![]() ![]() They were thought to have been the progeny of Black soldiers who occupied the post-WWI Rhineland. However, reproductive autonomy is central to the history of the so-called Rhineland Bastards, the Nazi’s insulting term for Germans who were part Black. The family dynamics are so impactful they could have sustained their own story. Sweet, as Leyna’s younger brother, conveys all of the confusion of a young boy who loves his sister and at the same time believes authorities who tell him that she is sub-human because she is part African. Scenes between Leyna and her mother pack a powerful punch, and the viewer can’t help but empathize with their frustration and anger. It is masterfully shot, well-acted and beautifully written. “Where Hands Touch” also asks tough questions of those in positions of privilege, questions that are completely relevant to the facts on the ground today.Īlso starring Abbie Cornish as Leyna’s mother, Tom Sweet as her white younger half-brother Koen and George MacKay as her love interest Lutz, “Where Hands Touch” is, from a technical standpoint, an excellent film. It offers up a part of history when Blacks, especially Black women, are always erased. The film has no perfect answers, no neat tying up with a bow. ![]() To be certain, the romantic Nazi storyline is terribly troubling, and there is no way to be comfortable with it. Lutz becomes instantly smitten with Leyna after seeing her on the street one day. Consisting of boys aged 14 to 18, the Hitler Youth is the training program for young men who eventually become Nazi soldiers. Of course “Where Hands Touch” has resulted in a firestorm of controversy, given that Leyna falls for Lutz, a member of the Hitler Youth. ![]() So does “Where Hands Touch,” with main character Leyna played by biracial actress Amandla Stenberg. Asante’s first film, the critically praised “A Way of Life,” has a teen girl as its main character. With “Where Hands Touch,” British-Ghanaian director Amma Asante revisits her roots by making a film with young adults at its center. ![]()
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