Summer of ’44: The Final Battle For Germay – DVD

On the surface it is beautiful hot summer and things appear as usual for five teenager friends hanging out at the public pool. The sun burns down from the sky and the boys show off and stare longingly at the pretty girls. However as all of them are looking to cool off in the water the events of WWII are closing in rapidly which will impact on all of their lives. In the summer of 1944, the tide has turned for Nazi Germany: their army is retreating and squeezing every last drop of blood in the defence of the Fatherland, even from teenage boys, is a price that needs to be paid. Ignoring the brutal regime as best as they can, the five lads try to bring some normality to their lives before it's off to the harsh training camps and the battle fields. The group is led by the cocky, self-assured Knuffke; his friend Onkel, the sensitive introvert, longs for true love. For now, they are nothing but cannon fodder, two of them being forced into the SS, the other 3 friends are made to fight alongside 60-year-old men in the defence of Germany. Soon enough, two of the boys are dead. Understanding the futility of their efforts, Onkel deserts the army. He must survive at all cost as deserters are instantly executed. Some of the friends manage to return home after the war is over. Can their friendship survive the brutality of war and the decisions they had to make? As spring turns into summer again, peace has come, but at what cost? Their innocence has gone, and the public pool has fallen dry.