Bettina Ehrhardt
studied Romance studies, semiotics, philosophy, art history and film in Hamburg, Munich and Lyon. She earned a Maîtrise de Lettres Modernes with a thesis on the poet and painter Henri Michaux, as well as a Licence de Sémiotique et de Linguistique and a Diplôme d'Études Cinématographiques at the Université Lyon II.
Since 1992 she has worked as an author and director, initially for Bayerischer Rundfunk. Since 1996 she has produced her films independently. Alongside her filmmaking work, she has published book and film criticism as well as reportage, primarily for the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Her films have been made for ARTE, ZDF, SWR, WDR, BR, 3sat, ORF, SRF, SVT, Radio-Canada, ARTV and RAI.
Filmography (selected)
Documentary Films – Music & Culture
- 2026 Open End – Michael Haefliger, Festival Maker 55 min., SRF
- 2022 Ohren auf! 100 Jahre Donaueschinger Musiktage 90 min., SWR
- 2022 Elaine Mitchener – On Being Human As Praxis 61 min., SWR
- 2020 Starting all over again – New music in post-war Germany 56 min., ZDF / ARTE
- 2017 Markus Hinterhäuser – A Pianist is leading the Salzburg Festival 25 min., bce films & more / WDR
- 2017 Alphaville – Heartbreak City, Music video 4 min., bce films & more for Universal Music
- 2016 Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds – The Conductor Zubin Mehta 90 min. (theatrical version)
- 2016 Zubin Mehta – Dirigent und Weltbürger 53 min., ZDF / ARTE (TV version)
- 2013
- 2012 Klangmyriaden – Pierre Boulez’ „Pli selon pli" 60 min., WDR
- 2011
- 2010 Kent Nagano – Montreal Symphony 97 Min., Co-production with Ciné qua non, ZDF, Radio Canada, National Filmboard
- 2006 Wo ich noch nie war – Der Komponist Helmut Lachenmann 87 min., WDR / SF DRS
- 2004 Intolleranza 2004 – Luigi Nonos Szenische Aktion 58 min., WDR
- 2004 We Play – Chick Corea and Bobby McFerrin 60 min., SWR / ARTE
- 2001 A Trail on the Water – Abbado - Nono - Pollini 60 min., WDR
Documentary Films – Politics / Society
- 2022 Mama Irene – Healer of the Andes 75 min., co-director. Produced by Blaze a Path Productions, NYC
- 2018 Flying Rivers – No Forest, No Water 26 min., GIZ / BMZ
- 2012
- 2011 Hildegard Hamm-Brücher im Gespräch 36 min.
- 2010 Voodoo – Der, dem das Meer gehört 90 min., ARTE France / CNC
- 2007 Hans-Dietrich Genscher im Gespräch 26 min.
- 2001
Artistic Works in Exhibition Context
- 2022 Fred Sandback – Sculpting the Space Film about Sandback's works at the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
- 2016 Meisterwerke aus der Sammlung Klewan Film for the exhibition at Schaezlerpalais, Augsburg
Opera Recordings
- 2023 Tristan und Isolde 3h 56 min., Staatstheater Cottbus. Dir. Stephan Märki
- 2018 Carmen 2h 34 min., Konzert Theater Bern. Dir. Stephan Märki
Further reportages and documentary films for BR, WDR, ZDF and ARTE since 1996.