Cannes Legend Volker Schlöndorff Has No Regrets
At 87, German director Volker Schlöndorff returns to Cannes with a long career marked by political and historical themes in film. His 1979 Palme d'Or win for 'The Tin Drum' remains a defining moment in his career and in New German Cinema. Schlöndorff reflects on his legacy with calm satisfaction, acknowledging both controversy and acclaim.
- ▪Schlöndorff's debut film 'Young Törless' caused a scandal at Cannes in 1966 for its portrayal of authoritarianism in Germany.
- ▪His 1979 film 'The Tin Drum' won the Palme d'Or and later the Oscar for best foreign-language film, a first for a German film since WWII.
- ▪The film 'The Tin Drum' was an adaptation of Günter Grass' novel and shared the Palme d'Or with Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now.'
- ▪Schlöndorff has remained closely tied to Cannes throughout his six-decade career, often returning with films that confront European history and politics.
- ▪He describes winning the Palme d'Or as being 'kissed by the Muses' and considers it the peak of his filmmaking career.
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(from right): Volker Schlöndorff with 'The Tin Drum' actor David Bennent at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival, where the film won the Palme d'Or. DB/picture alliance via Getty Images Home Movies Movie News Cannes Legend Volker Schlöndorff Has No Regrets At 87, the German director returns to Cannes with a new film and six decades of history behind him — the scandals, the Palme and the politics. By Scott Roxborough Plus Icon Scott Roxborough Europe Bureau Chief sroxborough Follow Sign Up More Stories by Scott The Grande Dames: Joan Collins, Isabella Rossellini Bring Old Hollywood Class to Cannes German Dogma 25: German-Speaking Directors Launch Local Version of Danish Film Movement Soccer Superstar Erling Haaland to Play Animated Viking in Film Debut (Exclusive) View All May 16, 2026 Share on…
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