THIS IS BASED ON A TRUE STORY.
SOME NAMES AND EVENTS HAVE BEEN CHANGED.
THE EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN THE EARLY 1980S IN REEPERBAHN, ST. PAULI,
EUROPE'S LARGEST REDLIGHT DISTRICT.
Marriage should be banned. It's a fucking lie.
A costume ball with ridiculous disguises.
Heike!
Yes!
She's my wife.
Most of my customers were married.
One guy had his pregnant wife waiting in the car while we were at it.
We wanted different things.
We wanted to be free.
And we wanted to make money.
But let's start at the beginning.
Come on over!
Klaus, I've got some huge mama tits for you.
No time, Ulla. No time.
-Come and have a go. -Right.
-See you later. -Out of money, huh?
GLORIA CINEMA
You're late. Where were you?
A painter kept me. A master at work.
Look, I got something for you.
Do you know this? It's Andy Warhol at Studio 54.
Maybe you will be on here one day.
Of course, my angel.
Then your dad can find some other fool to work for peanuts.
If you're late again, idiot, then I will.
My shift is over!
If a pimp makes trouble again, call the cops. Got it?
Aye aye, boss.
Don't worry, Dad. Klaus will look after me.
If you want to take off, I can finish the shift.
By yourself?
It's dead here anyway. They're completely wasted.
And you have to study.
Thank you!
I'll be in the back. Holler if anyone comes in.
Do you know what you are, Klaus Barkowsky?
A real swindler.
Nothing in this world...
...is free.
That's how it is, Dieter.
-Have a few beers. On the house. -Thank you.
Come here!
Oh, Jutta. Don't make a fuss.
I won't work the streets. It's not for me.
That's what I am saying.
You are beneath me, too.
If you are sick of me, find someone to buy you out and you are free as a bird.
Hey, we are closed.
What was that?
We... We're closed.
Kick me out.
Go ahead.
Buy yourself some decent shoes, amigo mio.
See you tomorrow, chérie!
Are you okay?
I threw the jackass out.
Big mouth for someone living in a restroom.
I don't live here. I work here. I'm the bartender.
Move over.
I have to do my hair.
Rather vain for a tramp.
It's the same as for animals.
The men preen themselves,
so that women can pick out the prettiest.
Evolution.
You know?
-I can do it for you. -What?
Your war paint. Always did it for my aunt when she was shaky.
Turn towards me.
You're a weirdo.
Beautiful.
I'm Klaus Barkowsky.
Remember that name.
See you later, pretty Klaus.
If you steal my stuff again, I'll kill you.
That's enough! Manu!
You are nearly 18.
I would have liked to keep you until you are 21.
But if you behave like that...
Then kick me out already!
-I can't wait to get out of here. -And where do you want to go then?
Without any training? Without an apartment?
I'll find my mother.
Her name is in there, right?
Why? Why don't you tell me?
-It's my fucking human right! -Leave it!
Can I at least get my Walkman back?
Here you go.
Hey!
Manu!
Can't you stay with Claudia? Isn't she your girl?
She is a girl, not my girl.
He's too poor for her.
Just you wait! I will be a big artist and then...
Big artist!
Klaus Barkowsky! You know what?
If you want to paint, paint a wall. You'll earn some money.
Says the guy hauling boxes at the fish market.
That's my cardio, idiot!
At least I'm doing something to achieve my goal.
I train every day. Don't drink, don't smoke.
You don't fuck.
Hanne says: "Master yourself, master anything."
-He thinks he is Rocky. -Look, a black guy.
Rocky did fuck. The black-haired girl from the pet shop.
-Really? -Yes, she's called Adrian. I'm sure.
Check out the girls!
Wait for us!
-You got something there. -What?
Beauty.
I'm Klaus Barkowsky.
Want to go to Top Ten? I can get you in.
-That's Bernd and Andy. -Hi.
We are on the list.
Connections. This is our hood.
Why is this taking so long?
Get a move on!
Hey?
Can you smell it, too? Smells like fish here.
Don't know.
Pimps operate in this club, pimps.
Don't accept anything from them. No drinks. No gifts.
I don't get it. I'd never fall for such scumbags.
I'm gonna buy a car like that after my first professional fight.
-I'll never drive a car like that. -None of us will.
I'll get an Italian car. Maserati, Lamborghini.
Or a Fiat.
In St. Pauli, only they can afford it.
Who is that?
That's the GMBH.
-Gerd, Mischa, Beatle, Harry. -Is that a band?
They're pimps.
The guys you wouldn't fall for.
At least they have connections.
-Klaus! -What?
I am all set. Thanks Andy.
How does he do it? He isn't that pretty.
-It's about quantity! -What?
If you approach 100 girls, one will bite.
It's like gambling.
Hello there!
Don't touch the alcohol.
Let's make up. You know what we are going to do?
We head to my crib and cuddle a bit. What do you say?
Sorry, I can't. I have a customer.
Bitches, man!
I'm leaving. I have training in the morning.
Forget it. You don't stand a chance.
Okay, let's go.
Off work early again?
And now you are partying. Great! I'll give you a good deal.
-What did you say? -You can have her for fifty...
The whole night. Do we have a deal?
Get lost, you ass!
Do I look like I have to pay for women?
What was that?
Is your hearing aid broken? I said beat it.
Get lost!
Gerd, handle this trash!
Now, you come here.
Look at me.
Everything is okay, you fool.
Are you okay?
Yes.
All still there.
Come here.
Stand up.
Wait up! I can't go that fast.
-Do you live here? -My last customer paid for the suite.
It's ours until the morning.
-That jerk back there was your pimp? -Yes.
You are not with him by choice.
I don't work the streets, I work at Chikago.
Do you know Frida Schulz?
-Heard of him. -Shit.
Yes.
Hey.
Hold still, or I'll glue the wrong things together.
The Chikago belongs to Frida.
It's the best place in town, that's where the rich men go.
And they spend a lot of money.
But if you choose to do it...
...why do you have a pimp?
Why?
Well...
That's one hell of a question.
We all have one.
If you want to work this business as a woman, you need a man.
Just like respectable working women have bosses.
Plus, the job comes with some risks.
You need a protector.
And who protects you from him?
Have you been to the art museum?
My father worked there as a janitor.
He took me once.
When they had a party there.
I was a little kid then.
But I can still remember how posh they were.
And then a guy came in.
At first, I thought he was a king since everyone knew him.
Because all the posh folk were so reverent shaking his hands.
But it was just the artist who painted all the paintings.
And you know what else I remember?
My father...
No one knew him.
Even though he worked there every day.
And where is he now?
Dead. He drank himself to death.
So you want to be an artist.
Studio 54. Do you know it?
It's in New York.
Have you ever seen photos?
Mick Jagger. Travolta.
They are all there
because of Andy Warhol.
They party there, they fuck, and they show their paintings.
That's what I want.
I want all of that.
This here. Classy ladies like you.
All the way to the top.
First-class jumbo jet.
-Sorry. -Careful.
Girl!
What are you doing here? Go home!
Are you deaf? Go on, get lost.
This is a public sidewalk.
-And I am a member of the public. -You sure have a big mouth.
What are you doing here?
I am looking for someone. Doris Melzer.
She is working here.
At the Flamingo? I'd know if she did.
But she is registered here.
Or was. Seventeen years ago.
Do you have a place to stay?
The Flamingo has been around for 60 years.
As you can see, this is not a sex club.
We do cabaret.
All the big names have been here,
The Beatles, Freddy Quinn, Heinz Rühmann.
Right.
You can put those bags there.
But let's get one thing straight, sweetie, I am not a charity.
Everyone here has to work for their keep.
You are lucky.
I need a temp to help out at the bar pouring drinks.
Maybe one of the regulars will remember your mother.
If you keep staring like this, your eyes will fall out.
Come on.
This is Manu. Meet Heike.
Chewing gum?
Ilse, look.
I'm pretty good at it.
Welcome to St. Pauli.
Just get along, girls.
You can't imagine what can fit into a pussy.
Look you can have this shelf. I never used it.
Where are your things?
I don't have anything.
Okay, I'll lend you something.
This might suit you.
This place is definitely awesome.
If you want to be my guy, you need proper clothes.
Hi!
Hi.
Wow, I can't believe it.
What? It looks cool.
-He's lost his mind. -I think I might puke.
Klaus, what kind of shoes are those?
You look like the biggest bozo in Blowjobville.
I'll tell you something as a friend. Honestly,
dump the hooker before it's too late.
Nonsense. The woman is the bomb! Full of emotion.
-You don't say "hooker," it's "whore." -What's the difference?
Hooker is slur, whore is a profession. Show some respect.
Do you have to pay before you screw her?
No. No!
She is paying for me. I have been only in the best places all week.
Steak, champagne, and then off to bed.
That's the life, I can tell you.
-It's Schulz! -You got to have style.
Frida Schulz. He's got style.
He watches Hanne's fights and looks for people for his professional team.
-Why aren't you down there? -He's just a pimp, Andy.
Are you an absolute dickhead or what?
He is the pimp of all pimps. He is towering over the rest of them.
And then even higher than that.
Look, there's Beatle.
Even he bows to Schulz.
-What are you doing? -Stop.
No, no, he has seen it.
Shit!
Oh là, là. You dolled yourself up.
Looks good, right?
Just a shame about the nice threads, right?
-What's the matter, sir? -What did you say?
What?
This?
And who are you?
Hit me, Mozart! First punch is on the house.
What's wrong? Next time then.
For sure.
Right, Blackie?
-You owe me 10,000 marks in payoff, Klaus. -What do you mean?
Next Wednesday bring me the cash. Or I break all the bones in your pretty face.
The only difference between your ass and your mug will be the shit.
That hurt.
Shit!
Did you hear that? I heard something.
Kindergarten.
That was music.
There you are! I've been waiting for you for ages.
-What's wrong? -What's wrong? Your pimp is what's wrong.
-He wants 10,000 marks. -Scumbag, he told me he wants 2,000.
You knew about this?
You took his whore, now you have to pay him.
What?
-That's the law. You are my new pimp. -Hang on. I am no pimp.
I asked if you want to be my guy.
I gave you cash. Did you think I wanted nothing in return?
I thought you wanted me as your lover.
I never said I wanted to be a pimp! Never.
"All the way to the top on a first-class jumbo jet?"
Yes, right. Jutta!
Okay, I'll put a couple of women on the street, beat them up.
I don't like to be beaten up. That's why we're a great fit.
You are something like my manager. And I am your star.
Jutta, you don't get it.
He wants 10K from me. Do you know how much that is?
Do you have it? You got 10K?
No! Have you got 10,000? Do you?
No. Sorry. You have to find the money yourself.
Come, let's run away.
-Pack your stuff, we'll go. -Where? How's that supposed to work?
-How will we make a living? -You tricked me.
You tricked me right from the beginning. God damn it.
You got me into this.
You did all of this. Shit!
He broke my finger!
I thought you could play with the big boys, but...
Maybe you just lack the courage.
Keep sleeping in the men's bathroom.
Give me some bubbly. I've got a guy on the hook.
Are you nuts?
Always the expensive one!
Don't take it to heart. First she was our kitten, now it's you.
I am not your kitten. And what about the regulars?
You said you'd ask about my mom.
Right, your mother. I know her.
She pops in now and then for old times' sake.
What? When was she here last?
No idea, sweetie. I have to go on stage.
And you, back to work.
Or do you want our guests die of thirst?
No.
Hi.
Hello.
Time to get up. The sun is shining outside.
Hi.
Have you taken your meds?
They are trying to poison me.
That's not true. It's medicine. It'll make you better.
You break your back your whole life and then you have nothing.
And then...
You just die.
You are not dead yet.
-What are you doing there? -I am looking for dad's watch.
I have to go.
Already?
-Five. -Yes. 5,000.
-You saved me! -Five marks.
What? Five marks?
-But it's a real Rolex. -Just because it says Rolex?
-This thing is a fake. -But it's my dad's.
Yes.
Okay, I give you ten marks, since I like you.
-What about my pictures? -Those scribbles?
-Yes. -They been here for over a year.
-Dead stock. -Because they are hidden
-way back there. -Then put them into a gallery.
-I have been there. They have no taste. -But you do?
Sure.
Ten marks. Last offer.
Tanja, right?
I don't know your mother.
Ilse gave me some cash so I tell you this bullshit.
Don't blame her. She just wants you to stay.
Ilse is always looking for smart girls.
Most of the girls here end up
at Hans-Albers-Platz or Herbertstrasse.
Do you think my mother is there?
No idea, but it's possible.
Listen, sweetie.
Those who end up in St. Pauli, tend to get stuck around here.
She's still around, I'm sure.
Hello!
-Is Jutta here? -Over there.
There you are! I have to talk to you.
It starts at fifty marks. Anything else extra.
I'll get the money!
If you want my time, you have to pay like every john.
You don't look like you got money. Here is a deal,
give me fifty marks, and I'll do you a hand job.
-Sound good, sweetheart? -Stop it.
You stop. I am back with Beatle.
-I can do it. -No, you can't.
-Yes, I can! -All you can do is talk.
But this is my reality.
Do you have a cigarette?
Damn, give me my money back, you dirty bastard.
-They are so pretty. -This can't be real.
-This is dog shit. -This can't be happening.
-Come and drink something. -This was all I had.
-What's up? -He didn't let him fight.
-In front of Schulz? -I was on the bench the whole time.
You motherfucker!
I'll tear it to pieces!
This can't be true!
Fuck!
You are going berserk on a machine,
but not when Beatle breaks my finger.
Why are you talking shit?
You should have hit him. In front of Schulz and everyone.
Then you'd be in the ring. We need to make a name for ourselves.
That's how it works. And you're having a pity party!
And what about you?
You paint women and push beers across the bar.
No. I'm going to be a pimp.
Klaus, the pimp! Awesome. Right, Andy?
What I am saying is...
You have a big mouth, but you are afraid of Beatle.
-You're a coward. -He is right.
You know what, Klaus. Fuck you.
I am not scared of him.
-No? -No.
You went too far.
Wait and see.
If you want to be a pimp, you need three things.
You can't be completely stupid, completely ugly,
and you can't be a complete coward.
Shit! The cops!
Courage, boys!
I saw it in Klaus right away.
The first time we met.
Klaus wanted more from life.
Klaus!
Have you got the dough?
I got something better.
Listen!
Bang, bang, bang. Yeah!
Yes! Andy.
No!
Hey, asshole!
I could have made it easier for him
but Klaus had to prove himself first.
There is a saying in St. Pauli.
A pimp is not born...
He is made a pimp.
I made Klaus a pimp.
And he was the prettiest of all.
Yes!