Anna-Marie is a neurotic unemployed acress, waiting for her chance in life.
Suddently she is offered the part of a psychopatic murderess in a movie, if she can pass a test of being able to imitate somebody.
She does what she is afraid is happening to her, she carefully observes her target person.
Unexpectedly she finds friendship.
But then maybe it is all a fraud, and her imitation subject is to be cheated?
Instead it turns out to be murder, and Anna-Marie has been carefully documented to behave like a psychopath.

SYNOPSIS:

Die Schauspielerin (“the actress”) Exposé Anna-Marie is a young, unemployed actress. She has many fears, feels followed and observed, does not have any friends, and navigates embitteredly though life with the one dream to get a part in a movie. Just as the suicide of her roommate endangers even her abode, she gets an offer for a role. She could get the part of a psychopathic murderess in a movie, if she passes a qualification-test. Torn between fear of others and her yearning for the acting profession, she finally agrees, and learns she is to imitate a person for the test. Her inability to feel for others, paired with her fear of contacts make the preparations difficult. Finally she is told that a specific person has been selected for her, and she needs to do what she is always afraid somebody is doing with her: she needs to observe another person. Her target-person is called Bernadette Sneider, she is a young American living in Austria with her small son. She has an open and friendly character, is supporting and helpful. She is a very loving and caring mother to her son. The more Anna-Marie watches them, the more she begins to admire her, but she does not admit it to herself. Through clumsiness she gets to personally know Bernadette. They begin to do things together, and soon Anna-Marie likes her, and even after initial reservations her little son, very much. When doubts arise if her roommates death was really a suicide, and she get strange calls from someone claiming to be her roommates ex-boyfriend, and even when she is now fairly sure of a certain man following her, she pushes it all away, because she is now happy for the first time in a long while. But then it does turn out to be murder, and the man calling threatens to leave evidence against her if she should tell of his existence. Bernadette’s imitation is becoming more and more morally difficult for her. And she has to admit it could be an attempt at fraud directed at Bernadette. She hast to work very hard on herself to stand up for her new friendship, and try to help her instead of just hiding in her apartment. But when she finally does try, it is already too late. Bernadette dies with papers in her wallet identifying her as Anna-Marie. Anna-Marie herself is told that she now needs to take Bernadette’s identity and agree to a divorce from her husband, giving custody of their son to the father, who just wants the financial support of the boy’s grandfather, and will put the boy into a boarding school. All from the beginning the film part was only a camouflage for the murder of Bernadette. And Anna-Marie cannot turn to the police, as there is fabricated evidence against her in the murder of her roommate and the murder of Bernadette they could use. Anna-Marie sits in Bernadettes empty apartment on the floor. All tears are cried, she is empty and beyond despair. But then she gets up and packs some of the boys things. She take a taxi and picks him up, leaving with him for the airport. And she can make it, she is a good Actress, and she finally has a worthwhile role.