Holtak Szabadsága (1993)
Directed by Imre Gyöngyössy / Barna Kabay / Katalin Petenyi
Run Time - 78 min. |
Countries - Germany, Hungary |
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Synopsis by Clarke Fountain
After World War II, millions of Eastern Europeans who had fought against communist Russia during the war were shipped back to their country of origin, despite every reasonable expectation that they would not be well received there. This documentary focuses on the present-day lives of one family out of the half million Lithuanians who were forcibly repatriated and were shipped immediately to endure the deadly circumstances of life in Siberia. The elders who were transported in this manner want to have their bodies shipped back to Lithuania for burial when they die. Their children feel more Russian than Lithuanian, and have no desire to return to a homeland they never knew. Despite that, when members of the family go to Lithuania for a visit, the warm welcome they receive melts hearts all 'round.