RONALD ZEHRFELD

PHOENIX (2015)
Starring Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld and Nina Kunzendorf. Directed by Christian Petzold.

June, 1945. Badly injured, her face destroyed, Auschwitz survivor Nelly returns to her hometown, Berlin. She’s accompanied by Lene, a Jewish Agency employee and Nelly’s friend from pre-war days. Having barely recovered from facial surgery, Nelly ignores Lene’s warnings and sets out to find her husband, Johnny – the love of her life who is convinced that his wife is dead. When Nelly finally tracks him down, he recognizes nothing but an unnerving resemblance and doesn’t believe it could really be her. Hoping to secure her family’s inheritance, Johnny suggests to Nelly that she take on the identity of his late wife.

BARBARA (2013)
Starring Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld, Rainer Bock, Christina Hecke, Claudia Geisler, Peter Weiß, Carolin Haupt, Deniz Petzold, Rosa Enskat and Jasna Fritzi Bauer. Directed by Christian Petzold.

Planning to flee for Denmark with her boyfriend, Barbara remains icy and withdrawn around her colleagues, particularly with the lead physician, who is hiding a secret of his own. With her patients, however, the guarded doctor is kind, warm, and protective, even risking her own safety for one of her charges.

REVIEWS Barbara - Subtle intensity