This striking epic is a unique account of life in a border town in years before, during and just after the World War 2 which saw a small community of decent people sacrificed to political ideologies.
As the rise of Nazism threatens the small town of Schwarzwald bordering Austria, the Austrian and Czechoslovakian villagers must choose their allegiances, some that have dire consequences. While Karel Veber signs himself and the rest of his family as German, his wife Marie sticks to her Czech heritage and refuses to sign. When Josef Pachl is arrested for his resistance activity, he later returns to the village post-war with a vengeance to settle. The divided small town as an allegory for the nation at large which shows how violence is never the answer in this unforgettable, timely war drama.
100% Rating on Rotten Tomatoes!
“Arresting…. Accomplished…. Stark, stunning cinematography… and sweeping scope.” – Screen Daily
“Powerful…. Can be fruitfully compared to works like Sátántangó and The White Ribbon…” – Cineuropa
“A monumental piece of filmmaking…. Epic in scale and intimate in character detail…. Grueling, unrelenting cinema” – CineVue
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Director: Bohdan Sláma
Starring: Petra Spalkova (Ice Mother), Stanislav Majer (Lord of War), Csongor Kassai (The Teacher), Pavel Novy (Ice Mother)
Year: 2020
Country: Czech Republic
Running Time: 135 min.
Genre: War Drama
