The Policewoman

Another tragi-comic view of street life from Dresen and his scriptwriter Laila Stieler. Here a novice policewoman (Schmeide) finds that compassion and law enforcement don't mix. The roving documentary style perfectly suits the director's customary themes of people living hand to mouth, involved in petty crime or generally unable to cope. While not so original as Night Shapes, it's worth seeing for Schmeide alone, whose moving portrayal of the beleagured cop lends a poignancy to the recognition that policing is not a solution for the dispossessed.