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This was the first film directed by popular Dutch filmmaker Fons Rademakers and it marked a great beginning to his career. Set at the turn of the 20th century in a small village, the drama centers on the town's doctor. He has been around for a long while and because of his personal ethics, he tends to side with the underprivileged or the common people on local issues. This stance makes him an enemy in the eyes of the town council, and especially so for the burgomeister. Once the doctor's wife dies, his personal fate changes when the council members and their leader gain enough power to act against him. This film was nominated for an Academy Award in 1960, and in that same year it was entered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival.