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Volker Schlöndorff

Volker Schlöndorff

Director, writer, actor and producer · Born March 31, 1939 (87) · Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany

Primetime Emmy nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 3 other major award bodies

Volker Schlöndorff is a Berlin-based German filmmaker. He won an Oscar as well as the Palme d'or at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival for The Tin Drum (1979), the film version of the novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Günter Grass. In 1991, he was the Head of the Jury at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. Schlöndorff has adapted many literary works for his movies, including some critically well-received US productions, but he is also engaged in post-war German politics. He served as the chief executive for the UFA studio in Babelsberg. Schlöndorff also teaches film and literature at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, where he conducts an Intensive Summer Seminar. He was married to fellow film director Margarethe von Trotta from 1971 to 1991. He is currently married to Angelika Schlöndorff, and the couple has one daughter.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 31, 1939 (87)
From
Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany
Works as
Director, writer, actor and producer
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 71 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 156 days to Oct 27Down 27% in 30 days

What are Volker Schlöndorff's films like?

Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Drama16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits 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
Self
21%
Morality
21%
Society
13%
Ideas
13%
Survival
12%
Power
11%
Bonds
9%
Identity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 25 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 5 · Serious 3 · Dark 17

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

Grounded 17 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 8 · Intense 13

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

Steady 14 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 21 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

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 18 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 15

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 12 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 8

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Contemplative
15
Melancholic
13
Dread
5
Hopeful
6
Other
15

How their films linger

Thought-provoking12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic7
  • Ambiguous6

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 Volker Schlöndorff's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Volker Schlöndorff's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits 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

71 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page; 86 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Visitation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Igor and After (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Actor

  • German Genius(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Volker Schlöndorff

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all shows

  • Der Waldmacher(2021)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Nameless Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director · Writer

  • Return to Montauk(2017)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Poet and the Filmmaker: Volker Schlöndorff on Baal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Interviewer

  • Henri Langlois vu par... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · as Self

  • Diplomacy(2014)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Calm at Sea(2011)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Nuits transparentes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • Cave of Forgotten Dreams(2010)

    as Narrator (French version) (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Melville Steps Out of the Shadows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Interviewee

  • Memories of Last Year in Marienbad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Editor · Producer · as Himself - Narrator

  • Ulzhan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • Strike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Actor

  • Billy Wilder Speaks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Editor · as Self - Filmmaker / Interviewer

  • Enigma – Eine uneingestandene Liebe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • The Ninth Day(2004)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Ten Minutes Older: The Cello(2002)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Enlightenment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • Ein Produzent hat Seele oder er hat keine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · as Self

  • Everyman's Feast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Producer

  • The Legend of Rita(2000)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Schrott - Die Atzenposse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Palmetto(1998)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Ice Princess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Executive Producer

  • The Ogre(1996)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Billy, How Did You Do It? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · as Self

  • The Michael Nyman Songbook (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Billy, How Did You Do It? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director · as Self

  • Voyager(1991)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Handmaid's Tale(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • A Gathering of Old Men(1987)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Death of a Salesman(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Swann in Love(1984)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • War and Peace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director · Writer

  • Circle of Deceit(1981)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Candidate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director · Writer

  • The Tin Drum(1979)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Cinématon(1984)

    as N°572

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Germany in Autumn(1978)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Beto Nervio contra el poder de las tinieblas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Associate Producer

  • Portrait of Valeska Gert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director · Writer

  • Coup de Grâce(1976)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Henry James Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Adaptation · Scenario Writer

  • Georginas Gründe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director · Writer

  • The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum(1975)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Stayover in Tirol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • A Free Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The Morals of Ruth Halbfass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Mathias Kneißl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

  • The Sudden Wealth of the Poor People of Kombach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director · Producer · Writer

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

    Idea

  • 11 Uhr 20 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 3 episodes · as Barkeepeer Henry

  • Baal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Man on Horseback(1969)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Der Paukenspieler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Writer

  • Degree of Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Writer

  • Neuer Deutscher Film Report (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Actor

  • Young Törless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director · Writer

  • Viva Maria!(1965)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Chance at Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as German soldier (segment "Chance du guerrier, La") (uncredited)

  • The Fire Within(1963)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Méditerranée (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Co-Director

  • Le Doulos(1962)

    First Assistant Director · as Man in Bar (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • A Very Private Affair(1962)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Last Year at Marienbad(1961)

    Second Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Léon Morin, Priest(1961)

    Assistant Director · as German Soldier (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Who Cares... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Love Me Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Thanks

Career shape

A full career of 71 titles, 70 of them dated from 1960 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Palmetto (1998)

$5.9M worldwide

Highest rated

Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word Is Power (2019)

Midcredits 89th

Most popular right now

The Tin Drum (1979)

Film career

  • 1961Screen debut· Léon Morin, Priest

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting15 of 71: 12 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score91stDirecting47 of 71: 17 only directing, 30 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stWriting29 of 71: 1 only writing, 28 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thProducing11 of 71: 3 only producing, 8 with another roleEditing3 of 71: 0 only editing, 3 with another roleOther crew7 of 71: 5 only other crew, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score94th

71 titles, 33 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 28 of them.

By decade

1960s14 · 4 acting · 12 crew1970s17 · 3 acting · 14 crew1980s6 · crew1990s8 · crew2000s11 · 2 acting · 10 crew2010s10 · 4 acting · 6 crew2020s4 · 2 acting · 2 crew

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 Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

4 major awards from 16 major nominations, 1966–2017.

WinNomination
  1. 2017
    • Berlinale award, nominated · Best Film
  2. 2000
    • Berlinale award, won
    • Berlinale award, nominated
  3. 1996
    • Venice award, won
    • Venice award, nominated
  4. 1990
    • Berlinale award, nominated
  5. 1987
    • Cannes award, nominated
  6. 1986
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or a Special
  7. 1985
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Foreign Language Film
  8. 1980
    • Cannes award, nominated
Show 5 earlier years
  1. 1979
    • Cannes award, won
  2. 1978
    • Berlinale award, nominated
  3. 1969
    • Cannes award, nominated
  4. 1967
    • Cannes award, nominated
  5. 1966
    • Cannes award, won
    • Cannes award, nominated

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Volker Schlöndorff's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 25 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 71st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Reach · how many have seen their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · actor

Cinématon (1984)

88th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Le Doulos (1962)

Midcredits 96th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 75/100 and the pacing 46/100 in their films, across 20 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; 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 Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove 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.

Is Volker Schlöndorff's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 51 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Volker Schlöndorff work with?

People who share at least 2 of Volker Schlöndorff's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Eberhard Junkersdorf shares the most, 9.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles