Slatan Dudow was a Bulgarian-born film director who made significant contributions to the cinematic world in both Weimar Germany and East Germany. His journey began in 1922 when he relocated to Berlin, driven by revolutionary ideas and a desire to pursue a career in the arts. Initially, Dudow intended to study architecture, but his passion for the theater soon took precedence, and he enrolled in a course from 1925 to 1926.
During his time in Berlin, Dudow collaborated with prominent figures in the industry, including Leopold Jessner, Juergen Fehling, and Erwin Piscator. He also had the opportunity to work as a chorus member under the esteemed director Erwin Piscator. However, it was his trip to Moscow that had a profound impact on his career. There, he met influential artists such as Majakowski and Eisenstein, who would later shape his artistic vision.
Upon his return to Berlin, Dudow directed Brecht's theater piece Die Massnahme, marking the beginning of his illustrious film career. He was commissioned to produce the documentary film Wie der Berliner Arbeiter wohnt (1929) as part of the series Wie lebt der Berliner Arbeiter?. His subsequent film, To Whom Does the World Belong? (1932),was initially banned due to its perceived criticism of the Weimar Republic's president, judiciary, and religion.
Dudow's life took a tumultuous turn after 1933, when he was arrested multiple times by the Nazi regime. He was imprisoned in 1939 but managed to escape to France and eventually Switzerland. In 1946, Dudow returned to Berlin and resumed his career as a director at the DEFA studios in East Germany.
