No Mercy, No Future
‘Die Berührte’, FRG, 1980, directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms, 104 min, rated: 18
This film includes stroboscopic sequences.
Veronika Christoph (Elisabeth Stepanek), the daughter of a bourgeois family, suffers from her family and society’s lack of caring. She takes refuge in a self-destructive religious delusion. In her search for God, she throws herself into fleeting friendships. The return of Jesus Christ, she believes, is primarily linked to men living on the edge of society. Veronika is repeatedly sectioned and placed in psychiatric wards after failed suicide attempts, but even there, she does not find help. Based on the autobiographical notes of Rita G., director Helma Sanders-Brahms builds an unsparing image of a young girl suffering from social rejection.
Featuring: Elisabeth Stepanek, Jorge Reis, Curt Curtini, Hasan Hasan, Carola Regnier
This film deals with issues that many people may find difficult to handle, or may include disturbing scenes. If you would like more information, please read the content warnings in the overview below.