Rainer Werner Fassbinder: Director icon would have turned 80

No German filmmaker was as productive, obsessive and polarizing as Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945-1982), who left the big stage at the age of only 37. At that time, he had made over 40 films, two television series and several short films within just 14 years. In addition, 24 not infrequently scandaly plays and various radio plays went to his account. In numerous films he was also in front of the camera as an actor.

Fassbinder was a cinematic berserk who literally worked on his monumental work until the last second of his life. When he was dead in his bed on the night of June 10, 1982, the superstar of the “New German Film” held a pen in his hand and had a fresh script in front of him. He had probably died because of a mixture of sleeping pills and cocaine.

At that time, the director was busy with the final production of his last film “Querle”, who then celebrated a sad world premiere a few weeks after his death. One of his next projects would have been the film adaptation of the “cocaine” scandal novel by the Italian writer Pitigrilli (1893-1975). A major project that had previously been postponed again, in which Fassbinder had meanwhile intended to tragically deceased Romy Schneider (1938-1982) for the revealing leading role.

Already at the end of the 1970s, Fassbinder had attempted to win the former “Sissi” star for his films, among other things for his masterpiece “Die Maria Braun” (1979). However, it should never happen. Thus, the Franco-German actress did not become a member of the legendary “Fassbinder clan”, which the cult director had already built up around him in the early phase of his career.

Many of the members of this illustrious circle, such as Hanna Schygulla, Irm Hermann, Peer Raben or Harry Baer, ​​had already worked with Fassbinder at the “Anteaeater” at the end of the 1960s. Others, such as Günter Lamprecht or Günther Kaufmann, were added later. The actors of this clan were part of a more or less firm ensemble that the director regularly used in his breathless films.

This group, which was also closely linked privately, with which Fassbinder surrounded himself to the end, became a large and very productive replacement family for him. With some companions such as Ingrid Caven, El Hedi Ben Salem, Armin Meier and Juliane Lorenz, he went into love relationships mostly very turbulent. There was no separation of private life and work – and was not intended at all. Finally his motto was: “Make many films so that my life becomes a film”.