La casa alemana

A dramatic look at the in-between generation of German children, born in the 1930s, who were never told the truth about Die Zeit des Nationalsozialismus (the Nazi times). Eva is an Posish interpreter who is learning about the horrors through the testimony of witnesses in the Frankfurt trial of mid- to lower-level SS personnel at Auschwitz-Birkenau in the early 1960s (Der Auschwitz-Prozess).

Search Hulu for "Deutsches Haus" for the German version. Both the German and (dubbed) English versions are available. The dubbed version is not worth watching because it does not accurately translate the German. The English captions in the dubbed version are correct, but it's hard to listen to the discrepant audio that goes with them.

I definitely recommend this show because of different reasons.

The show is an impressive piece of cinema (although it is a mini series).

Character development is done with a lot of empathy and patience. Actors adding an authentic play to this really emotional story.

Sometimes it is not what they say - more how they say it (or not)

Technically it is brilliant as well. Every shot has its purpose and the light is always a support to the scene. Sounds and even silence are well done and also with a purpose.

Although the history is well known and a lot of movies were made - this one contributes in a unique way.

The Frankfurt Ausschwitz trials are an important topic in Holocaust history and the series potrayal of the trial is where the series shines.

Unfortunately it suffers from the same problem that much of German "history-TV" (like Babylon Berlin or Charité) has: to draw in viewers it contains numerous side plots that are supposed to fluff out the historical period but are very clichéd. I get that it is important to set a historical context, but the side plots remain completely shallow and especially clash with the horrifying descriptions of Ausschwitz in the trial.

A further (minor) point: it feels very much that the series only included an anti-Nazi old person in the form of the fiancé's father to reassure German viewers that "not everyone was bad" in their grandparent's generation. It's a shame that German productions still feel they cannot ask more of their audience.

I really wanted to watch this series. Why doesn't Hulu offer it dubbed & in German. I will not watch a dubbed movie, it destroys the performances.

I would imagine this says much about Hulu's concept of their average users. Besides the fact that streaming brings us back to TV before cable. You are forced to sit through constant advertising, with no option to face forward. We need DVR service on our streaming services. The consumer continues to be subject to the whims of the streaming services.

So I cannot review this film because of the dubbing!

Would it be so difficult to offer both versions? We are paying for these services!

Also known as "The Interpreter of Silence", this 5-part mini-series is a based on a 2019 novel. A combination of both fiction and real events - the "Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials" that took pace during 1963 to 1965 - the series gives an idea on how difficult it was to prosecute the crimes that were committed in Auschwitz during WW2.

Apart from the Nuremberg Trials, which took place during 1946-1947, the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials took place almost 20 years after the war. The series gives a very convincing view on how life during the 60's must have been. A combination of stunning sets with many props of those times, makes it a very attractive view.

Amongst the defendants of the Auschwitz Trials, a special focus is put on the SS-officer Wilhelm Boger, whom under the name "The Tiger of Auschwitz" was known for using extreme torture techniques on prisoners, often leading them to die instantly or within a day of the torture. That Wilhelm Boger left many people dead, also makes it difficult to prosecute. This since there were no witnesses left...

Another defendant whom is featured, is Robert Mulka, whom functioned as chief of staff under the famous Auschwitz camp commander Rudolf Hoss. This made him defacto second-in-command at Auschwitz.

Mixed with these true events is a story about the court translator. As a daughter of an owner of a Frankfurt restaurant named "Deutsches Haus", she is specialized in translating the polish language. The series shows her day-to-day life during the trial, which leads her to discover also interesting facts about her own family, friends and co-workers.

The convincing sets combined with excellent acting, makes this series a very attractive view which I myself binge-watched in one go. An extra plus is that this series educates the viewer on real events that relate to WW2. I personally think it is important that society is made aware of how evil "civilized" people can really be. And since we have come to the point that all eye-witnesses to WW2 are dead, a series like this is important in keeping alive what really happened just a generation ago.

Concluding, I award this series a score of 8.1/10 resulting in an IMDb score of 8 stars.