The year is 1943. The war is raging between the Germans and the Allies in North Africa. A truck with a Czech crew, Lieutenant Navara and six soldiers, escapes from the Foreign Legion fortress. Their aim is to reach the Allies and fight against Nazism. The truck is destroyed by a German army plane, which is hit by enemy fire in its turn. One Czech soldier dies in the attack, the driver is badly wounded, and Navara has serious burns on his face. The group has very little water and must reach an oasis that is 60 km away.
Cinematography
Desert landscapes that devour the frame whole.
Acting
Brzobohatý's bandaged face speaks louder than dialogue.
Direction
Brynych strips war heroism down to thirst and shadow.
Director
Zbyněk Brynych
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made during normalized Czechoslovakia, it's one of few WWII films centering Czech resistance without Soviet glorification.
Brynych shot real desert locations in Tunisia—the same sands where the actual 1943 battles occurred.
XC
