Social Justice Film Series: Alone in Berlin

How does an ordinary, middle-aged couple become a symbol of defiance against the crushing weight of a totalitarian regime?

Join us for the next installment of our Social Justice Film Series as we explore the quiet, steady pulse of courage in the face of Nazi brutality. We will be screening the 2016 film Alone in Berlin, followed by a facilitated discussion.



Event Details

• Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• Location: Bard Hall, First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego (Hillcrest Campus)
• Admission: FREE and open to the public. Reserve your seat!

Alone in Berlin
Directed by Vincent Pérez | 103 Minutes | 2016
​
Set against the tumultuous backdrop of Berlin in 1940, the film follows Otto and Anna Quangel (portrayed by Brendan Gleeson and Emma Thompson), a working-class couple simply trying to survive the war. Their lives are shattered when their only son is killed on the frontlines.
Transmuting their grief into a dangerous form of protest, the Quangels begin hand-writing postcards emblazoned with anti-Nazi slogans, risking everything to leave them in public spaces across the city. This "small" act of subversion soon rattles the regime, sparking a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game with a relentless police inspector (Daniel Brühl) who is determined to hunt them down.

"Part of the story’s potency lies in the fact that this is a kind of resistance that anyone can imagine carrying out, however timid, however lonely... it requires the weird tenacity and organisation of a serial killer." — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
​
The Legacy of the Story
The film is based on the bestselling novel Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada, widely considered one of the greatest anti-fascist novels ever written. Published posthumously in 1947, it was famously hailed by Auschwitz survivor and author Primo Levi as "the greatest book ever written about German resistance to the Nazis."

Alone in Berlin serves as both a gripping thriller and a stirring ode to those who refuse to remain silent, reminding us that even the smallest acts of defiance can leave an indelible mark on history.

Why Attend?
In an era where we often wonder what impact a single person can have against systemic injustice, the story of the Quangels offers a haunting and beautiful meditation on individual agency. Come for the film, stay for the dialogue, and connect with others committed to the pursuit of social justice.

---