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I Was Nineteen streaming

Original title: Ich war neunzehn
1968 Movie War, Drama, History, Biography 115 min Ages 12+
By: Konrad Wolf With: Jaecki Schwarz, Vasiliy Livanov, Aleksey Eybozhenko

April 1945: 19-year-old Gregor Hecker reaches the outskirts of Berlin as part of the Red Army's scouting team. Having fled Germany with his family when he was eight, he is confronted with the dilemma of having to fight men from his birth country. Through dealing with challenging situations (e.g. he is appointed commander of Bernau, talks to many disillusioned Germans, and keeps getting attacked by scattered groups of German soldiers), he grows more confident that not all hope is lost for post-war Germany. Based on the diary entries of director Konrad Wolf, the episodic movie authentically portrays the protagonist's struggle to come to terms with his own past and identity.

Filmium rating
69%

Festival Achievements

Berlin International Film Festival 1990
Selections:
Retrospective 1990

Mood

Historical
Melancholic
Reflective
Serious

Cast & Crew

Konrad Wolf
Gerhard Wolf
Wolfgang Kohlhaase
Aleksey Eybozhenko
Jaecki Schwarz
Vasiliy Livanov
Jaecki Schwarz (Gregor Hecker)
Konrad Wolf (Director)
Vladimir Gall (Inspiration)

Adaptation

Based On Personal History
Semi-Documentary

Budget

Mid-Budget

Cinematic Technique

Authenticity
Documentary-Style
Historical References
Interspersed
Interspliced Documentary
Realism

Narrative Structure

Documentary Intercut
Fictionalized
Historical Recount

Pace

Deliberate
Reflective
Slow
Slow-Paced

Soundtrack

Literary References
Period Music

Style

Authentic
Cinematic
Documentary
Historical
Realistic

Time-Period

1945
World War Ii

Central Conflict

German Surrender
Identity Conflict
Retribution
Survival
War Chaos

Characters

German Army Inspector
German Civilians
German Prisoners
German Soldier
Soviet Officer
Soviet Officers

Ending

Deceptive Normalcy
Hopeful
Promise To Deliver Letter
Unfinished

Historical Context

Berlin Battle 1945
End Of Wwii
Nazi Atrocities
Soviet Occupation

Key Plot Points

Battle Escape
May Day Celebration
Prisoner Rescue
Return To Germany
Spandau Negotiations

Plot

Berlin Battle
Conflict
German Soldiers
Historical
Identity
May Day Celebration
Occupation
Prisoners Of War
Red Army
Soviet Officers
Wwii Germany

Setting

Berlin
Germany
Historical
Post-War Germany
Sachsenhausen
Small River Crossing
Soviet-Occupied
Spandau

Shooting Location

Berlin
Germany
Sachsenhausen
Spandau

Theme

Belonging
Homeland
Identity
Loss
Reconciliation
War Atrocities

Genre

Drama
Historical
Historical Drama
War

Audiences

Adults
History Enthusiasts
War Film Fans
War Film Viewers

Titles

I Was 19
I Was Nineteen
Ich war neunzehn
J'avais 19 ans

Box Office Success

Over 3 Million Tickets Sold

Critical Reception

Considered Best East German Film
Praised By Filmmakers

Festivals

Telluride Film Festival

Popularity

Notable Historical Film

Reception

Critical Acclaim
Critically Acclaimed
East German Cinema
Festival Recognition
Film Festival

Production Countries

East Germany
Soviet Union

Release Year

1968
mowizz ID: 3020990d-464b-4b1f-aff2-fef056429679
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