niko karo1 Niko Karo - director, photographer, author & soulmate, was born in Reutlingen, Baden-Würtemberg. After school he studied life as a junior hippy, price winning film student and traveled the world as an outstanding commercial director. Founded Yakuza Film in 1985 with his best HFF filmschool mate at that time Sönke Wortmann. Yakuza films became pretty successful and helped the careers of great talents like Caroline Link and Anno Saul on their way up. Encouraged by the British Feature& Commercial Director Alan Parker he founded GAP- German Answer productions in 1991.GAP quickly established itself as a major player for the production of high quality and long running commercial and advertising campaigns.
C&A Daydream was the first breakthrough for the young company. C&A Indian Spirit was voted Best Campaign of 1994 and inspired a new generation of young filmmakers and commercial directors in the art of free spirit storytelling.

Nikolai Karo's commercials are small pieces of 'feel-good-art', spiced with deeper meanings and hidden messages, that reflect his mastery in storytelling and creating a strong emotional impact. By using evocative imagery, sound and music, he puts an indelible mark on campaigns for C&A, Gösser, Nivea, Lufthansa, Deutsche Post, Mattoni,, Jacobs, Deichmann and many others. His 'Tuareg' commercial for Jacobs Coffee, started as a project for smaller markets and turned out to became a worldwide runner. Amongst numerous commercial awards and prizes on all major festivals, Niko Karo has won the Bundesfilmprize in Gold for 'Noblesse Oblige' (1988).

Creativity to him means to see the world with the eyes of a child, to risk a deeper look without prejudice and to experience what lies beneath in every moment.

Creativity is the hope to inspire the world with Art and Beauty.

Creativity is Mitakuye Oyasin - the believe, that all belongs together.

In 1999 he founded soulmate, as an independent global alliance of artists and friends .

2000 he shot 'Catching the stars' around the globe for the Bertelsmann Foundation.
2001 moved with familiy and friends to live in Capetown.
2003 / 2004 Travelled the world  developing the feature film project: La ultima Hora - The story of Ché & Tania
2006-2009 Developing the feature film project: 'Zeit der Fische' (nach Ödön von Horvath’s 'Jugend ohne Gott').
Publishing of the short stories and novels (Kreuzzug 129, Wandering Spirits)
2010 joining the artist group 'Gruppe Zwanzigzehn', first exhibitions as a photographer
2011Life is a Hipsta - 111 days in the life of Bob' - Hipstography exhibitions.
2012 Developing of the Bushman feature film project: Land of !Kho'.
Travels India & Namibia. Time & Complecity teachings in Moskow and Capetown.
2011-2014 Photographic project: Camera Obscura – die geheimnisvolle Camera

He's a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Art Directors Club Germany and the Deutsche Filmakademie.

Niko Karo lives in Munich (c/o soulmate) with his painter & artist wife Babette Brühl and their two children.

 

History:

image004Parents - Papa coming home from Jordania

       

niko-karo-history-12Niko Baby

       
niko-karo-history-10HFF Student - Hubert Kah & Trommler
       
 image008Erste Kamera ' Le Blimb' am Set von 'Am Abend aller Tage'        
 image010Am Abend aller Tage ( feat. Sigfrid Steiner)        

 image012HFF Producing with Sönke. the very first days of Yakuza Film

       

image014Noblesse Oblige with Thomas Merker ( D.o.P)

       

niko-karo-history-02Bundesfilm Prize for Nobless Oblige with Sönke

       
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Winston Poster/Nikolaus Ronacher on the set of Winston

       
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'With love from Winston' Group shot ( incl. Sönke Wortmann, Ewa Karlström, Anna Foerster, Laszlo Kadar,
Oliver Simon, Susann& Jürgen Bieling, Stefan Müller, Nanni Gebhardt-Seele...

       
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'Kameramann' Group shot ( feat. Margit Geissler)

       
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C&A Daydream Sunflower 2


     

image031On set of 'Alice in Fashionland'...

       
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On set of 'Don Quixote' with Martin Langer

       
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Rodeo shoot in Syria

       
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Deauville shooting for Lufthansa

       
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Shooting for 'Culture' in Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

       
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Roundtable Discussions

       
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Top 50 (with B.E.)

       
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First feature contract (that never happend;-) with Horst Wendtland and longtime companion Babette Brühl

       
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The 'American job',  end of exclusive overseas deals

     
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Half way up Mount Everest

     
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Recce over le grande Erg (Sahara) way up Mount Everest - With the three Lobsangs shooting 'Catching the Stars'


     

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'Catching the Stars ' Sunrise at the Pyramids

     
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In Bushman Lands (Namibia)

     

niko-karo-history-06Ape head massage with little Josh being amused - Directing little Bedous

     

image048Underwater with 'the Posh'

     

image049Bushman papa

     

image050With the 'Nhoma Nhoma' tribe in eastern Namibia

     

image0511.Feb.2004- Birthday in the Andes ( Chile)

     

image052On set with my beloved producer Paula Bergner & Emily

     

image053Napoleons Home in Elba with Luca & Joshua

     

image054Shooting at Lago Miscante

     

image055N.at Lago Miscante

     

image056Klaus & Niko

     

image057Chris & Niko

     

image058Ewa & Niko

     

niko-karo-history-09Back to Russia - Kolja in front of his summer home in Crimea

     

niko-karo-history-07Sönke & Niko, on their way to the top in  August 2013 - Shooting Gösser with Salcher Louis

     

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nikokaro history 70

Gruppe Zwanzigzehn vor dem Geburtshaus Lenbachs in Schrobenhausen

       
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Bab & Niko at the opening of 'Gruppe Zwanzigzehn' exhibition in Stuttgart ( April 2014)

     

 niko karo history 080 K&K Monarchy live 1981

     

 niko karo history 081At Africa Burn ( April 2018)

     

 niko karo history 082Africa Burn 2018

     

 niko karo history 083Africa Burn 2018

     

 niko karo history 084With soulmate Jeff at the burn

     

 niko karo history 085At the burn 2018

     

 niko karo history 086In Botswana with photographer Xiomara Bender

     

 niko karo history 087Farewell to Gösserland ( Juni 2018)

     

 niko karo history 088A la jardin avec Kathi et Bab.2018 Juli

     

 niko karo history 089Joshua returns from South America trips

     

 niko karo history 090Filmfest Munich with Diane

     

 niko karo history 091Filmfest Retrospektive with old mate Philip

       

 niko karo history 092Back to Moskow

       

 niko karo history 093Shooting Hipp Russia

       

 niko karo history 094Lovely Irina

       

 niko karo history 095Moskwa River banks

       

 niko karo history 096Shooting Hipp Russia

       

 niko karo history 097Dieter, Leo & me at Tretjakow Gallery

       

 niko karo history 098No luggage return

       

 niko karo history 099Shooting Mönchshof

       

 niko karo history 100Shooting Mönchshof at our river

       

 niko karo history 101Dionysos Stadt with Kathi

       

 niko karo history 102Schwanenprinzessin et le grande Christoph

       

 niko karo history 103Back in Istanbul

       

 niko karo history 104Family at the Bosporus

       

 niko karo history 105Luca & Josh Istanbul

       

 niko karo history 106Us on Bosporus

       

 niko karo history 107Yakuza weekend with Sönke & Anno

       

 niko karo history 108Anno & Sönke at Buhne 16

       

 niko karo history 109Globi Lenzerheide

       

 niko karo history 111Soulmate home Januar 2019

       

 niko karo history 112Camara Obscura release April 2019

       

 niko karo history 113Mathias Hornungs Exhibition in Cape Town Feb. 2019

       

 niko karo history 114Shooting Nivea Sun at Llundudno

       

 niko karo history 115Back at Llundudno Beach

       

 niko karo history 116With lovely Dunty

       

 niko karo history 117Back to Llundudno

       

 niko karo history 118On tablemountain with Dieter the eater

       

 niko karo history 119On top of the world ( photographed by Dieter)

       

 niko karo history 121Bahnwärter Easter Rave with Luca & Joshua

       

niko karo history 122Rave with Luca

       

 niko karo history 123Easter Rave with full posse