Anita: Dances of Vice

Anita: Dances of Vice is a 1987 German avant-garde film directed by Rosa von Praunheim.
The film premiered at the 1987 New York Film Festival and was also shown at, for example, the 1988 São Paulo International Film Festival.

Plot

The film follows a delusional elderly woman who believes she is Anita Berber, a German dancer who, along with her partner Sebastian Droste, epitomizes the decadence of 1920s Berlin. Nude dance performances, cocaine use, and an excessive sex life characterize their lifestyle. Anita Berber's story is told through the thoughts and memories of the old lady who is being held in an "insane asylum". Scenes from Anita's scandalous life are replayed also in her dreams.

Production notes

The film is in two parts, with all the scenes in the psychiatric ward being shot in black and white and the scenes from Anita's past in color.

Awards

1987: Nomination for the Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival
1987: Audience Award at the Torino Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival

Reception

"This hit of the New York Film Festival is a study in decadence, madness, and kitsch." Time Out magazine wrote: " von Praunheim's film, visually astounding and performed with hilarious conviction, is an exhilarating testament to the power of the imagination."