1945. The war is all but lost, but this cannot yet be admitted in public, not even on the remote North Sea island of Amrum, where 12-year-old Hitler Youth Nanning (Jasper Billerbeck) lives with his pregnant mother (Laura Tonke), and her sister (Lisa Hagmeister). Considered an outsider by the islanders, Nanning sets himself a mission: to secure honey and bread to cheer up his mum. But these luxuries are in scant supply, he will have to enter into several trades to reach his goal…
Based on the childhood experiences of cowriter Hark Bohm, Fatih Akin’s superb film is both a relatable coming of age story and a resonant reminder that the virus of fascism ultimately consumes itself. Akin (Head-On; The Edge of Heaven) immerses us in the stark beauty of the island, and rarely strays from the 12-year-old’s side as he gradually comes to the painful understanding that his parents are on the wrong side of history.
Poetic and elegantly spare… graceful and profound.
Tomris Laffly, Variety
A deceptively intoxicating piece of classical filmmaking.
David Schwartz, Screen Slate
Lovely… A film that explores how memories shape us—and how often we decide at an early age what type of person we’re going to be.
Stephanie Zacharek, Time Magazine
Fatih Akin
Jasper Ole Billerbeck, Laura Tonke, Lisa Hagmeister, Diane Kruger, Kian Köppke
Germany
2025
In German and North Frisian with English subtitles
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Credits
Producer
Fatih Akin, Herman Weigel
Co-Producer
Steffen Schier, Magdalena Prosteder, Felix Wendlandt
Screenwriter
Hark Bohm, Fatih Akin
Cinematography
Karl Walter Lindenlaub
Editor
Andrew Bird
Original Music
Hainbach
Production Design
Seth Turner
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Image: © Manon et Jacob and Final Cut For Real
