What It's About:

Jenny (Hannah Herzsprung), a piano prodigy as a child, begins a downward spiral when she’s victimized for wanting to do something else. Soon transformed into a hardened criminal, she eventually gets convicted of capital charges, and faces a long prison sentence. While incarcerated, Jenny gets the chance to rekindle her talent under the tutelage of eighty year old Traude (Monica Bleibtreu), a teacher who appreciates Jenny’s natural gift, and also shares her sense of victimization, as we learn (via flashbacks) that in her past life, she also experienced significant oppression.

Why I Love It:

Director Chris Krauss’s intense drama is fueled by a scorching performance from young Herzsprung in the central role of Jenny, whose fury and pain project off the screen like daggers. Monica Bleibtreu provides solid counterpoint as the bitter Traude, a woman whose prison exists in her own soul, with the study of music her only constant friend. Krauss explores the evolving relationship between these two women, and a film of remarkable sensitivity and perception emerges. Don’t miss that ending!