Der Angriff Des Alfred Edel Auf Sich Selbst
Remaining elusive and defying categorization must have been what drove the eccentric Lower Bavarian actor Alfred Edel (1932–1993). Alexander Kluge discovered him for Abschied von gestern (Farewell to Yesterday, 1966), and in the 1970s and 1980s, Edel rose to become a much sought-after actor in New German Cinema, playing curious supporting roles in films by Herzog, Klick, Syberberg, Treut, Achternbusch, Straub/Huillet, and Schlingensief. However, "acting" is not the right word for what Edel did in front of the camera. He always slipped into the fictional character he must have invented for himself early on, if he wasn't already identical to it. Edel was Edel, no matter what context he appeared in.