Germany 2015
Opening May 7, 2015
Directed by: Katrin Seybold, Ula Stöckl
Writing credits: Katrin Seybold, Ula Stöckl
Principle actors: Documentary with Liselotte Dreyfeldt-Hein, Gerda Freise, Valentin Freise
The White Rose resistance was compiled of a group of German students who were against the Third Reich and were particularly known for a leaflet campaign that opposed Adolph Hitler. The film brings forward several surviving members of the group from Hamburg and Munich and through their personal remembrances the actions of the murdered members of the movement are brought to light.
Unfortunately, despite the good intentions of the film to bring more understanding about the group to the forefront of history, its fatal flaw is its assumption that the audience already knows many of the basic details. In truth, outside of Germany, not much is known about the White Rose, and this film could have been a perfect source for wider exposure for the victims and the survivors of the greatest resistance group in Germany during Nazism. However, because little time is spent explaining just who everyone is talking about, the interviews become a spewing of names that feel virtually meaningless as the audience struggles to follow the historical relevance. Also, the majority of the film focuses on the events that follow the tragic deaths of the Scholls and their comrades, and instead brings to light the life of Hans Leipelt and Professor Heinrich Wieland. While it is interesting to learn more beyond the normal story of the Scholls, the lack of context makes the film unfulfilling and often confusing and leads to it being not a particularly good use of such excellent interviews. ()