A searing, shocking descent into the hell of addiction, Christiane F. tells the true story of a bored West German teen’s downward spiral into a life of drugs and prostitution in 1970s Berlin. Under director Uli Edel’s deft hand, the film’s cast of young nonprofessional actors prove up to the task of the bleak material, as they shoot up, pass out, puke & fuck amidst the harsh backdrop of the notorious Bahnhof Zoo railway station, filling the screen with a quiet terror and hopeless desperation that’s unremittingly grim and hauntingly unforgettable. David Bowie contributes to the soundtrack and appears as himself in a pivotal concert scene.
“This is one of the most horrifying movies I have ever seen. That it is based on actual events makes it more heartbreaking.” – Roger Ebert
“The verisimilitude he achieves is remarkable. Thanks to the naturalness of his players… Mr. Edel is able to simulate the world of Berlin’s teen-age street addicts in sharply convincing detail.” – Janet Maslin, The New York Times
