Several years ago, author and actor Hermes Phettberg, a colourful figure on the Vienna scene, saw his star quickly rise from the sub-cultural underground to the spotlight of TV shows. Responsible in part for this sudden fame was filmmaker and writer Kurt Palm.

With Hermes Phettberg, Elender ('Hermes Phettberg, the Wretched') Palm has once again paid his respects to his old friend. From archival material, photos and Phettberg's own memories, the filmmaker creates a picture of a highly unusal human being. (Viennale Catalogue 2007)