Four Minutes

Inside the stark walls of a women’s prison, music becomes an unexpected pulse in an otherwise regimented world. The institution’s cold corridors echo with the clatter of daily routine, yet a solitary piano sits in a quiet corner, waiting for someone daring enough to breathe life into it. The film settles into a mood that is at once restrained and electric, balancing the harsh reality of confinement with the fragile hope that art can carve out a space for personal freedom.

Traude Krueger, a seasoned piano teacher who has already learned to navigate the prison’s rigid hierarchy, spots a flicker of raw talent in Jenny von Loeben, a new inmate whose hands are as rough as the steel bars that surround her. Krueger’s teaching style is exacting, demanding obedience and discipline while also teasing out the hidden potential she perceives beneath Jenny’s defensive exterior. Their relationship unfolds as a delicate dance of power and trust, each lesson a negotiation between authority and the yearning for self‑expression.

Against the backdrop of institutional politics and the ever‑present watchful eyes of guards, the two women find themselves at the crossroads of personal history and collective ambition. Krueger, carrying her own memories of loss and conviction, sees in Jenny’s gifted yet unsettled spirit a chance for redemption—not just for the young pianist, but for herself as well. The promise of a forthcoming piano contest looms, hinting at a future where the echo of a single performance could reverberate far beyond the prison walls, while the daily grind continues to test their resolve and bond.

Last Updated: October 14, 2025 at 03:52