Schmächtiger
Berlín Oriental. El joven maestro Philipp conoce más de cerca a su colega Tanja tras un accidente en la escalera de la escuela y ambos comienzan una relación. Un antiguo amigo de Tanja, Jakob, al que llama cariñosamente Redford, resulta ser un amor de juventud de Philipp. Los padres de Philipp habían terminado la relación, regalando a Jakob una caja de compases y una bicicleta como compensación. Tras el reencuentro, Philipp entra en crisis, huye hacia un bar gay, se emborracha y finalmente dos desconocidos lo llevan a casa. Uno de ellos, el joven Matthias, lo encuentra de nuevo poco después frente al teatro y comienza un escarceo amoroso con él. Philipp tiene que enfrentarse a su propia orientación sexual, pero no tiene las fuerzas para ello. (FILMAFFINITY)
1942. The members of the Voß family, mother, two daughters, a daughter-in-law, and a son-in-law, are living in a house at the river. A fellow soldier of son Paul, who fights at the eastern front, delivers his greetings and an embroidered Russian blouse for Emmi, Paul′s wife. Daughter Agnes, whose husband is also fighting in the war, receives a fur vest from the junior partner who is stalking her. Obviously, the vest is also loot from the eastern front. When the family receives news that Emmi′s husband has been killed in action, the war finally enters the house at the river. Emmi commits suicide while Agnes′s husband returns as a cripple from the war front. At home, he has to learn what a price his wife had to pay for the "Russian fur".
In 1920, Michael, the son of a German laboring man, decides to travel to Russia. As "red horseman" he wants to support the socialist revolution and fight for the welfare of the working class. The journey towards the east turns out to be both a big adventure and a severe ethical test for the young man. He has to escape the German Armed Forces and ends up at a traveling circus where he falls in love with Fanny, a dressage rider. He overcomes the temptation to stay with her at the circus and - after briefly joining a gang of teenage thieves - he eventually boards a ship heading east. Aboard the ship he finds out that the seamen are transporting weapons for the hostile members of the White Army.
Film by Hanns Anselm Perten.
