Patric Chiha
An Austrian filmmaker who crafts intimate, visually arresting portraits of outsiders, dreamers, and the complexities of desire.
Born 1975 (age 51)·Austrian film director·Birthday: March 3·Generation X
Biography
Born in Vienna in 1975 to a Hungarian and Lebanese heritage, Patric Chiha built his cinematic world from the ground up, beginning with shorts and documentaries before stepping onto the international stage. His 2009 feature debut, 'Domain,' premiered at Venice, establishing his taste for character-driven narratives that simmer with unspoken tension. Chiha doesn't shout; his camera observes, often finding beauty and drama in marginalized communities, from the lives of Bulgarian transgender sex workers in 'Brothers of the Night' to the ecstatic physicality of a dance floor in 'If It Were Love.' His work, frequently selected for Berlin and other major festivals, merges a documentarian's eye with a stylist's flair, creating films that feel both grounded and hypnotically dreamlike.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Patric was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Patric Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Patric's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His first feature film, 'Domain,' had its world premiere at the 2009 Venice Film Festival.
- Directed the documentary 'Brothers of the Night,' which was selected for the Berlin International Film Festival in 2016.
- His documentary 'If It Were Love' was also selected for the Berlin International Film Festival in 2020.
- Released his third feature film, 'The Beast in the Jungle,' a dance-centric drama, in 2023.
Did You Know?
He is of both Hungarian and Lebanese descent.
He often works as both the director and the editor on his films.
His film 'Boys Like Us' is a drama centered on a group of friends in Vienna.
“I am interested in people who talk to fill the silence.”
