Paul Bösiger

First in Basel and Zurich Paul Boesiger was trained by Ernst Ginsberg and was on stage for some of the most important representations of the first plays of Friedrich Duerrenmatt and Max Frisch. In the early fifties he was discovered for the big screen by the famous German director Paul May for the 08/15 franchise. After having played in many outstanding German films Paul Boesiger decided in the early sixties to focus on stage acting and directing. First in Freiburg i. Br. and later in Nuernberg he left some unforgotten moments as 'Mephisto' or 'Thomas Payne'. His debut as director in 1975 found important critical acclaim and the attempt to interpret Wolfgang Borchert's 'Draussen vor der Tuer' (The Man Outside) on the background of the Vietnam war showed his talent to guide his colleague actors towards a deep and authentic understanding of their parts. Paul Boesiger died in 1977 in Basel at the age of 48. His son Johannes Boesiger (b 1962) worked with him as directing trainee and became later film critic, scriptwriter and producer.