As part of the German Film Festival, screening across all Palace Cinemas in May, comes the story of Hildegard Knef – a global star, style icon and grand dame of chanson. A woman who was opinionated, controversial and simultaneously an archetype and antithesis of her time.
As an actress, singer, and writer, Knef became a public figure in Germany at the age of 20 and never returned to anonymity. In 1951, a six-second scene from the film The Sinner caused a nationwide scandal in the newly formed Federal Republic, when Knef’s breasts were visible on screen. After falling from grace, she pursued a career abroad and remained creatively active for over five decades, celebrating successes and experiencing crushing defeats. Published in 1970 and translated into 17 languages, Knef’s highly successful autobiography The Gifted Horse topped the Der Spiegel bestseller list for six months.
Marking the 100th anniversary of her birth in 1925, cinematic biography I Want It All (Ich Will Alles) showcases Knef’s unwavering spirit and artistic brilliance using rare archival footage and interviews to present a portrait of a highly-talented, ambitious and astute woman who showed the world how to survive fame and failure.
This week you can see I Want It All on Thursday at 8.20pm at Palace Byron Bay – www.palacecinemas.com.au.
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