Plot

A lonely German woman ends up in the most desolate motel on Earth and decides to make it brighter.

A look into the lives (and minds) of some people everyone has encountered but few really ever get to know. This "fish out of water" tale shows how one person can affect a disparate community. The Adlons express the view that change and "magic" comes from hard work and mutual understanding/acceptance. A well-crafted view of the lives of people everywhere and the difficulties we all can face. A whimsical story, lovingly shot by people who--unfamiliar with what others too often ignore given this arid area--the bleak, arid Southwest, an almost fairytale-like beauty.—The Kid in Bellevue

With a leather suitcase filled with memories, Jasmin, a German tourist, suddenly finds herself stranded in the middle of an eerily empty highway in the Mojave Desert. But this was not how she imagined her vacation. Exhausted, confused, and having nowhere to go, Jasmin walks in the scorching heat and winds up in the godforsaken Bagdad Cafe, a remote truck stop diner between Las Vegas and nowhere. There, the gentle Bavarian lady encounters a ragtag community of misfits--lost souls waiting for a miracle. As Jasmin's warm personality works its magic on the residents, a subtle transformation begins, even though hard-headed owner Brenda hates change and order. Can the sweet stranger from Rosenheim create a sanctuary of friendship amid sadness?—Nick Riganas

Jasmin has a row with her husband in the middle of the desert, and storms off to a truck-stop cafe. She stays there, and starts to make friends with the regulars, including Rudi, an ex-set decorator from Hollywood who wants to paint her picture.—Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>

German tourist Jasmin Münchgstettner (Marianne Sägebrecht) has a big fight with her husband (Hans Stadlbauer) and stomps off in the middle of a desert highway. Similarly, short-tempered Brenda (CCH Pounder), owner of the dilapidated Bagdad Cafe, has a fight with her husband, who also drives off.

Jasmin arrives at the Bagdad Cafe, suitcase in tow, and asks for a room at the adjacent motel, both of which are located in the middle of nowhere in the California desert. Jasmin stays a while, befriending Brenda's children and Rudi Cox (Jack Palance), a washed-out set designer from Tinsel-Town (Hollywood) and cafe regular.

Jasmin, whose typical German fastidiousness can't tolerate disorder and dirt, starts cleaning and organizing her motel room and the café; while smooth-talking Rudi wants to paint Jasmin's portrait in a series of portraits, each more risqué than the last.

Also a skilled magician, Jasmin begins entertaining the infrequent customers. Word of this gem in the desert spreads throughout the trucker community, and soon the café is packed, drawing the attention of the local Sheriff, Arnie (Apesanahkwat). Having no green card, Jasmin must leave, having over-stayed her tourist visa, but Rudi has a solution: Jasmin can stay if she marries him. She accepts his proposal and the show goes on with her magic tricks and the musical talents of Brenda and her children.