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30 Jan – 9 Feb 2025

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

John Cameron Mitchell | USA | 2000 | 92' | | IFFR 2002

The rock singer Hedwig (John Cameron Mitchell) has been looking for her better half all her life. From her birth as Hansel in East Berlin before the wall fell. In order to reach the Free West, he had a sex change, not entirely without his doubts. Hedwig married an American soldier and followed him to freedom. The only thing left to remind her of life as a man is an ‘angry inch’, that was left behind the during the operation. Once in America, and now divorced, Hedwig starts a farfromsuccessful rock band. She meets the charming Tommy Gnosis (Michael Pitt), who eventually leaves her, with a bag full of songs composed by Hedwig, with which he hopes to have a glorious career. The film follows Hedwig, with her band The Angry Inch, on the kind of shadow tour of Tommy Gnosis’ big stadium tour. The songs, sung in sad diners, lead into flashbacks where Hedwig’s original story is told.With this rock opera, the film version of the major offBroadway success, John Cameron Mitchell has completed an amazing achievement. The man who for years played Hedwig in the theatre, wrote the script, directed the film and plays and sings the leading role on the silver screen. The combination of humour, tragedy, catchy music and wonderful acting leaves no doubt why the film has been showered with prizes at various festivals.

Film details

Country of production
USA
Year
2000
Festival edition
IFFR 2002
Length
92"
Medium/Format
35mm

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