Rainer Werner Fassbinder

When Rainer Werner Fassbinder died on 10 June 1982, he was only 37 years old, but had already made 43 films and television series, and was world famous. The DFF marked Fassbinder’s 75th birthday on 31 May 2020 with an all-day online event on social media and on our website. Go to dff.film/rwf75 to find out more. In July we will be able to present seven of Fassbinder’s films from his various creative periods. The screening of Fassbinder’s first TV series ACHT STUNDEN SIND KEIN TAG from 1972/73 which was originally planned in May, will be postponed to a later date.

Only a few days before Fassbinder’s anniversary, the film community had to say goodbye to actress Irm Hermann, who died on 26 May at the age of 77. Fassbinder had discovered her in 1966 and he continued to cast her in many of his films. After his death she continued her impressive career with roles in works of important filmmakers such as Herbert Achternbusch, Christoph Schlingensief and others. In five of the upcoming films in this series, KATZELMACHER (1969), HÄNDLER DER VIER JAHRESZEITEN (The Merchant of Four Seasons, 1972), DIE BITTEREN TÄNEN DER PETRA VON KANT (The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, 1972), MUTTER KÜSTERS’ FAHRT ZUM HIMMEL (Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven,
1976) and LILI MARLEEN (1981), Irm Hermann shines with her striking acting style in larger or smaller roles. In this sense, the series is also a homage to this important actress.

MUTTER KÜSTERS’ FAHRT ZUM HIMMEL (Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven) is one of two Fassbinder films shot in Frankfurt am Main, IN EINEM JAHR MIT 13 MONDEN (In a Year with 13 Moons) from 1978 being the other. Fassbinder was the director of the Theater am Turm in Frankfurt in 1974/75, and because of this connection to the city alone, these two films should not be missed. In CHINESISCHES ROULETTE (Chinese Roulette, 1976) one of the leading roles is played by Anna Karina, to whom we are also paying tribute this month. CHINESISCHES ROULETTE was Fassbinder’s second international co-production, but is rarely shown today. Yet it is a virtuosically staged confusion that captivates viewers with its great aesthetic appeal.