The stunning mountain valleys of the Alps form the backdrop to a heartrending drama about an Austrian farmer who refuses to submit to the rule of Nazi Germany. This new film by American cinema maestro Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, The Tree of Life) is based on the life of Franz Jägerstätter, who was imprisoned for his silent resistance to the German Anschluss.
For the screenplay, Malick draws on letters Jägerstätter wrote to his wife. As he festers in jail, she is ostracised by the villagers. In A Hidden Life, Malick investigates how the Jägerstätters found the strength to sacrifice their lives and well-being for a higher ideal. As in his previous work, he lyrically represents his characters’ rich inner worlds using fluid images, a rich soundtrack and associative editing.
Film details
- Countries of production
- Germany, USA
- Year
- 2019
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2020
- Length
- 180'
- Medium/Format
- DCP
