About Berlin, 1810: Heinrich von Kleist (1777 - 1811), a despondent young poet/dramatist, pines for a woman to join him in a pact to end his despair - and which, absurdly, he conceives as the ultimate expression of romantic love. To this end, he meets Henrietta Vogel, a high-society lady who is fascinated by his controversial novella, The Marquise of O. Inspired by the historical events that led to this famed double suicide, Austrian director Jessica Hausner vividly imagines early 19th century haute bourgeois Berlin: the hushed drawing rooms, deliberate rhythms of family life, the period decor and clothing - all suffused with a color scheme worthy of Vermeer. (C) Film Forum