The Stranger

Original title: Die Fremde

Directed by Götz Spielmann

The seedy underbelly of Vienna at night. Mercedes is a femme fatale from Mexico, newly arrived at the Vienna airport with her German boyfriend Rainer, where they have smuggled a kilo of cocaine through customs. Unfortunately for them, the city has just had a major drug crackdown, leaving them without buyers and money. Disgusted with Rainer, Mercedes ditches him and hooks up with Harry, a lonely and bored cab driver who agrees to help her find a buyer for the drugs so she can get some cash and go home. She offers Harry a deal he can't refuse. Is he just another pawn for Mercedes or will her promises help him achieve his hope and dreams? The story careens through the night streets of Vienna, following two amateurs navigating their way through the treacherous world of the drug trade. It's a mood piece with the backdrop of a stifling urban loneliness.