Expat Cinema Rotterdam

► ABOUT THE FILM
April 1945. On the remote German Wadden island of Amrum, everything is in short supply during the final weeks of the war. Twelve-year-old Nanning, forced to be the “man of the house,” must do whatever it takes to provide food for his heavily pregnant mother, his younger brother and sister, and his aunt. Despite the hardships, life on the beautiful, windswept island feels almost like paradise. But when peace finally arrives, Nanning finds himself struggling with his parents’ Nazi beliefs and with those on the island who oppose them.

Amrum is a poignant coming-of-age drama by German director Fatih Akin, known for Gegen die Wand and Aus dem Nichts. He reunites here with Diane Kruger, who plays a young farmer resisting the Nazis. The film is inspired by the childhood memories of Akin’s friend and mentor Hark Bohm, who wrote the novel of the same name. Young German actor Jasper Billerbeck delivers a compelling debut performance as Nanning. The film had its world premiere in the prestigious Cannes Premieres section at the Cannes Film Festival. In Germany, Amrum became a major success and one of Akin’s most widely attended films.