GREAT FREEDOM
Franz Rogowski (UNDINE, PFF29) stars in this tough yet tender drama about a German man repeatedly jailed over three decades due to the country’s anti-homosexuality laws.
Winner of the Jury Prize in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section, GREAT FREEDOM brings attention to a shameful aspect of German history: the notorious “Paragraph 175” statute, which criminalized homosexuality and was responsible for the imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of Germans. Hans Hoffman (Franz Rogowski) runs afoul of this law on several occasions, ending up in jail over and over from the mid-1940s until the late 1960s. Shunned by most other prisoners because of the nature of his “crime,” Hans remains undaunted in his determination to pursue his desires, even while behind bars. Yet Hans’s most lasting relationship is with an unlikely compatriot: his gruff, avowedly straight cellmate Viktor (Georg Friedrich). Though the two start off on rocky footing, they form a unique bond across the decades, providing much-needed support in a harsh environment. An elegantly crafted drama that renders history in deeply human terms, Great Freedom offers a fantastic showcase for both scene-stealer Friedrich and a mesmerizing Rogowski, who once again asserts his place as one of international cinema’s most exciting young actors.
CAST: Franz Rogowski, Georg Friedrich, Anton von Lucke, Thomas Prenn
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