Refuge

This film is a fast-paced emotional roller-coaster that will tear you heart apart with it's brutality. This is not one of those "sit back and relax" films that makes you drop a tear at the end. This one is emotionally challenging, uncomfortable and difficult to watch and will leave you overwhelmed and speechless, but still will make you watch it until the end by showing you that there is still a glimpse of hope. This film is certainly not for everyone, although you should at least try watching it.

Check out Wolfgang Petersen's 1977 film "The Consequence" (currently free at Amazon) which tells a very similar story of how parents could commit their "incorrigible" teens to these brutal institutional schools.

And if you make it to the end of "Sanctuary," you'll see that the German government has admitted these things were happening, and has paid restitution to some of the victims.

Thanks Brummund for such an excellent work. There should be more such courageous people who can tell the truth at the face of a super-hypocrite society in which we live. We live in a society which has no shortage of Sadists and very unfortunately children are the softest sufferer. I spent a year and half in a Missionary School in West Bengal, Kolkata. I was luckier than Wolfgang because my mother protected me, she did listen to me when I came home for summer vacations and complained that I will die if I go back to the mission. The film is actually so realistic, unlike what many reviewers here feel. I know that because I had been in a similar institution, though thousands of kilometres away. I remember how cruel had been many people in my locality after I returned from the coveted missionary school. There were many who asked why I returned, some suggested that I was kicked out. So I can understand why Wolfgang hit the neighbour he met on the street after he left him home without meeting his mother. Rest assured that such terrible places are still there in almost every country and will be there as long as we don't properly learn to treat others of our own species respectfully.

What should I say...cried when Rising Sun came out. Wolfgang's dreams, his family, friends, and his normal life were gone. Freistatt is like a smelter, melting the stubbornness and persistence, till the end only desperation survives...Fortunately they escaped from it finally, burying this memory with their past identities. New life would come, I just hope......

Just beginning my weekend with a German movie about a boy with an Oedipus Complex getting abused and tortured at a reform school. I like to start things off light with true stories like this and work my up to the darker stuff. The Germans have some mighty fine actors cuz I was really wanting to see some of these characters six feet under. The main kid was played by Louis Hoffman who was like 16 or 17 and delivers a powerhouse performance. I was seriously impressed. I saw him previously in that Netflix series Dark and a gay coming of age movie called Center of My World and he's definitely a brave actor and one to watch.

It baffles me how such people can exist: one reviewer said that the events could not happen because such an establishment would be closed in two weeks' time. Well, this one doesn't know a lot of history. And is such a self-entitled spoiled brat that he did not bother to check the facts. Because his beliefs are above facts. Way to go, little one! Soldier on through life with your little beliefs, until life will smack you so hard that you will have to humble down to reality.

I sincerely regret that IMDb, upon being bought by Amazon, ditched all dialogue between users (it was a calculated move, since it became the main bastion of liberalism and wokeness in movie culture, ready to accept false votes and reviews only to further the liberal agenda). I would have told him a lot more.

But, since this is not a review of the reviewers, back to the movie: this is raw power. It hits you like a sledge-hammer. During the movie I wanted to cry. And I was ashamed of being in the same species that did such unspeakable acts to their own. I am still in shock. This is a must-see.

Louis Hofmann was superb as usual. He was 17-18 at the time of making the movie! He is a titan among actors (of course, another reviewer - the only one ever - had the audacity to challenge his talent).