Coming Out

In an interesting historical twist, this story of a repressed gay schoolteacher in East Berlin premiered the same evening the Berlin wall came tumbling down, and is reportedly the only film produced in the formerly communist East Germany about gay life. Philipp, the closeted gay schoolteacher (played expertly by Matthias Freihof), is trapped in an unhappy relationship with Tanja (Dagmar Manzel). While in a queue for concert tickets, Philipp meets a sprightly young fellow who reawakens desire...and angst, propelling him through the gay nightclubs of East Berlin on an exotic walk on the wild side. Phillip's encounters are used as a foil to introduce topics such as the imprisonment of gays in World War II death camps, gay life under communism, and the lonely, destructive nature of the closet. Highly recommended for both popular and gay/lesbian collections. (K. G. Schneider)