Germany, 1970s: a middle-aged loser at The Golden Glove bar seduces lonely women and lures them into his house. Exploring the darker corners of the human soul, Fatih Akin’s black comedy with elements of thriller and grotesque was selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the latest Berlin International Film Festival.
Based on the real story of the serial killer and alcoholic Fritz Honka, who murdered several women in the red-light district of Hamburg in the early- to mid-1970s, the film borrows its title from The Golden Glove bar, where Honka found his victims: prostitutes or simply unhappy women ready to accept any human contact in hope of forgetting about their sad life and extreme loneliness.
Fatih Akin’s film mixing horror with the blackest comedy is an exploration of human nature, which can be as pathetic as it is unknowable. Meticulously reconstructing the era and the murder scenes, Akin still manages to turn the story into a theatrical parable, that balances horrific scenes with the saving grace of laughter. The Golden Glove premiered at the 69th Berlin Film Festival.
The Golden Glove
Director: Fatih Akin
Germany, France, 2019. 115 min. 18+
