Julia

Lillian Hellman and Julia form a deep, enduring bond as they grow up together in the United States under the care of their grandparents. They share secrets, dreams, and a fierce loyalty that anchors their adolescence. This friendship becomes the emotional backbone of their lives.

Julia leaves to study at Oxford and Vienna, immersing herself in the intellectual life of Europe. She encounters mentors and ideas that influence her later fight against Nazism. Meanwhile, Lillian remains in the United States, pursuing writing with guidance from Dashiell Hammett at a beach house. Their correspondence keeps their bond alive despite the distance.

Vienna's academic world is overtaken by Nazi thugs as Julia tries to shield others. She is seriously injured in the chaos. The event marks a turning point, forcing Lillian to rush to Vienna to be with her friend.

Lillian reaches Vienna and searches for Julia, but the hospital denies any knowledge of her treatment. The authorities impede access, leaving Lillian with little to go on. She remains in Europe, determined to locate Julia despite the obstacles.

In the Nazi era, Lillian gains acclaim as a playwright and is invited to a writers conference in the Soviet Union. Julia opposes Nazism and enlists Lillian to help smuggle money to aid the anti Nazi effort. The mission places both women in grave danger as they navigate occupied Europe.

Lillian leaves for the USSR, traveling through Berlin as Julia's colleagues coordinate her movements across border crossings. The careful logistics underscore the danger of crossing into enemy-held territory. The route highlights the stakes and secrecy surrounding the operation.

In a Berlin cafe, Lillian briefly reunites with Julia. Julia discloses that the Vienna treatment included the amputation of her leg. She explains that the money she brought could save hundreds of lives and reveals she has a daughter, Lilly, who lives with a baker in Alsace.

A man warns Lillian to avoid passing through Germany again once she leaves the USSR. The warning underscores the peril of traveling through Nazi-controlled territories. Lillian proceeds with her mission, now aware of the continual risk.

Arriving in Moscow, Lillian finds a city wrapped in gloom as news arrives that Julia has died. The loss underscores the brutality of the era and the personal cost of resisting Nazism. Lillian must confront the void left by her friend's absence.

Back in London, Lillian is told that Julia was killed in the Frankfurt apartment of a friend by Nazi agents; the details remain shrouded in secrecy. She later searches Alsace for Julia's daughter Lilly but finds no trace. The double heartbreak deepens her resolve and grief.

Lillian returns to the United States and is reunited with Dashiell Hammett. She remains haunted by Julia's memory and the unanswered questions about her friend's fate. Julia's legacy and their shared history shape her life and writings.

In the film's closing image, an older Lillian sits in a boat, fishing, and reflects on a lifetime with Hammett. In a voiceover, she reveals that she and Hammett lived together for about thirty more years and that she outlived him. The memory of Julia lingers as a constant undercurrent in her life.