AllMovie

At the very end of WW II in a small town near Berlin, artillery fire is constantly heard in the distance as the Russian army advances on the town. A school and church are now serving as home to a mix of fleeing refugees that embody most of the political spectrum found in Germany as a whole. A young Jewish boy is among the refugees, and when he openly tells them about the concentration and extermination camps, people do not want to believe him at first. His listeners and fellow refugees include the head of the boys choir (a choir that sings occasionally for everyone) who is a member of the Nazi party, apparently a humane individual with no inclination to irrational fervor. Others among the refugees have valiantly fought the Nazis, others would never fight anyone out of fear for their own safety, and one Hitler Youth does not like the Jewish boy. He is the exception, the others decide to help him by sharing some food they found with him and then locking him in a basement, partly for his own safety and only until they decide what to do with him. The Hitler Youth wants to report him to the authorities, and the others evade that issue as best they can. Eventually, bombing begins and the people have to flee for their lives. The young Jewish boy joins them in their exodus, but the Hitler Youth is still determined to report him to the closest authorities. As they flee, artillery and guns blasting behind them, fate or blind luck will decide who lives - or not.