Black Angel
Fortnight 1975, Feature film, 1h15
Synopsis
With this film, my aim was to show the incredible ignorance of people when they perceive the Third World with a colonialist mentality.
The story relates the first contacts of a sophisticated German lady and an American woman from Boston, with the Mexican way of life and culture. Both of them are unable to understand the true reality of this country ; one of them will eventually end her journey in the Mayas’ abyss, and the other as a secretary at the american embassy in Mexico City.
As my knowledge of Mexico increased, the film became harsher on the touristic point of view and more concerned with Mexico’s fight to free itself from the control and domination of the North America’s influence.
Werner SCHROETER
Director
Werner Schroeter
Born in Georgenthal, Germany, in 1945, Werner Schroeter studied psychology at the University of Mannheim. In 1967, he began to make 8mm films under the influence of American avant-garde cinema. In the early 70s, he began to stage plays and in 1979, operas, as well. His first feature, « Eika Katappa » (1969) won the Josef von Sternberg Prize. « The Death of Maria Malibran » (1971) marked the first appearance of a leitmotif that could be said to crystallize his work the death of a singer, who dies from too much singing. « Reign of Naples » (1978) reflects his personal vision of this city, seen through the destiny of several picturesque individuals, over a 30-year period. Two years later, « Palermo or Wolfsburg » won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. In 1996, Locarno awarded him a Leopard of Honor for his career and screened his film, « Love’s Debris ».
Ellen Umlauf
Magdalena Montezuma
Magdalena Montezuma
Screenplay
Werner Schroeter
Image
Werner Schroeter
Production : WERNER SCHROETER – FILM PRODUKTION
Title in Original Version : L'ange Noir
