In her last film, Susanne Lothar plays a domineering mother seeking control over her daughter, a budding actress, to the extent of trying to take her grandson from her with claims of parental irresponsibility. She is at once a monster and yet one that is very true to life, getting her own way through passive aggressiveness. She also harbours a deep well of bitterness towards her ex-husband, who turns up in Berlin seeking reconciliation in vain, and the end result is that she drives everyone away from her.
Dust on Our Hearts has the production values of a TV movie, but doesn't need any more to get its message across. There is an acute emotional intelligence at work here from writer-director Doose, and while the actress playing the daughter is too listless for the demands of her role, this is more than made up for by Lothar, who effectively humanises a petty tyrant. Damaged family stories are rarely this perceptive.
7/10
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