Jan Tenhaven - Documentary Filmmaker
“What kind of films do you make?”
“Actually about everything what fascinates me.”
“So, any focus?”
“No. history, culture, travel, politics, science. Somehow everything.”
“No focus?”
(Pause) “Actually it’s always about humans.”
“Ah. So, portraits?”
“No, not necessarily. But in the end it’s always about humans, right?”
“And are these reports or docs or?”
“Everything. It depends”
“Documentaries?”
“Yeah, as well.”
“I prefer those. Actually we’re only watching Arte and stuff like that at home.”
“Aha.”
“So, what are you doing exactly?”
Nomination for SCHOCK SCHALOM
23rd November 2024 By Jan Tenhaven
I am delighted that my film SCHOCK SCHALOM has been nominated for the DAFFNE 2025 in the TV Journalism category.
The German Academy for Television (DAfF) awards the DAFFNE annually for outstanding achievements in television – in 21 categories, from acting and directing to make-up, sound design, stunts and special effects. Because television is always teamwork! Click here for our complete staff list. The decisions as to which of the nominees will be presented with a DAFFNE in February will not be made by a jury, but by all 800 members of the Academy. It will be exciting!
THE IRRECONCILABLES
2nd October 2024 By Jan Tenhaven
My colleague Jens Strohschnieder and I travelled to the USA four times during this very special election year. Will there be a comeback for Donald Trump? What concerned us more was how ordinary people are faring. What are their hopes and fears? This is America beyond the headlines. We filmed in rural Missouri and New York City, in a struggling industrial town and glittering Las Vegas, at the Mexican border and in San Francisco. It was an intense shoot, as we quickly navigated the stark contrasts between the states, meeting many very different people. Of course, even this long-term documentary can only begin to capture the complexity of the United States, a country no longer united. But we gave it our best shot. AMERICA 2024 – THE IRRECONCILABLES. From 22 October on arte.
Medicine of Tomorrow
9th April 2024 By Jan Tenhaven
Genetic engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Brain-Machine Interfaces, and Climate Catastrophe: For the accompanying documentary to the new Charité series, I have taken on the directorial role alongside Nicolas Hecker. In MEDICINE OF TOMORROW, we join Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen on an exciting journey to researchers and patients in Berlin and Bonn, Magdeburg and Marburg, Weimar and Paris – and learn a lot about high-tech and clever computers, but also about surprisingly simple things that could improve our health in the future.