Cosmos Ottinger movie program - Freak Orlando

A 'Histoire du monde' encompassing errors, incompetence, hunger for power, fear, madness, cruelty and everyday life using the example of the Freaks from their beginnings to the present day as a small world theater told in five episodes by Ulrike Ottinger.

Episode 1 tells how Orlanda Zyklopa, as an attraction, beats the anvil with her seven dwarf shooters in the Freak City department store, is chased out of the house by Herbert Zeus, the manager, mounts the Trojan horse as queen of the seven dwarf athletes, refuses to become the successor of the pillar saint and therefore dies.

The second episode tells how Orlando Orlanda alias Orlanda Zyklopa sees the light of the medieval world as a miracle birth on the steps of the basilica and is able to enchant the environment with the lovely two-part singing of her double head, but cannot prevent it, that flagellants capture two acrobats and lead her out of the city in the midst of their flagellant procession, which is why she follows the flagellants together with the famous dwarf painter Galli and thus arrives at the monastery of the holy bearded woman Wilgeforte, where she undergoes an astonishing transformation in the large department store and warehouse and is portrayed by Galli.

Episode 3 tells how Orlando Capricho alias Orlando Orlanda alias Orlanda Zyklopa has to realize that she has fallen for the special travel offer of the department store presented in a beautiful voice, learns to mistrust her own reflection, falls into the hands of the Inquisition in Spain at the end of the 18th century, has to endure all kinds of dangers and adventures, narrowly escapes being sent to a correction house and finally, together with all kinds of travelling people and real work, falls into the hands of the Inquisition. At the end of the 18th century, she falls into the hands of the henchmen of the Inquisition, has to endure all kinds of dangers and adventures, narrowly escapes being sent to a house of correction and is finally deported to the New World together with all kinds of itinerant folk and enemies, which Galli el Primo faithfully documents.

The fourth episode tells how Mr. Orlando alias Orlando Capricho alias Orlando Orlanda alias Orlanda Zyklopa is accepted as a member of a side-show circulating in the country at the gates of the psychiatric hospital and soon falls in love with one of the Siamese twins, called Lena, which the other part, called Leni, refuses to accept, so that Mr. Orlando gets into such confusion and entanglements that he stabs Leni, which inevitably kills his beloved Lena and forces the principal of the troupe to hand Mr. Orlando over to death in accordance with an old artist's custom.

Episode 5 tells how Mrs. Orlando, aka Mr. Orlando, aka Orlando Capricho, aka Orlando Orlanda, aka Orlanda Zyklopa, becomes an entertainer because of her preferences and tours Europe together with four Bunnies, is in great demand as an attraction at shopping mall openings, family celebrations and the like, and finally accepts an engagement in Italy at an annual festival of the ugly, where she crowns the winner and receives a cup of honour with the inscription: "Among the lame, limping is customary" and tells us at the end of the party that the story is over.