A tense early '80s Cold War thriller with nary a gunshot fired, BARBARA is a compelling portrait of a woman (Nina Hoss) who withdraws from an inhospitable and oppressive world. An amicable and understanding doctor who enjoys a superb rapport with her patients, Barbara has nonetheless been exiled to a provincial East German hospitable after filing for an exit visa from the GDR. This powerful character study provides a detailed x-ray of the good doctor's dilemma, as love, loyalty, and basic human decency compete in a brutal closed system.

In German with English subtitles