Der Neger Erwin

Herbert Achternbusch wrote, directed, and starred in this comedy that pokes fun at the German way of subsidizing the art of creating movies and documentaries. He is a filmmaker playing the role of a filmmaker in a film he is making, and as a result, the film jokes might be a little abstruse for some of the viewers. The story centers on a "film" man just out of prison (Achternbusch) who has to make a living with his craft again. He is followed by a reporter who wants an interview, and winds up at an inn called "Zum Neger Erwin," run by a woman whom he convinces to be the leading lady in his planned production. As the story continues, the filmmaker finds ample excuses to pan the financial powers that be, and to paint the beknighted and talented seekers after funds as Neger Erwins, slaves to the funding process.