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Where Hands Touch (2018) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Where Hands Touch (2018) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2018 · 122 min · English
Echo score 48
Directed by
Amma Asante
Starring
Abbie Cornish, Adetomiwa Edun, Alec Newman, Amandla Stenberg, Christopher Eccleston, Ciarán Owens

In 1944 Germany, Leyna, a teenager of mixed race, struggles to survive amidst the escalating tensions of war and pervasive prejudice. A chance encounter with Lutz, a young man involved in the Hitler Youth, leads to an unlikely connection as they both grapple with the oppressive nature of Nazi rule. While Leyna’s mother desperately tries to shield her from the dangers of being racially different, Leyna must find her own way to endure the turmoil and navigate a world consumed by hatred.

Drama Romance War Cast, crew & box office
On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (4)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like Where Hands Touch
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Where Hands Touch (2018)

Where can you watch Where Hands Touch? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Fawesome, Hoopla and The CW: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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4 main characters · contains spoilers

Where Hands Touch Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Where Hands Touch (2018), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Leyna (Amandla Stenberg)

    Leyna is a courageous 16-year-old girl caught in the crosshairs of a brutal regime. As the daughter of an interracial relationship, she embodies resilience while navigating the dangers posed by the Nazi government. Her journey is marked by a profound struggle for identity and love in a world that seeks to suppress her existence.

    • 👩‍❤️‍👨 Love
    • 💪 Resilience
    • 🎭 Identity

  • Kerstin (Abbie Cornish)

    Kerstin is Leyna's protective mother, who grapples with her family's precarious situation while trying to provide a sense of safety and normalcy. Her past continuously threatens their wellbeing as she strives to keep her children safe from the oppressive societal forces around them.

    • 👩‍👧 Family
    • 🛡️ Protection
    • 😢 Sacrifice

  • Lutz (George MacKay)

    Lutz is a conflicted young man, the son of an SS officer, who finds himself drawn to Leyna despite the societal pressure and expectations placed upon him. His evolving relationship with Leyna challenges his beliefs and values, reflecting the internal conflict faced by many during this dark time.

    • ❤️ Forbidden Love
    • ⚔️ Conflict
    • 🏴‍☠️ Identity

  • Koen (Tom Sweet)

    Koen is Leyna's younger half-brother who, under the influence of the Hitler Youth, becomes a source of conflict within the family. He struggles with his loyalties and the harsh ideologies surrounding him, leading him to make choices that deeply affect his relationship with Leyna.

    • 🏴‍☠️ Indoctrination
    • 😠 Anger
    • 👦 Sibling Rivalry

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:20

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Setting

Where and When Does Where Hands Touch Take Place?

The setting of Where Hands Touch (2018): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

World War II

The film takes place during World War II, a period marked by global conflict, the rise of totalitarian regimes, and widespread atrocities. It highlights the experiences of individuals caught in the crossfire of war, facing discrimination and violence due to their backgrounds. The era is characterized by profound struggles for survival and the fight against oppressive forces.

Location

Nazi Germany, Labor Camp, American Displacement Camp

The movie is set in Nazi Germany during World War II, a time when oppressive regimes enforced strict control over personal lives. Leyna and her family face constant danger in their struggle for survival. As the story unfolds, they endure life in a labor camp and eventually find themselves in an American displacement camp, where they encounter a new beginning amidst their trauma.

  • 🇩🇪 Germany
  • ⛓️ Labor Camp
  • 🏕️ Displacement Camp

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:20

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3 major themes

Where Hands Touch Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Where Hands Touch (2018) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Love and Loss

    The theme of love amidst adversity is central to Leyna and Lutz's relationship, highlighting the challenges of their romance in a time of war. Their connection grows in secrecy, marked by moments of joy and profound loss. Ultimately, the love they share is tested by the brutal realities of their world, leading to heartbreaking consequences.

  • Resistance

    Leyna's struggle against the oppressive Nazi regime embodies the theme of resistance. She defies societal norms and expectations, while also facing the brutality of a world that seeks to destroy her. Her journey reflects the fight for identity and agency amid overwhelming odds, culminating in a testament to resilience.

  • Family Dynamics

    The complexities of family relationships are explored through Leyna's interactions with her mother Kerstin and brother Koen. Their bond is strained by external pressures and the harsh realities of their existence. The film illustrates how trauma affects familial ties, showcasing both the love that binds them and the divisions wrought by fear and ideology.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:20

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Character & theme questions

Where Hands Touch Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Where Hands Touch (2018): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the movie set?

The film takes place primarily in Nazi Germany during World War II. The story follows Leyna and her family as they navigate life under the Nazi regime, moving through increasingly dangerous situations including a labor camp and eventually ending up in an American displacement camp.

  • nazi germany
  • labor camp
  • displacement camp
  • setting
  • world war 2
Q2

What time period is the story set in?

The movie is set during World War II, specifically in 1944. This period was characterized by global conflict, the rise of totalitarian regimes, and widespread atrocities against targeted groups.

  • world war 2
  • 1944
  • historical period
  • wartime
Q3

What are the main themes explored in the film?

The film explores three central themes: love and loss, resistance against oppression, and family dynamics. These themes interweave throughout the narrative as characters navigate the brutal realities of Nazi Germany.

  • love
  • loss
  • resistance
  • family dynamics
  • themes
Q4

Who is the main character Leyna?

Leyna is a 16-year-old girl of mixed race, daughter of an interracial relationship. She embodies resilience while navigating the dangers posed by the Nazi government, struggling for identity and love in a world that seeks to suppress her existence.

  • leyna
  • main character
  • mixed race
  • protagonist
Q5

Who is Lutz and what is his background?

Lutz is a conflicted young man and the son of an SS officer. Despite the societal pressure and expectations placed upon him, he becomes drawn to Leyna, and their evolving relationship challenges his beliefs and values, reflecting the internal conflict faced by many during this period.

  • lutz
  • hitler youth
  • ss officer son
  • romance
Q6

Who is Leyna's mother Kerstin?

Kerstin is Leyna's protective mother, portrayed by Abbie Cornish. She grapples with her family's precarious situation while trying to provide safety and normalcy. Her past continuously threatens their wellbeing as she strives to keep her children safe from oppressive societal forces.

  • kerstin
  • mother
  • family
  • protection
Q7

How is resistance portrayed in the movie?

Leyna's struggle against the oppressive Nazi regime embodies the theme of resistance. She defies societal norms and expectations while facing the brutality of a world that seeks to destroy her. Her journey reflects the fight for identity and agency amid overwhelming odds.

  • resistance
  • oppression
  • nazi regime
  • defiance
  • survival
Q8

What family conflicts are explored?

The complexities of family relationships are explored through Leyna's interactions with her mother Kerstin and younger half-brother Koen. Their bond is strained by external pressures and harsh realities, with Koen's involvement in the Hitler Youth creating deep family division and conflict.

  • family
  • koen
  • hitler youth
  • conflict
  • trauma
Q9

How does the setting impact the characters?

The Nazi German setting creates constant danger for Leyna and her family due to their racial background. The oppressive regime enforces strict control over personal lives, forcing the family into increasingly perilous situations including labor camp imprisonment.

  • nazi germany
  • oppression
  • danger
  • survival
  • persecution
Q10

What does the film say about love in wartime?

Love amidst adversity is central to Leyna and Lutz's relationship, highlighting the challenges of romance in a time of war. Their connection grows in secrecy, marked by moments of joy and profound loss, ultimately tested by the brutal realities of their world.

  • romance
  • wartime love
  • secret relationship
  • sacrifice

Movie threads

More Movies Like Where Hands Touch, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Where Hands Touch tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies with forbidden wartime romances like Where Hands Touch

Love that defies oppressive regimes, blossoming in the shadow of war. Explore films like Where Hands Touch, featuring tragic love stories set against the turmoil of war. Discover similar movies where romance defies oppressive regimes, facing immense danger and often leading to bittersweet endings. If you enjoyed the doomed relationship in Where Hands Touch, you'll find more heart-wrenching tales here.

  • forbidden love
  • wartime tragedy
  • somber
  • desperate
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • Tone: dark, somber, tragic
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread follow a love affair that is forbidden by the political or social climate, typically during a war. The narrative focuses on the intense, clandestine connection between characters from opposing sides or persecuted groups, building tension as personal desire clashes with public danger and moral duty, culminating in sacrifice or profound loss.

Why they belong together: These movies share a core emotional journey of love as defiance. They are united by a heavy emotional weight, high stakes, and a dark or somber tone, creating a specific viewing experience centered on the poignant, tragic beauty of love surviving—and often succumbing to—an unforgiving world.

Where Hands Touch movie poster

Where Hands Touch

2018
The Poet movie poster

The Poet

2007
The War Lord movie poster

The War Lord

1965
Two Women movie poster

Two Women

1960
All This, and Heaven Too movie poster

All This, and Heaven Too

1940
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel movie poster

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel

1951
The Forgotten Battle movie poster

The Forgotten Battle

2021
The Raggedy Rawney movie poster

The Raggedy Rawney

1988

Movies about youth surviving oppression like Where Hands Touch

Young protagonists navigating the horrors of oppressive systems. Find films similar to Where Hands Touch that explore young characters coming of age during historical atrocities. These stories depict the unique struggle of youth grappling with identity, love, and survival under oppressive regimes like Nazi Germany. If you liked Leyna's journey, discover more powerful dramas about resilience in the face of tyranny.

  • oppressive
  • somber
  • desperate
  • grief-stricken
  • coming of age
  • survival
  • Tone: dark, oppressive, somber
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a young protagonist's linear journey through escalating adversity caused by a tyrannical political system. Their innocence is shattered as they are forced to make adult decisions about survival, loyalty, and love, leading to a loss of youth and a hard-won, often traumatic, maturity.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their specific focus on the youth perspective within large-scale historical conflict. They share a heavy emotional weight, a straightforward narrative complexity that centers the character's experience, and a consistently dark or tense tone that reflects the oppressive setting.

Bitter Harvest movie poster

Bitter Harvest

2017
Where Hands Touch movie poster

Where Hands Touch

2018
Come and See movie poster

Come and See

1987
The Search movie poster

The Search

1948
We Grown Now movie poster

We Grown Now

2024
Wasted on the Young movie poster

Wasted on the Young

2010
The Searchers movie poster

The Searchers

1956
The Youth of Maxim movie poster

The Youth of Maxim

1935

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Every angle

Where Hands Touch (2018) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Where Hands Touch in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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