A végállomás gyermekei

After 40 years, the new serial adaptation of the infamous anti-drug manifesto We Children from Bahnhof Zoo has revived the memory of the first film adaptation and the social shock that, with the passage of time, also reached Czechoslovakia. During the 1970s, the death rate of child drug addicts in West Berlin increased rapidly. Those numbers rose from about 50 to 750 in just a decade, and shocking newspaper headlines stated that these drug addicts, thieves, and prostitutes are often under the age of 15. The message itself has such a strong appeal that it must not be forgotten. Yet precisely because it is primarily aimed at uneducated adolescents, it is necessary to update the adaptation to a form that communicates with them in a sufficiently transparent way and is not in a simplified and black-and-white educational form. The team around director Philipp Kadelbach decided to make a few compromises. The nightlife associated with the Sound disco really doesn't look like it did in the 70s, and the main cast is chosen from much older performers than their archetype. The parents of the main "protagonist" Christiane F. look like her siblings (sure, the parents of an actual twelve-year-old girl can barely be in their thirties, especially back then, but the Czech Christiane F. looks much older, which is why the casting is so distracting). Nevertheless, the expected pros, which are offered by the mere decision that a relatively short book of only 300 pages will be treated in eight almost hour-long films, are there. There is indeed enough time to portray the setting, the phases of addiction, and the individual fates of Christiane F's friends. The life and death of Axel and Babsi is heartbreaking even without the embellishment. In the film transcript, there is virtually no room left for adult characters, for the school, for rehab centers, or for the police. The teenage addicts seemed to live and die in spite of reality, but they were necessarily responding to their families, schools, and institutions that made life on the streets difficult for them. The first episodes were awkward, but as a whole, the new miniseries about the children from the Zoo station holds its own. (2021.04.03)

Firstly, I have to clarify that this is my first experience with children from Bahnhof Zoo. The cult book and the movie are still waiting for me. And honestly, I'm glad that's the case. I simply watched a new and excellent story that is brilliantly shot, without unnecessary comparisons and without looking at distracting details to see what I can criticize compared to the original. It would have robbed me of the experience I had. So it doesn't stick to the original book? And why should it? In each episode, it is clearly stated that it is a loose inspiration and it is not the intention of the series to copy the book. The story is strong and I am glad the creators decided to dust it off for younger viewers. It's a work of high quality, from the acting performances (as though all the characters were tailored to the actors), to the cinematography, the colors, the scenery, and the outstanding music. It is the more contemporary songs that fit stylistically into the whole concept of how the series is conceived and portrayed, and I really enjoy how the seventies are portrayed. I devoured every episode of this series and I will be happy to return to it again sometime. (2021.03.20)