Shadow of Angels

Shadow of Angels
Directed byDaniel Schmid
Screenplay byDaniel Schmid
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Based onDer Müll, die Stadt und der Tod
by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Produced byMichael Fengler
StarringIngrid Caven
CinematographyRenato Berta
Edited byIla von Hasperg
Release date
  • 31 January 1976 (1976-01-31)
Running time
101 minutes
CountrySwitzerland
LanguageGerman

Shadow of Angels (German: Schatten der Engel) is a 1976 Swiss drama film directed by Daniel Schmid and written by Schmid and Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Adapted from Fassbinder's play Der Müll, die Stadt und der Tod, the film stars Ingrid Caven and was screened in competition at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival.

Synopsis

The film tells the story of a prostitute who lives with her pimp until she meets a man who advises her not to speak and pays for her silence. From then on, she listens to powerful men and later becomes rich and powerful herself, but can no longer endure her situation. She then begins searching for the person who can understand her story and kill her.[1]

Cast

Production

Shadow of Angels was adapted from Rainer Werner Fassbinder's play Der Müll, die Stadt und der Tod. Fassbinder had originally tried to film the play himself, but the project failed to secure financing. Daniel Schmid then directed the adaptation. The source play sparked debate over alleged antisemitic tendencies. It was Schmid's first film based on a screenplay by another writer.[2][3]

Festival screenings

The film premiered in 1976 and had festival screenings including an in-competition screening at the Festival international du film de Cannes in 1976, the Festival International du film de La Rochelle in 1994, the 37th Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist in 2007, the 64th Festival del film Locarno in 2011, the 30th Filmfest München in 2012, the 24th Ankara International Film Festival in 2013, the 50th Solothurner Filmtage in 2015, and the 35th FID Festival international de cinéma Marseille in 2024.[1][4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Schatten der Engel". Swiss Films (in German). Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Schatten der Engel". Filmdienst (in German). Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  3. ^ "Schatten der Engel | filmportal.de". filmportal.de (in German). Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  4. ^ "SCHATTEN DER ENGEL". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 21 March 2026.