Rainer Werner Fassbinder Vol. 2

A collection of five films from the prolific and controversial German writer and director. In 'Fear Eats the Soul' (1974) a tentative love affair between German native Emmi (Brigitte Mira) and the younger Moroccan immigrant Ali (El Hedi Ben Salem) threatens to buckle under the class tensions and racism exposed by their relationship. After meeting in a bar and beginning a joyous romance together, the pair wed but shortly after are faced with strong objections from Emmi's family, colleagues and neighbours who castigate her for the relationship.

Dismayed by the constant social rejection, Emmi too begins to adopt the prevailing xenophobic attitudes towards her husband in order to regain her social acceptance. Will she realise the error of her ways before Ali walks out of her life forever? 'Effi Briest' (1974) stars Hanna Schygulla as the eponymous character in this adaption of Theodor Fontane's novel set in the late 19th century. 17-year-old Effi is pushed into marrying the much older aristocrat Baron Geert von Instetten (Wolfgang Schenck) but he soon suspects her of having an affair with Major Crampas (Ulli Lommel) and throws her out of the house.

'Fox and His Friends' (1975) stars Fassbinder as Fox, a young, gay, working-class lottery winner who is exploited by his boyfriend and new 'friends'. In 'Chinese Roulette' (1976) Angela (Andrea Schober) is a young girl who believes that her parents and their long-time affairs are the reason why she needs crutches to walk. She contrives to get herself, both her parents and their respective lovers to Traunitz Castle, the family's country retreat, setting the scene for a weekend of intense embarrassments centring on a potentially devastating truth game called Chinese Roulette.

Finally, in 'The Marriage of Maria Braun' (1979) Maria (Schygulla) and Hermann Braun (Klaus Löwitsch) marry in 1943 but he is immediately sent to fight in the war and goes missing on the Russian Front. When he returns, he is imprisoned, while she fights to build a business empire.