Considering the rash of hate crimes occurring against non-whites in North America and Europe, Faith Akin’s latest film, In the Fade, is both timely and necessary. The film focuses on a woman, Katja Sekerci (Diane Kruger), who must deal with the sudden loss of her husband and son to a terrorist bombing. Going through the stages of grief, and barely hanging on, Katja finds a new purpose for living when she discovers the couple accused of the bombing have ties to neo-Nazi groups.

Part portrait of grief, part courtroom drama, part revenge flick, Akin’s film is an emotional and tense ride from beginning to end. While not as strong as Akin’s previous films, take Head-On for example, it does keep viewers on the edge of their seats to the powerful, and controversial, ending. Much of the film’s success is in part to Diane Kruger’s sensational performance. She takes what could have been a standard revenge thriller and gives it emotional weight. Kruger expertly brings Katja’s delicate mixture of sadness, helplessness, anger, and internal rage to life in a captivating way. She ensures that whether we agree with Katja’s decisions, we understand why she has made them.

Screens:
Wednesday, September 13, 3:30 PM, Bell Lightbox 1
Sunday, September 9:30 PM, Scotiabank 1

Tickets can be purchased at the TIFF website.