History of Hell
2009 | 90 min | Documentary
A lengthy documentary on the history of hell: Rosa von Praunheim's personal search for the origins of the soul and hell.
Rosa von Praunheim
DirectorRosa von Praunheim, born in Riga in 1942, is one of the most formative figures in German queer cinema. His film “It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Situation in Which He Lives” (1971) became a key work for the modern German lesbian and gay movement. The filmmaker's extensive body of work includes more than 100 films, characterized by their provocative and documentary style, including films like “The Bed Sausage” (1971) and “Tough Love” (2015). He has received numerous honors for his contribution to German cinema and his socio-political activism, including the Honorary Award of the German Film Prize and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Films
It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives
1971 | 67 min | Drama
Rosa von Praunheim's cult film was uncomfortable, especially for the gay community, and turned them against the filmmaker.
Laura - The Jewel of Stuttgart
2014 | 52 min | Documentary
A cinematic tribute to gay activist Laura Halding-Hoppenheit, who received the Federal Cross of Merit for her commitment.
Last Exit Gran Canaria
By Tim Lienhard
2025 | 82 min | Queer
Join filmmaker Tim Lienhard on a bold journey of self-discovery through drag, desire, and liberation in this daring autofictional documentary.
Die Nachtigall – Der grausame Sohn
2021 | 67 min | Drama
A gruesome newspaper report inspires Rosa von Praunheim to create an improvised radio play about family, trauma, and grotesque everyday life.
Rex Gildo: The Last Dance
2022 | 88 min | Biography
Rosa von Praunheim portrays pop idol Rex Gildo—celebrated, denied, torn between fame, hiding, and a tragic end.
King of Comics
2012 | 80 min | Biography
Ralf König, keen observer and comic star, uses humor to break down prejudices—and talks about how the gay community has changed since the 1970s.
Friendship of Men
2018 | 85 min | Documentary
Cult director Rosa von Praunheim explores the question of how gay Goethe and his contemporaries were. How did they perceive homosexuality?
Die Bettwurst
1971 | 77 min | Romance
A grotesque satire about a suffocating marriage full of dependency, violence, and false romanticism.
Act! Wer bin ich?
2017 | 87 min | Documentary
Rosa von Praunheim sensitively follows "problem teenagers" who discover their love for acting thanks to a theater teacher.
How I Learned to Love the Numbers
By Oliver Sechting, Max Taubert
2014 | 88 min | Documentary
Director Oliver Sechting sheds light on his obsessive-compulsive disorder, which relates to number combinations.
Survival in Berlin-Neukölln
By Rosa von Praunheim, Markus Tiarks
2017 | 82 min | Documentary
A snapshot of the Berlin Proletarian quarter Neukölln, which is so popular that many of its originals can no longer afford rents.
Tough Love
2015 | 89 min | Love & Sex
Former pimp Andreas Marquardt confronts his past: abuse, prison, therapy—and a woman who never left him.
Desire Will Set You Free
By Yony Leyser
2015 | 92 min | Drama
In the hedonistic Berlin of the 2010s, a writer drifts through the party scene. With Nina Hagen, Peaches, Rosa von Praunheim and Blixa Bargeld.
My Wonderful West Berlin
By Jochen Hick
2017 | 98 min | Documentary
Romy Haag, Rosa von Praunheim, Ades Zabel and Udo Walz talk about their fascination with the dream destination West Berlin.
Army of Lovers or Revolt of the Perverts
1979 | 98 min | Documentary
In blunt, direct, sometimes quite graphic sequences, von Praunheim explores the entire gay subculture which touches all facets of American life.
Queens Don’t Cry
2002 | 89 min | Documentary
The groundbreaking members of the legendary Berlin club SchwuZ talk about their career, political activism in drag, and 'doing it' for the first time.
Fire Under Your Ass
1990 | 52 min | Documentary
Part 3 of the groundbreaking Rosa von Praunheim documentary trilogy on the AIDS epidemic
Silence = Death
1990 | 55 min | Documentary
Part 1 of the groundbreaking Rosa von Praunheim documentary trilogy on the AIDS epidemic
Life Is Like a Cucumber
1990 | 87 min | Biography
Lotti Huber, the 77-year-old singer, dancer and actress brimming with the spirit of life, tells of her eventful life in this semi-documenary film.
The Einstein of Sex: Life and Work of Dr. M. Hirschfeld
2000 | 96 min | Drama
Rosa von Praunheim recounts the fascinating biography of the revolutionary sex researcher Magnus Hirschfeld and his groundbreaking findings.
Survival in New York
1990 | 90 min | Documentary
Three German women go to New York City in the early 1980's and try to get established there.
Two Mothers
2007 | 87 min | Biography
Rosa von Praunheim's search for his own roots interweaves his personal life story with the larger historical context of the Second World War.
I Am My Own Woman
1992 | 91 min | Drama
Rosa von Praunheim portrays Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, famous transvestite from the former GDR, in a winning mix of documentary and feature film.
Positive
1990 | 76 min | Documentary
Part 2 of the groundbreaking Rosa von Praunheim documentary trilogy on the AIDS epidemic.
Rent Boys
2011 | 83 min | Documentary
This authentic documentary follows male sex workers from Bahnhof Zoo in Berlin as they work, shedding light on the issue of male prostitution.
Auf der Suche nach Heilern oder Ich bin ein Hypochonder
2014 | 83 min | Documentary
Director Rosa von Praunheim experiments with alternative medicine and seeks out faith healers to cure his ailments and experience enlightenment.
Praunheim Memoires
2014 | 84 min | Biography
PRAUNHEIM MEMOIRES pays tribute to 1950s West Germany for better and for worse and how it shaped the nascent artist.
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