The Promise

The Promise

A love, a hope, a wall.

1995 · 115 min · ★ 6.6 · Drama, Romance

East-Berlin, 1961, shortly after the erection of the Wall. Konrad, Sophie and three of their friends plan a daring escape to Western Germany. The attempt is successful, except for Konrad, who remains behind. From then on, and for the next 28 years, Konrad and Sophie will attempt to meet again, in spite of the Iron Curtain. Konrad, who has become a reputed Astrophysicist, tries to take advantage of scientific congresses outside Eastern Germany to arrange encounters with Sophie. But in a country where the political police, the Stasi, monitors the moves of all suspicious people (such as Konrad's sister Barbara and her husband Harald), preserving one's privacy, ideals and self-respect becomes an exhausting fight, even as the Eastern block begins its long process of disintegration.

Directed by Margarethe von Trotta · Written by Peter Schneider

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Cast

Meret Becker Sophie I
Corinna Harfouch Sophie II
Anian Zollner Konrad I
August Zirner Konrad II
Eva Mattes Barbara II
Hark Bohm Müller II
Otto Sander Professor Lorenz
Ulrike Krumbiegel Elisabeth
Pierre Besson Harald I
Tina Engel Sophies Tante
Dieter Mann Konrad's Vater
Simone von Zglinicki Konrad's Mutter

Make it a double feature

3h 40m together

The Promise

Sheer Madness

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