"Barbara" (Nina Hoss) makes the mistake of asking for an exit visa from East Germany and as a reward is posted to a remote rural clinic where despite the warm welcome of her boss "André" (Ronald Zehrfeld) she remains wary of her new surroundings. Convinced that the dreaded Stasi are behind every bush and monitoring every call, she tries to continue her clandestine affair with a west Berliner whilst planning a moment when she can abscond to the safety of Denmark. What she hadn't bargained on was her own gradually developing affinity with her new patients; especially the vulnerable young "Stella" (Jasna Fritzi Bauer) who most certainly hasn't her problems to seek. Perhaps now might be a time for "Barbara" to reconsider her plan, or perhaps escape cannot come a moment too soon? The rustic setting is really quite fitting for this quite penetrating story of not just oppressive state control and intervention, but also of characters who could barely trust their own reflections or, increasingly, their own judgements. These burgeoning conflicts are made all the more difficult as the human effects of her new job impact not just on "Barbara" but on many of those around her. Hoss is a master of the casual glance and the gentle inflexion, and partnered with some well aimed dialogue and solid support from Zehrfeld delivers her conflicted character strongly. That much of this takes place amidst the hours of darkness helps too as Christian Petzold uses the shadows, the creaking forestry, the sounds of the sea and the hyper-observant populace to create quite an effective sense of menace as this plot unfolds as recently as a 1980s that's unrecognisable nowadays. I hope.
