Advanced search

In 1938 Paris, Vera von Schalburg, a young German with Russian, Danish, and Polish roots, is a very special woman. She speaks several languages fluently, has a photographic memory, intelligence, and presence of mind, and is callous. Except for her little son Christian, she has no one in the world. In order to keep Christian and herself afloat, she works as a prostitute in an elegant brothel. But then she gets an unusual offer.

The characters and events in this film are inspired by the live of the Czech actress Anna Letenska. Her portrayal is based on historical facts for the most part. 1942 in Prague, the news of the assassination of the hated Reinhard Heydrich had reached the radio stations. The actress Anna Letenska, like all Czechs, hated Heydrich and was relieved by the news. She was working in the Barrandov studios where she was due to shoot a comedy. Little did she realize how the assassination of the Nazi leader would change her life. By chance, Anna Letenska was a friend of Dr. Licka and his family. The doctor had helped the assassin even though this was punishable by death. Hitler demanded that in return for the death of Heydrich forty thousand Czechs should loose their lives. Dr. Licka asked Anna for shelter overnight his wife, who does not know what her husband had to do with the assassins. Having helped her, Anna was subsequently denounced. She was arrested and interrogated by the Gestapo during which time filming of the comedy at the Barrandov studios had to be put on hold. This resulted in financial disaster and the loss of extremely expensive film material. It's not exactly known who intervened, but Anna Letenska was subsequently released as suddenly as she was arrested. What was the price she had to pay? The comedy was called "Prijud Hned" (Just a second). Produced by Milos Havel, uncle of the former Czech president Vaclav Havel, the film was directed by the well known director Otakar Vavra. It is still uncertain whether they or other people involved in the production had made a deal with Gestapo. What we do know is that there must have been a terrible trade-off. Closely observed by the secret police Anna Letenska played her role to the end. This nerve-wracking situation lasted for four long weeks during which time Anna lived in constant fear for her own life and that of her 16 year old son Jiri. Two days after completing the film she was deported. Having spent her last weeks in Nazi-concentration camps, first in Terezin then Mauthausen, she was murdered on 24. October 1942.

Sometimes, falling is the only way to get Home.

Karina Kovács, a young journalist, visits her old friend Sanya at Balatonföldvár. Sanya is a teacher who's spending the summer writing aboard his beat up sailboat on Lake Balaton. Karina's come to interview Sanya, who on the other hand brings up their old mutual friend Ernõ Feszt and starts telling stories about him, how they met, and about the days they spent there in 1992 in a run-down villa with two other friends. A couple years after that summer Ernõ shot himself in the head. The film is a reminiscence about Ernõ from their differing vantage points. Karina was Ernõ's first love interest, while Sanya had looked up to him as a rebellious, adolescent role-model.