Elí Roland Sachs was born in Göttingen in 1985 and grew up in various African countries (Senegal, Rwanda, Botswana, Cameroon).
 
From 2007-2013, he studied documentary film directing and cinematography at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. During his studies, he spent semsters abroad in Senegal and at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV in Cuba.
 
After completing his studies, he initiated the DOKOMOTIVE film collective in 2015 togther with other filmmakers, co-founded the DOKOMOTIVE platform in 2018 and founded the film production company Freihandfilm GmbH in 2020.
 
He works as a freelance director, cameraman and producer.
 

Shooting experience in:

Germany, Uganda, Senegal, Ghana, D.R.Congo, Burkina Faso, Cuba, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Luxemburg

Language skills:

german (mother tongue), english (fluent), french (fluent), spanish (fluent)

Filmography (selection):

MODU (2024, director/cinematographer/producer, fiction-film (Italy), 90 min.)
A theatre of violence
(2023, additional cinematographer, director: Emil Langballe und Lukasz Konopa, production: Corso Film, documentary (Uganda), 90 min.)
800 Mal Einsam – Ein Tag mit dem Filmemacher Edgar Reitz (2019, cinematographer, director: Anna Hepp, documentary, 84 min.)
Erich und Schmitte (2017, additional cinematographer, director: Stefan Eisenburger, documentary, 80 min.)
Brother Jakob (Bruder Jakob) (2016, director/cinematographer/producer, documentary, 92 Min.)
The Congo Tribunal (german: Das Kongotribunal) (2015, cameraoperator, director: Milo Rau, documentary (DR Kongo), 100 min.)
A woman like a sea (2015, cinematographer, director: Lisa Wagner, short-film (Luxemburg))
SANKOFA „Return and get it“  (2014, cinematographer, director: Maman Salissou Oumarou, documentary (Ghana), 61 Minutes)
BREATH (german: ATEMWEGE) (2013, director/cinematographer, documentary, 75 min.)
Greeks against Greeks (2013, cinematrographer, director: Quimu Casalprim, short fiction (Sicily, Italy))
12 y Malecón, Habana(2012, director/cinematographer, documentary (Cuba), 52 min.)
Inspections (2012, director/cinematographer/editor, short documentary (Cuba))
Bird Control (2012, cinematographer (16mm), director: Kerstin Neuwirth, short documentary)
Rat de marée (2011, cinematographer, director: Géraldine Rod, short fiction (Switzerland))
Autour d’une Vision (2010, director/cinematographer/producer, documentary (Senegal), 24 min.)
La Tailleuse de Pierres (2010, cinematographer/producer/director, short-film, Senegal, 15 min.)
Le Charretier de Yoff (2010, director/cinematographer, short documentary, Senegal)
Cologne technique (german: Kölner Verfahren) (2010, director/cinematographer/editor, short documentary)
Eskapop (2010, cinematographer, director: Géraldine Rod & Lionel Rupp, short fiction (Switzerland))
Moly (2010, cinematographer, director: Moly Kane (Senegal), short fiction)
Birds eye view (german: Vogelperspektive) (2009, director/cinematographer, short-film)
Vogelfrei (2007, director/cinematographer, short fiction)
Schminknovelle (2006, director/producer, short fiction)