SIFF SCREENING | When the World Turns Its Eyes on You

As soon as the news of the “Retrospective of German Film Masters” was announced last week, it immediately captured the enthusiastic attention and active engagement of film buffs. Today, we are excited to reveal three films from this event, featuring the works of two great directors - Volker Schlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta.

The three films include their collaborative work DIE VERLORENE EHRE DER KATHARINA BLUM, Schlöndorff’s acclaimed DIE BLECHTROMMEL which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and an Academy Award, and von Trotta’s signature film HELLER WAHN.

Tickets for the event will go on sale across all platforms at noon on October 18 (Friday).

In the early 1960s, the “Oberhausen Manifesto” called for attention to be directed at Germany’s post-war cinema, sparking hopes for the birth of a new cinematic style. Volker Schlöndorff, at that time assisting the New Wave masters in France, heeded this call and embarked on his creative journey. Meanwhile, Ingmar Bergman was crafting his renowned THE SEVENTH SEAL, which inspired von Trotta to see cinema in a new light for the first time and ignited her desire to become a film director.

In 1970, with nearly a decade of experience in the film industry, they collaborated for the first time in BAAL, with Schlöndorff as director and von Trotta as actress. Over the next 20 years, they supported each other in both their personal and professional lives, collaborating on 12 films. Although they eventually parted ways and pursued different paths for creators, they both maintained their artistic vitality, continuing to produce significant works into recent years and becoming key figures in contemporary German cinema.

Shanghai audiences should be familiar with the works of both masters, especially Schlöndorff. In 2005, Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) showcased his then-new film THE NINTH DAY. In 2014, DIPLOMACY competed in the main competition of the 17th SIFF and won “Best Screenplay”. In 2015, his classic film DIE BLECHTROMMEL was screened during SIFF. In 2022, Schlöndorff’s two important early works, YOUNG TORLESS and THE EXECUTION were shown in Shanghai.

Margarethe von Trotta is also an essential female auteur, with her new film HANNAH ARENDT, also her debut, first appearing on the big screen in Shanghai during SIFF in 2013. From 2022 to 2023, DIE BLEIERNE ZEIT and INGEBORG BACHMANN – REISE IN DIE WÜSTE were prominently featured in Shanghai film exhibitions.

This event will not only allow audiences to revisit the classic DIE BLECHTROMMEL, but it will also spotlight two significant works: DIE VERLORENE EHRE DER KATHARINA BLUM and Rosa Luxemburg, both rich in reflection and innovative power, conveying the message that individual power is precious and irresistible, especially in times of societal upheaval, vortex of public opinion and family turbulence. All three films will be screened in 4K restored versions.

Volker Schlöndorff

Volker Schlöndorff was born in 1939 in Wiesbaden, overshadowed by war. In 1956, he moved to Paris with his family. He studied political science at the Sorbonne and later attended the French State Film School. During this period, he worked as an assistant director on films by French masters such as L’ANNÉE DERNIÈRE À MARIENBAD (1961) and LE DOULOS (1962) until the New German Cinema movement began, at which point he returned to Germany to pursue his feature film career. In 1966, he debuted with YOUNG TORLESS at the 19th Cannes Film Festival, winning the FIPRESCI Prize. That same year, he also won the Best New Director, Best Feature Film, and Best Screenplay awards at the Lola Awards.

In 1970, he first collaborated with Rainer Werner Fassbinder and von Trotta on the television film Baal, adapted from Bertolt Brecht’s later expressionist works. The following year, he married von Trotta, and the two co-directed DIE VERLORENE EHRE DER KATHARINA BLUM in 1975. This film, based on the most famous work of Nobel laureate Heinrich Böll, was inspired by the author’s own experiences that transformed into a novella. The two directors altered the novel’s narrative structure, intricately depicting characters’ inner lives within a linear storyline while deeply exploring themes of personal dignity and social harmony, earning it the title of the most successful German film of the mid-1970s.

Volker Schlöndorff (left) with lead actor David Bennent and novelist Günter Grass on the set of DIE BLECHTROMMEL

In 1979, his film DIE BLECHTROMMEL, portraying the life of German people from the end of World War I to the end of World War II, gained international acclaim upon its release, winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, marking it as a quintessential representative of New German Cinema. He distinguished himself among the second generation of New German filmmakers with his continuing output of socially relevant films featuring a strong personal style, earning him recognition as one of the four key figures of New German Cinema.

After the 1980s, he began to make English-language films, gaining opportunities to collaborate with more stars. He first adapted DEATH OF A SALESMAN (1985) into a television film of the same name, and subsequently worked on projects including THE HANDMAID’S TALE (1990) among others. However, he ultimately decided to return to Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. From the 1990s to the present, he has continued to produce works such as THE LEGENDS OF RITA (2000), THE NINTH DAY (2005), and ULZHAN (2007).

Schlöndorff is well aware that his strength lies in audiovisual storytelling rather than in writing stories himself, which is why most of his works are adaptations of literary or theatrical pieces. These range from DIE VERLORENE EHRE DER KATHARINA BLUM and BAAL to YOUNG TORLESS and DIE BLECHTROMMEL, and include international creations such as SWANN IN LOVE (1984), adapted from Marcel Proust’s novel A LA RECHERCHE DU TEMPS PERDU. In 2014, he directed DIPLOMACY, which was also based on a play by Cyril Gely and later shortlisted at the 17th SIFF for the main competition unit. Schlöndorff’s cinematic work spans over half a century, reflecting his enduring concern for social realities and human destiny.

Margarethe von Trotta

Margarethe von Trotta was born in Berlin in 1942. After her father passed away during her childhood, she moved to Düsseldorf with her mother. She often reflects on their companionship during her youth, considering how it influenced her thoughts on female growth and friendship - essential themes in her creative work.

von Trotta began her career as an actress and screenwriter, appearing in significant roles in early works of Schlöndorff and Fassbinder. In 1971, she served as the screenwriter for Schlöndorff’s film DER PLÖTZLICHE REICHTUM DER ARMEN LEUTE VON KOMBACH, earning a nomination for Best Screenplay at Lola Awards. The same year, she married Schlöndorff.

In 1975, the film DIE VERLORENE EHRE DER KATHARINA BLUM, co-directed by the couple, won two Lola Awards for Best Film and Best Actress. This marked von Trotta’s directorial debut, where her guidance of the actress Angela Winkler brought out complex psychological nuances in her performance, intensifying the emotional depth of the film.

In 1978, her first independent project as writer-director, DAS ZWEITE ERWACHEN DER CHRISTA KLAGES, won the International Forum of New Cinema Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. This film, adapted from a true story, features three female protagonists and further explores themes of female growth, establishing a recurring focus on women’s issues in her later works. In 1981, her self-written and directed film DIE BLEIERNE ZEIT won the Golden Lion and the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film at the 38th Venice International Film Festival, showcasing the contrasting life experiences of two sisters against a backdrop of societal transformation. The film is also listed among Ingmar Bergman’s “11 Best Films”. In 1983, her direction of HELLER WAHN‎ was nominated for the main competition at the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival, earning her the Ecumenical Jury Prize. The film deeply analyzes female psychology, showcasing a profound mutual understanding and redemption between two very different women.

Margarethe von Trotta and Hanna Schygulla at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1983 for HELLER WAHN

Erika Rabau © Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin

Margarethe von Trotta is passionate about creating films centered on female protagonists. In the late 1980s, her films ROSA LUXEMBURG (1986) and THREE SISTERS (1988) were nominated for the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival, while ROSENSTRASSE (2003) competed in the main competition in Venice. Her 2013 biopic HANNAH ARENDT sparked global discussions upon its release. However, she has often reiterated that her films should not be labeled as “women’s films”, but rather characterized by “a distinctly female mode of expression” that shapes characters and emotional experiences. Her works are straightforward yet sensitive, making her one of the most beloved female filmmakers in Germany, and she remains active in the international film scene. In 2023, her latest work - a biographical film about Austrian poet Ingeborg Bachmann, titled Die bleierne Zeit and INGEBORG BACHMANN – REISE IN DIE WÜSTE - was nominated for the main competition at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival and screened at the 24th SIFF.

DIE VERLORENE EHRE DER KATHARINA BLUM (1975)

Highlights:

Freedom of speech is cherished, but rumors are not.

This film, adapted from the most renowned novella of Nobel laureate Heinrich Böll, is a narrative feature co-directed and co-written by Volker Schlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta, marking von Trotta’s feature directorial debut. In this film, von Trotta begins to showcase her talent for exploring female themes, with a keen focus on the psychological states of women.

Starring German actress Angela Winkler, the story unfolds over five days, depicting the experiences of an ordinary girl drawn into an unlikely event. It reveals the complex impact of news media and societal prejudices on individual destinies. The narrative is inspired by the author’s real-life experiences and is told using the classic five-act structure, while the stylized audiovisual language highlights the emotional turmoil faced by the protagonist, prompting the audience to question reality.

The film was nominated at the 1975 San Sebastián Film Festival and won two prestigious awards - Best Film and Best Actress - at the Lola Awards, Germany’s highest honor in cinema. This screening features a 4K restoration and marks the film’s debut on the big screen in China.

 DIE BLECHTROMMEL (1979)

Highlights:
To grow up or not? That's a thought-provoking question.

This film is one of the most significant works of the New German Cinema movement, adapted from the acclaimed novel by Nobel laureate Günter Grass, which is considered one of the most important works of post-war German literature.

The film tells the story of Oscar, a boy from Danzig, who, amidst the upheaval of his times, chooses to stop growing as a means to resist the adult world. The Tin Drum not only confirms his resolve to remain a child but also bears witness to his eventual decision to grow. With a cinematic language rich in dark humor, the film explores profound themes such as humanity, war, and fate, showcasing a strong sense of magical realism.

The film won the Palme d’Or at the 32nd Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 52nd Oscars, marking a breakthrough for German cinema in both respects. This screening features a 4K restored theatrical version.

HELLER WAHN  (1983)

Highlights:

To ruin a woman? Call her mad.

Featuring two of Germany’s most influential actresses, Hanna Schygulla and Angela Winkler, the film portrays how reclusive painter Ruth experiences a significant transformation in her relationship with the outside world after meeting the independent and extroverted professor Olga. Can she withstand this change?

In this film, Winkler and Schygulla, two key figures of the New German Cinema, brilliantly depict a female friendship rooted in unconditional support and mutual rescue, showcasing the power of women’s consciousness when it coalesces and is unleashed.

The film's original German title can be translated as “Brilliant Delusions”. The director skillfully reveals the “mad” protagonist’s unrecognized wisdom, insight, and creativity, allowing the audience to resonate deeply with her intense emotions and understand the illuminating aspects of her “delusions”.

The film was nominated for the main competition at the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival. The 4K restored version was screened at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival in 2020, making this its debut in China all the more special.

More details about the screenings will be revealed soon. This event will start ticket sales on October 18 (Friday) at noon across all platforms.

Additionally, a series of merchandise will be launched for the event, including posters of the showcase, ticket holders, refrigerator stickers, notepads, canvas bags, and T-shirts. These items will be available for pre-sale through the official applet from October 14 (Monday) at 8 PM. During the showcase, merchandise will also be sold onsite at the screening venues, so we encourage fans to come and pick their favorite items.

Furthermore, from October 20 to 30, two related events will be held, and we welcome all attendees to plan ahead and join us. Stay tuned for more information on guests and events, as well as further details about the “Retrospective of German Film Masters” on our official account.

SIFF SCREENING

"SIFF SCREENING", a brand created by SIFF, extends the festival's mission to satisfy the artistic needs of audiences, offering a richer and more diverse cinematic experience that fosters a more engaging viewing atmosphere.