Caroline Link, whose previous film, Jenseits der Stille, was very popular among school audiences, won the 2003 Oscar for Best Foreign Film with this title. Based on an autobiographical novel by Stefanie Zweig, the story deals with the effects of displacement on a German-Jewish family taking refuge in Kenya at the outbreak of World War 11. While her formerly upper-middle-class parents struggle with the pressures of uncertain finances, physical hardships and homesickness, the young Regina forms friendships with local Kenyans.
Covering several years, the film explores the different ways in which individuals respond to displacement and its emotional repercussions.