Eric Thomas Koerfer biography

Born March 23, 1944 in Berne, Switzerland.

Spends his childhood at Bolligen near Berne.

Education: Freies Gymnasium Berne. Atlantic College, St. Donat’s Castle, South Wales (A-Levels). Sociology and economics studies in Berlin, Munich and St. Gall. Lic. oec. degree from HSG in St. Gall.

Film studies with Alexander Kluge at the Ulm School of Design in Germany.

Assistant Director to Brunello Rondi in Rome.

Spends 1 1/2 years making documentaries for the current-affairs programme «Rundschau» of the Swiss Television DRS (German-speaking Swiss National Television).

1973 First feature film: «Death of the Flea Circus Director», followed in 1975 by «The Assistant», after the novel by Robert Walser.

1975 Founds Thomas Koerfer Film Ltd. in Zurich to serve as the production company for his own films as well as for coproductions (e.g. «Luna Papa» by Bakhtiyar Khudojnazarov).

1994 Founds the film distribution company Frenetic Films Ltd. (with 2 partners).

Since 2000 has been running the Quinnie Cinema chain in Berne (9 arthouse and mainstream screens).

Directs plays for the Zurich Schauspielhaus: «Chlaus Lymbacher» by Thomas Hürlimann, and «Assassin's Hygiene» by Amélie Nothomb (also adaptation of the novel for the stage).

Longtime committee member of the Cinémathèque Suisse foundation in Lausanne.

President of the Fotomuseum Winterthur foundation committee.

Member of the board of directors of the Kunsthalle Zurich.

Creates a collection of contemporary art (photography and painting). Publication: «Stripped Bare: The Body Revealed in Contemporary Art» (Merrell Publishers, London/New York).
See also: Interview in Das Magazin.

Lives in Rüschlikon near Zurich. Married, with three children.

valid HTML & CSS design by almanet.ch, 2004.