Der Prinz

A summer in Santiago de Chile, early 1970s, during the socialist experiment under President Salvador Allende: Jaime drifts along, spending his days by the river and his nights with a gypsy who owns a motorcycle and lets the beer flow freely. Jaime realizes that both men and women find him attractive, yet he is unsure of what he truly wants. One night, when the gypsy dances with another man in a bar, Jaime becomes angry: it feels too gay for him. In a drunken rage, he stabs him. The male world of prison forces Jaime to confront his sexuality. He ends up in a four-man cell, where the older Roberto takes the newcomer under his wing. However, Roberto's protection comes at a price: at night, he uses Jaime, whom everyone calls the Prince, as a sexual object without much asking. Gradually, genuine affection develops from these assaults. Jaime builds his own existence in prison, and when Roberto dies in a knife fight, he takes his place. The Prince is a study of youthful narcissism, loneliness, and vulnerability. Mario Cruz captures the duality of the situation: as immoral as it is naive, tender yet fatalistic at the same time. The book was adapted into a film in Chile with a star-studded cast. In autumn 2020, the film will also be shown in Germany.