Last To Know

Every family has a secret, a dark spot no one wants to touch. For some, their secrets lie buried in a country that doesn’t even exist anymore. Utz Rachowski, Anne Gollin, Matthias and Tine Storck spent time as political prisoners during the communist regime in East Germany. They are three out of an estimated 250,000 families affected by unjust imprisonment. Routinely, the regime wasn't satisfied to punish just its direct opponents but also went against their family members. Children suffered particularly hard: Anne's son was a toddler at the time and separated from her for years. But even children born after their parents were bought free by West Germany find it hard to grapple with their history. Years, even decades after the end of communism in Europe, all affected families wrestle with one question: To what extent do they allow the past to reappear in in their lives long after the demise of the regime that oppressed them? Across three generations marked by separation, repression and guilt, some wounds are so deep no one dares to touch them, even after decades. But the kids have grown up, and pressure to break the silence is growing – from both sides. But what is the right way for a child to ask his or her parents about painful memories? Is it even wise for the children to know the whole story? And who will broach the subject first? As it sheds light on the inter-generational controversies within three families, this film shows just how long the shadow of dictatorship and injustice is.