Systurnar Charlotte og Caroline verða báðar ástfangnar af hinum umdeilda og hrokafulla rithöfundi Friedrich Schiller. Úr verður ástarþríhyrningur,  sem ögrar gildum samfélagsins þar sem þær lifa á tímum aristókrata. Samband þeirra þriggja er í fyrstu aðeins saklaus leikur, en snýst síðan í alvarlegri átt sem hefur afdrífaríkar afleiðingar.

Beloved sisters er byggð á ævi þýska ljóðskáldsins Friedrich Schiller (1759 – 1805) og löngu sambandi hans við tvær systur, Caroline og Charlotte von Lengefeld en hann kvæntist á endanum annarri þeirra, Charlotte. Myndin var tilnefnd til Gullbjörnsins á kvikmyndahátíðinni Berlinale þar sem hún var frumsýnd og var framlag Þýskalands sem besta erlenda kvikmyndin til Óskarsverðlaunanna.

English

The aristocratic sisters Charlotte and Caroline both fall in love with the controversial young writer and hothead Friedrich Schiller. Defying the conventions of their time, the sisters decide to share their love with Schiller. What begins playfully, almost as a game among the three of them, soon turns serious as it leads to the end of a pact.

The film (Die geliebten Schwestern) is based on the life of the German poet Friedrich Schiller (1759 –1805) and upon his long relationships with two sisters, Caroline and Charlotte von Lengefeld. Schiller was ultimately married to Charlotte von Lengefeld. The film was nominated for the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, and had its premiere at the festival. It was selected as the German entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.