Yesterday Girl

Alexander Kluge, a former lawyer, social theorist, and prolific writer, made his debut feature with Yesterday Girl, which garnered widespread acclaim at the 1966 Venice Film Festival and is considered a seminal work in New German Cinema. Inspired by Kluge's own short story, the film follows Anita G., a 22-year-old Jewish woman from the GDR (played by Kluge's sister, Alexandra), navigating the challenges of an inhospitable West Germany. Anita, portrayed with depth and nuance, struggles with employment, housing, and patronizing men, illustrating Kluge's thesis on the inseparability of past and present. Infused with Godardian influences, the film is a wild, experimental journey, employing various cinematic techniques, including jump cuts, stop motion, archival footage, and Chaplinesque scenes. Kluge's nod to absurdism remains a constant thread, punctuated by sobering social commentary and Anita's poignant experiences. Despite its over 50-year vintage, YESTERDAY GIRL endures as a vibrant and pivotal piece in the landscape of West German cinema.