It is April 1945, World War II is almost over. On the German Wadden Sea island of Amrum, 12-year-old Nanning is ‘the man of the house’, which means he has to provide food for his family, including his heavily pregnant mother Hille, who is still an ardent Nazi supporter.

When Hitler’s death is announced on the radio, Hille goes into labor. After a difficult delivery, she has one big wish: white bread with butter and honey. Nanning is determined to fulfill this wish, but it turns out to be an enormous task, not least because he and his family are not particularly popular with the other islanders.

Director Fatih Akin (Gegen die Wand, Aus dem Nichts) based this compelling coming-of-age drama on the childhood memories of his friend and mentor Hark Bohm, who wrote the novel of the same name. During his audition for the role of Nanning, young Jasper Billerbeck made a big impression on Akin, who saw in him a “young Paul Newman or Brad Pitt.” Billerbeck got the part—his acting debut.