A powerful and unforgettably lyrical film
about love, loss and
redemption, FUGITIVE PIECES tells the story of Jakob Beer, a
man whose life is transformed by his childhood experiences
during WWII. The film is based on the beloved and
best-selling novel by Canadian poet Anne Michaels.
Jakob’s story (Robbie Kay) begins in Poland in 1942, when he
is nine years old. Nazi soldiers have murdered his parents
and abducted his teenage sister, Bella. Traumatized by this
horrific event, Jakob sneaks out of his hiding place and
struggles to survive. He is found by Athos Roussos (Rade
Sherbedgia), a Greek archaeologist working at a Polish dig
site in Biskupin. Moved by the child’s plight, Athos boldly
smuggles Jakob out of Poland and hides him in his home on
the island of Zakynthos in Greece, also occupied by the
Germans. Jakob spends the last years of the Occupation in
Athos’ tender care.
After the war, Athos and Jakob immigrate to Canada, where
Athos has accepted a teaching position with a University. As
he matures, Jakob (now played by Stephen Dillane) begins a
new life, studying, writing, and eventually falling in love
with Alex (Rosamund Pike), a beautiful young woman. Yet he
remains haunted by his parents' death and the question of
his sister's fate. This terrible burden makes it impossible
for him to live in the moment or to accept love when it is
offered to him. Writing offers some relief, but it is not
until he meets Michaela (Ayelet Zurer), a gentle soul who
truly understands -- and accepts -- his pain, that Jakob
allows himself to join
the living. The lessons he learns become a legacy to Ben (Ed
Stoppard), a child of survivors whose life intersects with
Jakob’s in meaningful ways.
© Samuel Goldwyn Films. All
rights reserved
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