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01/12/10
Ulli Lommel – Some Biographic Information After 65 Years
“Tenderness of Wolves: Encounters and Tales”
He is indeed one of Fassbinder’s early companions. In 1969, when he accepted the lead in LOVE IS COLDER THAN DEATH, Ulli Lommel was already known in the film business.
On December 21, 2009 he celebrated his 65th birthday. When he and Fassbinder met in 1968, the two young men were separated by a six-month age difference – and they were fully united in their passion for cinema.
Lommel acted in WHITY and BEWARE OF A HOLY WHORE; he was formative in conceiving CHINESE ROULETTE. Like for many others in the early years, Fassbinder was his mentor and encouraged him to do TENDERNESS OF WOLVES (1973) as well as ADOLF AND MARLENE (1976). RWF produced both movies for him with his firm Tango-Film.
1976 brought a caesura, though. Since 1977, Ulli Lommel has lived and worked as director and producer in Los Angeles. He shot, together with Andy Warhol, BLANK GENERATION and COCAINE COWBOYS. With THE BOOGEYMAN (1980) he reached a bigger audience, followed by thrillers and horror movies.
The time to publish his memoirs “Tenderness of Wolves: Encounters and Tales” (Belleville Verlag, 220 pages) is well chosen. In it, Lommel recounts, in a fresh and open tone, some of the anecdotes that happened during his work with world renowned stars. His biographic adventures and experiences include such individuals as Andy Warhol, Romy Schneider, Jackie Kennedy-Onassis, Truman Capote, Frank Sinatra, Orson Welles, Ingeborg Bachmann, William Burroughs, Klaus Kinski and Marlene Dietrich. Excitingly narrated, they are full of suggestive overtones without compromising anyone. The RWF chapter bears the title “The Fassbinder Years – too much light and too much shadow”.
The year 2010 marks yet another “Fassbinderian-Anniversary”: Not only would Fassbinder turn 65 this year, but many of his stars are either approaching anniversaries or special events themselves.
Photograph on the left: Ulli Lommel in CHINESE ROULETTE, 1976 © RWFF
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