Budapest Classic Film Marathon 2026: I Was Nineteen

In April 1945, Gregor returns to Germany in the uniform of a lieutenant of the Red Army. His parents had emigrated with him to Moscow when he was eight. Now he travels around in a vehicle fitted with loudspeaker trying to convince Germans of the senselessness of continued fighting. His words go largely unheeded. Some are ready to switch sides but others are unwilling to recognize that they have lost the war and bullets start flying. He is a stranger to his one-time compatriots; he may understand their language but not their behaviour and way of thinking. After rancorous meetings and bitter disappointments, hope for a genuine new beginning reawakens in him. The film based on Konrad Wolf’s own experiences is perceptive in its approach to the chaos surrounding the end of war and the huge range of personal motivations and destinies.