“The main purpose of film is always to entertain, that's just how it is. If you don't have that, you're not going to be able to get across any messages, at least not any that people are going to listen to.”

Born into a German aristocratic family, von Donnersmarck’s father was a manager of Lufthansa.  The family must have travelled widely, as he spent time in New York, Berlin, Brussels and Frankfurt as a child.  After graduating from High School he studied in St Petersburg for two years, and taught for a while there.  He also has a philosophy Master’s degree from Oxford.  At some point though, he must have decided that a career in film was for him as he also studied at Munich’s film school and worked as a directing intern with Richard Attenborough on Love and War.  This very tall man (he is almost 6’ 9”) with the long name also speaks, German, English, French, Russian and Italian fluently.  He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.