From Hilde, with Love

Berlin, 1942. Hilde joins a group of young people; they swim in the river, listen to music, and are at the same time part of a secret network resisting the Nazi regime. Hilde falls in love with Hans, one of the group. They have a summer together. Then the Gestapo comes. When Hilde is arrested she is eight months pregnant, and she gives birth to her son in prison. Andreas Dresen's film rests on the real story of Hilde Coppi; she and Hans Coppi were members of the anti-Nazi network known as the Red Orchestra. The narrative weaves two timelines together: the summer and the prison. That structure shows resistance not as heroism but as something young people did, daily and lethal. Liv Lisa Fries plays Hilde and Johannes Hegemann plays Hans. The film screened in competition at the Berlin Film Festival in 2024. Who it's for: Viewers who like German historical drama, narratives of resistance, and films based on real events. Who it's not for: The ending is known from the start and the prison sections are very heavy. The narrative also leaves the political background deliberately incomplete.