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Historical drama

A Friendship in Vienna (1988): Cast & Plot

A Friendship in Vienna (1988) movie poster

A Friendship in Vienna is a 1988 historical drama directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman, starring Jenny Lewis as Inge Dournenvald, Kamie Harper and Stephen Macht. It runs 1 hour 38 minutes.

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A Friendship in Vienna (1988) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 38m (98 min)
Genres
Drama , History
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is A Friendship in Vienna About?

The premise of A Friendship in Vienna without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

In pre‑World War II Austria, Inge Dournenvald, a Jewish girl, and Lise Mueller, whose father sympathizes with the Nazis, share a deep friendship. Although authorities forbid them from seeing each other, they continue to meet in secret. Following the 1938 German annexation, Lise helps Inge and her family flee to America.

A Friendship in Vienna Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • year 1938
  • 13 year old
  • vienna austria
  • interfaith friendship
  • friendship between girls
  • father beats daughter
  • nazi annexation of austria
  • anschluss
  • annexation
  • austria
  • jewish
  • friend
+38 more
  • best friend
  • nazi
  • escape
  • 1930s
  • girl
  • jewish girl
  • redheaded girl
  • teen angst
  • girls' school
  • visa
  • train
  • train station
  • roller coaster
  • protest march
  • priest
  • nazi occupation
  • mother daughter relationship
  • memory
  • goodbye
  • goodbye at train station
  • forced baptism
  • father daughter relationship
  • farewell
  • family relationships
  • falling down stairs
  • classroom
  • childhood memory
  • braided hair
  • amusement park
  • toothbrush
  • spanking
  • school
  • school uniform
  • reference to adolf hitler
  • prejudice
  • packing
  • jewish family
  • hospital
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Cast & crew

A Friendship in Vienna Cast & Characters

Jenny Lewis leads the cast as Inge Dournenvald, with Kamie Harper as Lise Mueller and Stephen Macht as Franz Dournenvald. Directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman; 17 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in A Friendship in Vienna

· 13 more
From the director

More from Arthur Allan Seidelman

More films directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman, best-rated first: Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, The Sisters, Hercules in New York and The Awakening of Spring.

Full filmography
Plot

A Friendship in Vienna Plot Summary

What happens in A Friendship in Vienna from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Set in 1938 Austria, just before and during the Anschluss, the film follows two 13-year-old best friends, Lise Mueller, [Kamie Harper], and Inge Dournenvald, [Jenny Lewis], as they navigate a country on the edge of radical change. Lise is Catholic while Inge is Jewish, and their friendship becomes a quiet, stubborn pull against the growing pressure around them. Their families are caught in the tides of power: Lise’s father is a Nazi sympathizer who travels back and forth to Germany to ready for the impending union, dragging his wife along and pulling his eldest son into the regime’s orbit.

Full summary

The whole story of A Friendship in Vienna, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know A Friendship in Vienna?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
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  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
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  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What are the religious backgrounds of the two best friends, Lise and Inge?

Details

A Friendship in Vienna Also Known As

Also known as “Eine Freundschaft in Wien”.

Also known as
  • Eine Freundschaft in Wien

Seen A Friendship in Vienna?

FAQ

A Friendship in Vienna FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of A Friendship in Vienna, each answered in a sentence.

How long is A Friendship in Vienna?

A Friendship in Vienna runs 1 hour 38 minutes (98 minutes).

When was A Friendship in Vienna released?

A Friendship in Vienna was released on August 27, 1988.

Who directed A Friendship in Vienna?

A Friendship in Vienna was directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman.

More films by Arthur Allan Seidelman

Who is in the cast of A Friendship in Vienna?

A Friendship in Vienna stars Jenny Lewis as Inge Dournenvald, Kamie Harper as Lise Mueller and Stephen Macht as Franz Dournenvald, among 17 credited actors.

Does A Friendship in Vienna have a post-credit scene?

No. A Friendship in Vienna has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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