AllMovie

What should be a time of joy and new beginnings becomes a harrowing experience for one woman in this drama from Germany. Rebecca (Susanne Wolff) and Julien (Johann von Bulow) are a couple in their mid-thirties who have learned that they're going to have a child. At first, both Rebecca and Julien are happy with the news that they're expecting, but as their anticipation grows, Rebecca begins wondering about the responsibilities of parenthood, and when their son Lukas is born, her concern turns into a deep and overwhelming dread. Rebecca develops a severe case of postpartum depression, and she finds herself unable to care for the baby or herself. Rebecca is determined at first to keep her troubles to herself, but in time she can no longer hide her feelings, and as her condition becomes worse, she is hospitalized and becomes convinced the mere act of feeding the baby could cause her son to die. Das Fremde In Mir (aka The Stranger In Me) was screened as part of the Critics' Week series at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.