Winckelmanns Reisen

Before Ernst Winckelmann, a sales representative for hair products, calls on hairdressing salons and chemist's shops, he rehearses what he intends to say, shakes the dandruff from his hair and slips into an innocuous pair of shoes. None of this helps. Winkelmann is no sales talent and his product is a failure. Meanwhile, in a small corner pub in the Barmbek district of Hamburg, Winkelmann's young girlfriend Aline uses some firm but gentle persuasion to make the last customer leave. Not much doing tonight. During the day, Rüdiger the barman, pulls most of the beers for the landlord, Aline's father, who survives on memories of good times at Miami Beach...

Directed by Jan Schütte, Winckelmanns Reisen leans on a strong ensemble — Wolf-Dietrich Sprenger, Susanne Lothar, Traugott Buhre — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1990.