Karl May (1842-1912) was the first German writer to set his adventure novels in the American Old West. This biopic depicts his last decade,which he spent in and out of the courts, defending himself against a series of lawsuits that attempted to destroy his reputation and formidable popularity.

Part two of Hans-Jürgen Syberberg’s German Trilogy on the mythological foundations of the Third Reich is an ethereal yet cerebral biopic on the writer Karl May, drawn with ingenious and stylized mise-en-scène. A reflection on the German soul, and the influence of May’s work on Hitler’s generation.