New 4K Restoration of Frank Ripploh’s groundbreaking film

In cooperation with the Goethe-Institut and the German Currents Film Festival, the American Cinematheque presents a limited engagement of the new 4k restoration of director Frank Ripploh's 1980 film  TAXI ZUM KLO  on August 5th, 10th, and 12th at the Los Feliz 3 Theatre. 

West Germany (1980) 95 min. 4k Restoration - DCP .  German/English with English Subtitles
Writer-Director Frank Ripploh,  Cinematography Horst Schier, Editors Marianne Runne, Matthias von Gunten, Cast Frank Ripploh, Bernd Broaderup, Gitte Lederer, Hans-Gerd Mertens
Producers Frank Ripploh, Horst Schier, Laurens Straub, Production Company Laurens Straub (München), Frank Ripploh Filmproduktion (Berlin), Horst Schier (München).

Marking the 45th anniversary of its original release, Frank Ripploh’s groundbreaking autobiographical debut returns in a new 4K restoration—offering a vivid, uncompromising portrait of queer life in West Berlin at the dawn of the 1980s.

By day, Frank is a dedicated schoolteacher. By night, he embraces the sexual freedoms of the city’s underground scene—navigating a double life in public restrooms, cinemas, and cruising spots. When he meets Bernd, a sweet and steady museum worker, Frank finds himself torn between the comfort of domestic partnership and the allure of anonymous desire.

Unapologetically explicit and deeply personal, Taxi zum Klo shattered taboos upon its release and remains a landmark of queer cinema. Shot with unfiltered candor and infused with a distinctively wry humor, Ripploh’s film continues to resonate for its fearless exploration of identity, intimacy, and freedom.
 
(Janus Films)