Irm Hermann

Hans Epp is a self-destructive man who lives a dissatisfied life. He tries to find meaning as a fruit vendor, but a heart attack impedes his ability to work, which turns his dissatisfaction into despair.

Jailed for possession of anti-Nazi propaganda, two women sharing the same cell comfort one another through five merciless days of interrogations.

A German widow strikes up an unlikely romance with a much younger Moroccan guest worker, navigating a relationship complicated by the prejudices of family and friends.

A successful fashion designer abandons a sadomasochistic relationship with her female assistant in favor of a love affair with a beautiful young woman.

Effi Briest tells of a seventeen-year-old girl who is married off by her parents to a wealthy Baron more than twice her age. Lonely and dissatisfied, she seeks solace in the companionship of her husband's friend, Major Crampas.

If you’re used to the lush Sirkian Technicolor of Fassbinder’s later films, this feature debut might come as something of a bracing shock. Its monochromatic minimalism and coolly detached subversion of gangster-film tropes are served up with an extra dose of nihilism, because, well, it’s Fassbinder.