Helmut

Born in Berlin, Germany in 1921, Helmut is a dark haired man with a physical disability; that of a missing pectoral muscle in his chest. While the condition is not life threatening, it causes disfigurement of the right arm and an inability to use the arm fully. Prior to World War II, Helmut's life consists of his observations of trains and people at the local station, but as the war begins to affect Berlin, Helmut attempts to join the German military. When Helmut, although in otherwise perfect physical health and quite intelligent, is told he cannot join due to his disability, he finds work with a kindly photographer, and learns to capture life on film.

As war slowly destroys his home, family, and employment, Helmut finds he is a capable, reliable, and independent man as he finds shelter, food, and work on his own. Helmut's photographs of the changes...