Presented by Goethe-Institut Boston and Wicked Queer

In the early 1970s, Rainer Werner Fassbinder discovered the American melodramas of Douglas Sirk and was inspired by them to begin working in a new, more intensely emotional register. One of the first and best-loved films of this period in his career is THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT, which balances a realistic depiction of tormented romance with staging that remains true to the director’s roots in experimental theater. This unforgettable, unforgiving dissection of the imbalanced relationship between a haughty fashion designer (Carstensen) and a beautiful but icy ingenue (Schygulla)—based, in a sly gender reversal, on the writer-director’s own desperate obsession with a young actor—is a true Fassbinder affair, featuring exquisitely claustrophobic cinematography by Michael Ballhaus and full-throttle performances by an all-female cast. – Janus Films

The Brattle is thrilled to partner with our friends at the Goethe-Institut Boston and Harvard academic Anne Dymek for this special program of film screenings. Dymek and her students will provide introductions to each film, creating a forum for thought and conversation. This is a rare opportunity to see some of the most important queer cinema from the first half of the 20th century alongside groundbreaking work from the 1970s through today. Learn more about this series.