Where Hands Touch - Characters & Cast

Leyna's primary motivation is survival and the desire for a sense of belonging. Initially, she is motivated by a youthful desire for normalcy and acceptance within German society. As the film progresses, her motivation shifts to protecting her own life and the life of her unborn child, fueled by a fierce will to live.

Leyna begins the film as a relatively naive teenager who, despite the persecution she faces, still identifies as German and wants to belong. Her experiences, particularly her relationship with Lutz and her imprisonment in a labor camp, force her to confront the brutal reality of her situation. She transforms from a girl seeking acceptance into a hardened survivor who must make impossible choices to protect herself and her unborn child. Her journey is one of painful disillusionment but also of burgeoning strength and self-acceptance.

Initially, Lutz is motivated by a sense of patriotic duty and a desire to please his father. His love for Leyna becomes a competing and ultimately overriding motivation, compelling him to act against the regime he once served.

Lutz starts as a loyal member of the Hitler Youth, seemingly embracing the Nazi ideology. His character arc is one of gradual awakening and disillusionment. His love for Leyna forces him to question the hateful rhetoric he has been taught. Witnessing the atrocities of the regime firsthand, particularly in the labor camp, solidifies his rejection of Nazism. He ultimately sacrifices himself in an attempt to save Leyna, completing his transformation from a follower to a dissenter.

Kerstin's sole motivation is the safety and survival of her children, particularly Leyna, who is the most vulnerable. Every action she takes is driven by her maternal instinct to protect them from the horrors of the Nazi regime.

Kerstin is a mother fiercely dedicated to protecting her children in a hostile environment. Her arc is one of constant struggle and sacrifice. She makes difficult and morally ambiguous decisions to keep Leyna safe, including obtaining false papers stating Leyna has been sterilized. Her character highlights the impossible choices faced by ordinary people living under a totalitarian regime.

Heinz is motivated by a cynical desire to survive the war and to protect his son. He encourages Lutz to conform to the Nazi ideology as a means of survival, even though he himself seems to harbor doubts about the regime.

Heinz, Lutz's father, is a high-ranking SS officer who is privately disillusioned with the war and the Nazi regime. He represents a segment of German society that went along with the Nazis out of a sense of self-preservation. His arc is tragic, as his attempts to protect his son from the horrors of the war ultimately fail. In the end, he is forced to make a monstrous choice, killing his own son to prevent him from deserting with Leyna.