Der Bund Deutscher Mädel

The movie delves into the lesser-known facets of life in Nazi Germany through the eyes of a young girl growing up in this oppressive environment, as she navigates her way through the mandatory German League of Girls in the Hitler Youth movement. By age ten, all girls were expected to join the BDM (League of German Girls), which was the female counterpart to the Hitler Youth under Adolf Hitler's reign. The film charts the progression from the BDM into the Belief and Beauty movement at age seventeen, where the primary focus became preparing these young women to become proficient in domestic skills, such as cooking, sewing, and childcare.Simultaneously, these girls were taught about their nation's leader and the principles of Nazism, instilling a sense of loyalty and obedience from an early age. The film is based on the real-life experiences of the director's mother who lived in Nazi Germany and shares her stories of the BDM, offering a unique insight into the lives of young girls within this troubling historical period. Crucially, the movie does not focus on the atrocities committed by adults; instead, it presents the world of children caught in the web of propaganda and indoctrination, shedding light on their experiences in an era often characterized by brutality.