Ingrid Caven

Ingrid Caven (born 3 August 1938) is a German film actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in several films directed by her husband, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, including Love Is Colder Than Death, Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? (1970), and The American Soldier (1970). She continued to appear in Fassbinder's films after their 1972 divorce until his death in 1982. She has also appeared in Silent Night (1995), 35 Shots of Rum (2009) and Suspiria (2018).

Early life Caven was born Ingrid Schmidt in Saarbrücken, Germany on 3 August 1938. She had one younger sister, Trudeliese Schmidt (1943–2004), who went on to become an opera singer. Caven's father worked as a tobacco trader. Prior to establishing herself as a film actress in the 1970s, Caven worked as a teacher in Upper Bavaria.

Career Caven originally began acting onstage in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's antiteater (Anti-Theater) acting troupe in the 1960s. Her film debut was in 1969 in the short film Fernes Jamaica; this was swiftly followed by her first feature film Love Is Colder Than Death, directed by Fassbinder, to whom she was briefly married (1970–1972). She also had a supporting role in his film The Merchant of Four Seasons (1970), a drama about a farmer who drinks himself to death. Even after their divorce, Caven remained a frequent collaborator of Fassbinder until his death in 1982, also appearing in his films (1974), Fox and His Friends (1975), and Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven (1975).

Her career was at its peak in the 1970s and early 1980s, mostly in film. In the 1970s, while making films in France, Caven became acquainted with fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, and became one of his muses; he designed one of her stage costumes during her career as a singer.

In 1979 she was a member of the jury at the 29th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1981 Caven starred alongside Carole Bouquet in the film Day of the Idiots as a doctor, and the next year she won an award for Outstanding Individual Achievement: Actress at the German Film Awards for her performance as Inga in the film .

In 2000 she appeared in Rosa von Praunheim's film Fassbinder's Women. Caven has appeared in several films since the turn of the millennium, including supporting parts in Claire Denis's 35 Shots of Rum (2009), and Luca Guadagnino's American remake of Suspiria (2018). She resides with her partner, French writer Jean-Jacques Schuhl, whose book Ingrid Caven won the Prix Goncourt in 2000.

In January 2018, Caven, along with 99 other French women writers, performers and academics, signed an open letter that argued the #MeToo movement had gone too far, turning into a "witch hunt", and denounced it as a form of puritanism. The letter defended men’s “freedom to bother women,” which they said was “indispensable to sexual freedom.”

Selected filmography Year Title Role Notes 1969 Love Is Colder Than Death Prostituierte German: Liebe ist kälter als der Tod 1970 Gods of the Plague Magdalena Fuller German: Götter der Pest 1970 Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? Nachbarin German: Warum läuft Herr R. Amok? 1970 The American Soldier Sängerin German: Der amerikanische Soldat 1970 The Niklashausen Journey Screaming girl Television film; German: Niklashauser Fart 1971 The Merchant of Four Seasons Hans's great love German: Händler der vier Jahreszeiten 1971 Rio das Mortes Hannas Kollegin Television film 1971 Beware of a Holy Whore Statistin German: Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte 1971 Die Ahnfrau - Oratorium nach Franz Grillparzer Geist Television film 1972 Ludwig: Requiem for a Virgin King Lola Montez / Erste Norna German: Ludwig – Requiem für einen jungfräulichen König 1972 Actress German: Heute nacht oder nie 1973 The Tenderness of Wolves Dora German: Die Zärtlichkeit der Wölfe 1973 World on a Wire Urschi Miniseries; German: Welt am Draht 1974 Martha Ilse Television film 1974 La Paloma 1974 My Little Loves La mère French: Mes Petites Amoureuses 1975 Playing with Fire La servante du bordel French: Le Jeu avec le feu 1975 Fox and His Friends Sängerin German: Faustrecht der Freiheit 1975 Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven Corinna German: Mutter Küsters Fahrt zum Himmel 1975 Fear of Fear Edda Television film; German: Angst vor der Angst 1975 Lieber Franz ich liebe Dich Lillian 1976 Shadow of Angels Lily Brest German: Schatten der Engel 1976 I Only Want You to Love Me Nähmaschinenverkäuferin Television film; German: Ich will doch nur, daß ihr mich liebt 1976 1976 A Young Emmanuelle Anne French: Néa 1976 Satan's Brew Lisa German: Satansbraten 1977 Violanta Alma 1978 Despair Hotel Manager 1978 In a Year of 13 Moons Die rote Zora German: In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden 1980 Narcissus and Psyche Ingrid 1981 Malou 1981 Lissy Filmband in Gold für darstellerische Leistung beim Deutschen Filmpreis 1981 Day of the Idiots Dr. Laura German: Tag der Idioten 1982 Hors Saison Lila 1983 The Roaring Fifties Claudine German: Die wilden Fünfziger 1986 L'araignée de satin Mme de Challens 1987 Madame German: Des Teufels Paradies 1993 My Favorite Season La femme du bar French: Ma saison préférée 1995 Silent Night Sängerin German: Stille Nacht 1999 Le Temps retrouvé German: Die wiedergefundene Zeit 1999 Marcel Proust's Time Regained La princesse Russe 2006 Deepfrozen Vicki 2009 35 Shots of Rum La tante allemande 2016 Sleeping Beauty La fée méchante 2018 Suspiria Miss Vendegast

Discography

Albums Au Pigall's (1978 LP Barclay, live in Paris, re-released on CD Barclay in 2001) Der Abendstern (1979 LP RCA, re-released on CD Viellieb Rekords in 1999) Live In Hamburg (1980 LP RCA, concert at Audimax Hamburg, May 9, 1980) Erinnerungen An Édith Piaf (1983 LP RCA, Édith Piaf chansons with German lyrics) Spass (1986 LP Schariwari) Chante Piaf 'En Public''' (1989 LP Clever, recorded in 1988, live at Théâtre de l'Athénée, Paris, re-released on CD Fpr Music in 2001) Chambre 1050 (1996 CD Arcade/2000 CD Tricatel, 13 songs from Helle Nacht in French) Helle Nacht (1998 CD Viellieb Rekords, 16 songs, German version of Chambre 1050)

Soundtracks Chansons und Themen aus Fassbinder Filmen (1994 CD Alhambra, includes 3 Caven songs from the movie "Mutter Küsters Fahrt zum Himmel/Mother Kuesters Goes To Heaven", 1975) Hors saison'' (CD released in Japan in 1993, includes 6 songs sung by Ingrid Caven)