
Nelly Lenz is a concentration camp survivor who has been left severely injured with a disfigured face. Lene Winter, who works for the Jewish Agency, takes her to Berlin. Following facial reconstruction surgery, Nelly begins the search for her husband Johnny. When she finally does find him, Johnny does not recognise her. Nevertheless he approaches her with a proposal. Since she resembles his wife, whom he believes to be dead, he asks her to help him claim his wife's considerable inheritance. Nelly agrees, and becomes her own doppelganger - she needs to know if Johnny ever loved her, or if he betrayed her. Nelly wants her life back. The more similarities to her dead counterpart she reveals, the more desperate and confusing their relationship becomes. Will Johnny confess his love? Or his guilt?
Awards
- João Bénard da Costa Special Jury Award - Lisbon & Estoril FF
- FIRPRESCI Award - San Sebastian FF
- Best Supporting Actress (Nina Kunzendorf) - German film Awards
- Special Mention (SIGNIS Award) - Hong Kong IFF
- Best Actress (Nina Hoss) - Seattle IFF
Festivals
Labels & Line Ups
Credits
- Cast
- Nina Hoss
- Ronald Zehrfeld
- Michael Maertens
- Nina Kunzendorf
- Uwe Preuss
- Eva Bay
- Screenplay
- Christian Petzold
- Cinematography
- Hans Fromm
- Editing
- Bettina Böhler
- Music
- Stefan Will
- Sales
- THE MATCH FACTORY
- Production
- SCHRAMM FILM KOERNER & WEBER

Christian Petzold
Germany
Born in Hilden on September 14, 1960, he has lived in Berlin since 1981. He studied German language and literature before studying at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb) from 1988 to 1994. He made his first feature film in 1995.