Set in East Germany in 1980, “Barbara” is a new foreign film addition to our collection. Barbara is a young doctor who has made the politically incorrect request for an exit visa from East Germany. As a consequence, she is forced to leave her position at an important Berlin hospital and is exiled to a small pediatric clinic in the Germany countryside.
She is subjected to dehumanizing treatment by the Stasi. She is constantly under surveillance in her apartment and at the hospital. She can be interrogated at any time. She is forced to undergo bodily physical examinations. Even while she is undergoing such brutal treatment, she never loses her compassion or strong personal ethics.
“Barbara” is a taut, well-acted film with well-developed character portrayals set against the back drop of a sad chapter in German history.