For Hans, the gay protagonist of Austrian entry Great Freedom, life in post WWII Germany is mostly spent at the same prison.
He’s repeatedly convicted under Paragraph 175, the now-defunct law that criminalized any homosexual activity.
The film is a period piece, but its story remains relevant as an examination of human rights that are still denied in many countries — and can’t be taken for granted even where they are permitted. “Conservative forces are getting stronger again in democratic societies the world over: you’re seeing it in Hungary and Poland, but even in Germany and the U.S. Our democratic rights are still endangered, and this film is a reminder of that.”
