Rainer Simon made his directing debut at the East German DEFA film studios in 1968, with the children’s film How to Marry a King. His major films include: Till Eulenspiegel (1975), based on a film script by Christa and Gerhard Wolf; The Airship (1983); The Woman and the Stranger (1984), which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival; and Jadup and Boel (1981), which was banned by officials and not released until 1988.
Rainer Simon received the Konrad Wolf Award of the Academy of Arts in 1987. Since shooting The Ascent of Chimborazo (1989) in Ecuador, Simon’s work has focused on the life and culture of the indigenous people there. Also known as a documentarist, writer and photographer, Simon teaches film workshops for young filmmakers in Ecuador and other Latin American countries.

Selected Filmography

The Call of Fay Ujmu (Doc, 2002); Talking with Fish and Birds (Doc, 1998/99); The Colors of Tigua (TV, Doc, 1994); Far Away Country Pa-ish (1993); The Ascent of the Chimborazo (1989); Wengler & Sons, A Legend (1986); The Woman and the Stranger (1984); The Airship (1982); Jadup and Boel (1981); Till Eulenspiegel (1974); Six Go around the World (1972); How to Marry a King (1968).