"Where Hands Touch" Review

A Review By: Jasmine Ezeb

How can I describe the movie, "Where Hands Touch" on Netflix? Well, first of all, it was a complete masterpiece. The whole time, I was visually enthralled and on the edge of my seat. I could not stop watching. The movie was written and directed by Amma Asante and takes place in the 1940s during the Holocaust. The movie follows a small family: a single mom, Kerstein, her daughter, Leyna, and her son, Koen. The small family has a lot of love for each other, proved by their family meals, mutual care, and communication. Kerstein is fiercely protective over her children, especially her daughter. Leyna is biracial, and she noticeably has black features that make her stand out quite often. Although the Holocaust was mostly focused on the Jewish population of Nazi Germany, many other racial groups were targeted as well. These included Gypsies and anyone not of German origin. 

Circumstances continuously become worse in the German town that Kerstein, Leyna, and Koen are living in, so they flee to Berlin where Kerstein believes that Leyna could be safer. While in Berlin, they witness atrocities. Leyna watches helplessly as one of her friends from the bakery is humiliated and killed by a group of Nazi boys. In a totalitarian society, and particularly a dystopian one, there are always clues as to the society deteriorating as a whole. The movie does well to set up this environment, as Leyna helplessly realizes there is no safe place for her and becomes emotionally detached as a result. 

Key themes in the movie include self-identity, love conquers all, coming of age, nationalism v. individualism, the threats of totalitarianism, universal truths, and dependance on others. I particularly liked the mother, Kerstein. No matter what, she never gives up her daughter. She embodies a fierce, emotional, familial love. She loves her daughter unconditionally and stands by her side, even when she knows she is sneaking off with a German boy, something that is strictly forbidden. The scene where she offers herself to a German soldier rather than her daughter attests to this fierce and brave love. She protects her daughter and teaches Leyna to survive no matter what. She teaches Leyna essential survival skills, such as blending in with one's environment. She also teaches Leyna that everyone innately has the same value and self-worth, a universal truth. When Leyna comments that some "good" Jews are being taken, Kerstein immediately chides her, saying that Jews have certain inalienable rights, and they shouldn't be imprisoned at all. She also tells her son Koen never to forget the values he's learned at home even when he is being brainwashed at school. "Keep them in here and in here," she says, pointing to his heart and his head. Keirsten embodies almost every key theme in the movie, making her a phenomenal character. 

At the center of this movie is love. Love conquers all is a major theme that repeats in this movie time and time again, which makes the ending in particular very satisfying. The underlying motivation by characters is the balance between self-preservation and love, but love is the key driver. When self-preservation compromises a loved one, the characters always yield to love. One of the relationships that keenly display this (besides Kerstein, the mother above) is Leyna's relationship with Lutz. Like typical star-crossed lovers, the pair endures ups and downs at every point of the movie. Their relationship is secret, which makes it suspenseful, and Lutz especially feels very deeply for Leyna. Leyna relies on Lutz, and the minute he is gone, life becomes increasingly hard for her. Lutz is the son of a military Nazi general. His father is all about self-preservation, and like Leyna's Mother, he pressures Lutz to blend in. Lutz desires deeply to go to war and prove himself (hence the coming-of-age theme), but his father admonishes him, saying that Lutz would be committing suicide by going to war. Obviously, a relationship between a biracial girl and a Nazi's son would be punishable for both of them. They are reckless, just like a Romeo and Juliet scenario (an age-old trope that somehow still works). This relationship adds depth to the movie and is satisfying. Lutz is protective over Leyna, and he does everything he can to protect her. 

Self-identity is also a key theme in this story. Leyna is constantly met with the question that many biracial people face: Who am I? Leyna truly believes in Germany. She is a German at heart, yet her features say otherwise. In the movie she is constantly met with racial slurs. People also call her African and ask her where her father is from. They question the identity of her mother. She is even asked to leave school because of her race. The movie opens with Leyna talking about this phenomenon. She says there is no one else like her around. Asante creates a tension between Leyna's inner-feelings of pride for her country and the awful circumstances taking place around her. Is she truly German? Does she really want to be? What does it mean to be German? These are the kind of questions that Leyna faces in the movie. Leyna knows that what's being done isn't right, but she still believes that Germany is redeemable---even up until the end. This conflict between nationalism and identity plays greatly into Leyna's character and makes the reader sympathize with her perspective. She questions where she truly belongs. The movie provides a gratifying answer at the end.

Love conquers all is inadvertently the loudest theme in this movie-which can be perceived as corny in some movies but rings true in this one. Many Holocaust movies have this rebounding theme because one of the only driving factors that kept victims alive was finding their families. While this movie is very sad and depressing at times (I cried), the theme of love conquers all was very invigorating. 

Overall, this movie makes the viewer appreciate where they are in history. People like Leyna and Lutz did exist, and they were paving the way for us to live in a better world.  I think of Anne Frank, who died so young, leaving behind a journal that would forever impact our view of the Holocaust. We recognize these horrible things that way we can realize how far we come and never go back. Nowadays, Germany is one of the most peaceful countries with great work-life balance and healthcare. The Germans like Leyna hoped for a brighter future, and they got it. Their suffering was not in vain. I am happy that I was able to watch this movie and gain so much more perspective through the eyes of Leyna and Lutz. If you are looking for a historical fiction tearjerker that has a fulfilling ending, please watch this movie. 5 Stars. 

-Jasmine Ezeb