Ole Michelsen(1940-2020)
- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Ole Michelsen was born in the Frederiksberg, Denmark, where he still
lives today. His family was quite poor and his father committed suicide
when Ole was 14. After unfinished university studies Ole Michelsen went
to live in Paris, pursuing his dream of being a director, and became an
assistant to director Jean-Pierre Melville. Michelsen's experiences taught him that
he was not suited for filmmaking, and instead he became a correspondent
for Danish newspapers. In 1970 he returned to Denmark where he took a
job as a culture journalist for Danish radio. Interviews were his
specialty. In the early 1980s he started the film magazine "Bogart" on
radio, then famously took it to television (DR) in 1985. The programme
had a strong voice in Danish film and its marking scale of one to five
Bogart hats was among the most cited. Ole Michelsen was strongly
identified with his programme, and when he retired in late 2002 his
skillful work and his mark on the Danish cinema culture were widely
recognized. In his personal life, Michelsen became a single father when
his wife died three years into their marriage. In recent years he and
his daughter, Trine Michelsen, have improved their relationship which suffered
when she starred in erotic films in the 1980s. After his retirement,
Michelsen has expanded on his writing career and made efforts to share
his own past experiences with alcoholism and help those with the same
problem. He has also given lectures and written freelance
journalism.