DIVIDED WE FALL

Dir. Jan Hrebejk (117min, Czech Republic, 2000)
Czech with English Subtitles
Narrative

“You wouldn’t believe what abnormal times do to normal people,” observes Josef as he and his wife Marie find themselves caught in a series of impossible choices and absurdist situations in Jan Hrebejk’s poignant film based on Petr Jarchovsky’s novel. Set in a small Czech town under German occupation, this Oscar nominated film explores “not only the banality of evil, but also the banality of goodness, and the ridiculousness, as well as the tragedy, of their collision.” (A. O. Scott, NY Times). Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Awards, 2000.

Film selected and synopsis written by Miriam Mörsel Nathan, WJFF Co-Founder and Director, 1990-2002.