Une enfance allemande - Île d'Amrum, 1945

"Amrum" is a gentle, moving wartime story carried by two exceptional performances: Jasper Billerbeck as a boy determined not to inherit the cruelty around him, and Laura Tonke as a mother torn between grief, fear, and love. The film's natural-light photography creates a powerful sense of place, while the quiet pacing allows the emotional details to breathe. One scene in particular, the farewell with the Polish girl, captures the film's heart: kindness surviving in a broken world. A tender, beautifully shot drama that stays with you through its honesty, not its spectacle. 7,5/10.

"Amrum" is a beautifully simple yet deeply human story, the kind you can't help but fall in love with. It may appear modest on the surface, but it carries endless emotional layers and lessons to unpack. The performances are wonderful across the board, led by an exceptional actor, Jasper Billerbeck, who clearly has a long and successful career ahead.

The film is superbly directed, written, and shot - every element feels crafted with care and intention.

At its core, Amrum speaks profoundly about the impact of the education and values we receive from our parents and families, who shape us from the moment we are born. But it also reminds us how much we are influenced by the people we meet every day, even in brief encounters, and how essential it is to think for ourselves, form our own conclusions, and search for the truth.

It's a must-see in every sense. And it's exactly the kind of film and storytelling we need now more than ever.

No pun intended - German movies about the second world war ... you'd be excused if that prospect does not sound or make you too excited ... but if you are able to push through any initial reluctance to watch this ... well you'll get a really good movie.

We know Fatih Akin is able to shoot (do) a movie ... and this does look stunning. I was not aware that Amrum is a place - as you can tell I did not read too much about this before watching it.

Also while there is a saying about not making movies with animals and/or kids ... the latter is not just not a problem ... but the boy (main role/character) is amazing to say the least. The emotions he is conveying ... even with scenes that are predictable (cliche) like the plate with food towards the end with his brother/mom being involved ... just so good.

And while I mentioned the second world war ... this is a family affair or a personal recounting on how people experienced stuff ... from afar so to speak. And how their world changed depending on how the war was going ... morally you may have some issues with some reactions, but the movie remains true to ... well the truth ... and in the final scene does break the fourth wall with I can only imagine is the real person on location ... reflecting (looking back?) ... True story then? Well as good as that witness can remember I reckon ...

If you think there are to many german war films then you might want to rethink that because the problem isn't the amount of films coming from the genre it's the lack of immersion and quality where this film is different.

Almost every actor (except Matthias Schweighöfer) provides for believable performances wich compliment the writing and make up for engaging scenes. What might leave you a bit unsatisfied or maybe even irritated is that we only get impressions of some of the characters where the motivations aren't clear and the lack of screentime doesn' really help at that where some of them don't even appears in over two scenes.

The star of the film is the setting wich the film is titled as wich is presented in some shots that could compete with international productions in terms of quality as dreamlike and eerie combined with the context of the given Scene, wich unlike one or two characters provide for some very rememberable scenes.

Fatih Akins newest feature doesn't disappoint in actually immersing the viewer into it's own setting and makes up for a nice experience on the big screens that still leaves a bit of potential behind in the sense of a deeper connection with what we have here.

Amrun is a quiet yet deeply moving film that captivates through its atmosphere and emotional honesty. From the very first scenes, it creates a dense mood where every image and sound feels meaningful. I was especially impressed by the young actor's performance, incredibly natural and heartfelt. I truly felt with him, sharing his struggles and his determination to make his mother happy, no matter the cost.

The film thrives on its subtlety and emotional depth. While the pacing could have been a bit quicker at times, the calm storytelling is exactly what gives Amrun its strength. It's one of those films that stays with you long after the credits roll, a small but powerful emotional journey.