Ma vie: JIM RAKETE

43 min., ZDF/ Arte 2010

His artist's name is his program: rocket speed is of the essence when this photographer chases the "true moment" in an encounter with a celebrity — his decisiveness and rapid work process are part of his mystique as the portraitist of the stars who is a star himself. In the 1980s, his unadorned black-and-white pictures created a new image for the countless musicians he photographed. But also politicians, actors, and artists have bared their souls in front of his unflinching lens. "I'm not a collector, I'm a hunter," Jim Rakete has said about his pursuit of the inner verity hiding underneath the famous façade. Music icons David Bowie, Ray Charles, Jimmy Hendrix, and Mick Jagger all once let their guard down before his camera: his pictures always reveal an intimacy and familiarity with his subjects — Jim Rakete is also very much present in them. For decades, he has passionately collected old cameras, which still emit that exciting "click" to punctuate the moment of truth. For years now he has gone through the trouble of locating film and paper for his antiquated psychological fact-finding instruments. He knows that he is dealing with highly endangered technological species and tries to keep them alive as long as possible. However, he also knows that the quality of a portrait does not depend on the apparatus but on the eye behind it. And for Rocket Man, nostalgia must be taboo.