26995_veronika_230605_02.jpg
literature, cinema, fine arts
Veronika Voss (Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss, 1982)
Fates from the density of new German cinema
5 June 2023, Monday
5 pm - 8 pm
Auditorium
Produced by Müpa Budapest
MÜPA FILM CLUB

Veronika Voss was Fassbinder's penultimate film and also the closing act in his BRD (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) trilogy. The trio of films also contains The Marriage of Maria Braun, and Lola. But what makes it a trilogy? The fact that all three films are set in the years following World War Two. An incredibly difficult time, as all adults had lived through the Nazi dictatorship, the war. It was in these years - and for much longer, too - that they had to face up to their absolute responsibility. That which happened, had not yet passed.

We are in Munich, 1955. Veronika Voss (Rosel Zech), a successful actress both before and during the war, cannot get a role. She has a questionable reputation. (Fassbinder took several elements for the character from the life of Sybille Schmitz, who was shunned by the acting profession due to her ties to Goebbels.) Frau Voss is a neurotic - and the hostage of her psychiatrist, who is bidding to rid her of her remaining wealth. The psychiatrist pumps her full of opiates and locks her away. The real hero of our story, however, is a sports journalist, Robert Krohn (Hilmar Thate), who has a chance meeting with Veronika. Perhaps he even falls for her a little. He begins investigating in the hope that he can save her, but is faced by people seeking to loot the wounded and losers of the war in organised though disparate ways. In some cases, they do not even shy away from murder. In the course of his investigation, the victims are revealed. Including the actress once loved by the regime, and the old lord, who reveals the numbers tattooed into his forearm when his sleeve rolls up. For this film, Fassbinder created a unique cinematic language. He shot it in black-and-white, as we see scenes from Veronika Voss's past and present merge into one. The cinematographer, Xaver Schwarzenberger, creates the kind of relationships between light and shadow that seem to enhance an actress who no longer finds her place in the world and transports her back to her glory years.

In German, with Hungarian subtitles.
The discussions before and after the screening will be conducted in Hungarian.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest

Creator:

director Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Featuring:

host András Réz
  • We wish to inform you that in the event that Müpa Budapest's underground garage and outdoor car park are operating at full capacity, it is advisable to plan for increased waiting times when you arrive. In order to avoid this, we recommend that you depart for our events in time, so that you you can find the ideal parking spot quickly and smoothly and arrive for our performance in comfort. The Müpa Budapest underground garage gates will be operated by an automatic number plate recognition system. Parking is free of charge for visitors with tickets to any of our paid performances on that given day. The detailed parking policy of Müpa Budapest is available here.

General contact information
What would you like to ask about?
Newsletter
Sign up for the newsletter of Müpa Budapest and be the first to learn of our events. Sign up
SimplePay horizontal Visa logos