Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Biography
Rainer Werner Fassbinder (31 May 1945 – 10 June 1982) was a German film director, screenwriter, dramatist and actor born in Bad Wörishofen, Germany, and died in Munich. He is regarded as a leading figure of the New German Cinema movement. In a professional career of less than fifteen years he completed forty feature‑length films, two television film series, three short films, four video productions, twenty‑four stage plays and four radio plays. Fassbinder’s work is noted for its sensitivity toward social outsiders and its critique of institutionalised violence. Contemporary accounts describe his relationships with actors and technicians as tortured and personal, forming a surrogate family around him. His extensive output and thematic focus have made him a central figure in German film history.
Career overview
Rainer Werner Fassbinder was born on 31 May 1945 in Bad Wörishofen, Germany, and died on 10 June 1982 in Munich at the age of 37. In a professional career that lasted less than fifteen years, he emerged as a central figure of the New German Cinema, working as a director, screenwriter and actor. As a director he completed an exceptionally large body of work, producing forty feature‑length films, two television film series, three short films and four video productions. His output also extended to the stage and radio, with twenty‑four plays and four radio dramas written or directed by him.
Fassbinder’s directing was marked by a consistent focus on social outsiders and a critical stance toward institutionalized violence. His films routinely attacked the conventions of German bourgeois society, reflecting a deep‑seated sensitivity to marginalised individuals. This thematic preoccupation, combined with his prolific productivity, secured his reputation as one of the most important and influential directors of his generation. Throughout his brief but intense career, Fassbinder’s work remained firmly rooted in the aesthetic and ideological concerns of the New German Cinema movement, leaving a lasting impact on both German and international film culture.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- Sukowa - Playful Like A Child (2024)
- Peter von Kant (2022) Original Story
- Wim Wenders, Desperado (2020) as Self (archive footage)
- Photographer "Eise" (2019) as Self
- Fassbinder: Love Without Demands (2015) as Self (archive footage)
- A German Youth (2015) as Self (archive footage)
- Fassbinder (2015) as Self (archive footage)
- Alfonso Sansone: Producer by Chance (2014) as Self (archive footage)
- Frogman Katzelmacher (2013) Writer
- Garbage, the City and Death (2012) Theatre Play
- Once Upon a Time… The Marriage of Maria Braun (2012) as Self (archive footage)
- My Name Is Not Ali (2011) as Self (archive footage)
- Daniel Schmid: Le Chat Qui Pense (2010) as Self (archive footage)
- The Marriage of Maria Braun (2008) Writer
- Back to Room 666 (2008) as Self (archive footage)
- Counter Shot: Departure of the Filmmakers (2008) as Self (archive footage)
- Atlètic Club Banyoles (2007) as self
- Filmlegenden. Deutsch (2006) as Self (archive footage)
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1977 (2005) as Self
- Fassbinder in Hollywood (2002) as Self (archive footage)
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder - Der Theatermensch (2002) as Self (archive footage)
- Fassbinder's Women (2000) as Self (Archive footage)
- Water Drops on Burning Rocks (2000) Writer
- I Don’t Just Want You to Love Me (1992) as Self (archive footage)
- Filmarbeit mit Douglas Sirk (1987) as Self
- Room 666 (1985) as Self
- The Last Trip to Harrisburg (1984) as Voice of Man and Woman in Train (voice)
- Querelle (1982) Director
- Querelle (1982) Editor
- Querelle (1982) Screenplay
- Veronika Voss (1982) as Kinobesucher (uncredited)
- Veronika Voss (1982) Director
- Veronika Voss (1982) Screenplay
- Veronika Voss (1982) Co-Producer
- Kamikaze '89 (1982) as Police Lieutenant Jansen
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder: Last Works (1982) as Self
- The Wizard of Babylon (1982) as Self
- Lola (1981) Director
- Lola (1981) Screenplay
- Lola (1981) Editor
- Lola (1981) Line Producer
- Lili Marleen (1981) as Günther Weissenborn (uncredited)
- Lili Marleen (1981) Editor
- Lili Marleen (1981) Director
- Lili Marleen (1981) Screenplay
- Theater in Trance (1981) Director
- Theater in Trance (1981) Writer
- Cinémania: Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1981) as Self
- Polnischer Sommer (1981) as Babiuch
- Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) as Narrator (voice, uncredited)
- Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) Director
- Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) Writer
- Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) Creator
- Douglas Sirk: Über Stars (1980) as Self
- Notes on the Making of 'Berlin Alexanderplatz' (1980) as Self
- NDR Talk Show (1979) as Self
- The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979) as Peddler
- The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979) Editor
- The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979) Idea
- The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979) Director
- The Third Generation (1979) Screenplay
- The Third Generation (1979) Director
- The Third Generation (1979) Producer
- The Third Generation (1979) Camera Operator
- The Third Generation (1979) Director of Photography
- Bourbon Street Blues (1979) as Writer
- Germany in Autumn (1978) as Self (uncredited)
- Germany in Autumn (1978) Director
- Germany in Autumn (1978) Screenplay
- In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) Director
- In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) Art Direction
- In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) Writer
- In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) Editor
- In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) Director of Photography
- In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) Producer
- Biographies (1978) as Self
- Despair (1978) Director
- Despair (1978) Editor
- Little Godard (1978) as Second Director
- Spiel der Verlierer (1978) Editor
- Spiel der Verlierer (1978) Producer
- Life Stories: A Conversation with RW Fassbinder (1978) as Self
- Chinese Roulette (1977) Writer
- Chinese Roulette (1977) Director
- The Stationmaster’s Wife (1977) Director
- The Stationmaster’s Wife (1977) Writer
- The Stationmaster’s Wife (1977) Editor
- Women in New York (1977) Director
- Adolf and Marlene (1977) as Hermann
- Adolf and Marlene (1977) Producer
- Satan’s Brew (1976) Director
- Satan’s Brew (1976) Writer
- I Only Want You to Love Me (1976) Director
- I Only Want You to Love Me (1976) Writer
- The American Soldier (1976) as Franz Walsch (uncredited)
- The American Soldier (1976) Writer
- The American Soldier (1976) Director
- The American Soldier (1976) Production Design
- The American Soldier (1976) Producer
- The American Soldier (1976) Songs
- Signs of Vigorous Life: The New German Cinema (1976) as Self
- Shadow of Angels (1976) as Raoul
- Shadow of Angels (1976) Screenplay
- Shadow of Angels (1976) Theatre Play
- The Culture Industry Needs Something Like Me (1976) as Self
- Fox and His Friends (1975) as Franz "Fox" Bieberkopf
- Fox and His Friends (1975) Writer
- Fox and His Friends (1975) Director
- Fox and His Friends (1975) Producer
- Die Wohngenossin (1975)
- Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven (1975) Director
- Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven (1975) Writer
- Auf dem Trümmerfeld der Träume (1975) as Self
- Fear of Fear (1975) Director
- Fear of Fear (1975) Writer
- Like a Bird on a Wire (1975) Director
- Like a Bird on a Wire (1975) Writer
- Spécial cinéma (1974) as Self
- Am laufenden Band (1974) as Self - Guest
- Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) as Eugen
- Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) Director
- Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) Production Design
- Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) Producer
- Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) Original Music Composer
- Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) Screenplay
- Effi Briest (1974) as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- Effi Briest (1974) Director
- Effi Briest (1974) Screenplay
- Effi Briest (1974) Producer
- Martha (1974) Director
- Martha (1974) Screenplay
- 1 Berlin-Harlem (1974) as Self
- Nora Helmer (1974) Director
- La Paloma (1974) Writer
- Je später der Abend (1973) as Self
- World on a Wire (1973) Director
- World on a Wire (1973) Writer
- World on a Wire (1973) Creator
- Jail Bait (1973) Writer
- Jail Bait (1973) Screenplay
- Jail Bait (1973) Director
- Tenderness of the Wolves (1973) as Wittowski
- Tenderness of the Wolves (1973) Producer
- Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) Director
- Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) Writer
- Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) Producer
- Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) Creator
- The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972) Director
- The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972) Screenplay
- The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972) Producer
- The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972) as Zucker
- The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972) Screenplay
- The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972) Director
- The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972) Original Music Composer
- The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972) Producer
- Bremen Freedom (1972) as Rumpf
- Bremen Freedom (1972) Director
- Bremen Freedom (1972) Author
- Dalli Dalli (1971) as Self
- Haytabo (1971) as Courier
- Beware of a Holy Whore (1971) as Sascha
- Beware of a Holy Whore (1971) Writer
- Beware of a Holy Whore (1971) Director
- Beware of a Holy Whore (1971) Editor
- Mathias Kneißl (1971) as Flecklbauer
- Pioneers in Ingolstadt (1971) Director
- Pioneers in Ingolstadt (1971) Screenplay
- The Sudden Wealth of the Poor People of Kombach (1971) as Bauer
- Rio das Mortes (1971) as Hannas Tanzpartner (uncredited)
- Rio das Mortes (1971) Director
- Rio das Mortes (1971) Writer
- Rio das Mortes (1971) Editor
- Supergirl (1971) as Man in Front of Shop Window
- Whity (1971) as Saloon guest (uncredited)
- Whity (1971) Screenplay
- Whity (1971) Director
- Whity (1971) Editor
- Fassbinder Produces: Film No. 8 (1971) as Self
- The Ancestress (1971) as Jaromir
- The Coffee House (1970) Director
- The Coffee House (1970) Writer
- End of the Commune? (1970) as Self (uncredited)
- The Niklashausen Journey (1970) as Schwarzer Mönch
- The Niklashausen Journey (1970) Director
- The Niklashausen Journey (1970) Writer
- The Niklashausen Journey (1970) Editor
- Love Is Colder Than Death (1970) as Franz
- Love Is Colder Than Death (1970) Editor
- Love Is Colder Than Death (1970) Screenplay
- Love Is Colder Than Death (1970) Director
- Gods of the Plague (1970) as Pornokunde
- Gods of the Plague (1970) Editor
- Gods of the Plague (1970) Director
- Gods of the Plague (1970) Screenplay
- Gods of the Plague (1970) Producer
- Baal (1970) as Baal
- Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? (1970) Director
- Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? (1970) Editor
- Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? (1970) Screenplay
- Katzelmacher (1969) as Jorgos
- Katzelmacher (1969) Screenplay
- Katzelmacher (1969) Production Design
- Katzelmacher (1969) Director
- Katzelmacher (1969) Editor
- Katzelmacher (1969) Theatre Play
- Al Capone im deutschen Wald (1969) as Heini
- Frei bis zum nächsten Mal (1969) as Mechaniker
- Tonys Freunde (1969) as Mallard
- Mit Eichenlaub und Feigenblatt (1968) as Soldier
- The Bridegroom, the Actress, and the Pimp (1968) as the pimp
- The City Tramp (1966) as Man #1 on Toilet
- The City Tramp (1966) Director
- The City Tramp (1966) Writer
- The City Tramp (1966) Editor
- The Little Chaos (1966) as Franz
- The Little Chaos (1966) Director
- The Little Chaos (1966) Writer
- Ein Platz für Günter (1966) Assistant Director
- This Night (1966) Cinematography
- This Night (1966) Director
- This Night (1966) Writer
- aspekte (1965) as Self
- Grimme Award (1964) as Self
- Stars in the Ring (1959) as Self
- German Film Award (1951) as Self