Find a Theater Near You Press Page

Lore

Watch Trailer
Watch Trailer
Overview

Left to fend for themselves after their SS officer father and mother, staunch Nazi believers, are interred by the victorious Allies at the end of World War II, five German children undertake a harrowing journey that exposes them to the reality and consequences of their parents’ actions. Led by the eldest sibling, 14-year old Lore (striking newcomer Saskia Rosendahl), they set out on a journey across a devastated country to reach their grandmother in the north. After meeting the charismatic Thomas, a mysterious young refugee, Lore soon finds her world shattered by feelings of both hatred and desire as she must learn to trust the one person she has always been taught to hate in order to survive. Lush cinematography and an evocative, haunting mood infuse this unconventional take on the Holocaust legacy with unforgettable impact. Based on the book “Lore” by Rachel Seiffert.

Reactions, Awards & Festivals

"Intense and emotional. Saskia Rosendahl is mesmerizing."

Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

"Critic's Pick!"

Joe Morgenstern

New York Times

“Cate Shortland’s promise is amply, even startlingly, fulfilled.”

Megan Lehmann

The Wall Street Journal

"A lyrical, deeply affecting study into a rarely seen legacy of the Holocaust."

Frank Hatherley

The Hollywood Reporter

"Tense and unrelentingly gripping."

Eric Kohn

Screen Daily

"EXTRAORDINARY."

Indiewire

Critics’ Pick! “Uniquely impressionistic, sensuous, and tense—a compelling, nightmarish fable about survival and identity.”

Rex Reed

New York Magazine

“4 STARS! Brave, gripping, relentlessly absorbing…a Holocaust film unlike any other…emotionally overwhelming…Prepare to be moved to tears…It’s a remarkable accomplishment.”

Scott Foundas

New York Observer

"Shortland draws fine work from her actors, particularly the haunting Rosendahl, who manages to seem by turns a perfectly unbending Nazi youth, a frightened little girl forced to grow up too quickly, and a sensuous young woman bursting into bloom."

George Robinson

Village Voice

"Shortland’s brilliant new film is an unsettling coming-of-age story that renders its judgement on Germany’s crimes and strange aftermath of the war."

Joe Neumaier

The Jewish Week

"Australian director Cate Shortland’s straightforward approach to the blinders worn by Hitler Youth creates a disconcerting and eerie film, made even more memorable since it’s seen through the prism of childhood’s end."

Steven Boone

New York Daily News

"4 STARS Riveting stuff, start to finish. Lore offers up lessons for all time."

Michael Philips

Chicago Sun-Times

Winner! Locarno Film Festival 2012 - Audience Award

Chicago Tribune

Winner! Hamptons International Film Festival 2012 - Best Cinematography

Winner! Hamptons International Film Festival 2012 - Best Narrative Feature

Winner! Hamptons International Film Festival 2012 - Jeremy Nussbaum Prize for Provocative Fiction

Nominated for 8 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards

Toronto International Film Festival 2012 - Official Selection

Berlin International Film Festival 2013

Cast & Crew
  • Lore : Saskia Rosendahl
  • Thomas : Kai Malina
  • Liesel : Nele Trebs
  • Mutti : Ursina Lardi
  • Vati : Hans-Jochen Wagner
  • Jürgen : Mika Seidel
  • Günter : André Frid
  • Omi : Eva-Maria Hagen
  • Director : Cate Shortland
  • Producers : Karsten Stotter, Liz Watts, Paul Welsh, Benny Dreschel
  • Writers : Cate Shortland, Robin Mukherjee, based on the novel "The Dark Room" by Rachel Seiffert
  • Cinematographer : Adam Arkapaw
  • Editor : Veronica Jenet, ASE
  • Composer : Max Richter
Technical Info
  • Production Year : 2012
  • Release Date : February 8, 2013
  • Countries of Production : Germany, UK, Australia
  • Languages : German, English
  • Running Time : 108 minutes
  • Screen Ratio : 1.85: 1
  • Sound : Dolby
  • Color : Color
  • Rating : Not Rated
DVD/Blu-Ray Special Features

The Making of Lore| Panel Discussion

Memories of a German Girl

Theatrical Trailer