(Christian Carion, France/Germany/UK/Belgium/Romania/Japan 2005, 116 min., DCP, French and German with English subtitles)
In the first year of the Great War, soldiers line the trenches, French and Scotsmen on one side and Germans on the other. Among the Germans is opera singer Nikolaus Sprink (Benno Fürmann), who has been pulled away temporarily to perform with his fiancee, Anna (Diane Kruger) to perform for Crown Prince Wilhelm. Disgusted by the comfort of the German generals while their troops rot away on the front line, Nikolaus determines to return to the front to sing for his fellow soldiers. When Anna decides to accompany him, it sparks a temporary cease fire marked by music and fellowship. Based on the actual “Christmas Truce” of December 1914, the film demonstrates that peace can be found even amidst the climate of violent confrontation.
35mm print from Sony Pictures Classics.
Upcoming Events in this Series
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