Peter Patzak’s work as a filmmaker and author stood out for its sharp sense of humor, sensitive observations of the human condition, and profound knowledge and reverence for the art of storytelling. 

Peter found initial success as a painter before directing his first films, a pursuit he cultivated throughout his prolific life and career. In contrast to his dramatic work full of narrative and linearity, painting offered Peter a sensual world made up of light, texture, and color. He worked in series, devoting each to a specific guiding philosophy. 

The son of a police officer, Peter grew up in public housing of the Soviet District in post-World War II Vienna with a singular drive to succeed as an artist. Every opportunity he had, he stood for human rights, including in his first major film, Kassbach, which exposed a fascist undercurrent within Austrian society.

Peter lionized art and its creators; to him, making art was one of the most worthwhile and noble pursuits that one could aspire to do with one’s time on earth. As a professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, he mentored and inspired upcoming artists.

The mission of the Peter Patzak Estate is to keep his legacy alive for the people that loved and admired Peter, as well as to introduce and inspire those who didn’t have the privilege of knowing him during his lifetime.