The Last Children of Paradise

The fourteen-year-old Leah lives with her little brother Theo with her grandmother secluded in the countryside. When the old woman dies unexpectedly, the children are suddenly completely on their own. Leah is overwhelmed with the new responsibility. For the first time she also noticed adolescent changes on her body. Her whole life seems in transition. But Leah wants to hold on to her little world at any cost. Instead of getting help, the grandmother is lying in the stairwell. Theo adorns her with childlike zeal. The house itself becomes a garden of paradise in the middle of which, however, a corpse decomposes slowly. A gathering thunderstorm and a group of overstretched campers suddenly become a threat to the morbid paradise of the children.

Directed by Anna Roller, The Last Children of Paradise leans on a strong ensemble — Lea Drinda, Moritz Licht, Doris Buchrucker — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2019.