After his studies (music, philosophy and medical grooming) Matthies decided to become a journalist. The undercover report Nimm mich mit! that was made in the Marburg animal shelter brought him an employment as an editor in the Discovery Channel. High-quality documentations were produced, among them the flicker Jip and Jep – two monkeys on the highway, which was nominated for the Nature Film Oscar. At the height of his fame Matthies retreated from public life. Years of travel. Matthies visited German zoos and established himself as the author of zoological catalogues. In Berlin he met Ray's tribe, which inspired him to write the novel Ausgefressen. Nowadays he lives as a resident in Berlin and has four children with three women.
