Written and directed by Brandon Ashplant, when Chris Gueffroy becomes increasingly disillusioned with his life in 1980s East Germany, he hatches a plan with his friend, Christian Gaudian, to escape the isolated Eastern bloc state without telling his mother, Karin. Starring: Cameron Ashplant, Darragh Cowley, Wendy Makkena, Paul Freeman and Wolf Kahler.
Many people today might not be familiar with the name Chris Gueffroy, but his story is one that remains shockingly and harrowingly relevant in today’s world. Brandon Ashplant attempts to build a reminder of the deeply disturbing nature of oppressive regimes and both the daily struggles and the lasting consequences for many families. That’s the biggest strength of Whispers of Freedom, its admirable and poignant intentions and how it pays respect to Gueffroy, who wanted only simple freedoms.
Cameron Ashplant does a good job of capturing the youthfulness of Chris Gueffroy which nicely represents how sincerely vulnerable young people are in oppressive regimes. There’s a sweetness to his performance, a gentleness that’s then matched by the strong desire for a better life, which feeds into the sadness of Whispers of Freedom. He’s paired well with Darragh Cowley, creating similar yet different personalities, with Cowley’s Gaudian feeling more hesitant and reserved, trying to be realistic. They’re both sympathetic performances and easy to relate to.
There’s a good attempt to portray how prejudices infected daily life in 1980s East Germany. As well as trying to recreate that suffocating, bleak atmosphere, that beat people into submission, both figuratively and literally. It holds a humble tone and brings through the youth of Gueffroy and Gaudian, to capture the, slightly weathered but still present, optimism and desires, as well as their naivety. However, the pacing can feel slightly drawn out given that it’s driving towards an inevitably blunt ending. It has the right ideas, but the slow progression can prevent it from packing a sincere punch.
It’s an issue that feels also hindered by the style of direction, it plays things quite simply and remains close to its characters all throughout. There isn’t a great deal of variety to the shots, or a stronger energy to deepen the atmosphere and drive home that poignant nature to the story. It feels more styled in an educational manner, to teach young people about Chris Gueffroy and the history of that era. The cinematography also feeds into that impression as the colours and textures are tempered, it’s missing a sharpness. Although it does feel stronger in the night scenes, the lighting offers a more compelling aesthetic and better contrast.
Whispers of Freedom is a worthwhile reminder of how we are doomed to repeat history, with a lot of the events happening today feeling eerily reminiscent of Chris Gueffroy’s story. It’s a meaningful tale to tell but the atmosphere doesn’t have a firm grasp on the depth of the emotions and issues at work. The style feels quite surface level, it’s missing a sharpness or heightened air to add a more impactful weight to the events. It all works, and it was an interesting choice to take an everyday, un-embellished route to tell this story but it feels like it doesn’t reach its full potential.
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