Bagdad Cafe (1987) Apr 2026

The film begins on a lonely stretch of Route 66, where a stout German tourist named (Marianne Sägebrecht) has a blowout argument with her husband and decides to walk away into the shimmering desert heat.

: The film was an international hit, winning the César Award for Best Foreign Film and receiving an Academy Award nomination for its original song.

: Brenda is a stressed-out, short-tempered woman who has just kicked out her own lazy husband. She is initially suspicious of the prim, sensible German woman who suddenly appears in her chaotic world. Bagdad Cafe (1987)

: Jasmin eventually reveals a talent for sleight-of-hand magic tricks. Her performances turn the once-forbidding cafe into a thriving, joyful oasis where travelers stop to experience the warmth of the community she helped create. Key Details

The 1987 film Bagdad Cafe (originally titled Out of Rosenheim ) is a whimsical, cult-classic comedy-drama directed by Percy Adlon. It tells a heartwarming story of transformation and unlikely friendship set against the desolate backdrop of the Mojave Desert. The film begins on a lonely stretch of

: Carrying her heavy suitcases, Jasmin eventually stumbles upon the "Bagdad Cafe," a dilapidated truck stop and motel run by Brenda (CCH Pounder).

: The film is famous for its dreamy, surreal cinematography and its iconic, haunting theme song, "Calling You" by Jevetta Steele . She is initially suspicious of the prim, sensible

: While the town of Bagdad, CA is now a ghost town, the movie was filmed at the Sidewinder Cafe in Newberry Springs. Following the film's success, the real cafe renamed itself Bagdad Cafe and remains a popular tourist stop.