“The Silent Revolution” was among the highest-rated films by the audience at the recent Sedona International Film Festival, where it earned the honor of Audience Choice Best International Film. It has also won numerous awards at several prestigious film festivals around the world.
“The Silent Revolution” is a gripping and true story set in 1956 in East Germany. A group of students saw their life changed forever by a harmless human act of solidarity during the early stage of the Cold War, where freedom of thinking and integrity could make anyone an enemy of the state — or an ordinary hero. This is a film about the extraordinary courage of young individuals in a time of political oppression.
The year is 1956. During a visit to the cinema in West Berlin, high school pupils Theo and Kurt see dramatic pictures of the Hungarian uprising in Budapest on the newsreel. Back at school in Stalinstadt, they spontaneously decide to hold a minute’s silence in solidarity with the victims of the uprising during a lesson.
The gesture causes much bigger ripples than expected: while their headmaster initially tries to put the whole thing down to the whim of youth, the schoolchildren become objects of the political machinations of the fledgling East Germany. The People’s Education Minister condemns the action as a clearly counterrevolutionary act and demands that the ringleader be named within a week. But the schoolchildren stick together, thus facing with a decision that will change their lives forever.
“The ripple effect of a seemingly quite innocent idea and the subsequent, disproportionate reaction to it is fascinating to watch.” — Hollywood Reporter
“This is a solid piece of filmmaking which is elevated by a clutch of strong performances from the young cast.” — Screen International