AllMovie

Before World War II, Lothar Berfelde was the highly effeminate son of an unusually macho Nazi father. Somehow he escaped from his home and survived throughout the Nazi years, usually passing as a woman, and then he survived the communist years in East Germany. In this combined documentary and docudrama, the outspoken gay filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim tells the story of this quintessential survivor who has become a hero among those with minority sexual inclinations. Lothar, who has gone by the name Charlotte von Mahlsdorf for many decades now, responds to the director's questions before, during, and after re-enactments of key scenes from her life. This story is based in part on her autobiography. Despite brickbats from some reviewers, many (particularly in urban areas) found the film and the story of the "woman" it is about quite absorbing.