

Shot in a neo-expressionist style, the film is a satire on cults of any kind. The plot follows Frankie and Hannes, a young gay couple living in Berlin. One is studying art and the other medicine. Their happy life is disrupted when Frankie attends a lecture and quickly becomes involved in a sinister cult operating as a self-help group called “Optimal Optimism”. Madame C, a former Nazi party member, is the leader of Optimal Optimism. When the cult members discovers that Frankie is gay, he is repeatedly raped by both men and women of the group. Hannes must find a way to rescue him.
Lotti Huber
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LeadJoaquin La Habana
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Folkert Milster
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Friedrich Steinhauer
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Günter Thews
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Ingrid van Bergen
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Tom Vogt
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“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Rosa von Praunheim's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
“Every frame feels alive. Horror Vacui is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”