These films focus on young males navigating transitional periods in their lives within contrasting environments. The first film depicts a character in an isolated, decaying neighborhood who reconsiders his passive existence due to external changes, challenging him to venture beyond his comfort zone. The second film follows a character navigating intense environments, struggling to fit in, and dealing with a fragmented sense of belonging. Both films explore themes of societal malaise, personal stagnation, and the role of external factors in challenging personal status quos. The first film concludes optimistically, with the protagonist seizing new opportunities and embracing personal growth. In contrast, the second film ends somberly, with the protagonist resigning to fate, highlighting that overcoming challenges may not always lead to personal transformation.
In October 1989, the part of the West Berlin borough of Kreuzberg called SO 36, had been largely shut off by the Wall from the rest of the city for 28 years. A lethargic sub-culture of students, artists, bohemians and barflys had flourished among crumbling buildings. Part of that microcosm is barkeeper Frank, semi-formally called 'Herr Lehmann' by friends and patrons. He hangs out drinking, sports utter disregard for anything beyond SO 36 and lazily pursues an affair with cook Katrin. His lifestyle is gradually disturbed, when his parents show up for a visit, things go awry with Katrin and his best friend Karl starts to act strange. Meanwhile, political turmoil mounts on the other side of the Wall.
Frank Lehmann, 20, still lives with his parents in the dreary high-rise housing project "Neue Vahr" in Bremen. It's the year 1980 and Frank gets drafted to the army even though his friends assure him that "he's not really the guy for it". When he gets back home, after his first week at the army, his Dad has turned his room into a TV repair shop, so Frank has to move out. Luckily his old friend Martin is starting a commune with two other Punks in Bremens leftist borough "Viertel". Frank, without further ado rents the unlivable walk-through room. From now on Frank is a traveler between the Worlds. Each week he goes from the Army, with all the unconditional rules and regulations to the commune where his friends are preaching the world revolution. Frank is trying to avoid to stick out, but fails miserably, in both worlds.
