In Darkness

When heroes aren’t heroic in the Hollywood sense of good-fighting- evil, you’re left with a human account of events in which motives are complex and people are characterized by their imperfections. In Agnieszka Holland’s In Darkness (a Polish-Canadian-German production), we witness sewer worker Leopold Socha’s effort to hide a group of Jews in the sewers of Nazi-occupied Poland during the second World War. He’s anti-Semitic and in it for money---aspects of his character that are difficult to reconcile with the greater impact of his actions. Canadian David F. Shamoon adapted Robert Marshall’s book, In the Sewers of Lvov, based on true events and Krystyna Chiger, a little girl hidden in the sewers, has her own memoir of the experience. The film’s aesthetic---shadows, flickering lamps---matches its subject matter, and the cast makes us forget they’re actors. In Darkness isn't easy viewing, but it's a must-see. –Molly Segal