Eberhard Rühle has explored and discovered many cultures. These experiences have contributed to his altruism, curiosity and commitment to human-linked causes. His films venture into unknown territories and tell the story of outstanding people who fight, body and soul, to uphold their beliefs and do not hesitate to swim against the current. Equipped with expertise and an unwavering composure, he knows how to manage risky film shooting. Using a hidden camera, he gains entry into human trafficking networks whether in Asia or the Middle East.

Eberhard Rühle, born in Stuttgart in 1959, studied philosophy and cultural studies in Tübingen. After receiving his master's degree in philosophy, he completed a traineeship at SDR in Stuttgart (now SWR) in 1989-90 and then began working as a reporter and TV writer. From 1992-99 he was employed as an author, editor and deputy editorial director of the political magazine Klartext at ORB television in Potsdam (today RBB). Since 2000 he realizes films and documentaries as a freelance author, director and producer for ARTE, ZDF, ARD and other TV stations, since 2012 mainly with the company Apollofilm in Strasbourg.

E-Mail:

ruehle (at) apollofilm.de

Filmography

2023
Re - Change of power in Turkey? - The Alliance against Erdogan (32.min.) for ARTE Re. Report on the struggle of the opposition in Turkey for a change of power in the elections in May 2023. ZDF/ARTE/Apollofilm

2022
Mission Wilderness - Save the Wild (3x43/52 min, 4K), final production of the three-part documentary series (with co-authors) for ARTE Discovery about intelligent measures of species and nature protection worldwide, in southern Africa, the Caribbean, Kazakhstan, Romania, Poland and Germany, among others.. The series will be broadcast on ARTE programming from July 2023. ARTE GEIE/Apollofilm/filmtank

Re - Crab fishermen facing headwinds - A profession fights for survival (32 min.) for ARTE Re (with co-author). Report on crab fishermen on the German North Sea coast whose profession could be saved by a new crab peeling machine. ZDF/ARTE/Apollofilm

Re - Putin's Long Shadow - Fighting Serbia's Controlled Democracy (32 min.) for ARTE Re. Report on the manipulation and media influence on Serbia's election in spring 2022. ZDF/ARTE/Filme&Consorten
Re - Courageous against separatists - Is Bosnia threatened with disintegration? (32 min.) for ARTE Re. Report on democracy activists in Bosnia in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Mostar. ZDF/ARTE/Films&Consorten

2021
Re - Vaccination for all? - How successful is the vaccination campaign in Serbia (32 min.) for ARTE Re. Report on the vaccination campaign in Serbia, governmental failure in fighting the pandemic and the manipulation of victim numbers. ZDF/ARTE/Films&Consorten

Re - Hunting the Mafia in Calabria - A prosecutor cleans up (32 min.) for ARTE Re. Report on the fight against the Ndrangheta in Calabria. More than 400 defendants are charged in a trial. Victims of the Mafia report. ZDF/ARTE/Films&Consorten

2020

From Brazil to Brake - The Soy Connection (30 min) for the NDR program Panorama - die Reporter. Report on the deforestation in northern Brazil due to soy cultivation. In Germany, the soy feed ends up in the pig troughs for intensive fattening. Co-author Gesine Enwaldt. NDR / Filme & Consorten

Lost with IS - A Father is Searching for his Sons in Syria (31 min) for ARTE Re. On the way with Joachim Gerhard in the Kurdish north-east of Syria. For five years the father has been looking for his 2 sons who went to IS in Syria in 2014. ZDF / ARTE / Filme&Consorten

Survivors from Srebrenica - 25 Years after the Genocide (32 min) for the ARTE program ARTE Re. Survivors of the death march from Srebrenica to Tuzla in Bosnia are fighting against the deniers of the genocide, who are increasingly aggressive. ZDF / ARTE / Apollofilm

Conception and realization of the three-part documentary series Mission Wilderness – Save the Wild (3x52 min, 4K), produced in 2021/22 for ARTE Discovery and the international market. The films will document intelligent measures for species and nature conservation worldwide, including in southern Africa, Colombia, the Caribbean, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The series will be broadcast on ARTE in 2023.

2018
South Africa: Radical Occupiers (24 min) for ARTE-Reportage. The Land is Ours is the motto of the new radical left party EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) in South Africa. On the way with squatters and activists near Johannesburg and the Cape. ARTE / Apollofilm

Montenegro: Hunt for Journalists (30 min) for the ARTE program ARTE Re. Report on attacks and attacks on investigative journalists in Montenegro. ARTE / MDR / Filme&Consorten

2017
Conception and management of the five-part documentary series Deltas of the World (5x43 / 52 min, 4K) for the ARTE program ARTE Discovery and the international market. ARTE / Apollofilm / Filmtank / Autentic. First broadcast on ARTE from October 8 to 12, 2018.
Funded by CNC - Strasbourg.eu - GrandEst – MFG:
Ebro - the Green Jewel
Rhine-Meuse - Land of Canals
Irrawaddy - The Wonder World of Mangroves
Amazon - Healing Tropics
Yukon - Arctic Wilderness

Deltas of the World: Amazon - Healing Tropics (52/43 min, 4K) for the ARTE program ARTE Discovery. Nature documentary about the unique river landscape in the most water-rich estuary on earth. ARTE / Apollofilm / Filmtank / Autentic

Bangladesh of Europe - Poverty Wages in Romania (24 and 28 min) for ARTE Reportage and DW. The film documents the precarious working conditions of women textile workers in Romania. ARTE / Apollofilm / DW

2016
With High-Tech and Hoe against the Drought (52 min) for ARTE-SCIENCE, Deutsche Welle and W wie Wissen (NDR). Documentary about new methods of using little water efficiently: with high-tech agriculture in California, with modern greenhouses in southern Spain and with better cultivation techniques in Burkina Faso (with co-author). NDR / ARTE / DW

In the Crosshairs of Terror (52 min) for ARTE THEMA Dead people on the beach in Tunisia, the attack on a Russian vacation plane in Egypt, victims at the airport in Istanbul: Islamist extremists are pursuing a perfidious strategy with terror against tourists that hits several targets at the same time. A documentary about the effects of terror in Tunisia, Egypt and Turkey. ARTE / ZDF / Berlin Producers

Terror Lynching in Guatemala (24 and 28.30 min) for ARTE Reportage and Deutsche Welle. The film documents the increasing violence and the failure of the judiciary in Guatemala. More and more people are becoming victims of lynching (with co-author). ARTE / Apollofilm

2015
Honduras: Return to Hell (26 min) for ARTE Reportage and Deutsche Welle. A film about refugees who were picked up on their way through Mexico to the USA and deported to their homeland Honduras. Many of them are threatened with death by the criminal Mara gangs (with co-author). ARTE / Apollofilm

2014
Drive to Risk - The Sichuan-Tibet Highway in China (43 min). Part of the five-part series "Driving into Risk" for ARTE Discovery. Road movie about the dangers on the way from Chengdu to Lhasa on adventurous roads and over steep and dangerous passes. ZDF / ARTE / Berlin Producers

Hawaii: Return to the Roots (43 min) For ARTE WunderWelten. Documentary about the revival of Hawaiian culture in the Pacific archipelago. ZDF / ARTE / Filme&Consorten

2013
South Africa: The Farm Workers' Revolt (12 min) For ARTE reportage. Film report on the exploitation of farm workers at the Cape of Good Hope. ARTE / Apollofilm

Spain: Days of Anger (12 min) For ARTE reportage. Film report on the victims of the mortgage crisis in Spain (co-author Alix François Meier). ARTE / Apollofilm

A Man is Fleeing to Europe (26 min) For ARTE reportage. Film report about the difficult situation of refugees in crisis-ridden Athens (with co-author). ARTE / Apollofilm

2012
Proud Riders of Lesotho (45 min) For ARTE WunderWelten. Documentary about the Sotho people on horseback in the barren mountains of Lesotho in southern Africa. ZDF / ARTE

Turkey: Escape over the Evros (26 min) for ARTE reportage. Report on the winter refugee drama on the Evros River on the Turkish-Greek border (co-author Alix François Meier). ARTE / NDR / Apollofilm

Longing (45 min) For the 3Sat theme day “Sehnsucht”. Documentary about people who are driven by different longings (co-author Wilma Pradetto). 3Sat / Filmtank

At the Table in Albania (30 min) For the ARTE cooking series “Zu Tisch...”. Portrait of an Albanian farming family in a remote mountain valley in Northern Albania, ZDF / ARTE / fernsehbüro

2011
The Tricks of the Food Industry (60 min) for ARTE THEMA. Documentary about the legal deceptions of the food industry. NDR / ARTE

At Table on the Amalfi Coast (30 min) for the ARTE series "Zu Tisch...". Portrait of an Italian farming family in Amalfi in southern Italy. ZDF / ARTE

2010
Namibia: On the Road in Southern Africa (43 min) for ARTE Discovery. Last part of a five-part road movie through South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. NDR / Arte

Botswana: On the road in southern Africa (43 min) for ARTE Discovery. Part 4 of a five-part road movie through South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. NDR / ARTE

2009
Brazil: Hunters of the Flying Rivers (43 min) for ARTE Discovery. Documentary about climate research in the Amazon region; on the way with a jungle pilot above the treetops of the rainforest. ZDF / ARTE

Norway: Rescuers from the air (30 min.) for SWR-Auslandsreporter. On the way in a helicopter with an emergency medical team in the far north of Norway. SWR

At Table in Georgia (30 min) for the ARTE series "Zu Tisch...". Portrait of a family in the wine region of Kakheti in south-eastern Georgia. ZDF / Arte

At Table in Crete (30 min) for the ARTE series "Zu Tisch...". Portrait of a family in the south of the Greek island Crete. ZDF / Arte

2008
Optimism in the Arctic Ocean - Fresh Catch in the Bering Sea (43 min) for Arte Discovery. Documentary about the climatic changes in Alaska, Kamchatka and the Bering Sea (co-author Holger Preuße), RBB / Arte

Poor Despite Work (60 min) for the ARTE THEMA. Documentary on wage dumping, temporary work and minimum wages in Germany and France (several co-authors). MDR / ARTE

2007
Hawaii, a free reign for GMOs, Arte Discovery (ZDF, 45 '). In the Hawaiian archipelago, experiments run with discretion on the theme GM crops are faced with the resistance of the population.

Regional cooking on the island of Hiddensee, an Arte documentary series (ZDF, 26 '): a portrait of a family living on the small island in the Baltic Sea.

2006
Away from prying eyes: master of the stove and servant of God, an Arte documentary series (ARD / SR, 26 '): the portrait of a Benedictine monk from the monastery of Tohley.

A shop: The Lello bookstore in Porto, Arte documentary series (ZDF, 26 '): the portrait of a bookseller in Portugal.

Regional cooking in Guadeloupe, an Arte documentary series (ZDF, 26 '): the portrait of a Creole family living in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe.

Tram 28: The Best of Lisbon, an Arte documentary series (ZDF, 26 '): the portrait of a couple, both Lisbon tram drivers.

2005
Marble, the stone of light, Arte Discovery (ZDF, with co-author, 43 '): a documentary on the marble quarries in Carrara and its transformation in Tuscany.

Yoga, a breath from India, Arte Discovery (ZDF, 43 '): a documentary on the practice of yoga, its history and roots.

Tai Chi, a trip to the source of strength, Arte Discovery (ZDF, 43 '): a documentary on the art of combat and its Chinese Taoist roots.

My school and I: The United World College of the Adriatic, Italy, Arte documentary series (ZDF, with co-author, 26 '). Report of an elite school in northern Italy.

2004
Regional cooking in Campania, an Arte documentary series (ZDF, 26 '): a portrait of an Italian family living near South Naples.

My school and I: The "Waldorfschule" in Kreuzberg, Berlin, an Arte documentary series (ZDF, with co-author, 26 '). In Germany, since the publication of the OECD Pisa study’s results, teachers, professors, students and parents are seeking new ways of teaching. Waldorf education is one of the more advanced answers. We see it here rid of a prejudice that usually comes with it.

Second Hand, "K1 Die Reportage" (Kabel 1, 42 '): a report about flea markets.

2003
Logistics – Routing is the destination, 3sat "Hitec" (ZDF/3Sat, 30 '): a documentary about modern logistics in Germany and Athens.

My school and I: The Lise in Izmit, Turkey, an Arte documentary series (ZDF, 26 '). Like all state schools, the Izmit’s Lisesi must operate with overcrowded classrooms, inadequate facilities and poorly paid teachers.

The foreman, "K1 Spezial" (Kabel 1, 42 '): report in the form of a portrait of a foreman on a football stadium’s building site in Mönchengladbach.

2002
Regional cooking in the Basque Country, an Arte documentary series (ZDF, 26 '): a portrait of a Basque farmer family.

Regional cooking in Romania, an Arte documentary series (ZDF, 26 '): a portrait of a nun in a Romanian monastery.

Organised chaos - New railways in Berlin, a "K1 Die Reportage" (Kabel 1, 42 'with co-authors): a report on the construction of the new Berlin Central Station.

Construction on the high seas - The wind farm in the North Sea, "K1 Die Reportage" (Kabel 1, 42 '): a report on an offshore wind farm built off of Denmark.

2001
Regional cooking – the Land of Baden, an Arte documentary series (ZDF, 26 '): a portrait of a farmer family.

Operating on a child’s heart (ORB, 30 '): a report on the intervention of German surgeons in Estonia.

A priest in Sertao (ORB, 20 '): a report on the work of a Catholic missionary priest in Northeast Brazil.

2000
Luz para Educacao (WDR / Iutu, 20 '): a report on development assistance project and a solar energy program in Northeast Brazil.

1999
Journey through Sertoa (Dokfilm, 20 '): on the trail of an expedition to Brazil.

1998
They come to steal our jobs (ORB, 30 '): a report on xenophobia within a school in Brandenburg.

1997
The enemy from abroad (ORB, with co-author, 30 '): a report on the violence of the extreme right-right scene in Brandenburg.

1995
United against loneliness on Mallorca (ORB, 30 '): a report on organised trips for the elderly by a German association of retirees.