für Filmkunst in Potsdam-Babelsberg. Belz subsequently became a member of DEFA’s artistic work group "document" alongside fellow members like Jürgen Böttcher, Volker Koepp, Winfried Junge, and Karlheinz Mund. Besides propagandistic joint projects like "Wer die Erde liebt" (1973) about the tenth World Festival of Youth and Students in East Berlin, Belz finished several films that dealt with every day conditions of life and work, for instance, "Min Herzing" (1975), a portrait of a fishwife in Rostock, or "Begegnungen im Schnee" (1979) about residents of the northern part of the GDR who had to suffer through the natural disaster in the winter of 1979.

 

Highly praised by critics, Belz became an enormously keen to experiment filmmaker who used voice-over commentary in an original way and worked with humorous inserts or striking intertitles.

Thematically, Belz’s films are broad in scope. He made portrait films, for instance, "Bei Manfred Krug" (1975) about Manfred Krug or "702 sec. mit Frank Schöbel" (1972) about pop singer Frank Schöbel and dealt with German history in an unconventional way in films like "Liebesbriefe" about Karl Marx. Furthermore, Belz made documentary films about the living conditions in countries like Vietnam, China, Laos, and Siberia. In the films, he managed to single out highly different fates of individuals to give an insight into the people’s different areas of life.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the liquidation of DEFA, Uwe Belz worked as a freelance director and screenplay writer from 1991 on. Besides, he temporarily worked as a guest lecturer for directing and film editing at Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen "Konrad Wolf" in Potsdam-Babelsberg.

Uwe Belz, who was married and was the father of two daughters, died on December 17, 2002, in Berlin.

Filmography
2000
"Wenn ich singe". Manfred Krug - Der Sänger
  • Director
1992
Unterwegs auf ewigem Eis
  • Director
1990
Feuer und Wasser oder die mit dem Chromhelm
  • Director
1988
DEFA KINOBOX [Jg. 1988 / Nr. 61]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1989
Starke Männer
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1989
Wu-Shu
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1988
Schwingungen. Szenische Reportage
  • Director
1987/1988
Show her - Schau hin
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1988
Robot Karlik
  • Director
1986
DEFA KINOBOX [Jg. 1986 / Nr. 50]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1985
Ein Jahrhundertkerl - Heine in Paris
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1984-1986
Gabi - Vermittlung Platz 12
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1984
Der Nächste bitte
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1984/1985
DEFA KINOBOX [Jg. 1984 / Nr. 36]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1984
De Goliath und sin Crew
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1982/1983
Sero
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1982/1983
Gruppenbild mit Bär
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1982/1983
Liebesbriefe
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1981
Gesichter eines Landes
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1981
Z.B. Sechzehnjährige oder es gibt keinen Traum vom Fliegen
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1981
Sabaidie heißt Guten Tag
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1981/1982
Volkslieder
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1981
Am Mekong
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1982
General ade - ein Gespräch mit Gert Bastian
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1981/1982
Deutscher Alltag: Ostseefischer
  • Producer (TV)
1981
Smutje Baubi
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1980/1981
Zwischen Taiga und Tundra - Jakutische Dimensionen
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1980/1981
An der Lena - eine Stadt, ein Dorf in Jakutien
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1980/1981
Vera kam mit den Frühlingsblüten
  • Director
1980
Posten neun Neumann, Schranken geschlossen
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1980
Curt Bois oder Mit Heinerle fing alles an
  • Director
1979
Tage vor der Hochzeit
  • Director
1978/1979
Begegnungen im Schnee
  • Director
1978/1979
Dresden - eine Stadt und ihre Kunst
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1979
Ein Viertel Schäferstündchen
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1979
IN 6
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1978
Gisela Franze - Ärztin
  • Voice
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1978
MMM Bewegung in Millionen - Begegnung mit Millionen
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1977/1978
Berlin
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1977
Liebeserklärung an Berlin
  • Director
1976
In 6
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1977
Defa Disco Film - Berlin
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1977
Deutsches Theater
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Producer (TV)
1977
Farbmagazin Nr. 2
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Script editor
1976/1977
Rock mit Skorpio
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Editing
1976
KM - 100 Jahre nach Highgate
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1976
IN - Internationales Jugendmagazin 6/76
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1975/1976
Damals in Sosa
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1975
Bei Laky
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1975
Bei Manfred Krug
  • Director
1975/1976
Bei Günther Fischer
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1975
Zu Gast bei Bisser Kirow
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1975
IN - Internationales Jugendmagazin 4/75
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1975
IN IV
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1974
An eine Genossin
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1975
Ho Chi Minh - Oder eine Stadt für Onkel Ho
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1975
IN V
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1974/1975
IN - Internationales Jugendmagazin 3/74
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1974
Weggefährten. Begegnungen im 25. Jahr der DDR
  • Director
1973/1974
IN - Internationales Jugendmagazin 2/73
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1973/1974
Der liebe Gott in Prag
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1974
Essay über ein Fischweib oder Min Herzing
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Script editor
1973
Pablo Neruda
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1973
Wer die Erde liebt
  • Director
1974
DDR-Magazin [Jg. 1974 / Nr. 02]
  • Director
1973
Manfred Krug
  • Director
1973
IN - Internationales Jugendmagazin 1/73
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1973
Giovanni Boccaccio
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1972/1973
Musik in Scheiben
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1971/1972
Toscana Rossa
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1972
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1972 / Folge 10]
  • Screenplay
1972
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1972 / Folge 09]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1972
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1972 / Folge 08]
  • Screenplay
1972
792 sec. mit Frank Schöbel
  • Director
1972
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1972 / Folge 07]
  • Screenplay
1972
DDR-Magazin [Jg. 1972 / Nr. 25]
  • Director
1971
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1971 / Folge 09]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1970
Spaß im Schloß
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1971
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1971 / Folge 07]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1971
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1971 / Folge 06]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1971
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1971 / Folge 05]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1971
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1971 / Folge 02]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1971
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1971 / Folge 03]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1971
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1971 / Folge 04]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1971
Treffpunkt Kino [Jg. 1971 / Folge 08]
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1970
Klemke
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1970
Wir
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1969/1970
Hannover-Messe 70
  • Director
1970
Peter Schreyer singt Lieder von Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1970
Interscola
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Arrangement
1969
Wir sind verantwortlich
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1968/1969
Was uns interessiert - Pionierjournal: Flugsport
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1969
DDR 20
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1968
Mensch - Sicherheit - Gesundheit
  • Screenplay
1968/1969
Urlaub?
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1968
Hannover-Messe
  • Screenplay
  • Arrangement
1968
Elaste aus Schkopau
  • Director
  • Scenario
1968
Bücher aus der DDR
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1968
Schnell wie das Licht
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Arrangement
1967
Was uns interessiert - Pionierjournal: Wintersport
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1967
Wartburg 1000 - Limousine 353
  • Director
1966
Bauleute heute
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1965/1966
Es liegt an uns
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1965
Pionierjournal - Sport
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1966
IFA Überall
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1966
Trabant 601
  • Director
1966
Leuna, Werkteil II
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1966
Der neue Wartburg 1000
  • Director
  • Scenario
1966
Wartburg 1000
  • Director
  • Scenario
1966
Mehrzweckvorrichtungen
  • Scenario
1965
Leben - wofür?
  • Dialogue
1965
Trabant 601
  • Director
  • Scenario
1965
Rallyeerfolge: Wartburg 1000
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1965
Elektrohandwerkzeuge
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1965
Weltmesse Leipzig
  • Dialogue
1965
Wartburg - Chassis
  • Dialogue
1965
Wartburg 1000 Modell 1965
  • Director
  • Screenplay
  • Dialogue
1964
Kleine Ursachen - große Schäden
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1964
Moderne Wohnraumleuchen
  • Director
  • Screenplay
1964
Industriepotential Allgemeiner Maschinenbau
  • Director
1964
Neue Werkzeugmaschinen aus der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik
  • Director
1963
Industriebau der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik
  • Assistant director
Source-URL: https://www.filmportal.de/en/person/uwe-belz_f30d5a167951300ae03053d50b37399b