He was born 16 August 1963 in Gera, Germany. After practicing as a director at the DEFA studios in Potsdam-Babelsberg and working as an assistant director for Günter Reisch, he studied at the Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen „Konrad Wolf“, also in Potsdam-Babelsberg. His directing credits include Cloud 9, Summer in Berlin, Grill Point and Night Shapes. His film Stopped on Track premiered at the Un Certain Regard section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Prize of Un Certain Regard. Dresen is known for his realistic style, which gives his films a semi-documentary feel.
