Sierra Leone (1988)

After three years working in assembly in West Africa, Fred returns to his old surroundings, an industrial area on the outskirts of a German city. He is full of confidence and optimism about making a fresh start. He has brought a lot of money back from Africa. He did not write to his wife, Rita, but only sent her a monthly money transfer. She has started a life of her own and is now with a GI. Fred rents a room at the Royal, a hotel that has gone to seed. There he meets Alma, who looks after the rooms and the guests and lets the old hotelier keep her. A passionate encounter with his old girlfriend Vera, who had once hoped for more from him, dwindles into a brief episode. For Fred’s old buddies from the rolling mill, his return is just an excuse for a night of heavy drinking. Only Alma, the girl from the Royal, shows an interest in Fred. To her, he embodies a sense of longing and faraway places, and the chance to escape the shabby dump. Together, they set off on a directionless journey through Germany.