Horst Buchholz...Mein Papa

My father was somebody who did not enjoy talking about himself. Although many a star of his generation has written an autobiography, he never felt inclined to do so. In order to encourage him to talk about his life, I decided to interview him. From 2001 until his death in March 2004, we recorded several hours of conversations during which he opened up to me as he had never done before. This material provided the basis for this documentary.
My father was a man fraught by many a contradiction. The sheer breadth of his experience was astounding. It included: his search for his biological father. The horror of the war years experienced as a child. The spirit of the 1950s, with its promise of a better future and the desire to cast off the burden of the past. His meteoric rise to stardom, his accolades and his life in Hollywood. His role as a father. The turbulent days of the 1960s stage roles. His years of crisis. His bisexuality. The deaths of his best friends. The bouts of depression that eventually turned him into an alcoholic. His passion for speed and adventure. The sorrows and the joys of a man who, in his heart of hearts, was to remain a child.
This film is the document of a tragicomic journey into the world of my father, a journey that has brought me into contact with people and taken me to places that meant so much to him.
Christopher Buchholz