“We could be heroes”: Christiane F., a cult classic
By Anastasia O’Reilly, MArts Religion and Theology.
Christiane F. DVD via Ebay
Christiane F.- Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo is a 1981 biographical drama film directed by Uli Edel. Translated as ‘Christiane F.- We Children from Zoo Station’, it contemplates the metamorphosis of depressed 13-year-old Christiane Felscherinow, portrayed by Natja Brunckhorst, into a 14-year-old heroin addict after meeting a group of troubled teenagers at a nightclub in 1970s West Berlin.
The film follows her descent into the dark side of the city as her abuse of LSD, pills and heroin plunges into total addiction and she is sucked into the cold and unforgiving depths of Bahnhof Zoo. Bahnhof Berlin Zoologischer Garten is a railway station that was notorious for the prevalence of drug trade and sex work occurring in its hidden corners and shadowy pathways. Christine is influenced by her crush Detlev, who sells sex acts to male clients to fund his heroin addiction, into entering prostitution. I will not spoil the film for you, but it is an aesthetically gritty and bleak picture interspersed by glitzy neon lights and a lustrous Bowie soundtrack.
David Bowie performing in the film via Buzzfeed
David Bowie features several times throughout the film, including performing at a concert and signing records. Bowie was often seen as a symbol of hope in ‘70s Germany; his song “Heroes” embodied defiance and love in the face of adversity, with the lyrics “and the guns shot above our heads / And we kissed, as though nothing could fall,” referencing the Berlin Wall. This picture of love and hope was much needed in this desperate period of the Cold War.
From 1976 to 1978 Bowie relocated to West Berlin to recover incognito from his cocaine addiction, returning in June 1987 for the “Concert for Berlin.” Performing in front of the Reichstag on the western side of the Wall, a crowd also gathered on the eastern side. As “Heroes” was sung, a crackdown by police broke out, leading to riots across East Berlin the next day, and Ronald Reagan ordering the fall of the wall. Some Germans believe that Bowie helped change history and in 2016, the German government officially expressed its gratitude to him for his role in the dismantling of the Berlin Wall.
The real Christiane F. via The Berliner
The film is a true story, based on the autobiographical book of the same name. The real Christiane F. recalled that she wrote the book as escapism from her life, a sort of therapy. The 16-year-old was thrown into fame, but she was unsure for what. For being a “princess junkie”? People wanted to know whether she was dead or whether she was still an addict. She was cool from afar but never up close. But in an interview with VICE she stood by her journey, “I will die soon, I know that… But I haven’t missed out on anything in my life”.
Due to the disturbing footage of adolescents shooting heroin and Bowie’ cameo, the film has become a cult classic. It is available to watch on BFI Player, which you can access for free as a student.
Edited by Isabel Armstrong, Third Year History