bandw This drama takes place in 1990, shortly after the demolition of the Berlin wall had begun. This was a time when a young Norwegian lawyer felt that there was a good chance of winning a lawsuit against the Norwegian Government for reparations for the children of the Nazi Lebensborn program. Begun in 1935 the goal of the Lebensborn program was to produce more Aryan children for the Third Reich, mainly by way of Nazi leaders producing plentiful offspring. The program was expanded to occupied countries whereby Nazis would mate with with local unmarried women with many, but not all, of the offspring brought back to Germany. The story unfolded in a way to keep my interest. On the one hand Katrine, the main character, is seen as the wife of a Norwegian submarine captain--part of a close, happy family. But early on she is seen on a flight out of the country where she completely transforms her appearance. At that point I was hooked to find out what her story was and I appreciated the slow reveal leading to some intensely dramatic scenes. The story is complicated enough to make it hard to describe without revealing plot details.I had never heard of the Nazi Lebensborn program and this movie shows how focusing on personal experiences can explicate history in a more attention grabbing way than reading a history book. I wish there had been more explanation of the basis for the lawsuit against the Norwegian government. A little research on the topic explains how shabbily, and even cruelly, the Lebensborn children were treated, with the assent of the Norwegian government.All the actors are in fine form--it's good to see that age is not keeping Liv Ullman off the screen.

MovieSonic I stumbled across this whilst looking for German language films and although it's mostly in Norwegian, I still had to watch because the plot sounded fascinating.I thought I had it all figured out from the beginning and that I knew exactly how it would end. I was wrong.When dealing with conspiracies and far-fetched seeming events, the best way to go about it is with subtlety and understatement. Juliane Köhler as the lead 'Katrine', manages to portray the urgency, danger and horror of the situation whilst still being sympathetic. I honestly didn't know who to feel most sorry for by the end of it all.The only criticism I have (and hence why not 10/10), is that I would have liked to have seen more of the family and how they subsequently dealt with the tragic revelations.I'm very glad I watched this and it's an easy recommendation from me.9/10

feldstein I saw the movie on Netflix and it was much more than I expected. The suspense was riveting.The acting is superb and the plot development is taut.It is also interesting from an historical standpoint, because it deals with some very painful topics that are often avoided, especially by those most closely impacted by them. Some reviews say the plot is not believable. They are in denial, because unfortunately, it is very much grounded in the reality of the unwanted war babies of collaborators and a very active espionage network run by the Stasi.One of the scenes shows Vera learning to decode messages from a numbers station. I lived in Germany in the late 70's and heard the broadcasts of number after number. When I asked my coworkers about this strange station on the AM dial they explained the purpose to me.If you understand just how plausible the premise of this movie is, you will appreciate all of its chilling and haunting emotional brutality.

bevin_brett Sadly the plot falls apart. The more you understand what has happened, the less plausible it is.The seaside, buildings, mountains, etc. make for gorgeous background.The characters are portrayed with depth and sympathy. Each deals appropriately with the stresses that they are under, and you can understand their actions.The plot moves a long at a good pace, with flashbacks becoming clearer as the movie progresses.But sadly when all is revealed, the plot has more holes than Romeo and Juliet. Coincidences, unlucky timing, unrealistic actions by professionals, ... it has them all.