Heidrun Schleef Movies

Director Ludi Boeken draws inspiration from Marga Spiegel's 1965 memoir of the same name to tell the story of a desperate German family that is saved from extermination by a group of heroic Münsterland farmers. As Adolf Hitler plunges Europe into chaos, Marga, her husband Siegfried, and their young daughter Karin flee for their lives. Incredibly, a group of heroic farmers from southern Münsterland take pity on the desperate refugees -- putting their own lives on the line to hide the trio from 1943 to 1945. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

When the heiress of a shoe manufacturing business returns to her home Italy after a trip to Tunisia and discovers an Arab teenager in her luggage, the makeshift family formed between the heiress, her faithful factory worker, and the runaway crumbles under the weight of the outside world. Heiress Anna and her lover Maria have just returned from a romantic getaway in Italy, and upon opening her suitcase Anna discovers that Arab teen Anis has stowed away for the ride to Europe. A stranger in a strange land, Anis is cared for by the motherly Anna despite Maria's initial objections. As the days go by the three gradually build a tenuous domestic rhythm - Anna is the caring mother, Maria the sisterly confidante, and Anis the wide-eyed child. But despite the fact that Maria soon warms to the idea of having Anis around, Anna's mother is vehement in her disapproval of the situation. Meanwhile, Mara suffers at the bedside of her ailing father while Anis grows increasingly comfortable with his new home life and attempts to figure out why Anna and her employee share the same bed. Now, as Anis and Mara grow increasingly closer, their common bond, and shared problems, with Anna slowly come into focus. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Casual voyeurism grows into an obsession in this low-key thriller from Italy. Valeria (Barbora Bobulova) works as an interpreter in Turin and shares an apartment with a friend, though she seems wary of close relationships with others. One of Valeria's windows looks into the flat of Massimo (Andrea Renzi), and she finds herself watching him as he goes about his daily business. Her curiosity begins to evolve into something deeper when Massimo knocks on her door, hoping she can help him with his dog, who is ill. Not long afterward, Massimo moves to Rome, and Valeria follows him, where she discovers he has a girlfriend, Flavia (Brigitte Catillon). As Valeria pursues Massimo from a distance, she also strikes up a friendship with Flavia, and as Massimo begins to develop a deeper interest in Valeria, it leads to a strange emotional triangle between the three. La Spettatrice received its North American premiere at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Italian director Michele Placido explores the legendary -- yet brief -- affair that occurred between writers Dino Campana and Sibilla Aleramo in the early part of the 20th century in his 2002 romantic drama, A Journey of Love. Early Italian feminist Sibilla Aleramo (played by Laura Morante) endured a forced marriage to an abusive husband due to an unexpected pregnancy at the age of 16. Eventually, she left her husband -- only to also lose all contact with her son due to her husband's spitefulness. These formative years enabled Sibilla to develop a literary voice, as she moved from city to city and began building a reputation not only as a fine writer, but also as a prodigious lover. At the age of 40, Sibilla met the somewhat younger and certainly more unconventional Dino Campana (Stefano Accorsi) and the duo embarked on a notoriously self-destructive and intense two year affair. A Journey of Love was an official competing selection in the 2002 Venice Film Festival and won Accorsi the Volpi Cup from the Festival Jury for Best Male Actor. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi

Elisabetta Lodoli made her feature directorial debut with this Italian drama, reminiscent of Michelangelo Antonioni's La Notte (1960). Successful biologist Elena (Luisa Passello) has a serious eating disorder. Elena and her husband Enrico (Emilio Bonucci), with their marriage collapsing, are staying at her late father's seaside villa when stewardess Ida (Iaia Forte), Elena's cousin, drops in for an extended visit. Despite their rivalry, Ida's unexpected visit could lead to a solution for Elena's eating problem. Shown at 1997 film festivals (Venice, Vancouver). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

A former terrorist from the early 1970s, who has totally suppressed the memory of the night in which she almost executed a man; encounters her intended victim a few years after the crime was committed. He, who wound up with a bullet lodged in his skull has never forgotten her, and so begins a complex, compelling Italian psychological drama that does not provide any simplistic answers to a situation that is difficult for both parties. The woman, Lisa Venturi was convicted of terrorism and sentenced to serve a 30-year sentence. Though she has only been in prison 12 years, she is given a chance to do work release during the day. It is on her way to work that she runs into Professor Sajevo, the man she tried to kill. He shows some interest in her, but she has no idea why. Soon the meetings become a strange unspoken ritual. Every day on her way to work, he manages to block her way. Finally she begins thinking he wants to court her and so begins fabricating a perfectly normal life. He meekly seems to buy every word, but eventually, he tells her the truth. Lisa is so deeply upset at having to face what she so carefully tried to hide from herself that she gives up her job and returns to the prison so she will not have to face him. Unfortunately, it is unavoidable, as by then both of them are pulled inexorably towards more communication about the situation and the ideology that threw them together in the first place. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi