Germany, 1943. Felice is a Jewish lesbian residing in Berlin. To say she's leading a double life wouldn't quite do her justice. She works for a Nazi-run newspaper and plots against the Führer alongside a staunch resistance movement. A defiant romantic with a penchant for poetry, Felice calls herself Jaguar.
Lilly is an Aryan housewife whose husband is temporarily situated on the Eastern front. In his absence she pursues extra-marital affairs and looks after her children. Lonely and unknowing, Lilly is astonished to find herself attracted to Felice. Felice calls her Aimée.
Lilly and Felice become lovers, but their relationship is a perilous one from the very beginning, afflicted by both the wrong time and the wrong place. Can the love shared by Aimée and her Jaguar help them to overcome their impossible situation?
Färberböck maintains an impressive level of tension throughout his compelling first feature, based on a popular book written by Erica Fischer and co-adapted for the screen by the director himself. The film's lovers live in the echo of air raid sirens and radio news alerts, forever fearful of unseen spectators in the shadows.
Like Christopher Isherwood's, Färberböck's Berlin is a place of mixed fortunes. The camera moves seamlessly from underground bomb shelters and war-ravaged streets to the opulent interiors of dining halls, hotels and concert venues. This city knows only extremes.
Beautifully shot by British cinematographer Tony Imi, Aimée & Jaguar is an extraordinary odyssey that features some realistic and sensitively staged scenes of erotica.
Chris Wiegand
Maria Schrader named her daughter Felice after her character in this film.
