Der Goldene Handschuh: Fatih Akin's Fritz Honka Film
The documentary drama follows German serial killer Fritz Honka, who between 1970 and 1975 murdered at least four women in Hamburg's notorious St. Pauli district. Honka was a lonely alcoholic who frequented the run-down bar Der Goldene Handschuh (The Golden Glove), where he found his victims among society's most vulnerable women.
Director Fatih Akin creates an uncompromising portrait of both the killer and the derelict world he operated in. The film mercilessly depicts the dark underside of 1970s Hamburg's harbor district, where prostitution, alcoholism and poverty shaped everyday life.
Honka's crimes were only discovered in 1975, when neighbors complained about a foul smell coming from his apartment. Police found the remains of four women hidden in the attic. The drink-addled killer had lived with the body parts above him for several years.
The film is based on Heinz Strunk's novel of the same name and premiered at the Berlinale in 2019. Akin's realistic approach and graphic depiction make Der Goldene Handschuh a controversial but important portrayal of one of Germany's most disturbing criminal cases.
