Silent Night - The Christmas Miracle

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title Silent Night - The Christmas Miracle
Original title Silent Night
Country of production Canada
original language English
Publishing year 2002
length 89 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Rodney Gibbons
script Roger Aylward
production Irene Litinsky
music James Gelfand
camera Eric Cayla
cut Vidal Béïque
occupation

Silent Night - The Christmas Miracle is a Canadian television film based on a true story from World War II . The main characters are Linda Hamilton and Matthew Harbor .

action

The story begins on Christmas Eve 1944, when 12-year-old Fritz Vincken and his mother Elisabeth flee to the family's hunting lodge in the Ardennes , from the approaching front. Suddenly three scattered American soldiers emerge from the snowstorm . Elisabeth manages to convince the Americans to drop their weapons. Since one of the soldiers is wounded and needs help, the Americans agree to the terms. The distrust slowly disappears and the opponents help each other when suddenly three German soldiers arrive at the hut. The Germans threaten Elisabeth and her guests, but the resolute woman manages to achieve a fragile peace and after a while they celebrate Christmas together and forget about the war for a few hours.

The story is based on a true story and was passed down by Fritz Vincken.

Real background

In 1959 Fritz Vincken left Germany. In 1971 he opened a German specialty bakery in Honolulu, Hawaii, which is now run by his children. In 1964 he wrote down his memories of the unforgettable Christmas party in 1944. His wish to bring everyone involved back together has not come true. His mother died in 1966. He looked in vain for the three German soldiers - they probably fell during the last months of the war.

But by a happy coincidence, Vincken at least found Ralph, one of the three American soldiers. In 1996 he visited him in a nursing home in Frederick. Ralph still had the German Wehrmacht compass that one of the German soldiers had given him. Months later, Jim, then 76, was also found in Ohio. Harry, who was wounded at the time, had died in 1972. Ralph, too, is dead in the meantime. There are few people left today who can tell of this miracle of peace in the middle of a war. Fritz Vincken was a member of the Volksbund for a long time and died on December 8, 2001 in Oregon / USA.

Awards

  • In 2003 the film was nominated in four categories at the Gemini Awards , namely for best director, best original music, best camera work and best sound.

literature

Fritz Vincken: Hürtgenwald, Christmas Eve 1944. In: Manfred Lang (ed.): Eifel-Winter. Wonderful stories for long evenings before and after Christmas. 5th edition. KBV-Verl., Hillesheim 2013, ISBN 978-3-940077-99-8 , pp. 63-66.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release certificate for Silent Night - The Christmas Miracle . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , June 2012 (PDF; test number: 132 771 V).