Roland Emmerich

From one who set out to conquer Hollywood! 

Since his blockbuster "Independence Day" he is one of the most successful and influential directors in the world. As "Master Of Disaster", as master of cinematic apocalypses: Roland Emmerich - Germany's successful film maker in Los Angeles. But he is more than that. Not only does he show a keen sense of the zeitgeist in many of his films. Emmerich also has a knack for exciting cinematic material and knows how to translate this into powerful images and effective action.

Unforgettable are the threatening pictures of the gigantic alien spaceships in "Independence Day", which hover over Los Angeles. While Emmerich had the Earth threatened by aliens in his most successful film to date, in "The Day After Tomorrow" he confronted mankind with the fatal consequences of a climate catastrophe: a gigantic tidal wave and a subsequent ice age threaten New York long before the dangers of global warming became a permanent media topic. In "2012" Emmerich devoted himself to an ancient Mayan prophecy that predicts the demise of the earth on the day of the winter solstice. In addition to his action and fantasy spectacles, however, he also made small, fine films such as the nested historical crime thriller "Anonymus" or his most personal film to date, "Stonewall", about the uprising of homosexuals in New York City.

This personal Emmerich biography by Jo Müller, who has accompanied the star director's career for over 25 years, tells the fascinating story of a cinema enthusiast who set out from Sindelfingen to conquer and revolutionize the world of cinema. The Hollywood director gave no other director such a deep insight into both his work as a filmmaker and his private life. Not only Emmerich himself has his say, but also long-standing colleagues and relatives such as his sister Ute, who once emigrated with him to America and has since accompanied his projects as a producer.

• "His talent for extraordinary special effects made him one of Germany's most popular export hits and a constant in Hollywood's film business..." (FilmZeit)
• "Emmerich shows once again who knows how to direct the best action scenes in Hollywood." (Cinema about "2012")
• "The Blockbuster Specialist" (Spiegel Online)