Schmitke is an old German wind turbine engineer. One day, he is dispatched to the Czech side of the Ore Mountains to fix an old squeaking wind turbine. His colleague disappears and mysterious things begin to happen in the forest.
Acting
Peter Kurth's magnificent unibrow does half the acting.
Cinematography
The Ore Mountains look haunted even in daylight.
Direction
Altrichter balances boredom and dread like a Czech Aki Kaurismäki.
Director
Štěpán Altrichter
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Tomáš Končinský's short story; the director expanded it into his feature debut after winning a pitching competition at the Berlinale.
The film satirizes post-communist border tensions—Germans see Czechs as backward, Czechs see Germans as arrogant, and everyone loses.
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