De l'autre côté du mur

A good movie about an interesting aspect of German history. Did you know about the existence of West German refugee transit camps during the period of cold war, which had the assignment of receiving and processing East German immigrants? Well, I did not. Dated in the 1970's, the movie allows us to follow a young mother and her son into the camp of Marienfelde in West Berlin after she managed to cross the border by means of a West German pretend husband.

There however, her high hopes for a better future in the West are confronted with a system of bureaucracy and distrust, since according to secret service any immigrant could as well be an East German spy. Nelly is especially suspicious for having been a member of the East German Academy of Sciences and for the father of her boy being a Russian who disappeared mysteriously.

Altogether, it is a coherent story with a good mix of characters. We get to know short term acquaintances like a Russian speaking girl who makes friend with Nelly's little boy Alexej. When leaving the camp with her family she also disappears from the story. This gives a good example of typical transit camp life where people come and go all the time.

It is also the camera work, which supports the feeling to be effectively part of the camp life. It often does so by showing the protagonists behind some fuzzy object in the foreground. The good acting also must not be disregarded. Next to award winning leading actress Jördis Triebel I would like to mention the flawless performance of Alexander Scheer, who gives the mysterious character of a former East German dissident, who seems to be stuck in the camp forever.

Memorable also the scene, in which Nelly seduces the American secret service officer into sex with her. When finding out in bed that all the humiliating interrogations about her Russian ex-boyfriend being a spy are only based on speculation, she turns the balance of power upside down and drops the guy. Good girl.

Some user comments suggest that the story may not be completely correct from a historical point of view. Oh well, I prefer to see the movie as a general metaphor about the clash of hopes and reservations, that immigrants have to face in their new homelands. Despite its indicated happy end, the movie clearly suggests that the outcome of this conflict is rather open.

As it's name suggests, Christian Schwochow's 'West' is a film about the West, but also the East: specifically, about cold-war Germany. Its central protagonist, wonderfully played by the beautiful Joerdis Triebel, is a somewhat arrogant east German who, on crossing the iron curtain, struggles to cope with the demands made of an unconnected immigrant in a strange country; but who also struggles with the legacy of her past. The film neither glosses over the evils of the eastern regime, nor suggests that life in the west is a simple panacea; above all else, it demonstrates the fatal way that police states damage the institution of trust in a way that cannot easily be repaired. The ambiguous figure of a rumoured informer provides a focus for a powerful story that is ultimately more about people than systems.

A woman escapes East Germany with her child.

Starring Jordis Triebel, Tristan Gobel and Alexander Scheer.

Written by Heide Schwochow (screenplay) and Julia Franck (Novel).

Directed by Christian Schwochow.

I seem to be on a bit of a run of late for watching foreign subtitled films.

This German movie is left of centre, quirky and quite well acted. It's also a good insight into how things were on either side of the Berlin wall post war. It just about kept my interest although it lacks a little excitement. There's not a lot of suspense and it didn't exactly have me on the edge of my seat.

It's interesting but easily forgettable. Not exactly a yawn fest but lacked any real entertainment value.

7/10

An atmosphere of cold fear moves across the border of East Berlin as a mother and her child flee to West Germany in search of freedom: The present day film is set in 1978. ( -The film though, will open to a fleeting and touching reference to a happier scene with husband, wife and child -3 years earlier. )

In 1978, the process of Western citizenship will take 12 days of rubber stamping of authorization as the mother and her child are interned into a community camp for refuges.

From the unrestricted freedom of the Western camp, the mother attends interviews with the American immigration officers, while her child attends the community school. Two Immigration officers quiz the mother to establish why she chose to escape from East Germany - but all is not clear in her reasoning as we learn to discover that her husband may have died in an uncertain death?

This is a beautiful film that draws interest of storytelling in episodes - one with an Immigration Officer; another with a fellow interned refuge; and then of course - with her child, and then again with the daily life of the community camp - until her application has been completed.

A beautiful film indeed, along with lovely warm and cold tones of colours that alternatively reflect moments of liberation, and of fear: Paranoia will underline the tone of the film. The filming itself is remarkable and fresh; subtle, but in sharpness, sometimes in angled shots of street level in autumnal season.

I love this film to its attention to cinematic detail - the bright and low lighting - the tones of the colours - it is a great artistic achievement by film director, Christian Schwochow. The acting is not stilted, nor is it unnatural to the uneasy atmosphere of apprehension: It is as though freedom itself cannot be defined between the East and the West (- the West which seems to mirror the Soviet East?)

Again, an absorbing film, but with highly charged outbreaks of emotion from repressive souls: Only the mother will understand how to seek happiness in the true sense of freedom of liberation?

An outstanding film of which I highly recommend and enjoyed, and a terrific performance by Jordis Triebel -the film later reminded me of a classic film entitled,' Fear Eats The Soul.' The film ends with a very upbeat jazz score by Marion Black -entitled, 'Who Knows?' ( cert.15 )

In 1975 Nelly's husband left her for a business trip – he never came back from Russia. We pick up the story three years later when she and her young son Alexej are given permission by the DDR – German Democratic Republic - to emigrate to the West. Original title of this German film is 'Westen' and it is in both German and English with good sub titles).

Once she gets to the 'Promised Land' she discovers that things are not as rosy as she had been informed. This is her story. There is a lot more to it than above and it is timely for a release at the moment to show how attitudes were then to refuges and how, sadly, little has really changed.

The period detail is excellent; the acting is great with Jördis Triebel as Nelly doing a performance that will guarantee future work offers. The issues that are dealt with are done in a way to show the human cost of prejudicial and judgmental attitudes, but there is a lot of love here too. This is one of those films that when it is over it will leave you wanting more – an easy one to recommend.