
Toyland
2007 · short film · 13 min · ★ 7.2
On a winter morning, a mother goes to waken her son Heinrich; his bed is empty. She leaves her flat to find him. The neighbors' door, with a Star of David painted on it, is ajar, the furnishings in disarray, the family gone. She asks passersby, runs to the police then on to the rail yard. Flashbacks show that Heinrich and the neighbors' son Paul are six years old and best friends. Paul's family's deportation is expected soon; Heinrich's mother tells her son that they're going to Toyland. Heinrich wants to go with them, has a bag packed, and listens for their departure. His mother realizes he's joined them, and her resolve becomes more urgent. Will she arrive in time to save Heinrich?
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Details
- Years
- 2007
- Release date
- 2007-08-29
- Language
- German
- Runtime
- 13 min
- TMDB rating
- 7.2/10 (73 votes)
Themes
- winter
- flashback
- little boy
- antisemitism
- neighbor
- soldier
- 1940s
- worry
- short film
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Live Action Short Film · 2009
- Academy Award — Best Live Action Short Film · 2009 · nominated
Cast & crew

Julia Jäger
as Marianne

Cedric Eich
as Heinrich

David C. Bunners
as Obersturmführer

Torsten Michaelis
as Herr Silbertein

Claudia Hübschmann
as Frau Silberstein

Gregor Weber
as SS-Mann Werner

Jürgen Trott
as Schutzpolizist

Klaus-Jürgen Steinmann
as Blockwart
- MP
Matthias Paul
as Gestapo Mann

Johanna Penski
as Hausmeisterin (uncredited)
Directed by Jochen Alexander Freydank