Katzelmacher (1969)

Rainer Werner Fassbinder's early black-and-white film Katzelmacher (1969) was based on the author's play of the same name, first performed a year earlier. Fassbinder himself played the role of guest worker Jorgos - a “Greek from Greece” alongside Hannah Schygulla (Marie). In a series of scenes, the film explores everyday racism, sexism and xenophobic violence among a group of young people in a Munich suburb. The term “Katzelmacher” was a common slur at the time, especially in southern Germany and Austria, commenting on the large number of children among guest workers from southern Europe.