‘13-year-old Christiane Felscherinow resides in Berlin with her mother. She starts abusing dangerous substances after she falls in love with Detlev, which causes her to steal from her house, sell all of her assets, and descend to abysmal levels.’

This reminds me of the darkest after-school special you’ll ever see, but set in Berlin rather than California.

Watch as the main character slides into drug addiction, prostitution and crime to support her habit.

This film is certainly not one to show at your local church film society, but the Berlin settings are absolutely beautiful, and the direction is amazing, the film feels so gritty and grimy that I felt like I needed a bath after it. Director Uli Edel perfectly captures the grime.

Oh, and if you’re a David Bowie fan you’re in for a treat! He features in the film in many different ways, including in concert.

4 out of 5 stars