At the same place in 1945, 1957, and 1968, the treatment of homosexuality is examined. The place is a prison, because until 1969, sex between men was illegal in Germany. For this reason, Sebastian Meise's main character Hans Hoffmann is regularly convicted; even the Nazis forced him into a concentration camp for it. One sees the harshness of the penal system, where human dignity is of no concern, but at the same time, one sees a man who refuses to be broken and finds unexpected friendship. GREAT FREEDOM tells in a matter-of-fact yet heartbreaking manner of decency under pressure, of compassion, and indeed of love.

A public toilet, a so-called 'Klappe', where gay men meet for quick, anonymous sex, fills the screen. The images are a film within a film, as these men are spied on by a camera behind a mirror. Their hasty lust is recorded and later they are arrested for it - GREAT FREEDOM shows a time when homosexuality was criminal. The Federal Eagle hangs prominently on the wall behind the judges who sentence the young Hans Hoffmann to 24 months in prison based on the evidence film.

It is the year 1968 and Hans is not in a cell for the first time. He knows the routine; he has been in this prison before. Sebastian Meise interweaves three time periods, three prison stays of Hans. The first time he was here was in 1945, still under the supervision of the Allies, who had previously freed him from a concentration camp: the Nazis had also imprisoned him for his homosexuality. The Americans took away his Rosa Winkel but sent him straight back to prison, as after the war, the offense of 'unnatural fornication' was still punishable under Paragraph 175 of the German Penal Code.

For the different narrative levels, years are initially displayed, and the transitions often occur through solitary confinement, where Hans frequently ends up. One can learn something about the penal system of the Federal Republic: the men are thrown half-naked into lightless cells, equipped only with a toilet bucket. They lie on the stone floor in the cold, alone in time and space. Meise lets the darkness linger there for a long time, sharing it with the prisoners for the memory of other years.

In 1945, Hans comes into the cell of Viktor, both young, but Viktor is homophobic and aggressive. He doesn't want a 'pervert' near him. However, as soon as he sees the concentration camp number tattooed on Hans's arm, his perception changes. In a fit of compassion, he offers to make Hans's tattoo unrecognizable. The two prisoners, played by Franz Rogowski and Georg Friedrich, compellingly show how two people can change each other. Tentatively, a friendship begins between them, which continues through each of Hans's prison stays - he goes out and comes back in, Viktor is constantly inside.

Beyond the three phases of imprisonment, the societal treatment of gays remains equally malicious outside. Hans does not let lust and love be forbidden, and for that, he repeatedly ends up in prison. But even though there is iron discipline in prison, Hans can still carry out all kinds of secret resistance. Meise tells of love and heartache with other gays, with a few moral conflicts stirred by Viktor, but at least Hans and Viktor have a conscience.

Their friendship grows from this, characterized by sparse dialogues full of laconic wit, an intimate understanding of each other, and helpfulness, which is a rare commodity in prison, as it is usually always punished. In September 1969, Paragraph 175 in the Federal Republic of Germany is changed: homosexual acts between adult men are now decriminalized. What this means for Hans and Viktor is told by Meise's previously mostly dark film as if there is hope for the world. As if the future were easy.

Doris Kuhn (17.01.2024)

Paragraph 175 of the German Penal Code: Paragraph 175 was introduced in the German Empire in 1871 and criminalized 'unnatural fornication' between men. The criminal provision continued to exist in the Weimar Republic. The law was tightened under the Nazi regime in 1935: a mere suspicion was sufficient to be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. Despite its history in the Nazi era, the Federal Constitutional Court in 1957 saw the criminal provision as not influenced by National Socialism and allowed its continued application. … In the Federal Republic of Germany, the law was changed in 1969: homosexual acts between adult men over 21 years old were decriminalized. It was not until 1994 that the Bundestag decided to finally repeal the paragraph. (Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency)

Production Country

Austria (AT), Germany (DE)

Production Period

2020/2021

Production Year

2021

color

color

Aspect Ratio

1:1,85

Duration

Feature-Length Film (61+ Min.)

Type

Feature Film

Genre

Drama

Topic

Justice, Violence, LGBTIQ / Queer, Friendship, Sexuality, Equal Rights / Emancipation, Democracy / Human Rights

Available Media

DCP, Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Digital Film

Original Version

German (de)

DCP

Subtitles

German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (short), Russian (ru), Arabic (ar), German (partly)

Blu-ray Disc

Subtitles

German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (short), Russian (ru), Arabic (ar), German (partly)

DVD

Subtitles

German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (short), Russian (ru), Arabic (ar), German (partly)

Note on the Format

DVD-Vertrieb erst 21 Monate nach Vertragsabschluss und in Abstimmung mit dem Lizenzgeber möglich.

Digital Film

Subtitles

German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (short), Russian (ru), Arabic (ar), Greek (el)

Note on the Format

CC: et-ru