LThe exciting love story between the German Marie Kastner and the American soldier George Washington reaches its epilogue. Tonight at 9.20pm on Rai 2 – and streaming on RaiPlay – the second and final episode of the German series is broadcast The breath of freedom. Directed by Dror Zahavi, is set in the years just following the Second World War. THE protagonists are forced to challenge authorities, social conventions, family and discrimination in order to realize their dream.
The breath of freedomthe plot of the second and final episode
The narrative continues where it left off. Marie Kastner (Elisa Schlott) is engaged to Siegfried Strumm (Jonas Nay)who does everything he can to help her on the farm. George Washington (Reomy D. Mpeho) has not forgotten her, but relationships between them are not easy. And one day Marie humiliates him just to avoid arousing Siegfried’s suspicions.
Erika Strumm (Franziska Brandmeier) also has to deal with social conventions. Martha, a prostitute he met in reform school, arrives in town. She, together with some colleagues, pursues the goal of marrying some American soldiers and Erika refuses her company. Marie’s brother Vinenz (Paul Sundheim) falls in love with Marthawho he considers a fearless and different woman other. Annaliese (Anna Schudt), Erika and Siegfried’s mother, however, considers her a no-good. So she takes action to ensure that her husband Friedrich (Dietmar Bär), mayor of Kaltenstein, has the Americans transferred.
Erika, meanwhile, after spending the night with Bill Meadow (Artjom Gilz) and his colleagues, discovers that she is pregnant. He confesses it to the lieutenant, but his reaction isn’t the best. Bill is married and would like to resolve the issue by having her have an abortion. The relationship between Marie and Siegrfied, then, is in crisis. He relives the nightmares of the war and takes it out on her partner. In this chaos, the woman is anxious about George, injured following an accident. She realizes that she can no longer ignore her feelings and must make a decision.
“The Breath of Freedom”, Elisa Schlott and Reomy D. Mpeho. (Courtesy ZDF)
George is accused of rape and is arrested
In the second episode airing tonight, Marie and George spend the night together. Once back on base, he has to endure racist insults from Sergeant Hoskins (Tim Kalkhof). Marie also has to face prejudice and injustice. She goes to the hospital to see Erika, who has since had a breakdown after having an abortion, and Anneliese chases her away. Erika becomes sterile and confesses to her mother that she was raped, but does not reveal the name of the culprit.
Amy McCoy (Julia Koschitz) is aware of Marie’s feelings towards George, but he knows that theirs is an impossible love. He puts her in touch with a cousin who lives in East Berlinwhere they can start a new life. George agrees to move so as not to lose her. Meanwhile, in Kaltenstein Friedrich follows his wife’s suggestion and does everything he can to distance the Americans, guilty of having introduced – according to Anneliese – less than respectable habits. However, the bar owner, Schwiete, reveals the mayor’s ties to the SS and the Third Reich. He takes revenge for the wrong he suffered in the past: his uncle was kicked out of the house where the Strumm family lives today.
To save his reputation, Friedrich awards the Americans the concession to build the hospital. Furthermore, Erika reveals that George raped her. He is arrestedwhile Marie waits for him hopefully at the station.
Elisa Schlott and Reomy D. Mpeho in the series “The Breath of Freedom”. (Courtesy ZDF)
The breath of freedomthe series finale
In the series finale, when Marie finds out from Amy that George is in jail, she rushes to Erika. She is certain that her partner is innocent. He then turns to Moses Shepard (Jared Lorenzo) and Theo for information on the famous night at the bar. Moses is willing to testify on George’s behalf, but is beaten.
Schwiete decides to leave Kaltenestein and the bar is under new management: Martha and Vinenz take care of it. Kaltenstein seems to have woken up. Black soldiers stage a peaceful protest to free George and Colonel Jim McCoy (Philippe Brenninkmeyer) decides to listen to him to allow him to tell what happened. He discovers that his wife Amy tried to help him and Marie so they could go to East Berlin.
Marie knows that George is the victim of a conspiracy, caused by racist prejudices, and tries to save him. The breath of freedom ends with a happy ending for its protagonists, finally ready to vote away from those who had decided to prevent their love because of the color of their skin.
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