 Consequently, the biographer Thomas Elsaesser called the production of the film "one of Fassbinder's least happy experiences" and Berlin "one of the decisive self-destructive episodes in Rainer's life".In parallel to the preparations for the production of "Berlin Alexanderplatz" Fassbinder worked with film editor Juliane Lorenz on the editing and post-production of "The Marriage of Maria Braun".The failure of "Despair" at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1978 spurred Fassbinder to prepare an answer print overnight and to present the film on 22 May 1978 to German film producers in a private screening.