Product Details

• Actors: Felix Bittrich, Sabrina Kruschwitz, Norbert Hülm, Arthur Prost, Anja Bartelt
• Directors: Kirsi Liimatainen
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: German
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: PICTURE THIS
• DVD Release Date: March 11, 2008
• Run Time: 75 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0011367NE
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #87,938 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The storyline follows Sonja, a pretty, 16- year-old blonde, as she experiences unfamiliar feelings for her gal pal Julia.

Capturing those indelible moments in young adulthood when one realizes that "I love you" means different things to different people, the film lays bare all the uncertainty, fear, and beauty of coming of age.

Sonja spends her summer in a boring, suburban town, avoiding her ex-boyfriend Anton who wants to get back together, and her mother, who pries into everything going on in her young life. Sonja's only joy comes from Julia, a radiant, brunette beauty who tools around town on a scooter and confides in Sonja about going to dances and having sex with boys. Julia feels like she and Sonja will be best friends forever. But looking into Julia's eyes, then caressing her back as they share a bed one night, Sonja begins to realize there's something more going on here.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars [...] Coming of Age, February 1, 2008

By	Amos Lassen (Little Rock, Arkansas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

"Sonja"

[...] Coming of Age

Amos Lassen

I do not get a chance to review many Lesbian films so I am always glad to do so when I receive one. "Sonja" is a project of first time director Kirsi Marie Liimatainen and was inspired by her youth in Finland. She has been an actress herself but unfortunately her debut as a director is not as good as it could have been. On the other hand the story is wonderful and very sincere.
Sonja is a 15 year old girl who is discovering her sexuality. The film focuses on her loneliness and all she cares about is the girl that she loves. Loneliness is nothing new to teenagers but when that is combined with a homosexual feeling, it can be very hard to deal with. What I found sad is that today things are different and kids are coming out much younger. Intolerance is less than what it has been and loneliness, while still a problem, is not as severe as it once was. Sonja, however, seems suicidal through most of the movie. Because she can't bring herself to tell Julia, her girlfriend, that she loves her, she suffers.
Sonja's feelings of uncertainty, fear, and rejection seem to be the core of the film. Since she feels no joy or happiness except when she is with Julia, Sonja appears as a sad character.
It hurts me to watch a movie that is filled with promise and then doesn't deliver. This could have been a wonderful film but for so many reasons things do not gel. There is a lot of wasted talent here and we can only hope that we will see better things from this young director.

3.0 out of 5 stars flawed telling, but beautiful story, October 4, 2008

By	D. M. Kelley (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Even though this film is lacking something in the end, some additional scene. Maybe with the mom I think, I still love it. After watching this film, go back, watch the beginning and listen to Sonja's poem. The poem is about lonliness, it sets the tone and speaks on the whole movie. While I understand the intent (it's almost a teaser to the peace), I think the poem would have been better at the end while Sonja was walking away as it says what needs to be said about the story as gives it a sort of peace and understanding and even beauty that the exsisting ending doesn't.

While this movie is about self-discovery, it is also about the lonliness of such a journey. And it is lonely and frustrating to feel a million things that can't be spoken. To have your mother misunderstand you, to not feel the way you're suppose to feel about boys -- the way all the other girls are feeling about boys, and to have this friend... this friend who touches you on so many unique ways down inside your soul, but who doesn't understand the depth of it. And on the one hand you want them to know and understand, but on the other hand you question... if they did, would I still have them? And it can tear you apart to hold this question inside you.

While there are flaws in the peice (the ending, the pacing, disjointed transitions), there's also a lot of heart in it. In the final scene between Sonja and Julia in the film I could feel Sonja's heart falling into her hands as she finally openned up to Julia. In fact, all through the movie I felt Sonja. The actress that played her was incredible and the story's core is beautiful. Like I said, you'll feel cheated by the ending at first. But then go back to the beginning and listen again to Sonja's poem for Julia and you understand the story so much better.