F.C. Gundlach Master of fashion photography

Documentation by Eva Gerberding

ARTE/NDR 2017 26 MinTV premiere
Sunday 11 February 11.15 a.m.

Franz Christian Gundlach, called F.C. Gundlach, got them all in front of the lens: Romy Schneider, Maria Schell and Nadja Tiller, Jean Cocteau, Jean-Luc Godard and Curd Jürgens. The pictures of the 91-year-old photographer, who lives in Hamburg-Harvestehude, are exhibited worldwide and have influenced an entire generation of photographers.

Paris was the starting point of a great career for Gundlach, who was born in Heinebach in northern Hesse in 1926: in 1951 he had his first exhibition there. He went to Hamburg and became one of the most important fashion photographers of the 20th century with photo series for magazines such as Film und Frau and Brigitte. Since the 1960s Gundlach has also been active as an entrepreneur, collector and curator. In 1975 he opened the first photo gallery in Germany and since 2003 has been founding director of the House of Photography in Hamburg's Deichtorhallen.

The Hamburg director Eva Gerberding has accompanied F.C. Gundlach with the camera for five years, for example during the preparation of exhibitions and at the party on his 90th birthday. For the film, Gundlach provides exclusive insights into his private archive.