HS-07. The Silent Revolution

Germany, Feature Film, 2018, 111 min

Winner at 5 film festivals

Electrifying. Toronto International Film Festival

In 1956 before the Berlin Wall, Theo and Kurt, who live in East Berlin, travel to West Berlin to visit the grave of Kurt’s uncle. While there, the curious boys decide to see a movie, which has a newsreel about the 1956 Hungarian Uprising as told from the Western point-of-view. They can’t wait to share the news with their East German classmates. Theo and Kurt get their class to stage a two-minute silent commemoration for the victims of the violent uprising, but a small silent protest is unthinkable in an authoritarian state. The idea that two teenagers traveled to the West and then helped spread Western propaganda in the East sends wild ripples of fear and crackdown in the GDR. The schoolchildren ultimately face a decision that will change their lives forever. A true story based on a best-selling book. Subtitled.

Directed by Lars Kraume

Colorado Premiere