Berlin, Feb. 14 (AP): Madonna recalled her struggle to break into show business yesterday as she presented her first effort as a movie director: Filth and Wisdom, which made its debut at the Berlin film festival.

The singer and Evita actress, who turns 50 this year, follows three young housemates in London who try to finance their dreams while working in unfulfilling jobs.

“One of the themes that I explore in the film is struggle, and if I look back to the beginning of my career I can recall those moments of struggle like it was yesterday,” Madonna said at a news conference alongside her cast.

“There are aspects of Holly, Juliette and AK’s struggle that I could relate to completely, and I could access that memory and put it into the story,” she said.

Ukrainian immigrant AK — played by Gypsy-punk singer Eugene Hutz — is an aspiring musician, self-styled philosopher and sometime sadomasochistic play-actor, while Juliette (Vicky McClure) works for a lecherous pharmacist while she dreams of going to Africa to help children. Holly (Holly Weston), is a trained but unsuccessful ballerina who resorts to working as a pole-dancer.