Amma Asante’s imperial racial drama is a heart wrenching look at a period shrouded in ignorance. Her portrayal of a wholly untold narrative is both vitally important but also a reminder that there are so many untold stories about people of colour, throughout history. As a woman of mixed heritage there were several aspects of the story that hit close to home.
The dynamics between the love interest Lutz played by George Mackay and the film’s hero Lenya played by Amandla Stenberg presents an interesting look at the cognitive dissonance required to be able to have a romance like the one portrayed – however unlikely the romance may be.
Asante has artfully told an intriguing story with empathy and wrapped it in an unlikely romance.
Performances throughout were believable, particularly Lenya’s Mother Abbi Cornish and the father of Lutz played by Christopher Eccleston. Both actors artfully portrayed an interesting juxtaposition as parents of such intrinsically different teenagers in a period that sets their entire beings in stark contrast to one another.
Ultimately the story is one of harrowing trauma and an indelible look at the tireless ability to survive and hold onto love and goodness through one of history’s darkest periods.
Asante has artfully told an intriguing story with empathy and wrapped it in an unlikely romance.
That this look into a past often not known or told can still resonate today says much about the need for films like this, and brave filmmakers like Asante.
