"As the narrative builds, we become more interested in them and it is their emotions weighted by experience which anchor the film. The film also looks good, with the period detail and ambience painstakingly recreated and shot with an unfussy style." Julian Wood FILMINK "What it does have in its favour are splendid performances by all six actresses who portray Anna and Lotte from childhood to old age. Thekla Reuten (Lotte) and Nadja Uhl (Anna) occupy the bulk of screentime as the 20 year-old sisters ..." Richard Kuipers OPTUSNET MOVIES "The good that comes from the deprivation of answers-on-demand is it allows a much stronger wallop once full disclosure has been made ..." Greg Muskewitz EFILMCRITIC.COM "This Dutch drama is a champion weepy. I wanted to lie on the cinema floor and sob." Alexa Moses SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

"A handsomely appointed, solidly acted feature." Michael Rechtshaffen HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Twin Sisters is not perfect. But it has unabashed warmth, meaty dramatic conflict, and something real to say. Pack tissues, a sister, and weep for all the right reasons." Alexa Moses SYDNEY MORNING HERALD "'De Tweeling' really is a moving story, about how fate and circumstances you don't chose can influence your life dramatically. The great acting and fine visualization make it a very good movie. When I watched it in the cinema, many people remained in their seats after the film had ended, still impressed, and some of the visitors could not keep their eyes dry." Jan Willem Visser FOREIGNFILMS.COM "It’s clenching and gripping cinema, exhibiting how far the monstrosities of war can trickle down to have such a personal effect, yet without downplaying the reach of its effects, either. Absolutely to be seen" Greg Muskewitz EFILMCRITIC.COM

At A Glance The first thing that springs to mind after viewing "Twin Sisters", a rich, delightful story of twin sisters seperated at the age of six is, why didn't this take the Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Language Film? It is a far superior film to the winner "The Barbarian Invasion." One can only wonder. The truth is that all the finalists are so closely matched at awards time that it must be a trying, testing time when it comes to casting one vote when you have five such worthy contestants competing for the one Oscar. It would be a voting nightmare for some. Adapted from the novel "De Tweeling" by Tessa de Loo, "Twin Sisters" is a tapestry of life for two sisters, torn apart by family differences after the death of their mother. One side of the family has a the trappings of wealth while the other side are poor ignorant farmers. The distinction sets the tone for the film. The longing to be reunited haunts both girls for many years. The class distinction is tempered by the health of the twins. Lotte is weak and sickly and is adopted by a wealthy Dutch family the Rockanjes. The healthy twin Anna stays with a family who are German and poor. This difference in cultural upbringing will shape their lives for decades to come, in the end engulfing the desperate longing both girls have to be reunited again. "Twin Sisters" is a film driven by empithy and it carries that purpose well. The heartbreak of the twins seperation, their inability to communicate with each other; the treatment of Anna whose worth is diminished by mental illness according to her uncaring parents, Uncle Heinrich and his wife Martha; Lottes battle with illness; these things tug at our heartstrings. One longs for them to find each other, to be as one and that longing becomes a passionate desire for the audience. But will being together bring happiness? The twins are being brought up in very different cultures. Anna's life changes after she has been brutalized by Uncle Heinrich. Through a Roman Catholic priest she is given another chance in life. She becomes a housemaid eventually working for a beautiful German aristocrat the Baroness Falkenau. Love comes to both women. Lotte finds love with a man who is a Jew, a music student named David. Anna finds soulice in the arms of an SS officer named Bernd. War in Europe will place immense pressure on the girls relationship. Again, their story takes another turn. Ideology now becomes a part of each sisters life. They see things singularly. Anna loves her sister but Lotte is scarred by the war. A reunion in peace time is disastrous and only serves to drives them apart. Their journey to reconcilliation is shown in flashbacks and each segment is like a piece in a puzzle and every piece fits. The images are strong and purposeful as is the dialogue, although the sub-titles are, on some occassions, a little hard to read. The final scenes will draw tears. Some will sob, others will choke on the emotion and I guarantee, there won't be a dry eye in the house. Only the coldest of hearts would fail to shed a tear during these tender moments. Very Recommended viewing. The best-seller "De Tweeling" has been read by 2 million people in the Netherlands and 1.5 million in Germany. "Twin Sisters" won the Golden Calf award [the Dutch equivalent of the Oscars] in 2003. Cast& Crew Bytes "Twin Sisters" was directed by Ben Sombogaart ["Allemaal tuig!", "The Boy Who Stopped Talking" and "Pluk van de petteflet"], produced by Hanneke Niens ["No More Control", "Stir Crazy" and "Amazones"] and Anton Smit ["No More Control", "Familie", "Baby" and "Stir Crazy"] screenplay by Marieke van der Pol ["Blonde Dolly" and "Rosa Rosa"] with Original music by Fons Merkies ["Once Beaten, Twice Shy", "Dark Light", "Juggernaut" and "Smile and Wave"] and Cinematography by Piotr Kukla ["The Beginning", "The Ball", "Rosa Rosa", "The Publishers" and "Yes Nurse! No Nurse!"].
The film was adapted from the novel by Tessa De Loo ["Meander", "A Bed in Heaven" and "Alle Verhalen Tot Morgen"].
"Twin Sisters" stars Thekla Reuten ["Everybody's Famous!", "Chalk" and "The Women of Rosenstrasse"], Ellen Vogel ["That Joyous Eve", "The Knife", "Burning Love" and "Intoxicated"], Nadja Uhl ["Green Henry", "Cape Town Blues", "Snow On New Year's Eve" and "Shattered Glass"], Gudrun Okras ["Coming Out", "Fatherland", "Annaluise & Anton" and "Now or Never"], Jeroen Spitzenberger ["The Tech Files" and "Tarry"] and Ingo Naujoks ["Nobody Loves Me", "Women Don't Lie", "Bloody Nuisance" and "Tattoo"] as Heinrich. The Story Inseparable twin sisters Anna and Lotte Bamberg are cruelly parted at the age of six. Anna remains in Germany, growing up in relatively harsh circumstances on the farm of her uncle Heinrich and his wife Martha. The sickly Lotte is given a loving home in the Netherlands by distant relations, the Rockanjes. In the years following their separation the girls desperately try to get in touch with each other. At last a reunion follows on the brink of the Second World War. Glad to be reunited at last they both feel they’ve drifted apart, but when they meet shortly after the War the estrangement has become definite due to the death of Lotte's Jewish husband. Lotte makes it clear that she wants to ban the memory of her sister out of her life forever. More than fifty years later Anna and Lotte are lost together in the woods near Spa. Although Lotte initially tries to ignore Anna, they are now talking together. At first Lotte refuses to listen to Anna and persists in calling her the enemy. Lotte now realises how much both their lives were decided by fate and in the end the elderly sisters can at last share the great tragedies of their lives. Tragedies which include the loss of the men they loved. The Verdict "An emotionally enriching experience. A tale that tugs at the heartstrings. A rich tapestry of images and beautiful performances. A film worthy of your attention. Grips you from start to finish. A 4 tissue production. Very Recommended." The Cast

Thekla Reuten Nadja Uhl Ellen Vogel Gudrun Okras Jeroen Spitzenberger Roman Knizka Julia Koopmans Sina Richardt Barbara Auer Margarita Broich Manfred-Paul Hanig Janine Horsburgh Ingo Naujoks Betty Schuurman Hans Somers Jaap Spijkers Manfred Tornelli Jean-Michel Nepper Hans Trentelman Marieke Van Leeuwen

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Lotte Young Anna Old Lotte Old Anna David Martin Lotte Bamberg[young] Anna Bamberg[young] Charlotte Martha Falkenau Frau Grossalie Heinrich Mother Rockanje Bram Father Rockanje Offizer Offizer Mr De Vries Mevr De Vries

The Crew Directed by Ben Sombogaart Adapted from the novel "De Tweeling" by Tessa de Loo Screenplay by Marieke van der Pol Executive Producer Madelon Veldhuizen Produced by Hanneke Niens & Anton Smit Original Music by Fons Merkies Cinematography by Piotr Kukla Film Editing by Herman P Koerts Production Design by Michel De Graaf Set Decoration by Petra Weber Costume Design by Linda Bogers Makeup Department Supervisor Winnie Gallis Production Manager Sandra van der Oest Run Time 115 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2004 - IdtV Film - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2004 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved