1931, Berlin. Struggling American singer at the seedy Kit Kat Klub, Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli), meets the equally struggling gay English writer Brian Roberts (Michael York) when he moves into the very cheap boarding house she rents and begins giving English lessons. As their friendship quickly develops, the stories of rich aristocratic louche Maximilian (Helmut Griem) and two of Brian’s students, Fritz (Fritz Wepper) and Natalia (Marisa Berenson), intertwine with theirs as the unstoppable rise of the Nazi Party looms on Germany’s horizon.

When it first made its debut on stage in the late 1960s, Bon Fosse’s Oscar-winning ‘Cabaret’ (1973, 135 min) was (historically-rooted subject matter aside) very much like other musicals in its style. That changed with famed choreographer Fosse’s film adaptation and the revolutionary decision to confine its musical sequences to the stage and thereby introduce an element of realism to the most unreal of film genres.

FREE ENTRANCE!

From April to June, Meta screens the best films set in Germany’s capital, from the 1920s up until today. Sunday’s Berlin Film Series at Meta House is presented by “Berlin Bar” @ Meta House. All films are screened in English language versions and / or with English subtitles.