A 14-year-old orphan named Krabat flees the horrors of the 30 Years War by becoming an apprentice to an ominous master of a mysterious mill. Krabat is not only taught the craft of milling, but is also instructed in the sinister world of the darker arts. When the life of his friend and protector is threatened, Krabat must struggle to free himself from an evil sorcerer's control in a gripping fight for freedom, friendship and love.
Production
The mill itself—claustrophobic, creaking, practically a character.
Acting
Daniel Brühl's doomed warmth as Tonda, gone too soon.
Cinematography
Mud, mist, and perpetual twilight—beautifully miserable.
Director
Marco Kreuzpaintner
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Otfried Preußler's 1971 novel, a staple of German childhood reading that terrified generations. The book draws from actual Sorbian folk tales from Lusatia.
Director Kreuzpaintner fought to film in authentic 17th-century locations; the mill was a functioning historical building they had to 'haunt' with practical effects.
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