Watch Fabian: Going to the Dogs (2021) online

Fabian visits a film studio where Cornelia is auditioning for a film role. She performs a heartfelt monologue, which impresses Makart and the other producers, and they give her the leading role. The monologue is in fact a letter to Fabian, imploring for them to meet again at a nearby café. When they meet, Fabian is cold towards her, arguing that the contract she had coerced him into signing was for her to commit infidelity without guilt. This upsets her, though Fabian soon apologizes and the two renew their continued support for one another.

Labude is declared missing, with his father and Fabian searching for him in Berlin together. Some time later, Fabian finds Labude on a binge at a nude art studio. The latter has received a letter from his university, but has not yet opened it.

Shortly after, Fabian is contacted by the police, who drive him to Labude’s fathers’ residence. There, he is shocked to discover Labude dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. After confirming Labude’s identity, Fabian reads his suicide note; Labude laments his failed relationship and his rejection by the university, declaring that he is not good at anything else and implores Fabian to “live a better life” than his. An upset Fabian confronts the university chancellor about the rejection letter, who is confused as he had actually accepted the thesis. Realizing that Weckherlin had forged the letter as a prank, Fabian lunges at him and beats him almost to death before being restrained by witnesses.

With no ties left to Berlin, Fabian returns to his hometown in Dresden. As he slowly recovers from his grief, he sees Cornelia in a magazine, having become a film star. He reaches out to her and she calls back, confiding in him that although she has become successful, she is not happy. The conversation becomes light-hearted and they make plans to meet at a café in Berlin.

Excited to see Cornelia again, Fabian packs a suitcase and walks to the train station. On his way there, he sees three boys playing in a lake, reminding him of his time with Labude and Cornelia. He spots a boy standing on a bridge, appearing to attempt suicide. Fabian calls for the boy not to jump, but the boy does not hear him and falls into the water. Instinctively, Fabian jumps into the lake to save the boy. He is unable to pull himself out of a current and he drowns. The boy survives and emerges onto the shore, seeing Fabian’s belongings strewn everywhere but remaining unaware of what had just occurred. In Berlin, Cornelia waits for Fabian.