Oldenburg International Film Festival honors a master of erotic cinema Radley Metzger
He is legendary, revolutionary and provocative: Radley Metzger was a groundbreaking director whose ambitious films defied the prude, conservative mainstream cinema and dared to show naked skin on screen. His sensual images are touching and beguiling and the viewer is instantly drawn to his aestheticism. But he is not only a master of beautiful camerawork: The great performance he got from his actors and his witty and thoughtful writing are an unmistakable trademark of his films.
26 years after he took his leave from the film industry he will be Guest of Honor at the 17th Oldenburg International Film Festival presenting his films and attending the festival for the full five days. CARMEN BABY (1967) is an important milestone as Metzger decided for the first time to shoot in color. It was dubbed “the sexiest film without nudity” and became his greatest financial success. Since many of his films are set among the European bourgeoisie he became known as the “aristocrat of eroticism”. THERESE & ISABELLE is considered his masterpiece: The adaption of Violette Leduc’s autobiography tells the story of a budding love in a girl’s boarding school. The film was released to raving reviews and just like the 1970 hit THE LICKERISH QUARTET is rated among the best erotic films ever.
Metzger worked together with Hans Jura on several occasions who was probably the best German photographer of the 1960s winning the Bundesfilmpreis twice.
