Blimlinger deeply saddened by the death of Peter Patzak
Green culture spokeswoman: Austria loses one of its most important film directors
Vienna (OTS) – “With Peter Patzak Austria is losing one of its most important film directors,” says the cultural spokeswoman for the Greens, Eva Blimlinger, on the death of the Austrian artist, author and director. The internationally renowned artist Patzak studied psychology, art history and painting before making his first short films in the late 1960s. From 1968 to 1970 Patzak worked on experimental and short films in New York; after his return to Vienna in 1972, feature and television films such as “Situation”, the neo-Nazi portrait “Kassbach” and “Wahnfried” followed. He works as a director, producer and screenwriter and taught directing for over 20 years at the Vienna Film Academy of the mdw University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, which he successfully directed between 2008 and 2013.
The son of a police officer became famous for the great crime series “Kottan determined”, which was broadcast on ORF between 1976 and 1983. Based on the scripts by Helmut Zenker, “Kottan determined” is a new crime genre that is in an Austrian tradition. “The figure of the grumpy and sometimes a little simple-minded, even stupid police officer, which has always existed in Austrian films and TV series, such as Inspector Marek (Fritz Eckhardt), was perfected by Patzak in ‘Kottan determined’ and downright iconographic. Major Kottan’s colleagues – ‘Inspektor’s can’ – like something ‘der Schrammel’ or President Pilch were the Austrian counter-image to the brutal German crime scene inspector Schimanski, “says Blimlinger, reminiscing about the award-winning TV series.
In recent years, Patzak has turned more to painting, which he has pursued since the 1960s. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions and here, too, he was able to succeed internationally. His work was last seen in the Kunstforum last September. “We will always remember Peter Patzak through his films and Major Kottan. Our condolences go out to his family, his friends and the film community, which has lost one of its great and important protagonists, ”said Blimlinger.
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