Synopsis

August 2018 will mark the 50th anniversary of the invasion of the former Czechoslovakia by the “brother nations” of the Warsaw Pact. For this occasion, this unusual documentary project was created by the producers and five filmmakers (four of them women) from the five countries that participated in the invasion: Russia (then in the Soviet Union), Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria and the then German Democratic Republic. In five episodes, former soldiers from these countries talk about the dramatic events that shocked the whole world at the time. It goes without saying that the population of Czechoslovakia was hardest hit: the people were essentially surprised by the invaders in their sleep. The strongest impression conveyed through the film, is the accompanying confusion and chaos. Hungarian ex-soldiers for example report how they didn’t even know to where they were being deployed for a long time during their march: silence and very fragmented information were characteristic of the operation. On the other hand, touching scenes come up as the occupants of the former Soviet Union meet with similar-aged Czech veterans in today’s peaceful city of Prague. The film project is complemented by fascinating archival material, unknown in Austria, stirring up questions about the legitimacy and meaning of war and suppression.