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| Poster artwork for the drama film Fugitive Pieces. |
Pieces
Of The Past In The Present by Linh
Fugitive
Pieces is based on Anne Michael’s novel, and tells the story of
Jakob Beer, a young Jewish boy who witnesses the Nazis murdering his parents
and abducting his teenage sister, Bella, in Poland during World War II.
Jakob escapes and hides in the woods until a kind Greek
archaeologist named Athos Roussos discovers him hiding amongst fallen leaves,
and becomes Jakob’s foster father. Athos risks his life to bring Jakob with him
to Greece and eventually they move to Canada where Athos writes a book and
Jakob attends university. As Jakob reaches adulthood, he remains haunted by the
harrowing memory of his parents’ death and the questions of his sister’s
whereabouts.
The film spans approximately 35 years, and is told
through the eyes of Jakob with flashbacks from his youth while living with his
saviour, Athos, which interweave with the present. Director and writer Jeremy
Podeswa has masterfully produced a beautifully crafted film with similar poetic
visualisations and moving in sync with the emotional ebbs and flows of the
novel. Podeswa, whose own father is a Holocaust survivor, feels a deep
connection to the film and the lead character. He utilises his personal
experiences to give the audience a wonderful insight into survivor guilt and
recovery from the Holocaust throughout the film.
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FAMILY:
Athos (Rade Serbedzija) becomes a foster father to the orphaned Jakob (Robbie
Kay) in the film Fugitive Pieces.
Image: Cinegram, Serendipity Point Films.
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The cast is brilliant, yet the supporting cast seems to
outshine the lead actor, Stephen Dillane, who portrays the brooding and fragile
Jakob. Dillane does well in providing the characterisation of the tormented
Jakob but it’s not enough for the viewer to experience what Jakob is going
through, only allowing them to witness his situation. This is a minor gripe, as
the film is told from Jakob’s perspective and one should be able to feel his
emotions and understand his thoughts as he does.
Rade Serbedzija gives a breath-taking performance as the
gentle Greek, Athos Roussos, who takes care of the young Jakob, when he becomes
orphaned after witnessing his parent’s murder at the hands of the Nazis. Rade
Serbedzija portrays Athos as part father and part mentor to Jakob with so much
warmth and generosity of spirit, that you immediately find him approachable and
trusting.
One of Israel’s most acclaimed actresses, Ayelet Zurer,
plays another interesting character named Michaela. Michaela is a free-spirited
and independent woman who manages to free Jakob from the ghosts of his past. She
helps him find the love he’s lost to the past and bring it to focus in the
present, despite Jakob being so traumatised and damaged from events in his
past. Ayelet Zurer is an alluring performer and brings an air of mystery and
intrigue to her character Michaela, yet she is affable and engaging.
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FREE
SPIRITS: Michaela (Ayelet Zurer) shows Jakob (Stephen Dillane)
that love can set him free in the film Fugitive
Pieces. Image: Cinegram, Serendipity Point Films.
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Fugitive
Pieces is unlike other Holocaust films such as Life Is Beautiful and Schindler’s List, as it doesn’t show the
vivid horrors of the Holocaust such as the concentration camps, the torturing
of Jews and images of Nazism. However small scenes in the film where Nazis
storm into Jakob’s house, stop Athos’ car at a checkpoint and march along the
Greek Island they occupied, are reminders of the presence of war.
Fugitive
Pieces is very poetic and has an aura of sadness and melancholy
which runs throughout the film.The film is a gentle reminder of how loss (or an
event as horrendous as the Holocaust) can affect not only the ones experiencing
it, but also those around them and for generations to come.
Director:
Jeremy Podeswa
Writers: Jeremy
Podeswa (screenplay), Anne Michaels (novel)
Cast:
Stephen Dillane, Rade Serbedzija, Rosamund Pike, Ayelet Zurer, Robbie Kay, Ed
Stoppard, Rachelle Lefevre, Nina Dobrev
Producers:
Jeffrey Berman, Sandra Cunningham, Christina Ford, Andras Hamori, Robert
Lantos, Mark Musselman, Panos Papahadzis, Dionyssis Samiotis, Panayotis Veremis
Cinematographer:
Gregory Middleton
Original
Music Composer: Nikos Kypourgos
Film
Editor: Wiebke von Carolsfeld
Languages:
Greek, Yiddish, English and German with English subtitles.
Running
Time: 1 hour 46 minutes.
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