IN ANOTHER LIFETIME
Veilleicht In Einem Anderen Leben
Austria, 2010, feature
94 minutes
German with English subtitles
Director: Elisabeth Scharang

DC Premiere

Near the end of WWII, 20 Hungarian Jews walk wearily through the countryside, en route to a death camp under the watchful eyes of their somewhat reluctant Nazi keepers. A bored young SS officer casually shoots and kills a dazed elderly captive, and then, coming across a village, locks the remaining 19 Jews in the barn of a surly farmer and his grimly quiet wife while the officer enjoys the hospitality of village leaders. Hoping to win over the locals and ensure their safety, the captive group—which includes an operatic tenor wearing the tatters of his stage costume—decides to stage an operetta for the Nazi-sympathizing townspeople. Inspired by actual events, surprising comedic elements and acts of compassion and strength shine as the story moves towards a sobering final twist in this poignant, poetic story.

CO-SPONSORED BY the Embassy of Austria