An atmosphere of cold fear moves across the border of East Berlin as a mother and her child flee to West Germany in search of freedom: The present day film is set in 1978. ( -The film though, will open to a fleeting and touching reference to a happier scene with husband, wife and child -3 years earlier. )
In 1978, the process of Western citizenship will take 12 days of rubber stamping of authorization as the mother and her child are interned into a community camp for refuges.
From the unrestricted freedom of the Western camp, the mother attends interviews with the American immigration officers, while her child attends the community school. Two Immigration officers quiz the mother to establish why she chose to escape from East Germany - but all is not clear in her reasoning as we learn to discover that her husband may have died in an uncertain death?
This is a beautiful film that draws interest of storytelling in episodes - one with an Immigration Officer; another with a fellow interned refuge; and then of course - with her child, and then again with the daily life of the community camp - until her application has been completed.
A beautiful film indeed, along with lovely warm and cold tones of colours that alternatively reflect moments of liberation, and of fear: Paranoia will underline the tone of the film. The filming itself is remarkable and fresh; subtle, but in sharpness, sometimes in angled shots of street level in autumnal season.
I love this film to its attention to cinematic detail - the bright and low lighting - the tones of the colours - it is a great artistic achievement by film director, Christian Schwochow. The acting is not stilted, nor is it unnatural to the uneasy atmosphere of apprehension: It is as though freedom itself cannot be defined between the East and the West (- the West which seems to mirror the Soviet East?)
Again, an absorbing film, but with highly charged outbreaks of emotion from repressive souls: Only the mother will understand how to seek happiness in the true sense of freedom of liberation?
An outstanding film of which I highly recommend and enjoyed, and a terrific performance by Jordis Triebel -the film later reminded me of a classic film entitled,' Fear Eats The Soul.' The film ends with a very upbeat jazz score by Marion Black -entitled, 'Who Knows?' ( cert.15 )
In 1978, the process of Western citizenship will take 12 days of rubber stamping of authorization as the mother and her child are interned into a community camp for refuges.
From the unrestricted freedom of the Western camp, the mother attends interviews with the American immigration officers, while her child attends the community school. Two Immigration officers quiz the mother to establish why she chose to escape from East Germany - but all is not clear in her reasoning as we learn to discover that her husband may have died in an uncertain death?
This is a beautiful film that draws interest of storytelling in episodes - one with an Immigration Officer; another with a fellow interned refuge; and then of course - with her child, and then again with the daily life of the community camp - until her application has been completed.
A beautiful film indeed, along with lovely warm and cold tones of colours that alternatively reflect moments of liberation, and of fear: Paranoia will underline the tone of the film. The filming itself is remarkable and fresh; subtle, but in sharpness, sometimes in angled shots of street level in autumnal season.
I love this film to its attention to cinematic detail - the bright and low lighting - the tones of the colours - it is a great artistic achievement by film director, Christian Schwochow. The acting is not stilted, nor is it unnatural to the uneasy atmosphere of apprehension: It is as though freedom itself cannot be defined between the East and the West (- the West which seems to mirror the Soviet East?)
Again, an absorbing film, but with highly charged outbreaks of emotion from repressive souls: Only the mother will understand how to seek happiness in the true sense of freedom of liberation?
An outstanding film of which I highly recommend and enjoyed, and a terrific performance by Jordis Triebel -the film later reminded me of a classic film entitled,' Fear Eats The Soul.' The film ends with a very upbeat jazz score by Marion Black -entitled, 'Who Knows?' ( cert.15 )