Ziegenthals (Jürgen Prochnow), a failed student, makes ends meet as an academic ghost writer.

By accident he discovers that the respected professor of sociology, Rüdiger Kolczyk (Klaus Schwarzkopf), plagiarized his doctoral dissertation by translating the work of an American scholar.

At the same time her violent ex-boyfriend and former pimp, Kalle Prötzel (Claus Theo Gärtner), has been released from prison; he murders her and steals her savings.

At this time the identity of Horst Bosetzky was unknown as due to his position as a professor he published under the pseudonym -ky.[1] One or the Other of Us was shot in October and November 1973 in Berlin and Sylt.

[2] One or the Other of Us won two Bundesfilmpreise in 1974:[3] It was also chosen as West Germany's official submission to the 47th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, but did not manage to receive a nomination.