German Film Fest 2024 Review - From Hilde, With Love
Images courtesy of the German Film Festival.
Because I loved my husband.
Andreas Dresen’s From Hilde, with Love is not your typical Nazi Germany film. There are no heiling nazis, swastikas, or physically violent interrogation scenes. Instead, Dresen avoids these common stereotypes and gives a realistic portrayal of German life during Hitler’s reign. Here he explores the very real life of Hilde Coppi (Liv Lisa Fries of Babylon Berlin fame), a reticent dental assistant forced to give birth in prison as she awaits her sentencing for being a part of the German resistance group Die Rote Kapelle (The Red Orchestra). Dresen cleverly uses flashbacks in reverse chronological order to slowly expose her role within the group and whether she was just a wife caught up in her husband’s rebellion, or a resistance fighter in her own right.
The actual Hilde Coppi and her husband Hans Coppi (played by Johannes Hegemann in his first major role) were transformed into heroes after Nazi Germany fell, with East Germany exploiting the achievements of the pro-communist anti-fascist members of Red Orchestra, as they aimed to distance themselves from Nazi Germany. They effected this rebrand through some light historical revisionism as to just how much of an impact this group had during the war, elevating the members to a god-like status that inspired streets and children to be named in their honour. The Red Orchestra were mainly responsible for printing and distributing anti-war slogans, documenting Nazi war crimes, intercepting radio messages, and providing families with knowledge as to their sons’ safety and whereabouts by tapping into illegal Soviet broadcasts. Unfortunately, they were not as influential as East Germany made them out to be as most of their messages were never received and made little impact on the final outcome of the war.
Hilde herself was an unconventional protagonist in a wartime film, she had no blazing moments of heroism that most would expect, instead, it was her quiet but practical nature that placed her as a valued member of the resistance. Surrounded by intellectuals and bohemian types spouting philosophical views for an idealistic future, Hilde was pragmatic, the only one capable of putting these visions into action. She’s the one who stole stationery from work to make their letters, who put in the time to learn Morse code, who had the quick wit to come up with a book to mention when asked by an outsider what their ‘book club’ was currently reading. She never quite fit in with the other revolutionaries and that is what made her all the more delightful. Many actors would not be able to portray the subtle strength required and would run the risk of having Hilde come across as a wallflower, but Fries’s tender performance ensured that Hilde’s story took centre stage.
Dresen’s realistic documentary style of filming only adds to the story, helping to make it feel like it isn’t tied to any specific historical period, as the key theme of resistance no matter the impact is not only universal and timeless, but quite relevant to current world politics. The film is not incredibly plot heavy, relying on slow beats and silence to convey its message with fine attention to detail. The visual of Hilde’s prison dress hanging from her body with wet patches around her nipples after having her baby taken from her is a chilling image that doesn’t require any fancy filmwork to pack a punch.
From Hilde, with Love had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival where it was nominated for the Golden Bear award. It’s now screening at the 2024 German Film Festival at Palace Cinemas. So if you’re into German language biographical films set in Berlin, offbeat heroines, and sobbing until your eyes are red then From Hilde, with Love is the film for you.
3.5 out of 5 stars
From Hilde, With Love is screening as part of the 2024 German Film Festival. The Melbourne festival runs from the 10th-29th of May. For tickets and more info, click here.