''Desperado City'' is a 1981 West German

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

written and directed by

Vadim Glowna Vadim Glowna (; 26 September 1941 – 24 January 2012) was a German actor and film director. Since 1964 he appeared in more than 150 films and television shows. He directed the 1983 film ''Dies rigorose Leben'', which won an Honourable Ment ...

. It won the

Caméra d'Or The Caméra d'Or ("''Golden Camera''") is an award of the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections (Official Selection, Directors' Fortnight The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des ...

at the

1981 Cannes Film Festival The 34th Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 to 27 May 1981. The Palme d'Or went to the '' Człowiek z żelaza'' by Andrzej Wajda. The festival opened with '' Three Brothers'' (''Tre fratelli'') by Francesco Rosi and closed with '' Honeysuckle ...

. The film takes place in Hamburg. Skoda ( Siemen Rühaak) is a former student from a rich family. His father is a banker. Skoda is looking for an alternative life, away from the capitalist opulence of his childhood home. He stays with Eva Buchholz, with whom he begins a love story after she buys him a taxi. The film follows Skoda on his nightly rides through the city, and though different characters come and go. He takes his taxi to St. Pauli. Here Skoda meets the girl Liane, a kindred spirit in the form of a teenage woman who finds her own home life equally difficult to shoulder, who is just as fed up with her life as he is. She just quit her hairdressing training. The two now spend the days together and dream of emigrating to America. The two outsiders are gradually attracted to each other, and they end up one night in Skoda's room together. At that moment, Eva opens the door and discovers his infidelity. Eva then takes her own life for fear of renewed loneliness, which she no longer wants to endure, and Skoda is blamed for her death by her ex-husband. He swears to avenge her, and the hunt for Skoda begins. The stripper Hilke also dies. She is murdered by pimps. In this world of dirt and death, Skoda is now looking for a decision for his own life. He robs his father's bank and is shot by a security guard.

Cast

* Siemen Rühaak as Skoda *

Beate Finckh Beate Finckh (born 22 April 1960) is a German actress. Selected filmography * ''Desperado City'' (1980), as Liane * ''Die Knapp-Familie'' (1981–1983, TV series), as Elisabeth Knapp * ''Der Tod in der Waschstraße'' (1982), as Jutta * ' (1984) ...

as Liane *

Vera Tschechowa Vera Wilhelmowna Rust (born 22 July 1940), known as Vera Tschechowa, is a German producer, director, screenwriter, and retired actress, of Russian descent. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1957 and 1996. She was widely known as Elvis ...

as Hilke *

Karin Baal Karin Baal (born 19 September 1940), real name Karin Blauermel, is a German film actress. She has appeared in more than 90 films since 1956. Filmography Films *1956: ''Teenage Wolfpack'' *1957: '' Tired Theodore'' *1957: ' *1957: ''The Heart o ...

as Eva Buchholz * Witta Pohl as Gertrud

References

External links

* 1981 films 1981 drama films 1980s German-language films German drama films West German films Films directed by Vadim Glowna Films set in Hamburg Films about taxis Caméra d'Or winners 1981 directorial debut films 1980s German films {{1980s-Germany-film-stub