This is the incredibly sweet story of a love that survived in spite of the odds. Herr Schmidt and Herr Friedrich were separated not just by the official prejudice against homosexuality, but also by the wall that divided East from West Germany. Their tale is not a particularly remarkable one, apart from the fact that they managed to remain lovers for 24 years--a rarity for any relationship. Now united, albeit unemployed, in the "new" Germany, they live on memories, and the occasional birthday party, yet they remain oddly sanguine on the subject of their future. I particularly enjoyed hearing the samplings from their exhaustive record collection, which makes few nods to American pop music, focusing instead on what are, for most of us, obscure German pop hits of the '50s and '60s. The lyrics, filled as they are with messages of hope and a better tomorrow, say it all. If you are looking for something completely different, I recommend "Herr Schmidt and Herr Friedrich."
