Revealing and tranquil if conventional documentary in which 12 women from a South German town, who are now well into their seventies, talk about how they perceived the Nazi period from 1933 onwards, that is: from the time they were around 12 years old and in still in school. Much is told about the day-to-day life and how the Nazi ideology step by step got a hold of the youth (which was always the main aim of Nazi propaganda), which is a good achievement of the makers.
Problem with the film is that the women are never properly introduced; from the interviews the viewer has to understand who the 3 Jewish women are. Nor is it explained what the relationship between the girls was: who was friend of whom? The women are all interviewed separately and there is never a confrontation. I would have liked to see the reaction of the women to the lady whose father (a social-democrat) was arrested: she has not so happy memories. One Jewish lady tells that she was spit in the face by Anneliese; the credits tell that one of the women is Anneliese,but is this the same one? And if so, would it not have been interesting to hear her reaction?
It is conventional in that the maker restricted herself in filming the interviews. This interview material is augmented by some fascinating archive material from the 30's and 40's (some of it in colour), including material that to me seems to be propaganda films for the BDM (Bond of German Girls). But again the same problem: non of this archive material is identified.
All in all: interesting and certainly worth a look (7/10)
Problem with the film is that the women are never properly introduced; from the interviews the viewer has to understand who the 3 Jewish women are. Nor is it explained what the relationship between the girls was: who was friend of whom? The women are all interviewed separately and there is never a confrontation. I would have liked to see the reaction of the women to the lady whose father (a social-democrat) was arrested: she has not so happy memories. One Jewish lady tells that she was spit in the face by Anneliese; the credits tell that one of the women is Anneliese,but is this the same one? And if so, would it not have been interesting to hear her reaction?
It is conventional in that the maker restricted herself in filming the interviews. This interview material is augmented by some fascinating archive material from the 30's and 40's (some of it in colour), including material that to me seems to be propaganda films for the BDM (Bond of German Girls). But again the same problem: non of this archive material is identified.
All in all: interesting and certainly worth a look (7/10)