The 2024 HSBC German Film Festival opens in Sydney on May 8th The 2024 HSBC German Film Festival opens in cinema with FROM HILDE, WITH LOVE – the latest film from acclaimed director Andreas Dresen.
The screenplay by Laila Stieler is based on the true story of Hilde Coppi, played by the luminescent Liv Lisa Fries. With her husband Hans (Johannes Hegemann) and a small group of like-minded young people, Hilde becomes involved in writing and distributing anti-Nazi pamphlets and slogans during WWII. She and her friend Grete (Lisa Hrdina) write letters to p.o.w. soldiers’ families whose addresses they hear on broadcasts in German from Russia; she helps Hans master Morse code in order to try and contact the Russians on the group’s illegal radio transmitter. Sadly, the Gestapo do not buy their agreed alibi that Hans is practising to becoming a radio operator in the German army. Hilde, Hans and their comrades are imprisoned in 1942 in Berlin for crimes against the Nazi State. Ironically, the only message they have managed to successfully send is simply “we wish all our friends the very best”.
The film opens with Hilde’s arrest, but the narrative of her subsequent imprisonment in Barnimstrasse women’s prison is interwoven with Hilde’s memories. Thus we learn how she meets and falls in love with Hans, how she becomes involved with his grass roots resistance activities. These happy scenes, full of sunshine and youthful exuberance are beautifully captured by cinematographer Judith Kaufmann and provide a striking contrast to the dull greys and browns of the prison scenes. Notably, there is no music overlay to manipulate audience’s emotions or distract us from the characters, the surroundings and their interactions.
Apart from Inspector Habecker (Thomas Lawinky), who plays ‘bad cop’ to expectant father Inspector Henze (Claudiu Mark Draghici)’s ‘good cop’, the warders and officers generally behave like normal people going about their daily work. There are no snarling guard dogs, no jack-booted bullies shouting ‘Heil Hitler’. Yet, Hans and various others do bear the bloody evidence of having been tortured; the removal of babies from several other new mothers is harrowing.
At the time of her arrest, Hilde is 8 months pregnant. Against the odds, both mother and baby survive a difficult birth, due in no small part to the compassionate care rendered by the mid-wife (Fritzi Haberlandt), in stark contrast to the callous attitude of prison doctor (Florian Lukas), a judgemental grub of a man. Hilde’s subtle revenge upon him provides a fleeting moment of levity. Her experience as a dental nurse stands her in good stead and she provides both physical and emotional support to other inmates of Barnimstrasse women’s prison.
Motherhood appears to have imbued Hilde with renewed resilience. Baby Hans thrives and it is as though contact with the baby draws forth the innate humanity and decency of others, notably warder Annaliese Kuhn (Lisa Wagner). Indeed, Frau Kuhn actually endorses Hilde’s plea for pardon presented to the judiciary, as does the prison chaplain Pastor Harald Poelchau (Alexander Scheer), himself responsible for assisting Jews escape Germany. But, ultimately, it is up to Hitler to accept or reject Hilde’s plea…..
Although FROM HILDE, WITH LOVE chronicles a bleak episode in German history, it also recounts a love story. While the joy of the latter is overshadowed by the historical outcome, making it a rather harrowing film to watch, it’s definitely recommended viewing.
Director Andreas Dresner will be in Australia to speak with the audience at various screenings of this film, details of which are available on the Festival’s website, as is the entire program.
https://germanfilmfestival.com.au/
