Black Book

Zwartboek

Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom

Synopsis

Synopsis

When the hiding place of the beautiful Jewish singer Rachel Stein is destroyed by a stray bomb, she decides with a group of other Jews to cross the Biesbosch to the already liberated south of the Netherlands. However, their boat is intercepted by a German patrol and all the refugees are massacred. Only Rachel survives. She joins the resistance, and under the alias Ellis de Vries manages to get friendly with the German SD officer Miintze. He is very taken with her and offers her a job. Meanwhile, the resistance devise a plan to free a group of imprisoned resistance fighters with Ellis' help. The plan is betrayed and fails miserably. Both the Resistance and the Germans blame her. She goes into hiding once more, with Miintze in tow. Together they wait for the war to end. Liberation does not bring Ellis freedom; not even when she manages to expose the real traitor. 'Every survivor is guilty in some way'. While the falling snow blankets guilt, the place to which they are returning will no longer be that old town.

When the hiding place of the beautiful Jewish singer Rachel Stein is destroyed by a stray bomb, she decides with a group of other Jews to cross the Biesbosch to the already liberated south of the Netherlands. However, their boat is intercepted by a German patrol and all the refugees are massacred. Only Rachel survives. She joins the resistance, and under the alias Ellis de Vries manages to get friendly with the German SD officer Miintze. He is very taken with her and offers her a job. Meanwhile, the resistance devise a plan to free a group of imprisoned resistance fighters with Ellis' help. The plan is betrayed and fails miserably. Both the Resistance and the Germans blame her. She goes into hiding once more, with Miintze in tow. Together they wait for the war to end. Liberation does not bring Ellis freedom; not even when she manages to expose the real traitor. 'Every survivor is guilty in some way'. While the falling snow blankets guilt, the place to which they are returning will no longer be that old town.

Nominations

  • European Actress 2007
  • People's Choice Award 2007

Selections

  • Feature Film Selection

Cast & Crew

  • Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
  • Written by: Gerard Soetman
  • Cast: Carice Van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman, Halina Reijn
  • Cinematography: Karl-Walter Lindenlaub
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