The Silent Revolution is based on a true story and a book by Dietrich Garstka. It is set in 1956 in Berlin, during the height of the Cold War. Theo and Kurt, high school students, sneak over to West Germany to watch the weekly news program that is shown at cinemas. They see footage of the uprising in Budapest, and when they tell their classmates about it they respond by calling for two minutes’ silence during class. The response ripples throughout their community, leading to the People’s Education Minister, who begins a search to find who was responsible.

The Silent Revolution was a really interesting depiction of the relationship between politics and young people in East Germany. They were torn between being fearless and doing what they thought was ‘right’, and what their parents and the norms of the Communist society thought. The movie emphasised the power of propaganda, and how the news manipulated the students’ community.

In a small-scale way, the movie mirrors contemporary life. In a world of #fakenews, where the media has such power over society’s beliefs, and where there is often a battle between older generations and younger and their conflicting political beliefs, the movie demonstrated that many of these issues are still relevant.

The movie comfortably situates itself in the social and political stage of East Germany in the Cold War. The casting and acting is strong, and as you follow the two main characters,Theo (Leonard Scheicher) and Kurt (Tom Gramenz), you feel attached to them and want them to succeed.

Overall, The Silent Revolution is good. It’s a good kids vs Communists movie, but intelligent. It’s relatable for anyone who has felt powerless in a situation of injustice, and has wanted to change it.

– Sina Rieken