Margit Carstensen

Margit Carstensen (29 February 1940 – 1 June 2023) was a German theatre and film actress, best known outside Germany for roles in the works of film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. She appeared in films of directors Christoph Schlingensief and Leander Haußmann and on television in Tatort.

Theater career Carstensen, the daughter of a physician, was born and raised in the northern German city of Kiel. Upon graduation from the local high school in 1958 (Abitur), she studied acting at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. In 1965, Carstensen began a four-year engagement with the Deutsches Schauspielhaus (German Playhouse) in Hamburg. There she played leading roles in plays by John Osborne and the classical Spanish playwright Lope de Vega. She then worked under his direction in a comedy by the 18th-century Venetian Carlo Goldoni, The Coffee Shop (which was recorded for television in 1970), bringing her national attention in West Germany. She subsequently played the role of serial murderess Geesche Gottfried in the premiere of Fassbinder's own play Bremen Freedom (also televised, in 1972), and then in the title role of his Henrik Ibsen adaptation Nora Helmer (televised in 1974) derived from A Doll's House.

From 1973 to 1976, Carstensen held a steady acting engagement in Darmstadt. In 1982, she moved to Stuttgart in order to work with director Hansgünther Heyme, where she appeared in a series of plays directed by him. Over the years she also performed in many smaller roles on the most important of the German-language stages, for example making several appearances in the Munich Kammerspiele.

By the late 1980s, she had developed ongoing working relationships with German directors Werner Schroeter, Christoph Schlingensief, and Leander Haußmann.

In 2008, she appeared in the Schauspielhaus Bochum (Playhouse Bochum), in Shakespeare's As You Like It.

Film and television Carstensen is best known outside Germany for the many film and television productions of Rainer Werner Fassbinder in which she participated. She played leading roles in the Fassbinder films The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), her best-known role for Fassbinder; Martha (1974), with Karlheinz Böhm, analysing a traditional marriage in a contemporary setting; Fear of Fear (1975); Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven (1975); Satan's Brew (1976); Chinese Roulette (1976) and Women in New York (1977). She also appeared in individual episodes of two Fassbinder television productions: Eight Hours Don't Make a Day (1972), and Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980).

Carstensen also worked in international productions. In the fifth film made by Polish director Andrzej Żuławski, Possession (1981), a French-German coproduction, she performed together with Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill and Heinz Bennent. Four years later she worked with Polish-born director Agnieszka Holland on her film Angry Harvest (1985), together with Armin Mueller-Stahl. This film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Her artistic collaboration with director Christoph Schlingensief began with two of his film projects. In his 100 Years of Adolf Hitler: The Last Hour in the Führerbunker (1989), she played the part of Magda Goebbels. In his satirical political spoof Terror 2000: Germany Out of Control (1992), she played the role of a detective.

Awards Carstensen received many awards in her career. Among these were the 1973 German Film Awards (Gold), for her acting in The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, In 2019, she was awarded the for her life's work.

Filmography Source:

(1970, TV film, based on a play by Carlo Goldoni), as Vittoria (1970, TV film), as Margarete Die Ahnfrau – Oratorium nach Franz Grillparzer (1971, TV film, based on a play by Franz Grillparzer), as Berta The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), as Petra von Kant (1972, TV film), as Geesche Gottfried Eight Hours Don't Make a Day: Oma und Gregor (1972, TV), as Housewife The Tenderness of Wolves (1973), as Mrs. Lindner World on a Wire (1973, TV film, based on the novel Simulacron-3), as Maya Schmidt-Gentner (1974, TV film, based on the play A Doll's House), as Nora Helmer Martha (1974, TV film, based on a story by Cornell Woolrich), as Martha Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven (1975), as Marianne Thälmann Fear of Fear (1975, TV film), as Margot Satan's Brew (1976), as Andrée Chinese Roulette (1976), as Ariane Christ Adolf and Marlene (1977), as Marlene (1977, TV film, based on the play The Women), as Sylvia Fowler (1978), as Miss Rosner The Third Generation (1979), as Petra Vielhaber (1979, TV film), as Mrs. Lukaschewski Berlin Alexanderplatz: Epilogue (1980, TV series, based on the novel Berlin Alexanderplatz), as Terah, Angel Possession (1981), as Margit Gluckmeister The Council of Love (1982, based on a play by Oskar Panizza), as Prosecutor The Roaring Fifties (1983, based on a novel by Johannes Mario Simmel), as Secretary An Ideal Husband (1984, TV film, based on the play An Ideal Husband), as Lady Markby Emilia Galotti (1984, TV film, based on the play Emilia Galotti), as Countess Orsina Angry Harvest (1985), as Eugenia Half of Love ( La Moitié de l'amour, 1985) 100 Years of Adolf Hitler: The Last Hour in the Führerbunker (1989), as Magda Goebbels Underground (1989, TV film), as Krista/Tina Derrick (1991, TV series, episode "Wer bist du, Vater?"/"Who are you, Father?"), as Mrs. Hauser Terror 2000: Germany Out of Control (1992), as Margret Anwalt Abel (1997, TV series, episode "Das schmutzige Dutzend"), as Mrs. Nussbauer Gesche's Poison (1997), as Mrs. Timm (1997), as Margit Rider of the Flames (1998), as Mrs. von Proeck Sonnenallee (1999), as Direktorin John Gabriel Borkman (2000, TV film, based on the play John Gabriel Borkman), as Gunhild Borkman (2000), as Regine Görler The Fool and His Wife This Evening in Pancomedia (2002, TV film, based on a play by Botho Strauß) (2002), as Käthe Agnes and His Brothers (2004), as Roxy The Captain from Köpenick (2005, TV film, based on the play The Captain of Köpenick), as Marie Hoprecht It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (2007), as Linda Barnes (2007), as Mrs. Strietzel Mr. Karl – A Person for People (2008, TV documentary) (2009, TV film) Finsterworld (2013), as Mrs. Sandberg Tatort (2016, TV series, episode "Wofür es sich zu leben lohnt"), as Margarethe Weißkopf