After her photo is published in a newspaper, Judith looks very agitated, and she has good reason to, as this photo will force her to confront her past and by doing so, could destroy everything that she holds dear to her heart. Soon after the photo is made public, a young woman, Alice, shows up at the bed and breakfast Judith runs with her husband; she’s the victim of a minor automobile accident. However, the woman is not a stranger, at least not to Judith, and she brings with her a life full of psychological trauma which she threatens to confront Judith with.
It is pretty obvious that Alice is actually the daughter of Judith and she confronts her mother with the truth of her past, and tells her to inform her family who she really is and what she did that caused her to abandon her daughter. If she doesn’t comply with these threats, Alice will report her mother to the authorities.
I really enjoyed this film a lot, as it was beautifully acted and the way the mother had to deal with the guilt of abandoning her daughter, the fear of going to jail for a crime committed a lifetime ago, as well as the fear of losing her family if she tells them the truth, was impeccably handled by actress Iris Berben. The character of Alice is much less likeable as she is such a selfish character who can only see things from her own point-of-view, but still nicely performed by Katharina Schuttler. Overall though, this French / German co-production is definitely worth seeing.
3.5 Stars - Viewed at the 2010 Melbourne International Film Festival
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