{{Short description|German artist and film director}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Muscha | honorific_suffix = | image = Jürgen Muschalek 1983.gif | birth_name = Jürgen Muschalek | birth_date = {{birth date|1951|11|28|df=y}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|2003|07||1951|11|28|df=y}} | birth_place = Meinerzhagen, Germany | occupation = {{hlist|Film director|artist|musician}} | notable_works = ''Decoder'' (1984) }}
'''Jürgen Muschalek''' (28 September 1951 – 29 July 2003), known as '''Muscha''', was a German artist and film director. He is known for his cult classic film ''Decoder''.
== Biography == Muscha was born in Meinerzhagen, Germany on 28 September 1951. He was a childhood friend of Trini Trimpop, a German rock musician and film director, who directed many projects with him.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Katalog {{!}} Stiftung imai |url=https://stiftung-imai.de/video/katalog?artist_id=57030 |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=stiftung-imai.de}}</ref>
He was one of guitarists of the band Charley's Girls and was heavily involved in the punk scene.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Teipel |first=Jürgen |title=Verschwende Deine Jugend |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R1UUAQAAIAAJ |publisher=Suhrkamp Verlag |year=2001 |isbn=978-3-518-39771-8 |language=German |access-date=26 June 2022}}</ref>
He was nominated in 1981, alongside co-director Trini Trimpop, to the Max Ophüls prize for his avant-garde film ''Humanes Tötem'' (1980).<ref>{{Citation |title=Humanes Töten - IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206816/awards/ |access-date=26 June 2022}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=June 2022|reason=IMDb is unreliable, see WP:RSPSS}} It was his first feature film.
He eventually moved to Berlin and made his second feature film, ''Decoder'' (1984). Many counterculture personalities were involved, including Christiane F, Genesis P-Orridge, FM Einheit, William S. Borroughs, among others. The film was re-released in 2019 by Vinegar Syndrome<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 August 2019 |title=Decoder – Vinegar Syndrome |url=https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products/decoder |access-date=26 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810215152/https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products/decoder |archive-date=10 August 2019 }}</ref> and it's available to watch in the streaming platform Tubi.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 May 2021 |title=Watch Decoder (1984) – Free Movies {{!}} Tubi |url=https://tubitv.com/movies/569690/decoder |access-date=26 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518170348/https://tubitv.com/movies/569690/decoder |archive-date=18 May 2021 }}</ref>
Muscha ended his life on 29 July 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Überall - Ciencia ficción y ciberpunk en el cine alemán |url=https://www.goethe.de/ins/es/es/sta/mad/ver.cfm?event_id=20977853 |website=Goethe-Institut website (Spain)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Seibert |first1=Marcus |title=Achtung, Achtung, Hier spricht das Filmbüro! |last2=Fürst |first2=Christian |publisher=Strzelecki Books |year=2022 |isbn=978-3-910298-01-9}}</ref>
== Filmography == === Short films === * ''Blitzkrieg-Bop'' (1977)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blitzkrieg-Bop {{!}} Stiftung imai |url=https://stiftung-imai.de/videos/katalog/medium/0813 |access-date=26 June 2022 |website=stiftung-imai.de}}</ref> * ''Suicide'' (1978)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Suicide {{!}} Stiftung imai |url=https://stiftung-imai.de/videos/katalog/medium/0811 |access-date=26 June 2022 |website=stiftung-imai.de}}</ref> * ''Mirakel Wip'' (1979)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mirakel Wip {{!}} Stiftung imai |url=https://stiftung-imai.de/videos/katalog/medium/0812 |access-date=26 June 2022 |website=stiftung-imai.de}}</ref>
=== Feature films === * ''Humanes Töten'' (Humane killing) (1980) * ''Decoder'' (1984)
== References == {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite book |last1=Maeck |first1=Klaus |last2=Hartmann |first2=Walter |title=DECODER-Handbuch – Muzak, Cut-Ups, Piraten, Frogs, Burger, Der Film |publisher=TRIKONT Verlag |location=Duisburg |year=1984 |isbn=978-3-7700-2067-6 |language=de }}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|0615582}}
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Category:1951 births Category:2003 deaths Category:German film directors
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