We Children from Bahnhof Zoo

I want to write a little introduction before I get in the proper review, which I fear will be more of a rant. As you can see from my rating I've had quite a strong reaction to this show. The half star rating is reserved for media that I find to be offensive or immoral both of which I deem this show to be. I apologies in advance for what is bound to be a rather messy review as I vomit out the bile this show has left in me, as well for some of the topics that will inevitably be brought up throughout the duration of this review.

Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo is a 2021 miniseries adaptation of the 1978 memoir of the same name and second on screen adaptation since the 1981 film 'Christiane F'.

I found this show to be embarrassing, tasteless and dangerous. Despite what edgy teenagers who undoubtably used to have a Effy from Skins profile picture say this show does glorify drug use, homelessness and child prostitution. I think to the scene where Christiane, Stella and Babsi are smiling and laughing whilst participating in prostitution and am reminded of the fact that the real people this show depicts were as young as thirteen whilst they were trying to survive these horrid circumstances. The way the show depicts pedophilia as well I found to be very immoral Gunther and Max are shown to be pathetic, bumbling fools rather than the dangerous manipulators they really were. Throughout the show the GIRLS are shown to hold the power over them (aside from one or two occasions). Read the book It'll give you a true idea of the horror which befell these CHILDREN, It even emits some of the more horrific acts made against them.

One of my biggest disappointments with this show is how they switched the gritty, realistic and incredibly depressing look and vibe of the book and film for the stylized, modernized, cool look attributed to this abomination. These people were not cool, they did not where designer clothes for fucks sake Christiane is wearing a Valentino jacket throughout this show, she's a addict who has resorted to prostitution to support her addiction that jacket and anything else of value would've been sold immediately. The film does a good job of this showing Christiane selling her Bowie records for a small price, something she holds very dear she lets go of because to an addict heroin is the only thing that matters not a fucking jacket. Babsi didn't live in a quirky posh house with exotic birds and pine after a Nightclub DJ she was A young, abused CHILD who died at the age of 14 of an overdose she didn't walk around with a cool haircut, trendy clothes buying balloons and climbing bridges.

The casting is bad but I suppose necessary, the film features actors of accurate age with little to no experience. I understand that due to the subject matter of this show it wouldn't be right to do this now but I do think it takes away from the experience. It's not meant to be fun, it's meant to scare the ever loving piss out of you, to make you never want to take drugs and teach your children what is acceptable behavior. The age difference creates a sense of ease for the audience making them think that these people were older than they really where I reiterate, 13!!! If they aged the characters up with the actors maybe It would work but this is supposed to be a dramatization of real lives. If they didn't say I would've assumed Christiane's father was her brother the actors look so old.

Lesser complaints I have is with the sets and look of the show, Sound was a dingy nightclub where CHILDREN took drugs not a high end club with no mess, plenty of space and no sweat, this is the same for the look of the characters from the show. Look at pictures from the film, they look like heroin addicts, messy hair, clothes, dirty, snotty, tired. I don't think there's a scene in the show where Christiane isn't wearing makeup even when she's at her lowest, without actually seeing the act or evidence of paraphernalia you couldn't convince me that show Christiane had even heard of heroin. Only Stella looks as if she's currently in the depths of addiction.

If you want to make a drug film by all means do but please for the love of all that is holy don't copy this show, don't glamourise drug use, prostitution and homelessness and don't if you're going to use real people's names and experiences manipulate them beyond recognition to cash in on an existing property. These were real people who suffered through situations worse than many could imagine, most of them died incredibly young before they got any real chance of making a decent life for themselves.

I could continue to write about this disgrace of a show until I'm dead. But please if you're interested in Christiane's story, which it's ok to be, we as humans are drawn to depressing and disturbing stories, It can allow us to attempt to experience situations we have no desire to be apart whilst satisfying a macabre desire for sad stories. Be respectful, don't make TikTok edits featuring the real life photos of CHILDREN who died with popular music playing on top and captions saying 'she's just like me fr'. Watch the film and better that read the book It gives a much more accurate and respectful depiction of the plague that is Heroin instead of the Kitschy pornography that is this show.

I want to write a little introduction before I get in the proper review, which I fear will be more of a rant. As you can see from my rating I've had quite a strong reaction to this show. The half star rating is reserved for media that I find to be offensive or immoral both of which I deem this show to be. I apologies in advance for what is bound to be a rather messy review as I vomit out the bile this show has left in me, as well for some of the topics that will inevitably be brought up throughout the duration of this review.

Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo is a 2021 miniseries adaptation of the 1978 memoir of the same name and second on screen adaptation since the 1981 film 'Christiane F'.

I found this show to be embarrassing, tasteless and dangerous. Despite what edgy teenagers who undoubtably used to have a Effy from Skins profile picture say this show does glorify drug use, homelessness and child prostitution. I think to the scene where Christiane, Stella and Babsi are smiling and laughing whilst participating in prostitution and am reminded of the fact that the real people this show depicts were as young as thirteen whilst they were trying to survive these horrid circumstances. The way the show depicts pedophilia as well I found to be very immoral Gunther and Max are shown to be pathetic, bumbling fools rather than the dangerous manipulators they really were. Throughout the show the GIRLS are shown to hold the power over them (aside from one or two occasions). Read the book It'll give you a true idea of the horror which befell these CHILDREN, It even emits some of the more horrific acts made against them.

One of my biggest disappointments with this show is how they switched the gritty, realistic and incredibly depressing look and vibe of the book and film for the stylized, modernized, cool look attributed to this abomination. These people were not cool, they did not where designer clothes for fucks sake Christiane is wearing a Valentino jacket throughout this show, she's a addict who has resorted to prostitution to support her addiction that jacket and anything else of value would've been sold immediately. The film does a good job of this showing Christiane selling her Bowie records for a small price, something she holds very dear she lets go of because to an addict heroin is the only thing that matters not a fucking jacket. Babsi didn't live in a quirky posh house with exotic birds and pine after a Nightclub DJ she was A young, abused CHILD who died at the age of 14 of an overdose she didn't walk around with a cool haircut, trendy clothes buying balloons and climbing bridges.

The casting is bad but I suppose necessary, the film features actors of accurate age with little to no experience. I understand that due to the subject matter of this show it wouldn't be right to do this now but I do think it takes away from the experience. It's not meant to be fun, it's meant to scare the ever loving piss out of you, to make you never want to take drugs and teach your children what is acceptable behavior. The age difference creates a sense of ease for the audience making them think that these people were older than they really where I reiterate, 13!!! If they aged the characters up with the actors maybe It would work but this is supposed to be a dramatization of real lives. If they didn't say I would've assumed Christiane's father was her brother the actors look so old.

Lesser complaints I have is with the sets and look of the show, Sound was a dingy nightclub where CHILDREN took drugs not a high end club with no mess, plenty of space and no sweat, this is the same for the look of the characters from the show. Look at pictures from the film, they look like heroin addicts, messy hair, clothes, dirty, snotty, tired. I don't think there's a scene in the show where Christiane isn't wearing makeup even when she's at her lowest, without actually seeing the act or evidence of paraphernalia you couldn't convince me that show Christiane had even heard of heroin. Only Stella looks as if she's currently in the depths of addiction.

If you want to make a drug film by all means do but please for the love of all that is holy don't copy this show, don't glamourise drug use, prostitution and homelessness and don't if you're going to use real people's names and experiences manipulate them beyond recognition to cash in on an existing property. These were real people who suffered through situations worse than many could imagine, most of them died incredibly young before they got any real chance of making a decent life for themselves.

I could continue to write about this disgrace of a show until I'm dead. But please if you're interested in Christiane's story, which it's ok to be, we as humans are drawn to depressing and disturbing stories, It can allow us to attempt to experience situations we have no desire to be apart whilst satisfying a macabre desire for sad stories. Be respectful, don't make TikTok edits featuring the real life photos of CHILDREN who died with popular music playing on top and captions saying 'she's just like me fr'. Watch the film and better that read the book It gives a much more accurate and respectful depiction of the plague that is Heroin instead of the Kitschy pornography that is this show.

cute but they are all so perfect there is not that "degradation" that we see in the film (christiane f.)

cute but they are all so perfect there is not that "degradation" that we see in the film (christiane f.)

Good. More detailed than the ‘80’s film on the same topic, but loses a little bit of grit - also no truly authentic to the story more ‘inspired’ and takes some liberties. A great watch nonetheless.

Good. More detailed than the ‘80’s film on the same topic, but loses a little bit of grit - also no truly authentic to the story more ‘inspired’ and takes some liberties. A great watch nonetheless.

Needed to focus less on being a manic pixie dream with fire outfits and focus more on actually telling the true fucking story of those tormented kids.
My number one question: WHO proofread this script?

Even as a stand-alone with no connection to actual events that took place it would still have been too romanticized and glamorized but maybe not as awful. Genuinely cried about how bad and disrespectful it was in comparison to the movie every single episode.
A big problem with people who have never made a biopic in their lives is they treat it no differently than any other project. They dramatize lightning, costume, camera work and special effects in a context where they are truly not needed in that way and they treat the real people the movie/show is about like characters. 
And here that’s the case. True, some of the characters were made up but majority of them were actual people. Babsi I think is the most drastic example because not only did they take the story of the youngest ever victim who died of heroine abuse in Berlin only using it as artistic symbolism but they also took HER as a person and turned her entirely into a stylistic device. Let’s think about how INSANE that is, who on set, and Ik I’ve mentioned it bc I’ve been thinking it the entire time watching, but I really can’t stress it enough, thought this would be okay to do?? Like are you out of your MIND!? 
And while we’re at it WHOS idea was it to turn Christiane (mind you a 14 yo heroine victim) into an unsympathetic bitch and making her out like she’s the villain???? In a Story where only the system is to blame? They really tried to turn her into an „independent girlboss who doesn’t take shit“ SHE WAS 14 AND FORCED INTO PROSTITUTION BECAUSE OF HER ADDICTION. 
They also downplayed Axels story and dumped him down to the „tragic one sided love interest:(..oh and also he did heroine„ I can’t even say it without losing my mind. 
Stella and Michi were the only two characters who could’ve realistically been true stories from people back then because all of the other characters who are all actually based on real people were butchered badly for entertainment.
The one actually respectful choice the show made with the „real“ characters was to rename Christianes boyfriend because he said in real life, he doesn’t wish to be associated with the story in general because he feels like his story was falsely told from the get go and no one asked for his consent before publishing the book. But then again, that also gave them the opportunity to just do whatever they wanted with the character representing him and probably misrepresenting him and their relationship more than even the original had already done in his opinion. I also don’t even want to talk about the absolute bad idea of aging them all up and the potential creepy ass reasons for it. Because those are most of the time more than questionable.
This show is a bad biopic, bad adaptation and bad remake in one. So in short everything that’s wrong with the film industry. Stop adapting books like these in ways like those. If you feel the need to create something like this then say it’s inspired and don’t just make up a story and plaster Christiane F. on the cover like it’s a documentary. 
If you don’t want to adapt a story based on real events in the exact way it took place without using your „artistic freedom“ to „newly interpret“ it then don’t do it in the first place. 
If you’re so creative, why don’t you just write an original story yourself and don’t butcher an old extremely culturally important one!:D
Let these kids Rest In Peace and leave the people who are still alive finally alone, I beg of you.

But yeah, funny how apparently everyone on the set of an anti-drug show seems to have been on crack while making it. The director, the people doing the camera work, the writers and the editors. Because if they weren’t and they were totally sober thinking telling the story like this was okay, then this is just sad. But nothing against the actors, the actors ate.

Needed to focus less on being a manic pixie dream with fire outfits and focus more on actually telling the true fucking story of those tormented kids.
My number one question: WHO proofread this script?

Even as a stand-alone with no connection to actual events that took place it would still have been too romanticized and glamorized but maybe not as awful. Genuinely cried about how bad and disrespectful it was in comparison to the movie every single episode.
A big problem with people who have never made a biopic in their lives is they treat it no differently than any other project. They dramatize lightning, costume, camera work and special effects in a context where they are truly not needed in that way and they treat the real people the movie/show is about like characters. 
And here that’s the case. True, some of the characters were made up but majority of them were actual people. Babsi I think is the most drastic example because not only did they take the story of the youngest ever victim who died of heroine abuse in Berlin only using it as artistic symbolism but they also took HER as a person and turned her entirely into a stylistic device. Let’s think about how INSANE that is, who on set, and Ik I’ve mentioned it bc I’ve been thinking it the entire time watching, but I really can’t stress it enough, thought this would be okay to do?? Like are you out of your MIND!? 
And while we’re at it WHOS idea was it to turn Christiane (mind you a 14 yo heroine victim) into an unsympathetic bitch and making her out like she’s the villain???? In a Story where only the system is to blame? They really tried to turn her into an „independent girlboss who doesn’t take shit“ SHE WAS 14 AND FORCED INTO PROSTITUTION BECAUSE OF HER ADDICTION. 
They also downplayed Axels story and dumped him down to the „tragic one sided love interest:(..oh and also he did heroine„ I can’t even say it without losing my mind. 
Stella and Michi were the only two characters who could’ve realistically been true stories from people back then because all of the other characters who are all actually based on real people were butchered badly for entertainment.
The one actually respectful choice the show made with the „real“ characters was to rename Christianes boyfriend because he said in real life, he doesn’t wish to be associated with the story in general because he feels like his story was falsely told from the get go and no one asked for his consent before publishing the book. But then again, that also gave them the opportunity to just do whatever they wanted with the character representing him and probably misrepresenting him and their relationship more than even the original had already done in his opinion. I also don’t even want to talk about the absolute bad idea of aging them all up and the potential creepy ass reasons for it. Because those are most of the time more than questionable.
This show is a bad biopic, bad adaptation and bad remake in one. So in short everything that’s wrong with the film industry. Stop adapting books like these in ways like those. If you feel the need to create something like this then say it’s inspired and don’t just make up a story and plaster Christiane F. on the cover like it’s a documentary. 
If you don’t want to adapt a story based on real events in the exact way it took place without using your „artistic freedom“ to „newly interpret“ it then don’t do it in the first place. 
If you’re so creative, why don’t you just write an original story yourself and don’t butcher an old extremely culturally important one!:D
Let these kids Rest In Peace and leave the people who are still alive finally alone, I beg of you.

But yeah, funny how apparently everyone on the set of an anti-drug show seems to have been on crack while making it. The director, the people doing the camera work, the writers and the editors. Because if they weren’t and they were totally sober thinking telling the story like this was okay, then this is just sad. But nothing against the actors, the actors ate.

I have many issues with this thing but the main one has to be the constant terrible music.

I have many issues with this thing but the main one has to be the constant terrible music.