Anthony Doerr’s novel won the Pulitzer Prize, okay, but you can still find the plot a bit striking. In the middle of the Second World War, a blind girl sends radio messages to the world from a small French town – in the belief that humanity can still be saved with compassion and knowledge. She continues the tradition of a professor to whom the young Werner Pfennig always listened. The Nazis have taken over the highly talented technician, but by the time he tracks down Marie-Laure LeBlanc, he has long since internally changed sides. Louis Hofmann plays Werner with a magical innocence despite the times, and it is hard to believe that (the actually blind) Aria Mia Loberti has her first role here. These two alone draw you into the sometimes somewhat crude story (in addition to resistance and the power of the spoken word, it is also about a mysterious diamond). Of course Lars Eidinger makes a great, crazy Nazi – but who comes up with names like Reinhold von Rumpel?
The four one-hour episodes actually result in a feature film that is a bit too long, in which Hugh Laurie once again steals the show as the traumatized Uncle Etienne without needing much pathos. He simply embodies the comforting wisdom behind the title: There is so much more than what we can see right now. Is it legitimate to end a series differently than the original book? Here, the open ending definitely leaves you with the confidence that there is hope for light even in the darkest moment. (Netflix)