She is best known for her roles in several films directed by her husband, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, including Love Is Colder Than Death (1969), Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?
[2] Prior to establishing herself as a film actress in the 1970s, Caven worked as a teacher in Upper Bavaria.
[4] Even after their divorce, Caven remained a frequent collaborator of Fassbinder until his death in 1982,[4] also appearing in his films La Paloma [fr] (1974), Fox and His Friends (1975),[6] and Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven (1975).
Caven has appeared in several films since the turn of the millennium, including supporting parts in Claire Denis's 35 Shots of Rum (2009), and Luca Guadagnino's American remake of Suspiria (2018).
[11][12] She resides with her partner, French writer Jean-Jacques Schuhl, whose book Ingrid Caven won the Prix Goncourt in 2000.