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Spielzeugland

  • 2007
  • TV-PG
  • 14m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
Julia Jäger and Cedric Eich in Spielzeugland (2007)
Period DramaPsychological DramaTragedyDramaShortWar

A German mother lies to her son about where the Nazis are sending their Jewish neighbors.A German mother lies to her son about where the Nazis are sending their Jewish neighbors.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
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    3.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jochen Alexander Freydank
    • Writers
      • Johann A. Bunners
      • Jochen Alexander Freydank
    • Stars
      • Julia Jäger
      • Cedric Eich
      • Tamay Bulut Özvatan
    • 63User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 23 wins & 4 nominations total

    Photos2

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    Top cast12

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    Julia Jäger
    • Marianne Meißner
    Cedric Eich
    • Heinrich Meißner
    Tamay Bulut Özvatan
    • David Silberstein
    Torsten Michaelis
    • Herr Silbertein
    Claudia Hübschmann
    • Frau Silberstein
    David C. Bunners
    David C. Bunners
    • SS-Obersturmführer Falke
    Gregor Weber
    • SS-Mann Werner
    Jürgen Trott
    • Schutzpolizist
    Klaus-Jürgen Steinmann
    • Blockwart
    Heike Reichenwallner
    • Nachbarin
    Matthias Paul
    • Gestapo Mann
    Johanna Penski
    • Hausmeisterin
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Jochen Alexander Freydank
    • Writers
      • Johann A. Bunners
      • Jochen Alexander Freydank
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews63

    7.73.3K
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    Featured reviews

    7CinemaSerf

    Toyland

    Potently seen through the eyes of two young boys, the rise of Nazi-ism is depicted as "David" (Tamay Bulut Ozvatan), a Jew, and his family must make preparations for a trip whilst the mother of the other (Julia Jäger) must make preparations to lie to her son about just what is going on in their country now. They boys have no appreciation of the dangers and so armed with his bear "Little Paul" the two insist on travelling together. Can his mother track down "Heinrich" (Cedric Eich) before it's too late? It's chilling, this film - not just the effects of the snow on the ground but these ghastly yellow stars stitched like targets upon the clothing of the unwilling travellers. The boys think they are going to "Toyland".... Scary stuff well presented with an effective minimum of dialogue.
    7dunkirkafternoon

    Dark

    Toyland is a German short film, directed by Jochen Alexander Freydank. The film relates with the Holocaust. It depicts the fates of non-Jewish family and Jewish family.

    There are some good points in the film. First of all, I was very attracted by the first scene. The film begins with the images of chain like a four-handed performance on the piano and a spiral staircase. These images not only give the audience a feeling of immersion, but also cause them uneasiness.

    Second, the audience is not the only one to use their imagination. The characters in the film are less able to predict their own destiny, compared to other movies. Children constantly imagine the truth of Toyland. On the other hand, adults work hard to help their children. Therefore, some people find it hard to watch the film.

    To conclude, it is worth seeing. Also, it is a good movie to know the gruesomeness of the Holocaust.
    8b-13616

    So touching and can't look away till the end

    The moment I heard melancholy piano instrumental played on the background, I felt to be pulled by a film. From a German language actress speaks and her serious reaction to the missing son, I soon noticed it is a story about The Holocaust. At first, it is slightly difficult to follow the story, because it is told from two perspectives of German mother and David, her son, in two timelines. The first scene starts with David's mother going to find David, who is seemingly captured by SS. In the next scene of David and Heinrich playing the piano together, we finally understand why David is missing. One of the most impressive moments is the interaction between the mother and David. The mother cannot honestly tell David the cruel truth about entrainment of Jewish, and instead lies that they will go to "Toyland." Watching unsatisfied David and the conversation between David and Heinrich, Jewish friend of David, we come to see why David vanishes from his bed. On the latter part, I was really thrilled by the struggle to reach David by his mother. In every sequence such as finding the teddy bear, being suspected as Jewish by the police, and final arrival to the train where David is, the contents are considerably concentrated, and I couldn't avert my eyes.
    9anhedonia

    Good filmmakers don't need a feature to make powerful movies

    "Toyland" is a film that works so brilliantly that it managed to be powerful, thought-provoking and even gut-wrenching than most Hollywood films that are 8 to 10 times longer. With sparse dialogue, director Jochen Alexander Freydank keeps us hooked throughout this superb short film.

    Set during the Holocaust, a German woman frantically searches for her son, who might have decided to accompany his Jewish neighbors to a Nazi concentration camp because the Jewish family's young son and her son are best friends.

    The film is elegantly shot and wonderfully acted. There is more poignancy and true emotion in this film than I have seen in most Hollywood films in recent times.

    Director Freydank moves his story along, with us always wondering not only what comes next but how this is going to end. And then comes the denouement: A truly remarkable twist that says much about the human spirit. It is a moment that will break your heart while simultaneously make you smile.

    If you have the chance to see this, and the other Oscar-nominated live action shorts, do yourself a favor and watch them. Believe me, it will be time much better spent than, say, on "New In Town" or most any other mainstream Hollywood film.
    9planktonrules

    Very good and probably the odds on favorite for the Oscar

    Today I went with three friends to a special showing of all the films nominated for the 2009 Oscar for Best Live Action Short. Oddly, the four of us were in pretty much agreement about the films. Our pick for best of the nominees was PIG ("Grisen"), though ON THE LINE ("Auf der Strecke") was a very good film and is nearly as deserving of the award. We predicted that TOYLAND ("Spielzeugland"), however, will win the award because it's the sort of the film the Academy tends to like AND because PIG might ruffle some feathers because it is not "politically correct". I'll update this review after the awards are given.

    TOYLAND is a film set during the Nazi era. A boy asks his mother about why all his neighbors (all Jews) are disappearing. She explains that everything is okay and that they have gone to "Toyland". Unfortunately, it sounds like such a nice place that the kid hopes to go there, too, and the film begins with him sneaking off with a shipment of Jews to the concentration camps because he wants to visit this magical place.

    Much of the film consists of the mother trying to find the boy and eventually the SS officers help her to try to locate the boy. This all ends in a marvelous twist that I won't reveal here, but this twist takes the film from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

    A lovely film that will probably win--in part, because the film is about an important subject that the Academy seems to like, the Holocaust (and highly reminiscent of LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL), and in part because it is so exceptionally well-crafted from start to finish. My only reservation is that the print was awfully dark--practically everything looked black at times. Perhaps it was just a bad print.

    UPDATE: It's official, TOYLAND is the winner. This didn't surprise me at all and it was well deserving of the award, though I was still pulling for PIG to take the honors.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      This short film is available as a bonus on the Film Movement DVD of Storm (2009).
    • Goofs
      All entries contain spoilers

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • August 29, 2007 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • Germany
    • Language
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Toyland
    • Filming locations
      • Berlin, Germany
    • Production company
      • Mephisto Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      14 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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    Julia Jäger and Cedric Eich in Spielzeugland (2007)
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