Jan-Ole Gerstner was born in 1978 in Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia. In 2000, he relocated to Berlin, where he completed an internship at X-Films Creative Pool, the renowned production company behind notable films such as "Run Lola Run" and "The White Ribbon". This experience laid the groundwork for his subsequent role as Wolfgang Becker's personal assistant on the production of "Good Bye, Lenin!".
Gerstner then embarked on his academic journey, commencing his studies in writing and directing at the prestigious German Film and Television Academy in Berlin in 2003. During his time at the academy, he directed several short films and collaborated with Wolfgang Becker on the script for the "Krankes Haus" episode of the collective film "Deutschland 09".
Gerstner's debut feature film, "Oh Boy", unexpectedly achieved significant commercial success at the German box office, garnering six prestigious Lola awards, the German equivalent of the Oscars. His subsequent feature film, "Lara", a thought-provoking psychological study, also explored the 24-hour period, earning numerous accolades, including the well-deserved Best Actress Award for Corinna Harfouch.
