Based on a true story, ‘From Hilde, With Love’ is an intensely moving drama about Hilde Coppi (played with quiet conviction by Liv Lisa Fries), a young dental assistant who, while pregnant, is arrested and eventually sentenced to death for espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union. Whether Hilde fully understands the extent of what she’s being accused of, or whether she acts entirely out of love for a committed Communist, is never entirely clear, which gives the film a haunting ambiguity.

Set against the oppressive backdrop of Nazi Germany, the film offers a harrowing portrayal of prison life, with special attention to the unexpected relationship between Hilde and a prison warden who initially presents as cold and professional but gradually becomes more sympathetic as Hilde’s execution draws near. The film is rich in period detail, using flashbacks to pre-war, seemingly innocent times to underscore the moral and emotional gravity of the present.

These moments of lightness, including glimpses of family life, camaraderie or romance, highlight the stark contrast with Hilde’s current reality: the impending loss of her life, her separation from her newborn son (who wasn’t expected to live), and her role as a spiritual and emotional anchor to the other women in the prison. What makes Hilde especially compelling is her meekness. She is soft-spoken, gentle, and thoughtful – traits that make it difficult to imagine her knowingly committing treason. This makes her moral complexity all the more striking.

The film doesn’t present her as a fiery revolutionary, but as someone whose loyalty, practicality, and emotional intelligence made her indispensable to the resistance group known here as the Red Orchestra. One of the most refreshing aspects of the film is that it is told primarily from the perspective of women. That’s a significant shift from how such historical dramas were often portrayed in past generations. While the male characters tend to fade into the background, Hilde and the women around her are given full emotional and narrative depth.

These are not hardened operatives – they are idealists, sometimes uncertain of the full extent of their actions, but bound by conviction, love, and a tragic sense of duty. Ultimately, ‘From Hilde, With Love’ is not just a story of espionage or martyrdom but is about the quiet power of dignity in the face of terror, and the intimate cost of resistance. It’s a restrained, deeply humane portrait of a woman whose strength lies not in loud defiance but in her unwavering compassion.