Amrum: A WWII Drama Returns to U.S. Screens

“Amrum,” directed by Fatih Akin, opened in U.S. theaters this month. The film follows teenage Nanning Bohm, whose Nazi-loyal family collapses after Hitler’s death, and his mother’s subsequent depression. Diane Kruger appears as Tessa, a farmer who hires Nanning while openly opposing the Nazis.

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Kruger once refused WWII roles to avoid typecasting as a German actress. She later joined Quentin Tarantino’s *Inglourious Basterds*, saying the role allowed her to symbolically confront Hitler. Her partnership with Akin began on the 2017 Cannes-winning *In the Fade*. The new film revisits the era amid rising global authoritarianism.

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• Diane Kruger – Actress, Tessa.

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• Fatih Akin – Director, took over after Hark Bohm’s death.

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• Hark Bohm – Veteran actor/director whose experiences inspired Nanning; died in November at 86.

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• Nanning Bohm – Fictional teen based on Bohm’s wartime life.

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• 2017: *In the Fade* released, earning Kruger Cannes Best Actress.

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• November: Hark Bohm died, prompting Akin to direct solo.

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• 2026 (this month): *Amrum* opens in U.S. cinemas.

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• Hark Bohm died at age 86.

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• Kruger’s Cannes award came from a 2017 film.

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• *Amrum* centers on a teenage boy and his Nazi-aligned family.

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Kruger says the film mirrors the current rise of radical politics and reflects her anxiety about the world her daughter will inherit, suggesting that historical patterns appear to be resurfacing. Akin emphasizes that the story probes Germany’s lingering trauma over familial complicity, arguing that while individuals cannot be blamed for their parents’ deeds, a familial link still ties them to that legacy. The drama thus invites reflection on collective memory and moral accountability.

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Kruger chose Tessa to portray a strong anti-Nazi woman reflecting her own countryside background. She praised Akin’s demanding yet supportive direction. Akin noted the film shifted from a co-directed concept with Bohm to a personal auteur project after Bohm’s health declined, and he described the narrative as a lens on Germany’s ongoing reckoning with its Nazi past.

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• “I never wanted to be in a World War II movie,” — Diane Kruger, Actress

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• “That was not just great for me, but also for my country and the world.” — Diane Kruger, Actress

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• “I had to work with this material until it became very personal and close to me, and until it became a film of an auteur.” — Fatih Akin, Director

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• “I don’t think people are responsible for the actions of their parents, but they have some bloodline connection to them,” — Fatih Akin, Director

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