At the end of the sixties, the “New German Film” was created in Germany. Back then, the directors tried new forms, themes and structures: a fresh young cinema was born. Rainer Werner Fassbinder is probably the most prominent and most productive of this rebellious cinema, which he helped to get to international fame. In only 14 years, from 1969 till 1982, he made 44 films, among them TV productions in several episodes. One of the rare German stars with worldwide fame: he would have been 60 on the 31st May 2005. To his honour, the 54th International Film Festival Mannheim– Heidelberg, that takes place from the 17th to the 26th November, dedicates a homage to his masterpieces of the New German Film and is glad to be able to show some of his less known films, among them two of his first short films. Thus, it also proves that this kind of cinema is still thrilling and exciting today! By the way, Fassbinder was discovered in Mannheim when his film “Katzelmacher” had its premiere there in 1969 and he was presented immediately with the Award of FIPRESCI and the “Protestant Film Award” of INTERFILM and was celebrated as “the phenomenon of the year”.
The INTERFILM Steering Committee, that will hold a meeting on the weekend 19th/20th November in Mannheim on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the existence of the international network of protestant or church film work, will attend a showing of “Katzelmacher” and it will thus honour the jury work that was started in Mannheim as early as 1963. The president and the executive secretary and other members of the leading committee will also attend the Ecumenical Reception of the Churches that will take place on the 22nd November at 1.30 pm in the Citychurch Konkordien (R2).