A Hidden Life
In rural Austria during the Second World War, a farmer refuses to swear loyalty to Hitler and faces execution for his stance.
Where to watch online
Official services. The link goes straight to this film.
Availability data by JustWatch
About the film
Better to suffer injustice than to commit it.
What it’s about
Franz Jägerstätter, a farmer in the Austrian village of St. Radegund, is called up to serve in the Nazi army. He refuses to take the oath of loyalty to Hitler, knowing that this means imprisonment and likely death. His wife Fani and their three daughters must endure the consequences of his decision.
What hooks you
Terrence Malick directs August Diehl as Franz and Valerie Pachner as Fani. The film won two prizes at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, including the François Chalais Award. It draws on the couple's real correspondence, and the bedroom shown is the actual room from the Jägerstätter house, with Fani's embroidery on the walls. The shoot used natural light, even in the prison scenes.
Who it’s for
It is worth a look for anyone who appreciates slow, meditative dramas about moral conviction, and for those drawn to true stories of quiet resistance in wartime.
- Countries
- United States, United Kingdom, Germany
- Year
- 2019
- Running time
- 2h 54min
- Age rating
- 16+
- MPAA
- PG-13
- World premiere
- May 19, 2019
Ratings
MOVIE․ONE · 160 votesCreative team
All 10-
01
August Diehl
Franz Jägerstätter
-
02
Valerie Pachner
Fani Jägerstätter
-
03
Maria Simon
Resie Schwaninger · Resie
-
04
Karin Neuhäuser
Rosalia Jägerstätter
-
05
Tobias Moretti
Fr. Fürthauer
-
06
Ulrich Matthes
Lorenz Schwaninger
-
07
Matthias Schoenaerts
Captain Herder
-
08
Franz Rogowski
Waldland
-
09
Michael Nyqvist
Bishop Joseph Fliessen
Trivia
All facts 10
- The film is based on the correspondence between Franz Jägerstätter (1907-1943) and his wife Franziska, or Fani.
- The pre-production period lasted 10 weeks, after which filming took place (8 weeks) and almost 3 years of post-production.
- The last film of actors Michael Nyqvist (1960-2017) and Bruno Ganz (1941-2019).
- The film takes its title from a phrase by George Eliot (English writer, real name Mary Ann Evans, 1819-1880) from the 1871 and 1872 novel Middlemarch.
- Artificial lighting was rarely used during filming. As a rule (and this applied even to filming in the prison), the crew chose the right time of day and worked until the light faded.
- This story is virtually unknown outside St. Radegund. It became known thanks to Gordon Zahn, an American who visited there in the 1970s.
Awards and nominations
2 wins · 1 nomination
- 2 wins Cannes Film Festival
- François Chalais Prize Terrence Malick Cannes Film Festival · 2019
- Prize of the Ecumenical (Christian) Jury Terrence Malick Cannes Film Festival · 2019
Reviews
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A Hidden Life (2019)
A Hidden Life
2019
A Hidden Life
2019
A Hidden Life
2019