Edwin Brienen
- Director
- Actor
- Writer
After studying philosophy and psychology, Edwin Brienen embarked on a
career as a radio host at the age of 22. His programs for the Dutch
broadcasting association, VPRO, attracted a nationwide following. Edwin
became one of the most famous voices on 3FM (the leading radio station
in Holland) with programs such as Koud Zweet and De Moordlijst. On
television, he starred in the underground series Ultra Vista!
Additionally, he directed (during a two and a half year hiatus from the
VPRO) several much talked about programs for Veronica Television,
including Buch, Burgers & Buitenlui and Hoe Hoort het Eigenlijk? with
Theo van Gogh.
In 2001, Edwin wrote, directed and edited his debut feature film
Terrorama!, a dark story about a group of dispirited individuals who
seek out 'psychological freedom' by committing an act of terror. That
same year, Brienen renewed his association with the VPRO and in
September, 2001, created a series for them about the New York
underground scene. While working on location, he witnessed the attack
on the World Trade Center and was moved to cancel the NY premiere of
Terrorama!
Nonetheless, Terrorama! went on to win several awards at international
film festivals, notable among them being Esther Eva Verkaaik's
distinction as Best Leading Actress at the Toronto Independent Film
Festival.
In September, 2004, Brienen's follow-up feature Lebenspornografie was
finally released (the film was originally shot two years earlier but
due to legal problems was held back for release). A later film, Both
Ends Burning was first screened in 14 Dutch theatres during the Brienen
Festival in January 2005. ARTE TV broadcasts a documentary about
Brienen, wherein his work and intensity were compared to Kubrick's A
Clockwork Orange. A further work, the dark comedy Why Ulli Wanted to
Kill Himself on Christmas Eve premiered in mid-December 2005, in
several German theatres.
In 2006, Brienen returned to his theatre roots with Loaded, which
premiered at the Berlin Sophiensaele during "the long weekend of free
theatre" in May of that year. Not one to neglect his film work, Brienen
concurrently completed the American/Dutch co-production Last
Performance (about the self-inflicted downfall of a woman in the
theatre world of New York), which premiered at the Netherlands Film
Festival of 2006. In June of that same year, the feature film Edwin
Brienen's Hysteria was released in German cinemas. Later that year,
while working on the film I'd Like to Die a Thousand Times, Brienen
also found time to shoot music videos for London based band Noblesse
Oblige, as well as Neue Deutsche Welle star Joachim Witt.
Together with Thomas van Aalten, Brienen wrote the post-apocalyptic
script for the abstract film L'amour Toujours, which had its world
premiere on May 3, 2008, during the Brienen Tribute Festival in
Amsterdam. The film stars Das Boot actor Erwin Leder. Meanwhile,
Brienen also began to film Revision - Apocalypse II, featuring another
leading role for Brienen stalwart Eva Dorrepaal.
In May 2009, Brienen began work on Viva Europa!, a film that deals with
the reunification of Germany and is set on the eve of the 20th
anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The film enjoyed a
successful premiere at the Berlin Volksbühne on November 8th, 2009. The
prestigious Goethe Institute also arranged further screenings in the
Netherlands.
After a long delay, 2010 saw the premiere of Revision - Apocalypse II
at the 30th edition of the Netherlands Film Festival.
More recently, Edwin finished shooting two films about filmmaking:
Exploitation and Phantom Party, both featuring British actor Tomas
Sinclair Spencer (who also stars along with Helen Mirren in The Last
Station). Lena will es endlich wissen (Lena Wants to Know Once and For
All) was premiered at the Berlin Volksbühne in March 2011. Afterward,
Brienen started working for German WDR Radio and created the radio
drama Als der Satan laufen lernte (When Satan learned to walk) about
Anton LaVey, starring many of Edwin's main actors, Agnieszka
Rozenbajgier and Godehard Giese.
So far, Filmfreak Distribution has released seven ground-breaking
Brienen films to European audiences on DVD. Brienen's first five films:
Terrorama!, Lebenspornografie, Both Ends Burning, Last Performance and
Hysteria were released together as The Brienen Collection, which is
available in the Benelux and Germany. Additionally, 2012 saw the
release of Revision - Apocalypse II and Viva Europa! on DVD.
In October 2012, the Lausanne Film and Music Festival in Switzerland
honoured Brienen by presenting a retrospective of his films, including
the world premiere of Exploitation.
career as a radio host at the age of 22. His programs for the Dutch
broadcasting association, VPRO, attracted a nationwide following. Edwin
became one of the most famous voices on 3FM (the leading radio station
in Holland) with programs such as Koud Zweet and De Moordlijst. On
television, he starred in the underground series Ultra Vista!
Additionally, he directed (during a two and a half year hiatus from the
VPRO) several much talked about programs for Veronica Television,
including Buch, Burgers & Buitenlui and Hoe Hoort het Eigenlijk? with
Theo van Gogh.
In 2001, Edwin wrote, directed and edited his debut feature film
Terrorama!, a dark story about a group of dispirited individuals who
seek out 'psychological freedom' by committing an act of terror. That
same year, Brienen renewed his association with the VPRO and in
September, 2001, created a series for them about the New York
underground scene. While working on location, he witnessed the attack
on the World Trade Center and was moved to cancel the NY premiere of
Terrorama!
Nonetheless, Terrorama! went on to win several awards at international
film festivals, notable among them being Esther Eva Verkaaik's
distinction as Best Leading Actress at the Toronto Independent Film
Festival.
In September, 2004, Brienen's follow-up feature Lebenspornografie was
finally released (the film was originally shot two years earlier but
due to legal problems was held back for release). A later film, Both
Ends Burning was first screened in 14 Dutch theatres during the Brienen
Festival in January 2005. ARTE TV broadcasts a documentary about
Brienen, wherein his work and intensity were compared to Kubrick's A
Clockwork Orange. A further work, the dark comedy Why Ulli Wanted to
Kill Himself on Christmas Eve premiered in mid-December 2005, in
several German theatres.
In 2006, Brienen returned to his theatre roots with Loaded, which
premiered at the Berlin Sophiensaele during "the long weekend of free
theatre" in May of that year. Not one to neglect his film work, Brienen
concurrently completed the American/Dutch co-production Last
Performance (about the self-inflicted downfall of a woman in the
theatre world of New York), which premiered at the Netherlands Film
Festival of 2006. In June of that same year, the feature film Edwin
Brienen's Hysteria was released in German cinemas. Later that year,
while working on the film I'd Like to Die a Thousand Times, Brienen
also found time to shoot music videos for London based band Noblesse
Oblige, as well as Neue Deutsche Welle star Joachim Witt.
Together with Thomas van Aalten, Brienen wrote the post-apocalyptic
script for the abstract film L'amour Toujours, which had its world
premiere on May 3, 2008, during the Brienen Tribute Festival in
Amsterdam. The film stars Das Boot actor Erwin Leder. Meanwhile,
Brienen also began to film Revision - Apocalypse II, featuring another
leading role for Brienen stalwart Eva Dorrepaal.
In May 2009, Brienen began work on Viva Europa!, a film that deals with
the reunification of Germany and is set on the eve of the 20th
anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The film enjoyed a
successful premiere at the Berlin Volksbühne on November 8th, 2009. The
prestigious Goethe Institute also arranged further screenings in the
Netherlands.
After a long delay, 2010 saw the premiere of Revision - Apocalypse II
at the 30th edition of the Netherlands Film Festival.
More recently, Edwin finished shooting two films about filmmaking:
Exploitation and Phantom Party, both featuring British actor Tomas
Sinclair Spencer (who also stars along with Helen Mirren in The Last
Station). Lena will es endlich wissen (Lena Wants to Know Once and For
All) was premiered at the Berlin Volksbühne in March 2011. Afterward,
Brienen started working for German WDR Radio and created the radio
drama Als der Satan laufen lernte (When Satan learned to walk) about
Anton LaVey, starring many of Edwin's main actors, Agnieszka
Rozenbajgier and Godehard Giese.
So far, Filmfreak Distribution has released seven ground-breaking
Brienen films to European audiences on DVD. Brienen's first five films:
Terrorama!, Lebenspornografie, Both Ends Burning, Last Performance and
Hysteria were released together as The Brienen Collection, which is
available in the Benelux and Germany. Additionally, 2012 saw the
release of Revision - Apocalypse II and Viva Europa! on DVD.
In October 2012, the Lausanne Film and Music Festival in Switzerland
honoured Brienen by presenting a retrospective of his films, including
the world premiere of Exploitation.