It is not Rosa von Praunheim who is perverse, but the situations in which he films

This post is in conjunction with this week’s episode, which explores the films that will be part of next weekend’s “Films of Rosa von Praunheim” festival at Anthology Film Archives. The festival runs from June 4-7, contains 10 features and 2 shorts, and will boast a live performance by von Praunheim, entitled "I am not a Tomato." (I have no explanation). I offer up a little survey of von Praunheim clips that can be found on the obvious site, YouTube.

First, a few notes in case the name doesn’t ring a bell (and it’s quite a name!): Rosa von Praunheim is a now-legendary German filmmaker with a great sense of humor, a cool nom du cinema, and a keen ability to craft cinematic acts of provocation like It Is Not the Homosexual Who is Perverse, but the Situation in Which He Lives (1970). He made several sharp documentaries about the AIDS crisis in the Eighties, and has since produced a number of memorable docus about gay issues, strong women, and aspects of his own life.

The YT von Praunheim stash is mostly made up of Rosa’s comic creations, which is no surprise. Here is an unsubtitled (but pretty stylishly campy) scene from his very successful (and sadly unavailable over here) Die Bettwurst (1971). The song layered under the clip by the poster is, of course, by the le grand Gainsbarre:


Another bit of stylish camp here, unfortunately also unsubbed, from Rote Liebe (1982)


A musical interlude from the always imposing Diamanda Galas, from the 1990 AIDS docu Positive:


The opening minutes to the colorfully titled “Erotic Tale” that Praunheim made in 1999 for an anthology series. The short, “Can I Be Your Bratwurst, Please?” stars American gay porn star Jeff Stryker as a gent that both men and women want to consume — literally:


And the final film in the Anthology series is actually up in its entirety on YT. The film cannot be currently seen in the U.S. It’s a documentary about, well… the subject is in the title, Men, Heroes & Gay Nazis (2005):


And, finally, the opening minutes of a recent-vintage short shot here in NYC, starring nightclub chanteuse Phoebe Legere. Germans Taste Best (2007):