Christiane felscherinow biography of alberta

German author

For the film about significance life of Christiane F., see Christiane F. (film).

Vera Christiane Felscherinow (born 20 May well 1962) is a Germanactress and bard who is best known for an alternative contribution to the 1978 autobiographical volume Christiane F. (original title:Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof ZooWir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo), and the film and television miniseries based on the book, in which her teenage drug use is verifiable.

Early life

Felscherinow was born in Metropolis, but her family moved to Westerly Berlin when she was a minor. They settled in Gropiusstadt, a propinquity in Neukölln that consisted mainly quite a lot of high-rise apartment blocks where social bring pressure to bear on were prevalent. Felscherinow's father frequently drank large volumes of alcohol and was abusive towards his two daughters at the same time as her mother was absorbed by almanac extra-marital relationship.^[1]

When she was 12 epoch old, she began smoking hashish submit a group of friends who were slightly older at a local pubescence club. They gradually began using touchy drugs such as LSD and many forms of pills and she complete up using heroin. By the again and again she was 14, she was heroin-dependent and a prostitute, mainly at Westerly Berlin's then-largest railway station Bahnhof Tiergarten. During this period, she became trash of a group of teenage drug-users and sex workers of both sexes.

Christiane F.

The book

Two journalists from distinction news magazineStern, Kai Hermann and Horst Rieck, met Felscherinow in 1978 hinder Berlin when she was a spectator in a trial of a chap who paid underaged girls with diacetylmorphine in return for sex. The journos wanted to disclose the drug burden among teenagers in Berlin, which was severe but also surrounded by acid taboos, and arranged a two-hour examine with Felscherinow. The two hours lengthy to two months, as Felscherinow on condition that an in-depth description of her philosophy, as well as those of assail teenagers, in West Berlin during high-mindedness 1970s. The journalists subsequently ran splendid series of articles about her diacetylmorphine use in Stern, based on righteousness tape-recorded interviews with Felscherinow.

In 1979, the Stern publishing house published uncluttered book based on the interviews, Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo. The spot on chronicles Felscherinow's life from 1975 quick 1978, between the ages of 12 and 15 years, and depicts diverse of Felscherinow's friends, along with treat drug users, as well as scenes from typical locations of the Songwriter drug scene at the time. Leadership narrative of the book is extract the first person, from Felscherinow's stance, but was written by the convergence functioning as ghostwriters.^[2] Others, such little Felscherinow's mother and various people who witnessed the escalating drug situation diminution Berlin at the time, also intentional to the book.

The UK question mark of the book was released unused Corgi on 21 August 1981 in the shade the title H. Autobiography of trig Child Prostitute and Heroin Addict captain was translated by Susanne Flatauer (ISBN 0552117722ISBN 9780552117722).

The first American edition of picture book was released by Bantam be glad about 1982 under the title Christiane F.: Autobiography of a Girl of blue blood the gentry Streets and Heroin Addict, also translated by Susanne Flatauer (ISBN 0553208977). As observe October 2013, Felscherinow continues to collect monthly royalty payments close to €2,000 (US$2,720) for the book Christiane F. and the film.^[3] In 2013, well-ordered new translation by Christina Cartwright was published by Zest Books of San Francisco under the title Zoo Station.

The film

In 1981, the book was adapted into a film that was directed by Uli Edel and disappoint a amount to by Bernd Eichinger and Hans Weth. The screenplay was written by Jazzman Weigel and Natja Brunckhorst played righteousness role of the titular character. Neat title in Germany was Christiane Despot. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, and in English-speaking countries Christiane F.^[4]

Much of the movie is shot crush the actual surroundings of Gropiusstadt prosperous Bahnhof Zoo. David Bowie, Christiane's selection singer at the time of position interviews that informed the book, appears as himself in a concert. Pioneer also provided the movie's soundtrack put off was released in Germany in 1981.^[5]

In a December 2013 interview, Felscherinow hypothetical that she attended the German opening of the film with Bowie, who picked her up in a chauffeured limousine: "I thought David Bowie was going to be the star recognize my movie, but it was stand-up fight about me." Felscherinow agreed that primacy film was an accurate portrayal care for her life at the time, on the contrary revealed that she does not similar the film "that much":

it doesn't describe how I grew up, trade show I was neglected by my parents. My father was a drinker topmost he abused my sister and puff. He was choleric and my mater just did nothing, She was extend into her affair with another adult and her beauty. I was tolerable lonely when I was a youngster. I just wanted to belong; Beside oneself was struggling with the world.^[1]

Post-Christiane F.

After the initial success of the put your name down for and the film, Felscherinow found actually becoming something of a celebrity, both in Germany and other countries break through Europe. A subculture of teenage girls in Germany began to emulate need style of dress and spent at this juncture around the Bahnhof Zoo, which became an unlikely tourist attraction. This awaken concerned drug experts in the immaturity field, who feared that, despite prestige film's bleakness and numerous drug-related scenes (particularly those portraying the reality aristocratic heroin withdrawal), vulnerable teens might attraction Felscherinow as a cult hero shaft role model.

Between 1982 and 1985, Felscherinow lived in Zürich with character Keel family, owners of the Philosopher publishing house. During this time she met Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Patricia Highsmith take Patrick Süskind.^[6] In 2013 she explained that she "lived between literature stars and the heroin scene" and stated doubtful Platzspitz park in Zürich as "like Disney World for junkies"; however, Felscherinow further explained that the area became "a heap of garbage" as kin died after contracting the hepatitis Adage and HIV viruses, and rival gangs engaged in violent conflict.^[1]

In the dependable 1980s, Felscherinow's boyfriend was Alexander Hacke, from the German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten, and together they released cardinal albums under the moniker Sentimentale Jugend, including a cover version of dignity Rolling Stones song "Satisfaction", on excellence Das Cassetten Combinat label.^[7][8] They extremely appeared together in the 1983 Teutonic film Decoder, which also featured William S. Burroughs and Genesis P-Orridge.^[9][10] Felscherinow explained in 2013 that Hacke was a "friend of a friend" who used her residence to hide deviate the media who were aware sum his problematic heroin use at authority time. She also stated that she is glad that Hacke's life has become stable: "I'm happy he got rid of his problems and has a family now."^[1]

On 10 October 2013, Felscherinow released a new autobiographical picture perfect titled Mein Zweites Leben (My In the second place Life)^[11] in which she elaborates hack her life following the release virtuous the Christiane F. book. In grand promotional interview, prior to the autobiography's release date, Felscherinow revealed her grounds for writing the second book: "No, there's no message [in the book]. It was just that I loved to make a counterstatement. There was all that junk, all the headlines! I finally wanted to describe what it was really like."^[3] However, she counters this statement in a Dec 2013 interview:

I hope that My Second Life scares people away superior taking drugs more than my chief book. I'm quite sure it testament choice. It describes how much pain I've had in my life, and [explains] that I will die a progress early and painful death.^[1]

Felscherinow contracted hepatitis C from an infected needle secure the late 1980s. She suffers outlander cirrhosis of the liver and burden interferon treatment because of the overcome effects.^[6] In 2013, Felscherinow stated: "I will die soon, I know turn. But I haven't missed out progress anything in my life. I dream up fine with it. So this isn't what I'd recommend: this isn't probity best life to live, but it's my life."^[1]

Drug use

When Felscherinow was 19 years old, she went to picture United States to promote the tegument casing about her; she was arrested muddle up heroin and opium possession and confidential to leave the country.^[1]

She lived cut off her son (born 1996)^[12] in Teltow, Germany, but, in 2008 after they both relocated to Amsterdam, Felscherinow in the interim lost custody of her son temper August 2008, after authorities intervened story Berlin.^[13] In late January 2011, Felscherinow was searched during a drug attack in Moritzplatz, a Berlin subway position then known for its drug market; however, the search did not order any drugs.^[12]

In an October 2013 press conference, Felscherinow expressed her frustration with disclose perceptions of her since the alter of Christiane F.:

What bothers have doubts about most of all is this Christiane F. thing. Is she finally get rid of impurities now, or not? As if nearby is nothing else to say hurry up me. And I can't get sponge. It's just what everyone else has always expected of me. The doctors complain. But I do have a-okay life, after all.^[3]

Felscherinow stated in neat as a pin December 2013 interview that while she continues to consume methadone and hardly ever smokes a cannabis joint, alcohol go over her main drug issue at influence age of 51 years. In assume to a question of why she never discontinued illicit drug use, she explained: "I never wanted to appoint them up. I didn't know anything else. I decided to live unmixed different life to other people. Farcical don't need a pretence to stop."^[1]

Discography

Singles

• "Gesundheit!" (1982)
• "Final Church" (1982)
• "Wunderbar / Health Dub" (2003)

References

External links