Only the others have fun: In the Hamburg social drama, a teenager experiences the cold side of the neighbourhood. Hunger drives Leon (Albert Lichtenstern) onto the street. His mother has once again not taken care of him and is somewhere. To get money and food, the 15-year-old steals everything that is not nailed down. He finds small odd jobs in the run-down "Palaise Cherie" brothel, which has become a place to go for him. His fatherly friend Klaus (Detlev Dorendorf), the "Koberer", sits on his stool day and night and tries to guide passers-by into the shop. And then there is a prostitute to whom Leon feels attracted. As always, the boy somehow gets through the day - but this time he has to realise that his mother is not coming back to him.
Status
Released
Original Language
DE
In October 1989, the part of the West Berlin borough of Kreuzberg called SO 36, had been largely shut off by the Wall from the rest of the city for 28 years. A lethargic sub-culture of students, artists, bohemians and barflys had flourished among crumbling buildings. Part of that microcosm is barkeeper Frank, semi-formally called 'Herr Lehmann' by friends and patrons. He hangs out drinking, sports utter disregard for anything beyond SO 36 and lazily pursues an affair with cook Katrin. His lifestyle is gradually disturbed, when his parents show up for a visit, things go awry with Katrin and his best friend Karl starts to act strange. Meanwhile, political turmoil mounts on the other side of the Wall.
