Iwa Wanja

A German mechanic considers emigrating to the United States, but changes his mind when he falls in love with a local woman.

Olga, a woman of the demimonde, is shot in her apartment. The bullet was deflected by something, otherwise it would have killed Olga. Witnesses heard a noise at 2 p.m. that sounded like a gunshot. Detective Heidenreich investigates and discovers that the perpetrator must have been one of the tenants in the building. He realizes that many people are suspects.

Before he became cult director Douglas Sirk, Detlef Sierck cut his teeth on such lavish European star vehicles as Das Hofkonzert (The Court Concert). Marta Eggerth is cast as Christine, a young singer who aspires to find out who her father was. Her odyssey brings her to the court of a mythical kingdom, where she is romanced by handsome lieutenant Walter (Johannes Heesters). He is warned not to lose his heart to a "commoner," but all turns out all right when King Serenissimus (Otto Tressler) turns out to be Christine's long-lost daddy. Hofkonzert was designed as a comeback for Marta Eggerth, whose star had eclipsed by the mid-1930s.

The story centers on the charismatic sea captain Käpt'n Bay-Bay, portrayed by Hans Albers, who on his wedding day shares tales of his seafaring exploits with his wedding guests after an unexpected delay in the ceremony. The narrative employs a framing device where the captain, waiting at a tavern near the church, recounts through flashbacks his previous romantic misadventures and adventurous encounters at sea, blending humor, music, and exotic locales. These retrospective stories highlight his roguish charm and the obstacles that have shaped his life, all while the present-day celebration unfolds.

"Iwa Wanja - Kissed by Fate, Forgotten by Everyone", is dedicated to the German film star with Bulgarian roots Ivanka Janakieva. The actress's life is full of twists, dramas and blows of fate, and her remarkable film career makes her the only Bulgarian woman with a name in European cinema from its silent period.