Magnificent Obsessions Saved My Life

The Swiss film curator’s visual autobiography, with guest appearances from Fassbinder, Warhol, Waters and many more

Set against the backdrop of his generation’s experiences of sexual liberation and his personal experience of two deadly pandemics, AIDS and Covid 19, this visual autobiography traces milestones in the life of Swiss film curator Matthias Brunner (born 1945). Brunner engages in an ongoing dialogue with Hollywood classics, auteur films and contemporary art, but most of all he discusses the people behind the artworks. He recounts his love-hate relationship with Swiss filmmaker Daniel Schmid and provides intimate glimpses of the late German filmmakers Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Werner Schroeter. He also recalls how he brought the films of his friends John Waters and Andy Warhol to Switzerland early on, bypassing strict censorship codes in the process. Altogether, this autobiography testifies to Brunner’s consistent desire to embrace and champion the arts, and his generous, tireless will to share his obsessions with others.