Thomas Ruff

Directed by Ralph Goertz

This film takes us into the studio of one of the best-known photographers in Germany, Thomas Ruff. Filmed over a period of two years, Ralph Goertz’s documentary shows a range of the artist’s multi-faceted body of work, including his new ma.r.s. series, involving manipulated images of the planet Mars taken by a satellite camera. Ruff studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under the photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher, which influenced his interest in serial photography. His work has ranged from small-scale documentary-style photographs of domestic interiors, to large-scale passport-like portraits with monochrome backgrounds, to architectural photographs.