Christiane F. | Free Film Screening

A harrowing, stylized film about teenage heroin addiction and youth culture in late 1970's Berlin

Dir. Uli Edel
West Germany, 1981
Digital Projection, 138 min.
German with English subtitles

Based on the true story of one teenager's descent into heroin-addicted hell, CHRISTIANE F. is a grim coming-of-age cult classic. Thirteen-year-old Christiane (Natja Brunckhorst) lives with her mother and younger sister in a typical multi-storey apartment building in Berlin. When Christiane is introduced to the disco scene, she falls in with a new group of friends and gradually becomes addicted to heroin. She finds companionship with fourteen-year-old Detlev (Thomas Haustein) as they familiarise themselves with a world beyond their years while lingering around the notorious Bahnhof Zoo station.

Captured through a gritty low-budget lens, the film is a raw portrayal of lost innocence. Featuring a soundtrack of songs from David Bowie's 1977-79 Berlin phase, as well as a stunning concert performance of ‘Station to Station’, the film masterfully captures the hopes and fears of a lost generation of Berlin youth, set against the backdrop of the disco scene of the late 1970's.

Presented in partnership with Chicago Filmmakers as part of the Berlin Nights series.

Tickets: $10 suggested donation

https://chicagofilmmakers.org/upcoming-screenings-and-events/christiane-f-in-person-613-7pm