Stroszek. 1977. Written and directed by Werner Herzog

Stroszek. 1977. West Germany. Written and directed by Werner Herzog. With Bruno S., Eva Mattes, Clemens Scheitz. DCP. In English, German, Turkish; English subtitles. 115 min. From West Berlin to North Carolina via New York City and Wisconsin, Werner Herzog follows the wandering steps of Stroszek, a street performer who, after finishing a prison sentence, leaves Germany for the US with an eccentric neighbor and his prostitute girlfriend, Eva, to escape her pimp’s continuous harassment. Stroszek, played by Herzog’s real-life friend Bruno Stroszek, finds work as a mechanic while Eva works in a Wisconsin diner, both trying to make ends meet and fulfill their American dream. Estrangement and financial stress turn their offbeat, hopeful tale into a journey of unexpectedly absurd consequences, one that faithfully reflects the alienating feeling of drifting through a land filled with both violence and grace.