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Germany, May 1937.
Shy, cerebral Erich loves Zeppelins – silver
airborne giants that span oceans in a single leap and transport
the rich and famous to exotic destinations. Zeppelins also distract
Erich from the fact that his best friend has joined the Hitler Youth
and that his teachers are pressuring him to submit to the rigid
Nazi code.
Erich and his ailing mother decide to leave Berlin
for the safety of his aunt’s farm, only
a few miles from the home base of the Zeppelins. Erich’s growing
mechanical skills fuel the self-confidence he needs to apply to
the Zeppelin Company as an apprentice mechanic.
Under the guidance of Willi Ganzler, a young mechanic,
and Herr Schmidt, the ship’s gruff Chief Engineer, Erich helps
to build – and then actually fly – the last of the great
Zeppelins. On weekends, Erich enjoys riding his motorcycle and mountain
climbing with pretty, independent Beate Förster. For Erich,
life is good.
But as the Nazis gradually insinuate themselves
into the crew, Erich finds that he is powerless to prevent them
from slowly unraveling the trust and respect that had knit the ship’s
extended family so closely together. When Willi is arrested by the
Nazi secret police, Erich is forced to make a choice that could
put his life in the ultimate danger. |
