# Shadow of Angels

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{{short description|1976 film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Shadow of Angels
| image          = 
| caption        = 
| director       = [Daniel Schmid](/source/Daniel_Schmid)
| producer       = [Michael Fengler](/source/Michael_Fengler)
| screenplay     = [Daniel Schmid](/source/Daniel_Schmid)<br>[Rainer Werner Fassbinder](/source/Rainer_Werner_Fassbinder)
| based_on       = ''Der Müll, die Stadt und der Tod'' <br> by [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](/source/Rainer_Werner_Fassbinder)
| starring       = [Ingrid Caven](/source/Ingrid_Caven)
| music          = 
| cinematography = [Renato Berta](/source/Renato_Berta)
| editing        = Ila von Hasperg
| distributor    = 
| released       = {{film date|1976|1|31|df=yes}}
| runtime        = 101 minutes
| country        = Switzerland
| language       = German
}}
'''''Shadow of Angels''''' (German: '''''Schatten der Engel''''') is a 1976 Swiss [drama film](/source/drama_film) directed by [Daniel Schmid](/source/Daniel_Schmid) and written by Schmid and [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](/source/Rainer_Werner_Fassbinder). Adapted from Fassbinder's play ''Der Müll, die Stadt und der Tod'', the film stars [Ingrid Caven](/source/Ingrid_Caven) and was screened in competition at the [1976 Cannes Film Festival](/source/1976_Cannes_Film_Festival).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Schatten der Engel |url=https://www.filmdienst.de/film/details/46627/schatten-der-engel |access-date=21 March 2026 |website=Filmdienst |language=de}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

== Synopsis ==
The film tells the story of a [prostitute](/source/prostitute) who lives with her [pimp](/source/pimp) until she meets a man who advises her not to speak and pays for her silence. From then on, she listens to powerful men and later becomes rich and powerful herself, but can no longer endure her situation. She then begins searching for the person who can understand her story and kill her.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Schatten der Engel |url=https://www.swissfilms.ch/de/movie/schatten-der-engel/2fb0b978f00a40f19379bb937da04611 |access-date=21 March 2026 |website=Swiss Films |language=de}}</ref>

==Cast==
The cast includes:<ref name=":1" />
* [Ingrid Caven](/source/Ingrid_Caven) as Lily Brest
* [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](/source/Rainer_Werner_Fassbinder) as Raoul
* [Klaus Löwitsch](/source/Klaus_L%C3%B6witsch) as Jude
* [Annemarie Düringer](/source/Annemarie_D%C3%BCringer) as Frau Müller
* [Adrian Hoven](/source/Adrian_Hoven) as Herr Müller

== Production ==
''Shadow of Angels'' was adapted from [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](/source/Rainer_Werner_Fassbinder)'s play ''Der Müll, die Stadt und der Tod''. Fassbinder had originally tried to film the play himself, but the project failed to secure financing. Daniel Schmid then directed the adaptation. The source play sparked debate over alleged [antisemitic](/source/Antisemitism) tendencies. It was Schmid's first film based on a screenplay by another writer.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Schatten der Engel {{!}} filmportal.de |url=https://www.filmportal.de/film/schatten-der-engel_fb723582397c4bb9a75bc86f6203bf46 |access-date=21 March 2026 |website=filmportal.de |language=de}}</ref>

== Festival screenings ==
The film premiered in 1976 and had festival screenings including an in-competition screening at the [Festival international du film de Cannes](/source/Festival_International_du_Film_de_Cannes) in 1976, the Festival International du film de La Rochelle in 1994, the 37th [Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist](/source/Kyiv_International_Film_Festival_%22Molodist%22) in 2007, the 64th [Festival del film Locarno](/source/Festival_del_film_Locarno) in 2011, the 30th [Filmfest München](/source/Filmfest_M%C3%BCnchen) in 2012, the 24th [Ankara International Film Festival](/source/Ankara_International_Film_Festival) in 2013, the 50th [Solothurner Filmtage](/source/Solothurner_Filmtage) in 2015, and the 35th FID Festival international de cinéma Marseille in 2024.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=SCHATTEN DER ENGEL |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/schatten-der-engel/ |access-date=21 March 2026 |website=Festival de Cannes}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id=0075169|title=Shadow of Angels}}

Category:1976 films
Category:1976 drama films
Category:1976 German-language films
Category:Films directed by Daniel Schmid
Category:Films produced by Michael Fengler
Category:Films set in Frankfurt
Category:Swiss films based on plays
Category:Films à clef
Category:Swiss drama films
Category:Films based on works by Rainer Werner Fassbinder

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Shadow of Angels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_of_Angels) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_of_Angels?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.