© Ahmed El Itani
- Director (8)
Contact
Güntzelstrasse 4110717 BerlinGermany
Mobile+49 172 4876822
Phone+49 30 555771010
Fax+49 30 555771011
Skypedirk_vandenberg
WhatsAppDirk_vdB
About Dirk van den Berg
A director / writer / producer with vast international experience, DIRK VAN DEN BERG specializes in documentary and investigative projects in the Middle East, Africa and other such areas. He has extensive work experience in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Northern and East Africa.
Dirk just finished the international feature documentary "1979 BIG BANG OF THE PRESENT" (for more: http://1979bigbang.com) that in 2 rollercoaster episodes narrates the pivotal events of the year that gave birth to our present: 1979. The film was coproduced between Dirk's Berlin joint OUTREMER FILM and Pascal Verroust's Paris-based K2 PRODUCTIONS, and co-financed by ARTE, RBB, TVP Poland, ORF Austria, and NRK. It is already distributed in more than two dozen countries.
His last film was the 2018 high-profile and critically-acclaimed THE SIEGE OF MECCA. 5 years in the making, THE SIEGE OF MECCA dives into Arabia's darkest secret and greatest taboo, the hijacking of and battle over the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia that marked the beginning of religiously motivated Islamist terrorism as we know it today. Produced jointly by Dirk’s OUTREMER FILM (Berlin, Germany) and Pascal Verroust’s K2-PRODUCTION (Paris, France), the film was supported by ARTE France, NDR, WDR, HR, RBB, ORF, FFHSH Hamburg and INA France; PBS International handles world sales.
Other films Dirk produced with OutreMer Film in recent years are: "JAMMING ADDIS" (distributed in 186 countries), "GUZO - THE ORIGIN OF MUSIC", and "KASHMIR - INDIA'S CROWN JEWEL".
Dirk just finished the international feature documentary "1979 BIG BANG OF THE PRESENT" (for more: http://1979bigbang.com) that in 2 rollercoaster episodes narrates the pivotal events of the year that gave birth to our present: 1979. The film was coproduced between Dirk's Berlin joint OUTREMER FILM and Pascal Verroust's Paris-based K2 PRODUCTIONS, and co-financed by ARTE, RBB, TVP Poland, ORF Austria, and NRK. It is already distributed in more than two dozen countries.
His last film was the 2018 high-profile and critically-acclaimed THE SIEGE OF MECCA. 5 years in the making, THE SIEGE OF MECCA dives into Arabia's darkest secret and greatest taboo, the hijacking of and battle over the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia that marked the beginning of religiously motivated Islamist terrorism as we know it today. Produced jointly by Dirk’s OUTREMER FILM (Berlin, Germany) and Pascal Verroust’s K2-PRODUCTION (Paris, France), the film was supported by ARTE France, NDR, WDR, HR, RBB, ORF, FFHSH Hamburg and INA France; PBS International handles world sales.
Other films Dirk produced with OutreMer Film in recent years are: "JAMMING ADDIS" (distributed in 186 countries), "GUZO - THE ORIGIN OF MUSIC", and "KASHMIR - INDIA'S CROWN JEWEL".
Basic data
| Nationality | German |
|---|---|
| Languages | English (Fluent), French (Fluent), German (Native speaker), Italian (Native speaker), Spanish (Fluent) |
| Experience abroad | Middle East: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia North America: Canada, USA East Africa: Ethiopia Eastern Europe: Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine Southern Europe: Balearic Islands, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Vatican City Southeast Asia: Afghanistan, India, Pakistan Western Europe: Austria, France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland |
| Own equipment | 1k & 4k complete camera equipment (SONY mirrorless 2018), editing hard- and software (various platforms) |
| Education | - high school degree in Germany - Music Academy "Santa Cecilia" Rome, Italy - Italian National Academy of Drama "Silvio D'Amico" graduation as a director in 1992 - University of Rome "La Sapienza", BA in Media Sciences and Cinema - extensive experience as opera and theater director - extensive experience as a writer, presenter and developer for public and private radio - extensive experience as content developer for TV and cinema |
| Further references | I founded my production company OUTREMER FILM to focus on documentaries with unusual and extraordinary subjects and protagonists, and hand-picked feature films. Based in Berlin, we create films in the Middle East, Africa, the Maghreb and Central Asia. Our name comes from an ancient French word that once stood for man's pursuit of what lies beyond the horizon. |
| Preferred place of work | International productions in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, the Mediterranean (that's pure luxury), often with projects located in "risk areas" such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Saudi etc. (details in my resume). |
| Immediate working area | Berlin |
| 1st residence (federal state or country) | Germany - Berlin |
| 2nd residence (where applicablen) | Paris, Rome |
| Accommodation possibilities | Amman, Balearic Islands, Damascus, Düsseldorf, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Munich, New York, other city, Palermo, Paris, Vienna |
| Associations |
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