Ineke Smits - The Netherlands - 2010

The film is set during WWII, but unlike most war films, this film is actually about humanity and love, about dreams and hopes, and with a strong message empowering women to break free from patriarchal bonds. Marie is a young woman living on the little, flat island of Texel, in conservative and religious North-Holland of the early 20th century. Marie dreams of mountains and traveling, hoping to one day leave the island and the islanders all behind her. When a battalion of ‘exotic’ Georgian soldiers arrives, Marie is intrigued by their stories, although they are unable to communicate. One way to communicate is through images, and a small local cinema proves pivotal to the further development of the plot. The film constantly moves from flat, grey Texel, to the colorful and beautiful scenery of the Kazbek mountains, taking us on a journey through the human psyche and imagination with a powerful message of love in times of war.

With: Madelief Blanken, Zura Zhgenti

Duration: 104 minutes

Language: Dutch, Georgian, German (English subtitles)