ARD is showing “Grönemeyer – Everything remains different” for its 70th birthday: The 89-minute documentary about life and career is now available in the ARD media library.
ARD is giving Herbert Grönemeyer a cinematic birthday present: just in time for his 70th birthday on Sunday, April 12th, the 89-minute documentary “Grönemeyer – Everything remains different” is available in the ARD media library. The film sets out to find the secret behind one of the most enduring careers in German music history.
Grönemeyer is open: he talks about successes and failures, the dark side of fame, his passion for football and his social attitude. In addition to his close friend, the actress Nina Hoss, soccer world champion Toni Kroos and comedian and all-round talent Anke Engelke have their say. The musician Paula Hartmann as well as manager Claudia Kaloff and tour manager Ingo Mertens complete the group of celebrities and companions who will be seen in the documentary.
Grönemeyer’s career
Born in 1956 in Göttingen, Lower Saxony, he found his way to the stage early on: first as a pianist and music director at the Schauspielhaus Bochum, then as an actor. He became known to a wide audience in 1981 as war correspondent Werner in Wolfgang Petersen’s war film “Das Boot” – a role that suddenly catapulted him into the consciousness of the German public.
He achieved his final breakthrough as a musician three years later with the album “4630 Bochum” (1984), which sold millions of copies and produced songs like “Männer”, “Alkohol” and “Bochum”. Since then, Grönemeyer has always written new chapters without changing his ways. “He is one of the few German artists who manages to be political at the highest level without losing his lightness,” says singer Paula Hartmann in the ARD documentary. Football world champion Toni Kroos also pays him respect: “Grönemeyer is an institution. His commitment goes far beyond music – that impresses me.”
Grönemeyer’s look forward
Herbert Grönemeyer is not thinking about quitting. Most recently, the album “Das ist los” was released in 2023, which once again climbed to the top of the German charts and confirmed his reputation as one of the most relevant German-speaking musicians. In the documentary, Grönemeyer indicates that new music is being planned – and that he sees dialogue with the audience as the central driving force of his work. Anke Engelke, who has known him for many years, sums it up in the documentary: “Herbert doesn’t stop because he can’t stop. He’s simply too curious about what’s to come.”
Editorial recommendations
“Grönemeyer – Everything stays different” (here in stream) is the portrait of a man whose career seems to defy all the rules of the music business. Whether as a musician, actor or social commentator – Grönemeyer remains one of the most influential voices in Germany.
