Editing Rainer Werner Fassbinder (section)

==Beginnings==
In 1963, aged 18, Fassbinder returned to Munich with plans to attend night school with the idea to eventually study drama. Following his mother's advice, he took [[acting lessons]] and from 1964 to 1966 attended the Fridl-Leonhard Studio for actors in Munich.<ref name="lorenz48"/> There, he met [[Hanna Schygulla]], who would become one of his most important actors.<ref>{{harv|Hayman|1984|p=27}}</ref> During this time, aged 20, he made his first [[8mm film|8mm]] short films, worked as a [[Audio engineering|sound man]] in [[:Category:Student films|student films]] and as an [[assistant director]] or in small acting roles in theatre.<ref name="lorenz48"/> During this period, he also wrote the tragic-comic play: ''Drops on Hot Stones''. To gain entry to the [[Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin|Berlin Film School]], Fassbinder submitted a film version of his play ''Parallels''. He also entered several 8&nbsp;mm films including ''This Night'' (now considered [[Lost film|lost]]),<ref>{{harv|Lorenz|Schmid|Gehr|1997|p=3}}</ref> but he was turned down for admission, as were [[Werner Schroeter]] and [[Rosa von Praunheim]] who would also have careers as film directors.<ref>{{harv|Watson|1996|p=43}}</ref>

He returned to Munich where he continued with his writing. He also made two short films, ''The City Tramp'' (''Der Stadtstreicher'', 1966) and ''The Little Chaos'' (''Das Kleine Chaos'', 1967). Shot in [[black and white film|black and white]], they were financed by Fassbinder's lover, Christoph Roser, an aspiring actor from a wealthy family, in exchange for leading roles.<ref>{{harv|Hayman|1984|p=29}}</ref> Fassbinder acted in both of these films, which also featured [[Irm Hermann]]. In the latter, his mother – under the name of Lilo Pempeit – played the first of many parts in her son's films.<ref>{{harv|Hayman|1984|p=26}}</ref>