Sound of Falling

Sound of Falling (original title: In die Sonne schauen) takes place entirely on a farm in the Altmark, in rural eastern Germany. What changes is the century. The film jumps between four eras, always in summer, always in the same house, and follows four girls who never meet, yet seem to hear each other.

In the 1910s, seven-year-old Alma lives with her sisters while World War I rages elsewhere. Her brother Fritz has come back with an amputated leg, and the girls spy on his recovery through a keyhole.

During World War II, teenage Erika spends her days on the same farm, fascinated by her now-grown uncle Fritz.

In the East German years, teenage Angelika lives stuck between her family and the urge to get away.

And in the present day, twelve-year-old Lenka moves into the old house with her family and befriends Kaya, a strange girl who has just lost her mother.

There is no straight-line plot. The film strings together gestures, objects and rooms that repeat from one generation to the next.