Alone in Berlin

“Gleeson shines here as a man of few words who channels his anger into action.”
- Jim Schembri, 3AW

“It's that juxtaposition - of the hellish against the ordinary - which gives the film its punch.”
– Sandra Hall, Sydney Morning Herald

“When Alone in Berlin reaches the end of its journey, it’s the performances of Gleeson and Thompson that ensure we’ll never forget the bravery of Otto and Anna.”
— Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

Adapted from Hans Fallada’s 1947 novel Every Man Dies Alone and nominated for a Golden Bear, Alone in Berlin follows a couple as they mount a small yet surprisingly effective resistance against the Nazi dictatorship in wartime Berlin. After losing their son on the front line during the Battle of France in 1940, working-class couple Otto (Brendan Gleeson) and Anna (Emma Thompson) find themselves disillusioned with the Nazi regime and frustrated with the war effort. Feeling angry and betrayed by the Fuhrer’s empty promises and the substantial toll of the war, the couple decides to avenge their lost son by spreading doubt and discontent across the German capital. Their postcards, distributed in high-traffic public places across the city, transmit anti-Hitler slogans to their fellow citizens. Their small acts of defiance rattle loudly enough that young police inspector Escherich (Daniel Bruhl) mounts a citywide hunt for the postcard-propaganda perpetrators. Gleeson and Thompson have a genuinely moving chemistry with each other, honouring the bravery of the real-life couple on which the story is based. Alone in Berlin offers a peek into the life of Berliners under Nazi rule and serves as a testament to the importance of resistance, big or small, against a totalitarian regime.