In the 70s, David Bowie fan Christiane is a young teen living in a Berlin apartment block with her mother and little sister Sabine. Sabine decides to go live with their father. Christiane follows cool schoolmate Kessi to the disco "Sound" where she finds new friends. They do minor mayhem and drugs. Christiane hates that they do H. Soon she's also doing heroin as she slowly gets drawn into the dark world of drugs and sexual exploitation. She and boyfriend Detlef are forced to do more and more for their next hit.
Natja Brunckhorst was actually 14 filming this movie. Her youth really sells this harrowing story about drug addiction spreading among young people. It may be cheesy but it would be an even bigger shock if the movie starts with her having a childlike birthday party. It would put her age and innocence front and center. This is not a fun romp like Trainspotting. This is a straight forward unflinching look at the damage from drug addiction. All the kids look worse and worse as the movie goes on. It's a little long but it shows the entire long road downwards.
Natja Brunckhorst was actually 14 filming this movie. Her youth really sells this harrowing story about drug addiction spreading among young people. It may be cheesy but it would be an even bigger shock if the movie starts with her having a childlike birthday party. It would put her age and innocence front and center. This is not a fun romp like Trainspotting. This is a straight forward unflinching look at the damage from drug addiction. All the kids look worse and worse as the movie goes on. It's a little long but it shows the entire long road downwards.