Fabian: Going to the Dogs

Berlin, 1931: Jakob Fabian works by day as a copywriter at a cigarette factory; by night, he and his best friend Labude roam bars, brothels, and artists' studios. Unlike his wealthy friend, Fabian remains a detached observer there. Fabian can't relate to this era dominated by uncertainty - which Labude tries to counter with political activism - and comments on events with irony. While Labude throws himself headlong into excesses and affairs following a breakup, Fabian one day meets the self-assured law clerk Cornelia Battenberg. A woman who has actually renounced the world of men and isn't looking for a new relationship. For Fabian, however, she is a ray of hope in the gloomy Berlin night sky. Thanks to Cornelia, Fabian manages to shed his pessimistic outlook for a moment - until he, too, falls victim to a wave of layoffs. He tries to hide his unemployment from Cornelia, who, in turn, gives in to the advances of film producer Makart, who lures her with the promise of a major acting career. While Cornelia begins a relationship with Makart and enjoys professional success, Fabian cannot come to terms with the situation and leaves her. His world is turned upside down. Eventually, he turns his back on Berlin and seeks refuge with his parents in Dresden. But even there, fate catches up with him, and his downward spiral takes its course.