Spielzeugland (2007)

A German mother lies to her son about where the Nazis are sending their Jewish neighbors.

Director:

Jochen Alexander Freydank

Writers:

Johann A. Bunners, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Stars:

Julia Jäger, Cedric Eich, Tamay Bulut Özvatan

Won 1 Oscar. Another 22 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Julia Jäger	...	Marianne Meißner
Cedric Eich	...	Heinrich Meißner
Tamay Bulut Özvatan	...	David Silberstein
Torsten Michaelis	...	Herr Silbertein
Claudia Hübschmann	...	Frau Silberstein
David Bunners	...	SS-Obersturmführer Falke (as David C. Bunners)
Gregor Weber	...	SS-Mann Werner
Jürgen Trott	...	Schutzpolizist
Klaus-Jürgen Steinmann	...	Blockwart
Heike Reichenwallner	...	Nachbarin
Matthias Paul	...	Gestapo Mann

Storyline

On a winter morning, a mother goes to waken her son Heinrich; his bed is empty. She leaves her flat to find him. The neighbors' door, with a Star of David painted on it, is ajar, the furnishings in disarray, the family gone. She asks passersby, runs to the police then on to the rail yard. Flashbacks show that Heinrich and the neighbors' son Paul are six years old and best friends. Paul's family's deportation is expected soon; Heinrich's mother tells her son that they're going to Toyland. Heinrich wants to go with them, has a bag packed, and listens for their departure. His mother realizes he's joined them, and her resolve becomes more urgent. Will she arrive in time to save Heinrich?

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Plot Keywords:

neighbor | jewish | german | flashback | winter | 

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Genres:

Short | Drama | War

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Toyland

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mephisto Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

14 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This short film is available as a bonus on the Film Movement DVD of Storm (2009).

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

User Reviews

Blood brothers

Usually, I don't watch short films but after seeing and reviewing about five feature films in three days, I needed to see a movie that could capture a gamut of emotions in few minutes and that is precisely what 'Toyland' does. It takes one of the most crucial periods in history - the holocaust and brings it down to the lives of two families and an incident that changes the course of their lives in the dark period.

A mother finds her son Heinrich missing one day, after she tells him the previous day that their neighbors are moving to Toyland. The prospect of going to a place filled with toys titillates Heinrich and he gets too eager to go with the neighbors, which includes his best friend Paul. The first seven minutes oscillate between flashbacks of Heinrich's excitement and the mother's frantic search. This leads to an end that is so poignant, gripping, chilling and fascinating that it brought tears to my eyes. The fourteen minute film so effortlessly manages to touch the audiences that it truly deserves all the accolades that it has got. 8 out of 10.