A portrait of producer Philipp Trauer

If Philipp Trauer had been less nervous in his youth, he would probably have never ended up at the Oscars®. Despite his musical talent, the stage fright he suffered as a teenager prevented him from pursuing a career as a cellist. So, the now 37-year-old studied at the University of Television and Film Munich. This path ultimately led him to the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 2, 2025.

The political thriller SEPTEMBER 5, which he produced, was nominated for an Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay, among further accolades. Last year also brought other successes – including nine German Film Awards for SEPTEMBER 5, among them for Best Feature Film. In addition, there was the box office success of the family drama 22 LENGTHS, which had been seen by over 700,000 viewers in Germany by January 2026.

It is quite remarkable that Philipp Trauer achieved this with a small, independent company: BerghausWöbke Filmproduktion was founded by Thomas Wöbke in 2013. Here, alongside the founder, Trauer serves as managing director to lead a team of three other employees. When asked about their secret to success, the producer says: “We only make one, maybe two films a year, into which we pour our heart and soul, and all our energy.” Or, to put it simply: quality over quantity. The company is now focused on cinema: “Theatres are beautiful, magical places that allow for a very special kind of film experience. Because we ourselves love the cinema, we absolutely believe in this medium.”

Anyone assuming that the Munich-based company, after its Oscar® and Golden Globe nominations for SEPTEMBER 5, will have become fully oriented towards Hollywood is quite mistaken: “We’ve proven that it is possible to produce films in Germany that can certainly compete inter­nationally and win awards. I consider it a privilege that we’re not dependent on the American system. We want to make films with all the advantages we have in Germany – with our funding system, our fantastic crews, and great locations.”

Philipp Trauer is aware that the funding landscape in Germany leaves room for improvements at the moment, but he’s not one to paint a gloomy picture: “We should offer constructive criticism and work on solutions. I’m focusing on the positive, and don’t want to constantly complain.”

This in mind, BerghausWöbke are confidently preparing their upcoming projects, including WINDSTÄRKE 17, the sequel to 22 LENGTHS, and a family entertainment feature film. Further­more, they are working with directors Tim Fehlbaum (SEPTEMBER 5) and Kilian Riedhof (GLADBECK) on two international productions. For Philipp Trauer, ‘international’ does not necessarily mean ‘English-language’: “These are stories capable of touching a global audience. Language is secondary and authenticity is paramount.”

The company does not shy away from extremely ambitious projects: In 2021, they produced Tim Fehlbaum’s highly ambitious science-fiction thriller TIDES, which, despite various awards, failed to perform well at the box office – partly due to the pandemic. “We would definitely take on a similar project again, as long as we truly believe in it,” says Philipp Trauer defiantly. “Because that film also gave us a lot of experience that we used later for SEPTEMBER 5, for example.”

Thomas Wöbke also brings his expertise to the table, having been jointly responsible for many recent classics of German cinema, including Caroline Link’s Oscar®-nominated BEYOND SILENCE and Hans-Christian Schmid’s 23. “Thomas is a very creative and dedicated pro­ducer. We share the same approach to producing and complement each other extremely well,” his co-managing director Trauer says in tribute.

That said, BerghausWöbke can now build on the prestigious success of SEPTEMBER 5: “I get the feeling that we have a somewhat different stand­ing now and are taken more seriously.” And there is no longer any trace of stage fright. “I’m simply an emotional person who likes to laugh and cry.” – Ideal prerequisites for a passionate film producer.

Rüdiger Sturm