Children of the Revolution

Two women, one in Germany and the other in Japan, emerge from the heat of the 1968 student upheavals to become central players in militant currents. The film traces how their convictions pull them toward acts that aim to reshape the world through organized groups in two contexts, the Baader Meinhoff Group in the West and the Japanese Red Army in Asia. It follows their evolving beliefs as decades pass and the politics around them shift, but without turning them into symbols of simple good or evil. Instead it maps the reasons that drew them in, the tactics they chose, and the legacies their choices left for later generations. The result is a measured, thought provoking look at a turbulent era.

Directed by Shane O'Sullivan and released in 2011, this documentary uses interviews and archival material to trace the intertwined stories of the Baader Meinhoff Group in the West and the Japanese Red Army in Asia. It relies on firsthand testimony from participants and contextual history to illuminate a turbulent period.

Box office data for this documentary isn’t widely reported, reflecting a limited theatrical footprint rather than mainstream commercial success in most markets. It has appeared at film festivals and select international screenings.

The film gathers voices from key participants including Mei Shigenobu, Bettina Rohl, Masao Adachi, Astrid Proll and Leila Khaled, giving a rare cross cultural perspective. By presenting firsthand reflections, it reframes these figures from controversy to complex human beings and prompts reflection on the era's lasting influence. It invites viewers to consider how revolutionary rhetoric translates into real world consequences.

Critics have noted the film's restrained, interview driven approach that lets the subjects speak for themselves while raising questions about violence, ideology, and legacy. It foregrounds questions rather than sensationalism, inviting viewers to weigh personal conviction against the costs of militancy, and to consider how memory shapes histories of radical faith.