Heimat : a chronicle of Germany /

The journey undertaken at the beginning of this epic film signals the viewer to settle in for a real story told over time, a long time. With that walk, pivotal character Paul Simon brings the viewer home, on foot, from World War I to his family's village in Germany's Hunstruck region, the "homeland" of this 15-plus-hour tale that span 63 years (1919-82). Paul, who walks back out in the first episode to immigrate to America, leaves the viewer with his extended family to experience the build up to World War II, the collapse of the Third Reich, and the next generation's attempts to define itself. Paul's abandoned wife, Maria, is the focal point. As the war taps on the security and isolation of this rural town, she raises her sons in the home of Paul's parents and watches them become very different men. There time passes, and the world drops in via a cast of characters so rich you want to meet them again and again as they go through their lives. An incredible portrait of the people of Germany, this 11-episode film became the first of a trilogy (which includes another 19 episodes) that follows Maria's children to the turn of the 21st century. The six-CD set is forgiving on shelf space, though librarians might want to separate the CDs to allow serial checkout. Recommended for all serious film collections.-Rebecca Miller, Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.