„It is an old story, but it remains forever new“ Heinrich Heine
The nightclub in Berlin, where Christine Schäfer sings Dichterliebe, accompanied by Natascha Osterkorn at the piano, is illuminated in a flow of subdued red light. Lieder are sung here in an intimate circle as in Schumanns times for only a very small audience.
The film starts one early morning when the director and Christine Schäfer show their commissioning editor some already filmed material in the editing room. Slowly, the camera zooms into one of the monitors - we are in the nightclub and the music starts.
Basically, the story of Dichterliebe has two elements: the recital in the nightclub and the difficulties and daily life of the team while shooting the movie. Two layers, one from the romantic past, the other showing life and love in modern times, melted together by Schumanns music and the neverending story of love and jealousy.
