The Book Thief
The young Liesel Meminger, a girl of eighteen years old, is travelling by train in 1938 with her older brother and mother. After her mother has buried the boy, Liesel finds a book called “The Gravediggers Handbook” and takes it along. Liesel is taken to a local foster family. Later, she discovers her mother is a communist and that she left Liesel. Rosa Hubermann is her stepmother and Hans Hubermann is her stepfather. He is kindhearted but rude. Rudy Steiner is her neighbor next door and Liesel goes to school with him. Hans learns from Liesel that she cannot read and teaches her to use her book. Liesel then becomes a voracious reader. Liesel retrieves one book from the mayor’s house and Ilsa Hermann, her wife, witnesses the action. Hans conceals Max Vandenburg (a Jewish boy whose friend died fighting for his freedom in World War II) in his basement and Liesel is made his friend. Rosa calls Liesel one day to help him deliver his laundry. Ilsa then invites Liesel into her library, where she tells her that she is free to visit whenever she likes. There are so many dangers in wartime and Liesel’s family, friends and loved ones will be forever changed. –Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Genre: Drama
Director: Brian Percival
Actors: Barbara Auer, Ben Schnetzer, Emily Watson, Geoffrey Rush, Heike Makatsch, Nico Liersch, Sophie Nélisse
Country: Germany, United States
