Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (1981)

Director:

Uli Edel

Writers:

Uli Edel (additional writer)
Kai Hermann (book)
(more)

Release Date:

2 April 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

At 12 it was Angel Dust. At 13 it was heroin. Then she took to the streets.

Plot:

This movie portrays the drug scene in Berlin in the 70s, following tape recordings of Christiane F....

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Subculture | Germany | Voice Over Narration | Money

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Natja Brunckhorst	...	Christiane
Thomas Haustein	...	Detlev
Jens Kuphal	...	Axel
Rainer Woelk	...	Leiche (as Rainer Wölk)
Jan Georg Effler	...	Bernd
Christiane Reichelt	...	Babsi
Daniela Jaeger	...	Kessi
Kerstin Richter	...	Stella
David Bowie	...	Himself
Eberhard Auriga	...	Alter Fixer
Peggy Bussieck	...	Puppi
Lothar Chamski	...	Rolf
Uwe Diderich	...	Klaus
Ellen Esser	...	Kessis Mutter
Andreas Fuhrmann	...	Atze
Lutz Hemmerling	...	Bienenstich
Bernhard Janson	...	Milan
Christiane Lechle	...	Christianes Mutter
Kerstin Malessa	...	Tina
Cathrine Schabeck	...	Linda
Stanislaus Solotar	...	Stottermaxe

Directed by
Uli Edel		(as Ulrich Edel)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Uli Edel		additional writer
Kai Hermann		book
Horst Rieck		book
Herman Weigel		writer

Produced by
Bernd Eichinger	....	producer
Hans Kaden	....	co-producer (as Hans H. Kaden)
Bertram Vetter	....	producer: SDR
Hans Weth	....	producer

Original Music by
Jürgen Knieper

Cinematography by
Jürgen Jürges
Justus Pankau

Film Editing by
Jane Seitz

Production Design by
Sabine Eichinger
Harald Muchametow

Set Decoration by
Rainer Schaper
Holger Scholz

Costume Design by
Myrella Bordt

Makeup Department
Colin Arthur	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Sabine Eichinger	....	production manager
Edgar Hinz	....	unit manager
Harald Muchametow	....	production manager
Peter Rothkopf	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Babette Kirchhoff	....	assistant director
Petra Materne	....	assistant director

Art Department
Helmut Donat	....	stage maker
Udo Gaidosch	....	property master: indoor
Helmut Pospich	....	stage maker
Holger Scholz	....	property master: outdoor

Sound Department
Lothar Mankewitz	....	sound
Hans-Dieter Schwarz	....	sound mixer
Sybille Windt	....	sound editor
Hieronymus Würden	....	assistant sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Hans-Günther Bücking	....	assistant camera
Achim Poulheim	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Carola Mai	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Berno Kürten	....	script supervisor
Christiane Felscherinow	....	consultant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Solaris Film (as Solaris Filmproduktionsgesellschaft mbH Berlin)
• Maran Film
• Popular Filmproduktion (as Popular-Film GmbH)
• CLV-Filmproduktions
• Süddeutscher Rundfunk (SDR)

Distributors

• Neue Constantin Film (1981) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• New World Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1982) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Cinematográfica F.J. (Brazil) (VHS)
• Contemporary Films (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Roadshow Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Scantrade Entrertainment (2005) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Second Sight Films (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Christiane F. (International: English title)
Die Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (West Germany) (working title)
We Children from Bahnhof Zoo (USA)
Zoo (UK)
Å være ung er for jævli (Norway) [no]
Christiana F. - Noi i ragazzi dello zoo di Berlino (Italy) [it]
Christiane F. - tyttö metroasemalta (Finland) [fi]
Christiane F., sta 13 porni gia narkotika (Greece) [el]
Eu, Christiane F., 13 Anos, Drogada e Prostituída (Brazil) [pt]
Moi, Christiane F., 13 ans, droguée, prostituée... (France) [fr]
My, dzieci z dworca Zoo (Poland) [pl]
Vi barn från Bahnhof Zoo (Sweden) [sv]
Yo, Cristina F (Spain) [es]

Runtime:

138 min | 131 min (cut version)

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1981) | UK:18 (video) (1986) (cut) | UK:18 (video) (2000) (uncut) | UK:X (theatrical release) (1981) (cut) | New Zealand:R16 | Germany:16 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Australia:R

Filming Locations:

Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Solaris Film

Trivia:

Natja Brunckhorst was just 14 years old when the movie was filmed.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Christiane F. plays the David Bowie album, "ChangesOneBowie," in her room. But the song that is heard - the German version of "Heroes" ("Helden") - is not on that particular record.

Movie Connections:

Features Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Soundtrack:

Sense of Doubt

One of the most thought-provoking, interesting and disturbing films I have ever seen

I really wasn't prepared for this film, or was I? I had been recommended it, and told it was disturbing, but it certainly had a massive effect on me.

Christiane F is the true story of a girl who gets seduced by the German nightlife and David Bowie, and slowly drifts onto heroin.

There are several disturbing parts of this movie. The heroin/prostitution scenes are disturbing, but I didn't get disturbed by these as much as I did the story. The media would have us believe that heroin users and dealers are monsters and don't have a right to live. The people in this movie are real, and easy to identify with.

I definitely recommend this movie, and compared to Trainspotting (a film I also enjoyed) is much more realistic.