Our archive photo from 1976 shows Udo Kier (left), director Rainer Werner Fassbinder (center) and Heinz Badewitz, founder of the Hof International Film Festival. The photo was taken on the football field in Hof.
Whether Dracula, Frankenstein, murderer, lover, or Adolf Hitler six times over — Udo Kier was everything and more. From working with Andy Warhol, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Christoph Schlingensief, Lars von Trier to Madonna: with his seemingly inexhaustible versatility, he fascinated audiences and filled the stage of world cinema and art. Celebrated widely as queer icon, Kier appeared in more than 250 film and television productions.
The city of Hof and the Hof International Film Festival (HIFF) also played a very special role in his career. The production BOLWIESER marked his first collaboration with Rainer Werner Fassbinder. It was filmed in 1976 in Hof and at the train station in Marxgrün. Kier returned to the festival with among others THE GERMAN CHAINSAW MASSACRE (24th HIFF 1990) and TERROR 2000 – GERMANY OUT OF CONTROL (26th HIFF 1992), both directed by Christoph Schlingensief.
On Sunday, November 23, 2025, Udo Kier passed away. Dear Udo – RIP.
Published on: November 27, 2025
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