The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum was adapted for the big screen in 1975 from the German language novel of the same name by Heinrich Boll, one of Germany's foremost post-War writers, and the recipient of the 1972 Nobel Prize for Literature.
The film tells the story of an innocent woman, Katharina Blum, and the way in which she struggles to maintain her dignity as she is unjustifiably vilified by the German media. It was produced during a time of political controversy when the press were at their most ruthless, stopping at nothing to get the story they wanted regardless of whether or not it was true, and ruining lives of innocent victims in the process. The movie takes a look at the issue of human rights versus journalistic freedom, and the way in which the press hide behind their right to print whatever they want. They are considered "yellow press" because the way in which they go about getting their stories is considered to be an act of cowardice.
The film starred Angela Winkler in the title role, in what was only her second film; she would go on to become on of the grande dames of German theater, winning an Ibsen Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. It also starred one of Europe's greatest character actors, Mario Adorf, whose career has included over two hundred films and television series.
The film was received well by critics and won Winkler a Film Award in Gold in the Best Leading Actress category at the German Film Awards in 1976. There was won further award, for Jost Vacano in the Best Cinematography category, and a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for Dieter Laser.
