Occupied France, 1942. Gilles is arrested by SS soldiers alongside other Jews and sent to a camp in Germany. He narrowly avoids sudden execution by swearing to the guards that he is not Jewish, but Persian. This lie temporarily saves him, but Gilles gets assigned a life-or-death mission: to teach Farsi to Head of Camp Koch, who dreams of opening a restaurant in Iran once the war is over. Through an ingenious trick, Gilles manages to survive by inventing words of "Farsi" every day and teaching them to Koch.
"Persian Lessons" tells the story of Gilles, a Jewish man pretending to be Persian to survive a Nazi concentration camp. He uses a made-up language, incorporating words he overhears and names from the list of prisoners, to teach his captor, Koch, "Persian." The film follows Gilles' struggle to maintain his charade while facing constant danger. The vocabulary used reflects the camp setting, with words like "Arbeit" (work), "Essen" (food), and "Jude" (Jew), alongside more basic terms like "Brot" (bread) and "Wasser" (water), which are essential for basic communication. You'll also hear military ranks like "Hauptsturmführer" and "Rottenführer." This film is emotionally intense, exploring themes of survival, deception, and the horrors of the Holocaust. The language used ranges from formal military commands to informal conversations and desperate pleas. You'll encounter expressions of fear, anger, and manipulation, which can broaden your understanding of German beyond everyday conversation. The film also offers a unique opportunity to hear how language can be used as a tool for both power and survival. Learning German with "Persian Lessons" can be a rewarding experience. The subtitles provide a valuable aid, and the clear pronunciation, even in emotionally charged scenes, makes it easier to follow the dialogue. While the context is challenging, the film's unique storyline makes it engaging and memorable, which can enhance your motivation to learn. The repetitive nature of Gilles' "Persian" lessons can even reinforce vocabulary acquisition. This movie offers a profound insight into history while simultaneously providing a compelling platform for language learning.
Here are the first 15 of the more difficult words in Persian Lessons:
