DP1982

A photograph of a young man wearing a uniform with the insignia 'DP Police' comes to life as the film's narrator. Against the background of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia a story of forced labour, imprisonment and escape unfolds. It is a story of state terror. It is told dispassionately. Meanwhile, in an empty hallway of marble and glass, a dancer cuts violently into the film's heart. Her rage and the film's cool narrative play out an ironic counterpoint as a third element–an impersonal text–layers the film with yet more contradictions. –P. D.