When Europa Europa was released in Germany in 1990, the local media were less than complimentary. In fact, when it came time for the German Oscar selection committee to make its picks, the film was left off the list. Oh, the embarrassment that ensued when the film was nominated for an Oscar anyway (Best Adapted Screenplay), won a Golden Globe and went on to become one of the most successful German films ever released in the United States. The film tells the story of a Jewish teenager who poses as a German orphan during World War II in order to survive. He is taken deep into the Nazi world, eventually becoming a Hitler Youth and an inadvertent war hero. While the tale at times seems improbable, it is based on the true story of one Solomon Perel, who appears at the end of the film. The movie plays Wednesday at Texas Christian University as part of the KinoMonda Film Series. The series, which screens international films every Wednesday, is sponsored by the school's office of International Student Services.
Wed., Jan. 25