Marina Kellen French Distinguished Visitor

An Evening with Julie Taymor

In cooperation with Universität der Künste

On this special evening, award-winning director and designer Julie Taymor offers insights into her groundbreaking work on stage and screen. Join us for an exclusive conversation with Julie Taymor as she shares insights into her creative process and the inspirations behind some of her most iconic productions. From The Lion King on Broadway to Frida on the big screen, Taymor has pushed the boundaries of storytelling and visual spectacle, and will share her artistic vision with the audience.

Look behind the scenes on how the Emmy Award-winning director brought to life her most well-known productions, ranging from theatre to opera to films. In conversation with German producer and director and Academy trustee Volker Schlöndorff, Taymor will discuss the wide variety of her work and answer audience questions on her career and success.

Julie Taymor is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy and Tony Award-winning director whose productions range from musicals and Shakespearean theater to classical operas and films. Her Broadway production of The Lion King debuted in 1997 and received 11 Tony Award nominations, winning Best Musical; Taymor received the award for Best Director and Costume Designer. In 2022, she served as jury president for the Tokyo International Film Festival and also co-wrote and directed the feature film of Gloria Steinem’s My Life on the Road, starring Julianne Moore. Her other works include Titus, Across the Universe, and The Tempest as well as stage and opera productions like Grounded and Die Zauberflöte.

Völker Schlöndorff is a German filmmaker and screenwriter and one of the leading figures of the New German Cinema movement. He has directed several critically acclaimed and award-winning films, including Death of a Salesman and The Tin Drum, which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He has also served on the juries of several film festivals, including Cannes and Berlin, and is a member of the European Film Academy. Schlöndorff is a founding trustee of the American Academy in Berlin.