Martha und Ich
Germany / France,
1990, 106 min
Shown in 1991
CREDITS
- dir
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Jiri Weiss
- scr
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Jiri Weiss
- cam
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Viktor Ruzicka
- editor
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Gislea Haller
- cast
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Marianne Sägebrecht, Michel Piccoli, Václav Chalupa, Ondrej Vetchy
- prod co
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IdunaFilm; PROGEFI; TF1 FILMS
- source
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SACIS
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COMMENTS
Voted audience favorite of the Festival. Jiri Weiss and Marianne Sagebrecht in person.
OTHER
When Emil's attention strays from homework to the maid, his distressed parents in Prague pack the adolescent off to the provinces for a stay with Uncle Ernst. Ernst Fuchs, an urbane and tolerant Czech gentleman, seems to lead a charmed life. His housekeeper, the warm and kindly Martha, is a Sudeten German of simple origins, content to organize her life around her employer's. Emil quickly realizes his exile from Prague is a blessing in disguise. When Ernst marries his housekeeper, scandal erupts. It's the ’30s and differences of social position and heritage are not easily forgiven. Ernst's sisters regard their new in-law with class-conscious disdain. For their part, Martha's nationalistic brothers are hostile to the Jewish doctor. Despite family objections, Ernst and Martha's marriage runs a joyous course which Emil shares. Tragically, the obstacle their love cannot surmount is the Third Reich. Seen through Emil's eyes, Martha And I filters an era ripe with complexity through the intimate experiences of a man, woman and young boy. History touches their lives profoundly but their souls remain true. Renowned Czech director Jiri Weiss returns to the screen with this eloquent and moving story drawn from the autobiographical experience. Describing the film, Weiss comments: "I tried to listen to the voice of the heart. This is what the film is about."
—Laura Thielen
FACTOID #173
Though he starred in an Opening Night film (1967’s How I Won the War), lent his image and songs to 1968’s Festival entry Yellow Submarine and was scheduled to appear at the 1971 Festival with wife Yoko for an evening of their short films, John Lennon never attended the SFIFF.
