The film premiered at the Kino International Berlin on 9 November 1989, the night that the Berlin Wall was opened. The film was screened twice that night.
The story revolves around a young high school teacher of literature, Philipp Klarmann, who during his first day at work collides with a fellow teacher Tanja, in a school corridor. Philipp ensures Tanja is okay and later takes her out for a drink. A romance quickly develops and they become engaged to be married.
It later becomes clear that Philipp is conflicted about his sexuality. He demonstrates empathy with a discriminated minority by defending a black man who is being bullied on a metro train. Jakob, an out gay friend of Tanja's, comes to visit. Unknown to her, he and Philipp have had a previous relationship that didn't end well.
Philipp later visits a gay bar, where a fancy dress party is taking place. Most patrons are in costume and many are in drag. Philipp is cautious, but allows himself to be led to a seat near an older male character. The bartender senses his hesitation in this setting and says, "There's no need to be scared. Everyone started this way. Be brave."
A young man, Matthias, watches Philipp from a distance. They later meet up, have an evening out together and have sex and fall in love.
Philipp's relationship with Tanja deteriorates as he struggles with his identity. His mother indicates that she realises he is gay and that she disapproves.
Philipp is eventually forced to come out to Tanja, after she inadvertently meets Mathias during intermission at a music concert that all three are attending. Matthias is distraught when he learns that Philipp has a fiancée and runs out of the concert hall in distress.
Over the next few weeks, Philipp searches for Matthias and also goes cruising for sex. He meets up with a man and has casual sex, an experience which he enjoys but it perplexes him when the man casually leaves afterwards. He eventually finds Mathias at a bar with another young man, who is one of the pupils Philipp teaches. Matthias rejects Philipp and Philipp goes away upset and returns to the gay bar where the two originally met. The old man Philipp first met in the bar is there again and he tells him the story of how he was forced to separate from his lover during the Nazi period. He concludes his story by saying "everyone is alone... everyone is afraid."
The film ends with a classroom scene, in which the head teacher - who has apparently discovered Philipp's sexual orientation - comes to do a sham classroom observation, theoretically to see if he is suitable to teach. Philipp sits on his desk saying and doing nothing, prompting the head teacher to yell "Kollege Klarmann!" to which Philipp simply replies "Ja", signifying his acceptance of his sexual orientation.
A longer speech by Philipp in the final scene was cut at the insistence of the lead actor because it would have seemed more of an apology for his homosexuality, than an
affirmation of it. Rightly so! This well acted, brilliantly written and crafted film should be watched by everyone regardless of their sexual orientation.
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