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Ingrid Caven

Ingrid Caven

Actor · Born August 3, 1938 (88) · Saarbrücken, Germany

Ingrid Caven (born Ingrid Schmidt; August 3, 1938) is a German actress best known for her roles in several films directed by her husband, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, including Love Is Colder Than Death (1969), 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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 3, 1938 (88)
From
Saarbrücken, Germany
Works as
Actor
Titles
17 on Motif · 55 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 8% in 30 days

What are Ingrid Caven's films like?

Across their 12 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Motif score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Motif score: 51st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
19%
Self
17%
Survival
17%
Society
16%
Morality
15%
Power
11%
Ideas
5%
Isolation5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 8

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 3 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 1

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 4

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Dread
6
Melancholic
6
Contemplative
5
Cold
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Unsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet2
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ingrid Caven's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 17 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (7).

Subscription and free streaming for Ingrid Caven's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

55 credits, 17 with a Motif page; 17 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Portuguese Woman (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2019)

    as Passageira

  • Suspiria(2018)

    as Miss Vendegast

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Sleeping Beauty(2016)

    as La méchante fée

    Motif score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • 35 Shots of Rum(2008)

    as Joséphine's German Aunt

    Motif score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Weitertanzen (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)

    as Maja Mertens

  • Deepfrozen(2006)

    as Vicky

    Motif score: 9th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Marcel Proust's Time Regained(1999)

    as Russian Princess

    Motif score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Silent Night (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1995)

    as Sängerin

  • My Favorite Season (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1993)

    as La femme du bar

  • Off Season (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1992)

    as Lila

  • Devil's Paradise (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1987)

    as Madame

  • The Satin Spider(1985)

    as La directrice

    Motif score: 4th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Roaring Fifties (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1983)

    as Claudine

  • Dirty Daughters oder Die Hure und der Hurensohn (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1982)

    Actor

  • Krimistunde (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Edwina Bowen

  • Today We're Playing Boss (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)

    Actor

  • Day of the Idiots (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)

    as Dr. Laura

  • Der Mond is nur a nackerte Kugel (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)

    Actor

  • Malou (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)

    as Malou

  • Looping (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)

    as Lissy

  • In a Year with 13 Moons(1978)

    as Zora la rouge

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Despair(1978)

    as Hotel Manager

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Violanta (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1978)

    as Alma

  • Fear of Fear (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    as Edda

  • The American Soldier (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    as Singer

  • Satan's Brew(1976)

    as Lisa

    Motif score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Shadow of Angels (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    as Lily Brest

  • Nea (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    as Anne

  • Gold Flakes (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    Actor

  • I Only Want You to Love Me (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    as Sewing machine saleswoman

  • Mother Kusters Goes to Heaven(1975)

    as Corinna

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Fox and His Friends(1975)

    as Singer in Bar

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Playing with Fire(1975)

    as The servant of the brothel

    Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Joan's Dream (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • My Little Loves (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1974)

    as Mother

  • La Paloma (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1974)

    as Viola Schlumpf, aka 'La Paloma'

  • Martha (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1974)

    as Ilse

  • 1 Berlin-Harlem (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1974)

    Actor

  • World on a Wire (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 2 episodes · as Secretary Uschi

  • Tenderness of the Wolves(1973)

    as Dora

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Tonight or Never (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1973)

    as Artist

  • Adele Spitzeder (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)

    Actor

  • Ludwig – Requiem for a Virgin King (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)

    as Lola Montez

  • The Merchant of Four Seasons(1972)

    Production Manager · as Hans's great love

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Death of Maria Malibran (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)

    Actor

  • The Ancestress (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)

    as Geist

  • Beware of a Holy Whore(1971)

    as Statistin

    Motif score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Rio das Mortes (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)

    as Hannas Kollegin

  • Haytabo (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)

    as (uncredited)

  • The Niklashausen Journey (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1970)

    as Schreiendes Mädchen

  • Gods of the Plague (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1970)

    as Magdalene Fuller

  • Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?(1970)

    as Neighbor

    Motif score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Coffee House (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1970)

    as Placida

  • Love Is Colder Than Death(1969)

    as Zweite Prostituierte

    Motif score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Frühstück in Rom (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1965)

    as Sandra

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 55 titles from 1965 to 2019; peak year 2018.

Biggest box office

Suspiria (2018)

$8M worldwide

Highest rated

Mother Kusters Goes to Heaven (1975)

Motif 94th

Most popular right now

Suspiria (2018)

Film career

19652019

Peak 2018 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 1 Motif title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1970Screen debut· Love Is Colder Than Death
  • 2018Career best· Suspiria

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting55 of 55: 54 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Motif score70thOther crew1 of 55: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1960s1 · acting1970s34 · 34 acting · 1 crew1980s10 · acting1990s4 · acting2000s3 · acting2010s3 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 21 roles
7075

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Ingrid Caven's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 17; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Motif score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Deepfrozen (2006)

75th percentile spread · 67% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Mother Kusters Goes to Heaven (1975)

Motif 94th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 37. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Ingrid Caven work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ingrid Caven's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Rainer Werner Fassbinder shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers