Rainer Werner Fassbinder was a German film director, screenwriter, playwright, actor, and theater director who was a leading figure in the New German Cinema movement. He is widely considered one of the most important auteurs of the 20th century, and his films have been praised for their raw emotionality and social criticism.
Fassbinder was born on May 31, 1945 in Bad Wörishofen, Germany. He was the only child of Franziska, an unmarried former actress, and Heinrich Fassbinder, an antiques dealer. He had a turbulent childhood, as his parents separated shortly after his birth and he was raised by his mother and stepfather. Fassbinder’s stepfather, whom he considered his real father, was an authoritarian and violent man who was an alcoholic. Fassbinder was a rebellious child and was expelled from school at the age of fourteen.
Fassbinder began his career as a theater director, staging his first play, “The Little Chaos”, at the age of eighteen. He went on to direct over forty plays, many of which he wrote himself. His first film was “Love Is Colder Than Death” in 1969, and he followed it up with “Gods of the Plague”, “The American Soldier”, “The Merchant of Four Seasons”, and “The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant”. In 1974, Fassbinder directed the epic drama “Berlin Alexanderplatz”. His other films include “The Marriage of Maria Braun”, “Lola”, “Veronika Voss”, “Rio das Mortes”, “The Third Generation”, and “Lili Marleen”.
Fassbinder was a prolific filmmaker, making over forty films in his short life. His films were often characterized by their raw emotionality, realistic depiction of everyday life, and social criticism. Fassbinder was a master of his craft, and his films were often praised for their technical brilliance.
Fassbinder died of a drug overdose at the age of thirty-seven on June 10, 1982 in Munich, Germany. He left behind a legacy of important films that have had a lasting impact on the world of cinema. His films are still studied and celebrated, and he is considered
Birthday
May 31, 1945
