Directed by František Vláčil • 1970 • Czechoslovakia
Starring Petr Čepek, Emma Černá, Jan Vostrčil

One of director František Vláčil’s most renowned works, this searing romantic tragedy considers questions of national trauma through a powerful human love story. In the aftermath of World War II, former soldier Viktor (Petr Čepek) is put in charge of an estate previously owned by a Nazi war criminal whose daughter, Adelheid (Emma Černá), is now forced to work there as a maid. Gradually, Viktor and Adelheid are drawn together in a complex relationship that forces them both to confront issues of power, moral responsibility, and the weight of history.