Grim story of love and prison

This German biographical drama tells the true story of two young Berliners who joined an anti-fascist resistance movement in Nazi Germany.

A scene from From Hilde With Love.

The German biographical drama From Hilde, With Love tells the true story of two young Berliners who joined an anti-fascist resistance movement in Nazi Germany.

Bette Rake and Hans Coppi met, fell in love, married, facilitated and took part in non-violent civil disobedience and were arrested in 1942. Hilde Coppi, as she became known, was heavily pregnant at the time.

This film of love and resistance, directed by Andreas Dresen and written by Laila Stieler, tells both stories: Hilde and Hans joining the group later dubbed the Red Orchestra, and Hilde’s incarceration at Plotzensee Prison in Berlin.

Its strength is the performance of Liv Lisa Fries as Hilde. The German actor is perhaps best known as one of the stars of the ongoing television series Babylon Berlin.

From the moment she delivers her son, Hans Jr, in prison to her final scenes, she is compelling to watch. Hilde appears timid — asked what she would wish for on a falling star, she says to “Stop being scared of everything” — but she has inner strength.

She opens herself to one of her fears — love — with Hans (Johannes Hegemann), who is tall and good-looking. There’s a beautifully sad juxtaposition across the two storylines: the couple making love and then practising how to tap out coded messages on each other’s bodies and then, in the feared for future, being allowed a brief meeting in prison so Hans can meet his son.

The supporting cast are good, particularly Lisa Wagner as the rule-bound prison guard who finds some place in her heart for Hilde and her son. The direction and cinematography (Judith Kaufmann) show us the grim, grey reality of life in prison.

And therein lies the challenge with this film. It’s billed as “deeply moving”, and it is. It’s also sad and depressing; The With Love part of the title particularly so. If you’re familiar with the story of the Coppis, you will know why. If you are not, all I can say is prepare yourself.

From Hilde, With Love

German language with English subtitles
124 minutes
In cinemas

★★★