Amandla Stenberg Stars in ‘Where Hands Touch’

Amandla Stenberg has dominated the big screen this past year, starring as lead roles in films such as Everything, Everything, The Hate U Give and The Darkest Minds.  However, that’s not all the 19-year-old actress has to offer for 2018.

A trailer for Stenberg’s newest upcoming movie, Where Hands Touch, was released on August 31st and is set to hit theaters on September 14th.

Written and directed by Amma Asante, the film tells a story that is rarely told: the struggle to survive for people of color in Nazi-Germany during World War II.

Stenberg portrays the role of Leyna, an Afro-German biracial teenager, who falls in love with a young soldier forced into the Nazi regime, Lutz (George MacKay).

The romance between the two has sparked controversy.

Complex, nuanced stories about people of color are largely absent from history books. And when our stories ARE told, they are frequently postulated through the lens of whiteness and colonization. Which is why I am honored to share the story of Leyna with dear mentor and incredible woman @iammaasante whose work and intention in this world I’ve revered since “Belle”. Few are aware of the children who were labeled “Rhineland Bastards” by the Nazi regime and were persecuted in Hitler’s Germany. These so-called bastards were the children of German women and Afro-French soldiers who occupied the Rhineland during World War I. Leyna is an Afro-German child who faces compulsory sterilization and internment because of her biracial identity. Where Hands Touch is a story of race, of identity, of a mother’s love for her child, and of romantic love that transcends race. It is a story about retaining humanity in the face of dehumanization. It is a story about an abhorrent dictatorship that intentionally wields divisive tactics to perpetuate fear; it is this fear that propels mass genocide. Finally, it is a story that feels particularly resonant right now, given what is happening in America and the world at large. Premiering at TIFF this Sunday.

A post shared by Amandla Stenberg (@amandlasponsored) on Sep 3, 2018 at 11:51am PDT

While questions have been raised toward possible Nazi romanticism, Stenberg makes the purpose of her appearance in the film clear with an Instagram post. In her caption, the actress stresses the importance of sharing stories about people of color in history. The star is known for using her platform as a tool for social justice, and her role in the film is another step toward her goal of change.

Watch the trailer for Where Hands Touch below.