Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein: Ways of Seeing

An intimate portrait of a visionary cinematographer who reshaped German cinema

Ways of Seeing follows the remarkable life and career of Jörg Schmidt Reitwein, one of the most distinctive cinematographers to emerge from the New German Cinema movement. Known from the 1970s onwards for his finely crafted images, he collaborated with influential directors such as Werner Schroeter, Herbert Achternbusch and Alexander Kluge. His international recognition grew through his work with Werner Herzog, where his visual approach contributed significantly to the legendary status of several of Herzog’s films. Throughout his career, he sought projects that posed demanding conditions and offered the possibility to explore new cinematic viewpoints, driven by a desire to continuously observe the world through fresh visual languages.
The documentary places this creative restlessness alongside the quiet rhythms of his later years. Schmidt Reitwein spent the final stage of his life on a centuries old secluded farm in Lower Bavaria, a place that became both his refuge and the centre of a life marked by reinvention. The calm of this environment served as a vital counterpoint to his adventurous professional path and helped shape his search for harmony between his work and his personal well being.
Ways of Seeing offers a poetic and deeply intimate portrait of an explorer, artist and family man whose imagery left a lasting imprint on the history of German cinema.