Two exiles, one burning love, zero Hollywood endings — the romance they couldn't write.
In his second international bestseller, "Arc de Triomphe," author Erich Maria Remarque explores his own experience of exile and his decisive encounter with Marlene Dietrich. From Paris and Antibes to Los Angeles and New York, the documentary traces the moving genesis of this highly autobiographical novel, now considered a major work of European exile literature, and the literary legacy of the long-standing passion between two global stars.
Direction
Elegant weaving of archival letters and rare footage
Writing
Remarque's own words read like confession, not fiction
Director
Hedwig Schmutte
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Dietrich and Remarque met in 1937 at a party in Beverly Hills; she was already Hollywood royalty, he was a German refugee writer still learning English.
Remarque wrote 'Arc de Triomphe' while living in the same Los Angeles neighborhood as fellow exiles Brecht and Mann, creating an unintentional colony of displaced European genius.
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