|
1943 in Berlin is a dangerous time to fall in love, especially for two
women. Lilly Wust (Juliane Köhler) is married to a German soldier - Günther
(Detlev Buck). She has four boys and "entertains" a Nazi officer
(Rüdiger Hacker) on the side. Felice (Maria Schrader) is Jewish, she works
for a Nazi newspaper, spies for the underground, and lives in hiding with
her girlfriend Ilse (Johanna Wokalek).
When Felice and Lilly meet, Felice is instantly attracted and starts sending
Lilly love notes. Lilly is confused by her feelings, but they won't be
denied. Felice introduces her to a close circle of lesbian friends and
life goes on blissfully - until they are shown how dangerous their secret
lives can be when one of their friends is gunned down in the streets and
Günther comes home from the front unexpectedly. Felice has an opportunity
to escape Berlin, but cannot bear to be separated from the love of her
life. Their story does not have a happy ending, but the love they share
lasts a lifetime.
Felice is a strong, confident woman who lives life to the fullest even
under the most extreme circumstances, where everyday is a struggle to survive.
She grabs life and is very attractive for her power. She's also an incredibly
brave woman to do what she does, and then to risk it all for love. Lilly's
strength comes in her ability to love in spite of the danger it brings
into her life, and her willingness to live outside the social norm in order
to be happy.
This is a passionate love story made even more powerful because it's based
on a true story of two remarkable women portrayed by very gifted actors.
This film paints a realistic picture of the war, the destruction of Berlin
and the people trying to live their lives with some sense of normalcy,
even during the bombings and Gestapo raids. The story unfolds slowly, but
doesn't drag.
Home
| 