Europa Europa 1991

As the tender ritual of circumcision marks the initiation of young Solomon’s (Marco Hofschneider) journey, little does he know that fate has other plans in store. Years later, on the eve of his Bar Mitzvah celebration, Kristallnacht descends upon his family, claiming the life of his beloved sister. The trauma of this event sets the stage for a series of events that will forever alter Solomon’s trajectory.

As war rages on, Solomon, his parents (Klaus Abramowsky & Michele Gleizer), and two brothers, Isaak (Rene Hofschneider) and David (Piotr Kozlowski), flee to Lodz, Poland. However, the relentless onslaught of German forces eventually drives them apart, leaving Solomon to navigate a treacherous landscape alone.

Solomon’s fortunes take a turn for the better when he is rescued by Soviet soldiers and taken in by an orphanage in Grondo. As he becomes integrated into the Soviet Communist Union of Youth, Solomon begins to find solace in his new surroundings. But his brief respite from the chaos is short-lived, as German forces once again invade the orphanage, leaving Solomon separated from his fellow orphans.

In a stroke of good fortune, Solomon’s fluency in German allows him to convincingly assume the identity of “Josef Peters,” convincing German soldiers that he is one of their own. As Josef, Solomon finds himself embroiled in a series of events that lead him to aid Robert (Andre Wilms), a gay German soldier with secrets of his own.

Robert’s discovery of Solomon’s true identity as a Jew sets off a chain reaction of events that ultimately result in the tragic loss of life for all parties involved. Left alone and adrift, Solomon is forced to confront the harsh realities of war and the fragility of human connection.

As he navigates the treacherous landscape of war-ravaged Europe, Solomon’s path intersects with that of Leni (Julie Delpy), a beautiful German girl who captures his heart. Despite their forbidden love, Solomon finds solace in her company and begins to question the very identity he has been forced to assume.

The convergence of fate brings Solomon full circle, as he finds himself at a Hitler Youth school, hailed as a war hero and a true German. It is here that he meets Gerd, his unlikely best friend, and begins to unravel the tangled threads of his own identity. As the mysteries of his past begin to unfold, Solomon is forced to confront the ultimate irony: sharing the same birthday with Adolf Hitler himself.

As the tempestuous relationship between Solomon and Leni reaches its boiling point, their verbal sparring match devolves into a brutal physical altercation, with Leni resorting to vile insults and Solomon retaliating with a resounding slap. The aftermath is marked by a stinging rebuke from Leni, as she calls him a “limp dick” before departing, leaving Solomon reeling. Months pass without any word from Leni, until Solomon pays a visit to her mother (Halina Labonarska), only to be met with the sobering revelation that Leni is expecting Gerd’s child. The weight of this news sends Solomon into a tailspin of despair, prompting him to confess his own Jewish heritage to Leni’s mother, who vows to keep his secret safe.

Solomon’s anxiety spikes when he receives an unexpected summons to the police station, where officials request his Certificate of Purity as part of a routine procedure. However, Solomon’s evasive response - claiming the document remains in Grondo - only serves to pique their interest, leading them to demand that it be brought forth. As Solomon flees the scene, he is consumed by foreboding, sensing that his lack of Certificate of Racial Purity will inevitably betray his Jewish identity.

In a stunning turn of events, the very building Solomon has just vacated is bombed, and his former colleague Gerd falls victim to the destruction outside. The Hitler Youth students are subsequently dispatched to the front lines, tasked with defending Berlin against the encroaching Soviet forces. When Solomon surrenders to the advancing army, he attempts to reveal his Jewish heritage once more - only to be met with skepticism and ridicule by the soldiers. They taunt him, suggesting that if he were truly a Jew, he would have either perished or been imprisoned in a concentration camp.

As the situation grows increasingly dire, Isaak - recently liberated from a Nazi camp - arrives on the scene and identifies Solomon as one of his own. This unexpected validation sets Solomon free, along with Isaak, who together embark on a journey to Palestine, where they will eventually find themselves in the newly established state of Israel.