Der Deutsche (2018)

A former professor of German philosophy (Kan Mikami) has lost his family due to a tragic accident and has since renounced the world. As a homeless man, he has been living in Osaka's notorious "Kamagasaki" district for four years and only speaks in quotes from famous German philosophers, which earned him the nickname "The German." One day he witnesses a blindfolded and bound young woman (Yuka Yokoi) being pushed out of the car of a Yakuza boss in the middle of the homeless neighborhood. He saves her from imminent rape and takes her under his wing. They spend 24 hours together in the wildest part of Japan, where they encounter outcasts and originals of different colors. Although she does not speak German, she knows and sings songs by Schubert and Schumann, which ultimately facilitates communication between the two and leads to a very special relationship. Filmed exclusively on original locations in Osaka's famous homeless neighborhood, Roger Walch's film "Der Deutsche" is at the same time musical, milieu study and tender love story that deals with grief, loss of language and the creative overcoming of communication problems. It is a visually stunning homage to music and to Osaka's homeless and underground artists.