Where Hands Touch

Where Hands Touch is a captivating and thought-provoking British-Belgian romantic war drama from 2018. Directed and written by the esteemed director, Amma Asante, the movie stands as a resounding testimony to her talent for weaving powerful narratives through historical backdrops. The delightful ensemble cast led by Amandla Stenberg, along with strong performances by Abbie Cornish and George MacKay, propels the film's narrative to captivating heights.

The film is set in the grim landscape of the Second World War. It catapults the audience right into the heart of Nazi Germany in 1944, a time fraught with fear, uncertainty, and almost tangible tension. The plot has a strong and unique premise, focusing on the life of a biracial teenager, Leyna (Amandla Stenberg), who navigates survival in an increasingly hostile environment as she grapples with her identity amid the gruesome racial biases and the oppressive Nazi regime.

Leyna is the daughter of a white German mother, Kerstin (Abbie Cornish), and a black African father. After her father's untimely death, their loving day-to-day existence is shattered, and they move to Berlin for better opportunities but soon find themselves embroiled in a race-specific brutal war.

Leyna’s struggle with her layered identity comes to the fore, eloquently narrated with a stray touch of innocence. Amandla Stenberg, best known for her role in The Hunger Games, brings alive the emotions, dreams, and disturbances of Leyna with remarkable prowess, making her narrative the throbbing heart of the story.

During her journey, she crosses paths with a member of the Hitler Youth, Lutz (George MacKay), who becomes an unlikely friend and romantic interest. The exceptional screenplay weaves in layers of complex emotions as two young people grounded on opposite sides of a devastating war find themselves drawn towards each other.

The dynamic between Leyna and Lutz forms the soul of the film. The nuanced performances of Stenberg and MacKay powerfully depict the conflict within their characters, and the romance blooms amidst adversity, activating troubling questions of identity, patriotism, and love. The dilemma, secrets, and betrayals make for an intriguing storyline, offering an immersive cinematic experience.

Abbie Cornish's portrayal as Leyna's mother, Kerstin, brings another vital dimension to the portrayal of love and sacrifice, lending to the saga an emotional poignancy. Her performance is potent and compelling, creating a character that anchors Leyna’s life amidst the tumultuous chaos of their times.

Meanwhile, the war backdrop is portrayed with an intensity that leaves a lasting impression, deftly intertwined with the intricately drawn personal narratives. The film does not shy away from showing the horrors inflicted by Nazism and portrays an unfiltered image of the torment that the Jews and half-blood faced, never before shown with this perspective.

Behind the camera, cinematographer Remi Adefarasin, known for his work in films like Band of Brothers and Match Point, brings out the gloomy reality of 1944 Germany with striking imagery. The camera seldom hesitates to linger on the faces of its characters, capturing their inner turmoil and concealing nothing from the audience. Complementing the visual landscape is the movie's score, composed by Anne Chmelewsky, which conveys the haunting melancholy, underlying tension, and fleeting moments of tender hope.

Through the character of Leyna, director Amma Asante brings forward the untold history of the Afro-German community during wartime, a narrative rarely explored on screen. In revealing this group's struggles and presenting a unique love story set against the war's grim backdrop, Where Hands Touch offers rich, emotionally charged storytelling.

With its compelling characters, poignant narrative, eye-catching cinematography, and powerful performances, Where Hands Touch is a riveting romantic drama that harrowingly reflects a slightly different tale of the horror during the Second World War. Drawing from a dark period in history, it encourages viewers to engage with topics often left untouched, providing a nuanced exploration of identity, love, and the impact of war.