"Don't call me Nico, call me by my real name: Christa." This sentence reflects the attitude that Trine Dyrholm brings to her role. She does not celebrate the myth of Nico, she looks at the woman behind it. She does not imitate the legendary singer and extroverted actress, she interprets her. Nico's real name was Christa Päffgen, and her German roots are a recurring theme. The film starts with a flashback showing little Christa, with her mother, looking at Berlin as it burns during the war. Then the narrative jumps to 1986. Dyrholm speaks English with a strong German accent, and she asks her new manager Richard if he is Jewish. Richard issues a comeback tour, which will end up being the last one before her early death. Up close, we get to know a driven woman who lived in excess. That is another reason why the songs sung in the film (by Trine Dryholm herself) seem so true – they tell of a life fully lived.