One of the key figures of the New German Cinema Movement of the sixties to the eighties, Rainer Werner Fassbinder rose to prominence for stylised works such as The Marriage of Maria Braun and Fox and His Friends. Having started in Munich with acting classes as a teen, Rainer went on to become one of the most influential German directors of the 20th Century, and his directorial genius is also appreciated by the likes of John Waters, who cites Fassbinder as one of his inspirations for his own works.

For our Rainer Werner Fassbinder season this February, we have selected four films that encapsulate his burning passion to address and dismantle topics like racism, sexuality, brutality, and war.

The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant: Sun 22 Feb

With two failed marriages behind her and an estranged daughter, Petra von Kant is a successful fashion designer. She shares her home with her quiet, dutiful secretary, Marlene, whose repressed devotion becomes the second corner of a tragic love triangle when Petra falls passionately for a self-assured young model named Karin.

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul: Mon 23 Feb

Emmi (Brigitte Mira), a widowed cleaning woman in her sixties, begins a relationship with Ali (El Hedi ben Salem), a Moroccan immigrant in his thirties. In search of companionship, they decide to marry, provoking outrage from Emmi’s hostile son-in-law, played by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, as well as from her friends and co-workers.

Fox and His Friends: Tue 24 Feb

Fox and His Friends is one of the director’s most personal films and the first in which he addresses homosexuality openly. Rainer Werner Fassbinder stars as Fox, a kind-hearted working-class man who becomes involved with the affluent industrialist Eugen, only to realize that the relationship rests largely on his sudden lottery winnings. Once the money is gone, so too is the affection, leading to devastating consequences.

The Marriage of Maria Braun: Wed 25 Feb

Maria Braun marries a young soldier during the Allied bombing raids of World War II, just one day before he is sent back to the Russian front. Waiting for his return in 1945, she is told that he has been killed and is left to face the hardships of the postwar years on her own. Reflecting the spirit of Germany’s Wirtschaftswunder, or economic miracle, she resolutely climbs the social and economic ladder, forging a life of prosperity through her own determination.

Tickets for Rainer Werner Fassbinder season are available now.