Kirsten Burger
Career
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Full Biography
Kirsten Burger, born in 1975 in Heidelberg, Germany, is a versatile German-Austrian artist known as a film and theatre director, writer, performer, and actress. Her work is distinctly interdisciplinary, blending theatre, film, literature, dance, and music, and often focuses on socially critical issues.
Burger's artistic journey began with studies in liberal arts and graphics in Vienna and Hamburg, where she was influenced by the "expanded concept of art" and "social sculpture" ideas of Joseph Beuys' student, Johannes Süttgen. This was followed by completing her Bachelor's degree in Physical Theatre in Berlin in 2002.
Early in her career (2003-2006), she worked as an actress at several prominent German theatres, including the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, and the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. In 2006, she co-founded the collective "Oper Dynamo West," which staged new music theatre productions in Berlin's public spaces until 2011.
As a filmmaker and director, Burger has created numerous experimental and essay films, winning several international awards for her cinematic work. Her filmography includes directorial roles in The Great Fortune (2016) and acting roles in films such as A Low Life Mythology (2012), where she played the main character Justine Heidelberg, and Fallen Blossoms (2017). Since 2017, she has also worked as a freelance author for the German broadcaster NDR and directed episodes for series produced by UFA Berlin.
Burger, who lives in Berlin with her family, is known for her collaborative approach, working with a wide range of people, from professional actors and dancers to individuals with disabilities, refugees, and the unemployed. Since August 2022, she has been the head of the youth division of RambaZamba Theatre, one of Germany's most important integrative theatres.
