27 Facts About Frank Beyer

Frank Beyer was born as Frank Paul Beyer in Nobitz in Thuringia, Germany, to Paul Beyer, a clerk, and Charlotte Beyer, a sales clerk.

Frank Beyer had a brother, Hermann Beyer was born on 30 May 1943 and who should have become a successful actor.

In 1938 Frank Beyer started attending primary school in Nobitz, and later the Realgymnasium Ernestinum in Altenburg.

Frank Beyer's education was interrupted for a few months in the aftermath of World War II.

Frank Beyer became a member of the Free German Youth and later of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.

In 1952 Frank Beyer began to study drama at Humboldt University in Berlin, but transferred to the Film School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague shortly afterwards.

Frank Beyer completed another internship as an assistant director for a film adapted from the opera Zar und Zimmermann and directed by Hans Muller.

Frank Beyer had declined an offer for a permanent position as an assistant director, as he would have been assigned to film projects and would not have had the freedom to choose.

Frank Beyer started his directorial career with two short films in the satirical film series Das Stacheltier.

Frank Beyer's third feature film Five Cartridges released in 1960 was a major critical and popular success and made him known in East Germany and abroad.

Frank Beyer continued to direct films that focused on anti-fascist themes.

Frank Beyer's next film, the 1963 comedy Carbide and Sorrel was a major popular success.

In 1966 Frank Beyer directed the film Trace of Stones based on a novel by Erik Neutsch.

Frank Beyer had to leave the DEFA studios and was for several years not allowed to direct theatrical films.

Frank Beyer was reprimanded by the party and prohibited to work for the DEFA studios.

Frank Beyer's situation worsened with the television film Geschlossene Gesellschaft in 1978.

Frank Beyer was now prohibited from working for television and in 1980 his party membership was suspended.

In 1982 Frank Beyer was given permission to direct a film in East Germany at the DEFA studios.

For several years, until 1989 Frank Beyer worked on several projects in East and West Germany, with none being realized.

Frank Beyer worked as a director at the political cabaret Pfeffermuhle in Leipzig.

Frank Beyer adapted a story by Jurek Becker in 1995 in Wenn alle Deutschen schlafen and had a major popular and critical success with the Nikolaikirche in 1995.

Frank Beyer's last project was a film based on the novel Anniversaries by Uwe Johnson.

Frank Beyer had already developed the project and completed pre-production, but due to conflicts with the producers he was replaced with Margarethe von Trotta.

Frank Beyer died after a long illness on 1 October 2006 at the age of 74 in Berlin.

Frank Beyer was buried on the Dorotheenstadtischen Cemetery in Berlin.

In 1956 Frank Beyer married a make-up artist he met at the theater in Altenburg.

All titles directed and written by Frank Beyer unless stated otherwise.