This movie blends comedy and drama in very interesting ways. It is the story of Sonja (played by the captivating Lena Stolze), a young woman who lives in what was then West Germany. She is a bright young woman who is liked and admired by the people of Pfilzing, the small Bavarian town she lives in. She enters a high school essay contest on the topic 'Freedom in Europe', and wins a summer trip to Paris, as well as an award from her town. She is inspired by her success to enter the next essay contest that comes her way, writing on the topic 'My Hometown During the Third Reich'. She wants to write about her church's resistance to the Nazis. This time, though, she encounters resistance from her town. As time progresses, the resistance gets more and more serious, spurring her to work harder and more determinedly.
Director Michael Verhoeven tells Sonja's story in an engaging and refreshing way, and the audience is truly interested in her life and story. Though the ending feels almost too abrubt for the film, this is still a wonderful film to watch.
Awards
1990 Berlin International Film Festival winner of
The Interfilm Award (Michael Verhoeven)
Reader Jury of the Berliner Morgenpost (Michael Verhoeven)
Silver Berlin Bear (Michael Verhoeven)1990 winner of the New York Film Critics Circle Awards for best foreign language film
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