Summary
Author and screenwriter Vladimír Körner brought to life numerous interesting projects realised together with director František Vláčil, but he also expanded his filmography through collaboration with Jiří Svoboda. Zánik samoty Berhof (The Downfall of the Secluded Berhof, 1983), inspired by the writer’s eponymous book published in 1973, takes place during the first “free” summer following the end of World War II. However, the woods of the Jeseníky Mountains still harbour groups of German “werewolves” trying to cross into their homeland. One such band arrives at a secluded estate owned by the farmer Habiger (Ladislav Křiváček). A trio of young men under the leadership of the nun Salome (Jana Brejchová), a hard-core Nazi, arrive at the farm and begin terrorising its residents. However, the relationships that develop between the intruders and the oppressed are not all black and white. The main protagonist of the story is Habiger’s pious adolescent daughter, Ulrika (Petronela Vančíková), who is fascinated by Salome despite her own beliefs.
Read more
