by SARAH ROWLAND

Contract killings gone wrong, suicide clubs for young poets and double homicides under Christian oppression. Yup, it's springtime at the Goethe-Institut. That means along with April showers and the overwhelming desire to procreate, you can look forward to a new season of German Highlights.

In this two-month series dedicated to contemporary Deutsche cinema, Don't Look for Me is one of many films featuring sexy young talent. Lea Mornar (think vintage Nastassja Kinski with a modern haircut) plays a sophisticated assassin who wants out of the biz. After one meet 'n' mate with the kind and gentle Lino (Stipe Erceg, the second hottest actor in Germany today). Unfortunately, resigning from her position is not as simple as giving two weeks' notice. Ergo, like most gun-for-hire erotic thrillers, this moody but modest feature begs the question, why do goons fall in love. Don't they know by now the emotional aftermath is a bigger drag to clean up than splattered brain matter in a rented car?

Another stand-out is Identity Kills, a scriptless, hand-held look at one woman's disturbingly plausible descent into stark raving madness. Recently released from a psych ward, the already off-kilter Karen returns home to find her boyfriend shagging his ex. But with nowhere else to go, she holds on to her abusive relationship and dead-end job until an opportunity to escape presents itself. It never does. So she teaches herself to lie, steal and kill. Turns out, she's a quick study.

Likewise, Graven Upon Thy Palm is a movie in which a woman is driven to take violent measures to emancipate herself. Maria's husband is a pillar of the church community. He's also a psychotic woman beater, who insists that Maria provide around-the-clock nursing to her ailing father. Consequently, her life is full of overflowing geriatric diapers and daily tenderizings courtesy of her better-half.

Closing the showcase is Parfum d'absinthe, starring the hottest young actor in Germany Daniel Brühl (Good Bye Lenin!). Based on a real life dead poets society, Brühl depicts one of two young best friends waiting for the perfect moment to end it all in a dramatic crescendo of violence. Ahhh spring.

German Highlights screens Thursdays and Fridays, March 31 - May 27. For more info, visit www.goethe.de/uk/mon

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