Anton Corbijn Dutch photographer and director Date of Birth: 20.05.1955 Country: Netherlands

1. Anton Corbijn: A Dutch Photographer and Director
2. Early Life and Career Beginnings
3. Collaborations and Work
4. Control and Later Achievements

Anton Corbijn: A Dutch Photographer and Director

Anton Corbijn is a renowned Dutch photographer and director known for his work on both feature films and smaller music videos. He gained recognition through his collaborations with iconic music groups such as Depeche Mode and U2, working on their promotion and photography materials for over a decade. Some of his most famous music videos include "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode and "Heart-Shaped Box" by Nirvana. He also received critical acclaim for his biographical film about Ian Curtis, titled "Control".

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Anton was born in Strijen, Netherlands. For a period of time, he earned a living as a photographer specializing in music event coverage. In 1975, Anton had a lucky encounter with Dutch musician Herman Brood at a cafe in Groningen. He conducted a full photoshoot with Herman, which helped propel both of them into fame. Thanks to these photographs, Herman quickly gained popularity, and Anton's career took off alongside him.

Collaborations and Work

Throughout his career, Anton has worked with a diverse range of artists and personalities, including U2, David Bowie, Miles Davis, Björk, Don Van Vliet, Robert de Niro, Stephen Hawking, Elvis Costello, Clint Eastwood, and Herbert Grönemeyer. His designs can be found on album covers for U2, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Bryan Adams, Metallica, Therapy?, The Rolling Stones, R.E.M., The Bee Gees, Saybia, and Moke.

As a music video director, Anton first tried his hand at directing at the request of the band Palais Schaumburg. His resulting video for the song "Hockey" caught the attention of members of the band Propaganda, who also wanted Anton to create a video for them. Subsequently, David Sylvian, Simple Minds, Echo & the Bunnymen, Golden Earring, Front 242, and Depeche Mode sought Anton's services as well.

In 1994, Anton directed the short film "Some Yoyo Stuff," which focused on Don Van Vliet, also known as "Captain Beefheart." The film was aired on BBC. In 2005, Palm Pictures released a DVD compilation of Anton's music videos as part of the "Director's Label" project.

Control and Later Achievements

Anton released his first feature film, "Control," in 2007. The film depicted the life of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. It was based on the book "Touching From A Distance" by Ian's widow, Deborah Curtis, as well as biographies by Toni Wilson, Lindsay Reade, and Mick Middles. "Control" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2007. Although it was not in competition for the Palme d'Or, the film received warm reception, winning the "Director's Fortnight" award, the "CICAE Art & Essai" prize for "Best Film," the "Regards Jeunes" award for "Best First or Second Feature Film," and the "Europa Cinemas Label" prize for "Best European Film at the Festival."

Anton Corbijn continues to be regarded as one of the world's best photographers and music video directors. His work is highly sought after, and he even had one of his portraits featured in William Gibson's novel "Spook Country." Additionally, many of Gibson's books are adorned with photographs taken by Anton.