One of the more popular ideas in films that are based on real events or people is to show a small Interview fragment or photos of the actual persons during the credits. But how often do you see those Interviews actually integrated in the film, even driving the story? The interviews with the actual survivors surely are the thing that makes Die Unsichtbaren stand out among WWII/Third Reich/Holocaust-dramas. All of the Interviewees tell their remarkable stories in such a fascinating and humble way, that these segments alone would make the movie worthwhile. But they are so seamlessly edited into the reenactments of those events, that it is a real joy. Of course you could argue that this style is more documentary, less feature film, but the quality of the reenactments and the acting talent of those involved (especially Max Mauff and Alice Dwyer stand out) is enough to convince you, that Die Unsichtbares belongs in the cinemas.

Another factor is the positivity that the film depicts. Of course, its still a movie about the everyday discrimination and persecution of Jews, but it focuses on the witty ideas and lucky incidents that lead to the mostly positive outcomes for our protagonists. You wont see any on-screen-deaths or footage from the camps in Die Unsichtbaren. Still it tries to strike a balance of showing positive and negative actions alike from all parties involved - German Jews, German non-Jews and Russians - making the story a little more varied and complex than usual without ever being patronizing or sentimental.

At its core, Die Unsichtbaren is a polished German production that doesnt take too many risks, but its still a worthwhile movie with an interesting story to tell and good performances all around. The blend of Documentary and feature film works suprisingly well and makes this one a recommandation.

Interesting film telling the story of these terrible times from another perspective, with the heroes being the German people who risked their lives to help many young Jews hide underground in World War 2

One reviewer here asks how much more drama can be "squeezed" from this "event". I would answer an infinite amount. There will never be too much that can be said or portrayed about the largest act of genocide, torture and madness. To the already copious number of films on the subject, comes The Invisibles, a docudrama, so labeled with names of the two genres that combine successfully to make up this film. I thought the combination worked extremely well. Having the actual photographic footage of Berlin during the war gave the film an aura of authenticity that enhanced it. Also, the interviewing of the survivors, combined with enactments of what they were reporting, also worked extremely well. In fact, seeing and listening to them made watching the film more bearable for me as I knew they avoided the horrific fate that most of their compatriots didn't. The only reason I rated The Invisibles a 9 and not a 10 was because in a couple of instances I experienced some confusion, mainly about who was who. I think there could have been a bit more clarity in this area. Other than that, the world now has another documentation of something that you'd think happens only in nightmares.