Freedom (2017)

Thanks to American songwriter Kris Kristofferson, Janis Joplin made Me and Bobby McGee a chart-topping hit in 1971 in the United States. Since then, the lyrics to the Grammy Hall of Fame single have been in Mr. Man’s head — especially the line, “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.” Yet in 2019, two filmmakers had everything to gain with their same-named foreign dramas. Spanish writer/director Albert Serra screened his French flick Freedom (otherwise known as Liberté) while German writer/director/cinematographer Jan Speckenbach released his international pic Freedom. Also known as Freiheit, this mystery centers around a wife and mother who walks out on her family without even saying goodbye. As such, her loved ones wonder where she is as she tries to create a new life without them in Vienna and Bratislava. Throughout the film, we empathize with Nora (Johanna Wokalek), Philip (Hans-Jochen Wagner), David (Kristof Peter Gellen), Jonas (Georg Arms Jonas), Lena (Rubina Labusch), Herr Mehlis (Tobias Langhoff), and Omi Hilde (Anne Harich). Although the movie is a joint production of Germany and Slovakia, it relies on the universal language of lust when hunky Hans-Jochen frees his body from being covered up. Danke schön! At the 51-minute mark, Mr. Wagner jumps out of bed, baring his board back in the process. If that’s not hot enough, he steams up the lens when he flashes his ass. All it takes is one peek at his crackage to know it’s better than the crack on the Liberty Bell. Let freedom ding!