Wolf Koenig

Wolf Koenig October 17 1927 June 26 2014 was a Canadian film director producer animator cinematographer and a pioneer in Direct Cinema at the National Film Board of Canada Born in Dresden Germany Koenig emigrated to Canada with his family in 1937 when they fled Nazi Germany They settled in 145acre 059 km2 farm along the Grand River outside what is now known as Cambridge Ontario In 1948 a local representative for the Canadian department of agriculture needed the familys tractor to demonstrate a new treeplanting machine As the young Koenig pulled the machine across a field he noticed a small film crew from the NFBs former agricultural film unit recording the demonstration After filming was complete he approached the men who included director Raymond Garceau and told them he loved films especially animation and hoped to work in filmmaking They suggested he send in a job application and approximately six weeks later he received a letter offering him the position of a junior splicer for 100 per month His younger brother Joe Koenig was also a filmmaker