Verbotene Liebe aka Forbidden love (1990) – Helmut Dziuba.

Not exactly the love that dare not speak its name, but these teenaged dreamers nascent sexual awakening ultimately proves catastrophic once Barbara's parents discover what they've really been doing behind the bike sheds. With exquisite photography, an exceptionally quality text, and naturalistic performances, East German director Helmut Dziuba's compelling, emotionally charged drama remains no less electric today that upon its original release. With teenage pregnancies, homelessness, and long-term unemployment being anything but a distant memory in the UK, the themes of this impactful East German drama remain uncomfortably relevant.

While Georg and Barbara's absolutely earnest, yet injudicious affair acts as both a cautionary, and bitter sweet, melancholic tale, Dziuba's tender, humane feature contains moments of light, and great beauty that leavens the oppressive gloom of the final act. As a vivid snapshot of youthfully incandescent passions, Verbotene Liebe proves unerring, but it is also a remarkably sensitive portrayal of love and innocence, contrasted by the reactionary, pointedly judgemental, wholly unloving response of their peers, family members, and state. While my German is passable-ish, I missed some of the narrative subtleties, due to regional dialects, and the unfamiliar officious jargon during the court case, hopefully Forbidden Love, and other East German gems will be given some HD TLC.