Georg Kliebhan, affectionately known as "Schorsch" to most people, has been the official photographer of the Biberach Film Festival for two decades. While he may not be a movie star himself, the 71-year-old has become something of a festival celebrity, beloved by both filmmakers and cinema audiences alike.
You don't even need to venture into the cinema to find Kliebhan during the Biberach Film Festival. When he's not actively working, the photographer can typically be found outside the cinema entrance, sporting his signature black hoodie, black pants, and flat cap. He's usually smoking a cigarette and chatting with one of the many guests or filmmakers who have come to know him over the years. His long, dark blonde hair, now touched with gray, spills out from under his cap, and his face bears his characteristic friendly grin.
It's during these moments that Schorsch often tells newspaper reporters about the filmmakers – predominantly female ones – he's encountered at this year's festival. When someone gives him a blank look, he responds with "Oh come on, you know her too!" followed by a list of film titles in which the actress has appeared. His encyclopedic knowledge of cinema and personal connections with industry professionals have made him an institution at the festival.
Kliebhan is a photographer through and through. When he sets out on his Sunday afternoon walks from Riedlingen, his camera is always with him. With a keen eye, he captures the beauty of nature: birds, mushrooms, and flowers. This contemplative side of his photography contrasts sharply with the colorful and glamorous world of celebrity photography that has defined much of his career.
Since the early 1970s, Kliebhan has been a regular fixture in the photographer's pit when major music stars perform in Germany and neighboring countries at stadiums, arenas, and festivals. His lens has captured virtually every major figure in rock and pop music, including Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Ozzy Osbourne, the Rolling Stones, and The Who. The list of legendary performers he has photographed is seemingly endless.
Schorsch also has a particular passion for German cinema. Since the 1970s, he was part of a devoted fan base from Riedlingen who regularly made pilgrimages to Adrian Kutter's cinema in Biberach to experience auteur filmmakers like Werner Herzog, Volker Schlöndorff, and Wim Wenders. He was also present for the birth of the Biberach Film Festival in 1979. In the early 2000s, he began photographing the festival for the Schwäbische Zeitung newspaper, and in 2005, the then-newly formed Biberach Film Festival association asked if he would be willing to photograph the stars and starlets at the Biberach cinema on their behalf.
For the past 20 years, festival visitors have watched Kliebhan dart between cinema halls during the autumn festival season. He's always careful not to miss any post-film audience discussions, and afterward, he approaches the filmmakers to take photos with them in the cinema foyer for the festival archive. Even difficult character actors or supposedly vain divas find themselves striking poses for Schorsch's camera that no one would expect from them – a testament to the photographer's unique charisma.
"I always tell them: 'Come on, let's do something different. You don't want a boring photo of yourself,'" Kliebhan explains. He notes that he quickly learned that using informal address is standard practice in the film business. His approach is the complete opposite of a paparazzi photographer. Intrusive colleagues with large telephoto lenses are anathema to him.
Kliebhan's role model was the late Rupert Leser, who served as the Schwäbische Zeitung's photographer for decades until his death in 2017. "He once told me: 'If you want something from people, don't come at them with a huge telephoto lens – get close to people and talk to them,'" Kliebhan recalls. This philosophy has guided his entire approach to photography.
True to this principle, Kliebhan engages filmmakers in friendly conversation, always remaining charming and polite, so that in the end, almost no star refuses his requests. On the contrary, many recognize him immediately, even if they haven't attended the festival for several years, and greet him with warm hugs. Whether it's Klaus Maria Brandauer, Senta Berger, Ben Becker, Katharina Wackernagel, Jessica Schwarz, or this year's honoree Nastassja Kinski, Schorsch brings out the best in all of them. Even when he might be annoyed by someone, he never shows it.
When Nastassja Kinski was running late on Saturday evening and couldn't make it to the cinema, Kliebhan quickly stopped by her hotel for a brief conversation. The two had previously met years earlier at the New Pop Festival in Baden-Baden. "She recognized me and promised that I could take beautiful photos with her on Sunday," he said.
For Schorsch, it's not just about getting the quick photo – it's always about having a brief chat during the obligatory cigarette break. This applies to both filmmakers and festival visitors alike. Through these conversations, he naturally learns quite a bit about what's happening behind the scenes. Anyone wanting to know the current mood at the festival, or who has made positive or negative comments about particular films or film stars, simply asks Schorsch. And those who ask particularly nicely might even get photographed with their favorite star and receive the photo via email afterward.
Kliebhan's final task at each film festival is always the large group photo with all the award winners at the end of the gala. Getting everyone properly positioned usually takes quite a while, but it's a tradition he takes seriously. When he occasionally ventures to the Hotel Kapuzinerhof bar after the last film – less frequently than in earlier years – where filmmakers sometimes really let loose, an unwritten rule applies: the camera stays off. Discrediting snapshots are not his style.
"You have to give filmmakers their privacy," he explains. This respect is another reason why actors appreciate him so much. While film stars and audience members are sound asleep after a long festival night, Georg Kliebhan is already back in Riedlingen at his computer, editing his photos to send to the festival's press office after just a few hours of sleep. His dedication to capturing the magic of cinema and the personalities who create it has made him an indispensable part of the Biberach Film Festival's identity.
