Anita: Dances of Vice
Original Title
Anita - Tänze des Lasters- Director: Rosa von Praunheim
- Writer: Marianne Enzensberger; Lotti Huber
- Producer: Christoph Holch; Rosa von Praunheim
CGiii Comment
In modern-day Berlin (1987), Frau Kutowski goes insane, believing herself to be the (real-life) notorious Anita Berber, a nude art dancer/drug addict/scandalous figure of post-WWI Berlin. (Berber died of tuberculosis in 1928, having achieved significant success and recognition throughout the dance world.) Frau Kutowski is placed in a mental hospital, where in her own mind she acts out Berber's final days, including in her fantasies the hospital's staff and patients, to represent Anita's friends and associates. She relives the adventures, scandals, triumphs, trials and tribulations of Anita Berber, and finally merges her own real existence with that of her imagination, until fantasy actually becomes reality. The film makes use of both color (Expressionist style) and black & white (documentary style) to draw the line between fantasy and reality, respectively. Watch how this line is crossed over!
Trailer...
Cast & Characters
Lotti Huber as Frau Kutowski / Anita Berber;
Ina Blum as Nurse / Anita Berber;
Mikael Honesseau as Doctor / Sebastian Droste;
Tillman Lehnert;
Marion Kutschke;
Bernd Henckels;
Nadja Reichardt;
Andreas Hofer;
Gertrud Goroncy;
Joerg Dauscher;
Hannelene Limpach as Hospital analyst;
Eva-Maria Kurz as Patientin / Rosa Luxemburg;
Helge Musial;
Michael Morris;
Rainer Kranich