Hanna Schygulla
Encyclopedia
Hanna Schygulla is a German
actress and chanson singer
. She is generally considered the most prominent German actress of the New German Cinema
.
, Upper Silesia
, oland] to German parents Antonie (née
Mzyk) and Joseph Schygulla. Her father, a timber merchant by profession, was then drafted as an infantryman in the German Army
and was captured by American forces in Italy
, subsequently being held as a prisoner of war
until 1948. In the 1960s, Schygulla studied Romance languages
and German studies
, while taking acting lessons in Munich
during her spare time.
Acting eventually became her focus, and she became particularly known for her film work with Rainer Werner Fassbinder
. During the making of Effi Briest
(1974), an adaptation of a classic German novel
, Fassbinder and Schygulla fell out over divergent interpretations of the character. Also a problem for Schygulla was low pay, and she led a revolt against Fassbinder on this issue during the making of Effi Briest. Fassbinder's response was typically blunt: "I can't stand the sight of your face any more. You bust my balls". After this, they did not work together for several years until The Marriage of Maria Braun
in 1978. The film was entered into the 29th Berlin International Film Festival
, where Schygulla won the Silver Bear for Best Actress
for her performance.
Schygulla has acted in French
, Italian
, and American films
. In the 1990s she also became known and well regarded as a chanson singer. In Juliane Lorenz's documentary film Life, Love and Celluloid (1998), on Fassbinder and related topics, Schygulla performs several songs.
In 2002, she appeared in VB51, a performance by the artist Vanessa Beecroft
. In 2007, she appeared in the film The Edge of Heaven, directed by Fatih Akın
, to wide acclaim. In 2007 she received the Honorary Award from the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival
and in 2010 she received the Honorary Golden Bear from the Berlin Film Festival.
Hanna Schygulla has lived in Paris
since 1981.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
actress and chanson singer
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
. She is generally considered the most prominent German actress of the New German Cinema
New German Cinema
New German cinema is a period in German cinema which lasted from the late 1960s into the 1980s. It saw the emergence of a new generation of directors...
.
Life and career
Schygulla was born in KönigshütteChorzów
Chorzów is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central districts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metropolis with a population of 2 million...
, Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
, oland] to German parents Antonie (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Mzyk) and Joseph Schygulla. Her father, a timber merchant by profession, was then drafted as an infantryman in the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
and was captured by American forces in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, subsequently being held as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
until 1948. In the 1960s, Schygulla studied Romance languages
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
and German studies
German studies
German studies is the field of humanities that researches, documents, and disseminates German language and literature in both its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies often include classes on German culture, German history, and German politics in addition to the...
, while taking acting lessons in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
during her spare time.
Acting eventually became her focus, and she became particularly known for her film work with Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making...
. During the making of Effi Briest
Effi Briest (1974 film)
Effi Briest is a 1974 film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, adapted from German author Theodor Fontane's 1894 novel of the same name. The film won the 1974 Interfilm Award at the 24th Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for the Golden Bear...
(1974), an adaptation of a classic German novel
Effi Briest
Effi Briest is widely considered to be Theodor Fontane’s masterpiece and one of the most famous German realist novels of all time. Thomas Mann once said that if one had to reduce one’s library to six novels, Effi Briest would have to be one of them...
, Fassbinder and Schygulla fell out over divergent interpretations of the character. Also a problem for Schygulla was low pay, and she led a revolt against Fassbinder on this issue during the making of Effi Briest. Fassbinder's response was typically blunt: "I can't stand the sight of your face any more. You bust my balls". After this, they did not work together for several years until The Marriage of Maria Braun
The Marriage of Maria Braun
The Marriage of Maria Braun is a 1979 West German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The film stars Hanna Schygulla as Maria, whose marriage with the soldier Hermann remained unfulfilled due to World War II and his post-war imprisonment...
in 1978. The film was entered into the 29th Berlin International Film Festival
29th Berlin International Film Festival
The 29th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 20 to March 3, 1979.-Jury:* Julie Christie* Romain Gary* Ingrid Caven* Georg Alexander* Liliana Cavani* Jörn Donner* Paul Bartel* Pál Gábor-Films in competition:...
, where Schygulla won the Silver Bear for Best Actress
Silver Bear for Best Actress
The Silver Bear for Best Actress is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actress.-Awards:- External links :*...
for her performance.
Schygulla has acted in French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and American films
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In the 1990s she also became known and well regarded as a chanson singer. In Juliane Lorenz's documentary film Life, Love and Celluloid (1998), on Fassbinder and related topics, Schygulla performs several songs.
In 2002, she appeared in VB51, a performance by the artist Vanessa Beecroft
Vanessa Beecroft
Vanessa Beecroft is an Italian contemporary artist living in Los Angeles.-Artistic practice:Beecroft's work is a fusion of conceptual issues and aesthetic concerns, focusing on large-scale performance art, usually involving live female models...
. In 2007, she appeared in the film The Edge of Heaven, directed by Fatih Akın
Fatih Akin
Fatih Akın is a German film director, screenwriter and producer of Turkish descent.- Personal life :Akın was born in 1973 in Hamburg to parents of Turkish ethnicity...
, to wide acclaim. In 2007 she received the Honorary Award from the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival
Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival
The Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival is a film festival, held annually since 1963 in Antalya, is the most important national film festival in Turkey...
and in 2010 she received the Honorary Golden Bear from the Berlin Film Festival.
Hanna Schygulla has lived in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
since 1981.
Filmography
- Love is Colder than DeathLove Is Colder than Death (film)Love is Colder than Death is a 1969 German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. This is Fassbinder's first feature film, and he stars as a petty hood, Franz Biberkopf. Biberkopf's friend, portrayed by actor Ulli Lommel, has been ordered to kill Franz by a crime syndicate...
(1969) - KatzelmacherKatzelmacherKatzelmacher is a 1969 West German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The film centers on an aimless group of friends whose lives are shaken up by the arrival of an immigrant Greek worker, Jorgos .-External links:*...
(1969) - Gods of the Plague (1970)
- Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? is a 1970 German drama film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Michael Fengler. It was entered into the 20th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Lilith Ungerer - Frau R.* Kurt Raab - Herr R....
(1970) - The Niklahusen Journey (1971)
- Rio das MortesRio das Mortes (film)Rio das Mortes is a 1971 color film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. One of the early Fassbinder films it stars Hanna Schygulla as Hanna, Michael König as Michael/Mike and Günther Kaufmann as Gunther. The film was filmed for TV on 16 mm and later released on DVD.-Plot...
(1971) - Pioneers in IngolstadtPioneers in IngolstadtPioneers in Ingolstadt is a play by German playwright Marieluise Fleißer, which premiered on 25 March 1928 in Dresden. The play is set in 1926 and is described as a comedy in 14 Scenes. Fleißer based the play on real incidents, and worked on it in collaboration with Bertolt Brecht...
(1971) - WhityWhity (film)Whity is a 1971 German Western film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. It was entered into the 21st Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Ron Randell - Benjamin Nicholson* Hanna Schygulla - Hanna* Katrin Schaake - Katherine Nicholson...
(1971) - Beware of a Holy WhoreBeware of a Holy WhoreBeware of a Holy Whore is a 1971 West German drama film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder which features Lou Castel, Eddie Constantine, Hanna Schygulla and Fassbinder himself. Semi-autobiographical, the film was influenced by the shooting of the director's earlier Whity in Spain....
(1971) - The Merchant of Four SeasonsThe Merchant of Four SeasonsThe Merchant of Four Seasons is a 1971 West German film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hans Hirschmueller and Irm Hermann. The plot follows the life of a fruit-peddler, living in 1950s West Germany, who is driven over the edge by an uncaring society.The title apparently...
(1972) - The Bitter Tears of Petra von KantThe Bitter Tears of Petra von KantThe Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant is a 1972 German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, based on his own play. This film has an all female cast and is set in the home of the protagonist, Petra von Kant. It follows the changing dynamics in her relationships with the other women...
(1972) - Effi BriestEffi Briest (1974 film)Effi Briest is a 1974 film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, adapted from German author Theodor Fontane's 1894 novel of the same name. The film won the 1974 Interfilm Award at the 24th Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for the Golden Bear...
(1974) - The Wrong MoveThe Wrong MoveThe Wrong Move or Wrong Movement is a 1975 German road movie directed by Wim Wenders. This was the second part of Wenders' "Road Movie Trilogy" which included Alice in the Cities and Kings of the Road...
(1975) - The Marriage of Maria BraunThe Marriage of Maria BraunThe Marriage of Maria Braun is a 1979 West German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The film stars Hanna Schygulla as Maria, whose marriage with the soldier Hermann remained unfulfilled due to World War II and his post-war imprisonment...
(1979) - Berlin AlexanderplatzBerlin Alexanderplatz (television)Berlin Alexanderplatz, originally broadcast in 1980, is a 14-part television film adapted and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder from the Alfred Döblin novel of the same name, and stars Günter Lamprecht, Hanna Schygulla, Barbara Sukowa, Elisabeth Trissenaar and Gottfried John...
(1980) - Lili MarleenLili Marleen (film)Lili Marleen is a 1981 German drama film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and starring Hanna Schygulla.The screenplay was produced using the novel Der Himmel hat viele Farben by Lale Andersen...
(1981) - That Night in VarennesThat Night in VarennesThat Night in Varennes is a 1982 bilingual, Italian and French drama film directed by Ettore Scola. It is based on a novel by Catherine Rihoit. It tells the story of a fictional meeting between Restif de la Bretonne, Giacomo Casanova, Thomas Paine and Sophie de la Borde...
(1982) - PassionPassion (1982 film)Passion is a 1982 film by Jean-Luc Godard, and the second feature film made during his return to relatively mainstream filmmaking in the 1980s, sometimes referred to as the Second Wave...
(1982) - Sheer MadnessSheer MadnessSheer Madness is a 1983 German drama film directed by Margarethe von Trotta. It was entered into the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Hanna Schygulla as Olga* Angela Winkler as Ruth* Peter Striebeck as Franz* Christine Fersen as Erika...
(1983) - The Story of PieraThe Story of PieraThe Story of Piera is a 1983 Italo-Franco-German drama film directed by Marco Ferreri. Hanna Schygulla won the award for Best Actress at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Isabelle Huppert - Piera* Hanna Schygulla - Eugenia...
(1983) - A Love in Germany (1983)
- The Future is Woman (1984)
- The Delta Force (1986)
- Miss ArizonaMiss Arizona (film)Miss Arizona is a 1987 Hungarian drama film directed by Pál Sándor.-Cast:* Marcello Mastroianni - Sandor Rozsnyai* Gyula Szabó - Rozsnyai * Hanna Schygulla - Mitzi Rozsnyai* Mária Varga - Mitzi * Kati Kovács - Mitzi...
(1987) - Forever, LuluForever, LuluForever, Lulu is a 1987 film starring Hanna Schygulla, Deborah Harry and Alec Baldwin in his film debut....
- ( Elaine Hines / 1987 / Released / Cori Films International) - Abraham's GoldAbraham's GoldAbraham's Gold is a 1990 German drama film directed by Jörg Graser. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Hanna Schygulla - Barbara 'Bärbel' Hunzinger* Günther Maria Halmer - Karl Lechner...
(1990) - Dead AgainDead AgainDead Again is a 1991 psychological thriller/neo-noir directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Branagh and his then-wife Emma Thompson. Andy García, Derek Jacobi and Robin Williams are also featured.-Plot summary:...
(1991) - Warsaw Year 5073 (1992)
- A Hundred and One NightsA Hundred and One Nights-Cast:* Michel Piccoli as Simon Cinéma* Marcello Mastroianni as L'ami italien / The Italian Friend* Henri Garcin as Firmin, le majordome / The butler* Julie Gayet as Camille Miralis* Mathieu Demy as Camille, dit Mica...
(1995) - Metamorphosis of a MelodyMetamorphosis of a MelodyMetamorphosis of a Melody is a 1996 Israeli drama film by Amos Gitai. The film starring Ronit Elkabetz and Samuel Fuller is based on The Jewish War by Josephus. It is a cinematic realisation of stage-based productions by Gitai.-Plot:The film follows Jewish resistance as they face a series of...
(1996) - Werckmeister HarmoniesWerckmeister HarmoniesWerckmeister Harmonies is a 2000 Hungarian film directed by Béla Tarr, based on the novel The Melancholy of Resistance , by László Krasznahorkai...
(2000) - Winterreise (2006)
- The Edge of HeavenThe Edge of Heaven (film)The Edge of Heaven is a 2007 Turkish-German-Italian drama film written and directed by Fatih Akın. The film won the Prix du scénario at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival...
(2007) - FaustFaust (2011 film)Faust is a 2011 Russian film directed by Alexander Sokurov. Set in the 19th century, it is a free interpretation of the Faust legend and its literary adaptations by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Thomas Mann. The dialogue is in German...
(2011)