Ralf Kirsten

Biography

Ralf Kirsten (30 May 1930 – 23 January 1998) was a German film director and screenwriter. He directed 22 films between 1955 and 1986. His 1984 film Where Others Keep Silent was entered into the 14th Moscow International Film Festival.

After doing an apprenticeship as an electrician, Kirsten went to university to study German literature and theatre, first at Humboldt University of Berlin, and later the Theater Institute in Weimar. He then went on to study film direction at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) alongside fellow East German Frank Beyer. He graduated in 1956, and began working in television.

In 1960, Kirsten joined DEFA, the state-owned film...