Uli Edel

Uli Edel (born 11 April 1947) is a German film and television director, best known for his dark and often controversial works. He is a significant figure in the New German Cinema movement, though his career has spanned both German and American productions.

Edel gained international recognition with his 1981 film Christiane F. (also known as We Children from Bahnhof Zoo), a harrowing portrayal of teenage drug addiction in 1970s Berlin. The film was lauded for its unflinching realism and soundtrack by David Bowie.

Other notable films directed by Edel include Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989), an adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.'s novel, and Body of Evidence (1993). He has also directed several successful television miniseries and films, including Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996), for which Alan Rickman won a Golden Globe, The Little Vampire (2000), and The Mists of Avalon (2001). Edel directed The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008), a historical drama about the Red Army Faction, which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.

Edel's work is characterized by a gritty, often pessimistic, aesthetic, exploring themes of social decay, violence, and moral ambiguity. He frequently works with well-known actors and consistently strives for authenticity in his depictions of challenging subject matter.