The Berlin Bride

Steve Buscemi, visiting Berlin with his girlfriend at the time, spent a quiet evening alone with Bartlett reviewing early footage of what would become today's The Berlin Bride. Bartlett's apartment was on Seesener Strasse, No. 23, where the young director not only lived but also where most of the film's interiors were shot. Buscemi, a street performer and off-Broadway actor at that time, sat with Bartlett on the carpet, a few beers between them, watching the rough 16mm footage Bartlett had copied to VHS tapes for review. Bartlett was preparing for another project when a friend, who had caught Buscemi performing in New York, thought he might be good for the lead in the new film. Nothing ever came of the new project, just good memories of a fun evening in West Berlin.

Edited from Konzert für die rechte Hand (1987)