'' (titled '''''Hitlerjunge Salomon''''' in
German ) is a 1990 German-language film directed by
Agnieszka Holland based on the 1989
Autobiography by
Solomon Perel , a
Jew who pretended not to be one during the
Nazi Era . The movie stars Perel,
Marco Hofschneider , and
Julie Delpy .
The film was nominated for the .
Solik and his family live in Germany. On the eve of Solik's
Bar Mitzvah ,
Kristallnacht occurs. His sister is killed and he and his parents and two brothers go to
Poland thinking that it will be safer. When the Germans attack Poland during the
September Campaign , Solik and his brother are sent east to Russia. The brothers are separated, and Solik is placed in an
Orphanage .
Solik lives in the orphanage for two years. When the Germans attack Russia, the orphanage is abandoned and Solik is separated from the others. He is picked up by Germans, and is able to make himself useful as a translator with his knowledge of German,
Russian , and
Polish . For instance he identifies
Stalin's son who was captured at the same time, to the Germans. He pretends to be a German named Josef "Jupp" Peters from Latvia. A fellow soldier, a homosexual actor, finds out the truth, but promises not to tell anyone. The two become close friends. Solik, however, is aware of the danger and tries to desert to the Russians after the death of his friend. But the Russians all come out and surrender to him and he is celebrated as a war hero. This allows him to leave the front and go to a
Hitler Youth school, and is adopted by his captain, a nobleman from Pommern.
At the school he falls in love with a German girl Leni, a fervent Nazi, but must accept that their love has no future. Leni's mother realizes that he is not who he claims to be, he breaks down and confesses that he is a Jew, without Leni ever finding out.
The Hitler Youth are sent to the front, now in
Berlin , and he manages to surrender to the Russians. His captors refuse to believe that he was not a German, and are about to have him shot. But his brother, who has just been released from a
Concentration Camp , identifies him. He is released shortly after, and
Immigrates to the
British Mandate (the future reborn
Israel ), where he proudly embraces his
Jewish heritage.
