Born in 1973 in Hannover, Germany, Dennis Gansel studied at Munich Film School HFF. Remarkably his first feature length movie Das Phantom (2000) was shot while he was still studying. Between his movies Girls on Top (2001), Napola - Elite für den Führer (2004) and Die Welle (2008) he spent a long time struggling for the budget of the films. During these times he shot commercials. Dennis Gansel lives in Berlin.