Toronto's Jeremy Podeswa's adaptation of Anne Michaels' poetic novel was released to cinemas in Canada in early May. It is well worth viewing when it is released on DVD.

The film deals with the harsh reality of life in Nazi-controlled Poland and in far-off Greece, but reveals that genuine humanity prevailed amidst all the horror.

In his homeland, Poland, the young Jakob (Robbie Kay) witnesses the murder of his parents and the abduction of his older sister, Bella. Horrified, he leaves his hiding place and buries himself in some leaves where he is later found by Athos (Rade Sherbedgia) a Grecian archaeologist who, putting himself at great peril, smuggles the young child back to his homeland. There they discover that the long arm of Nazi terror continues to weigh heavily on them. They endure it until the end of the war when Athos accepts a university posting in Canada and they emigrate.

Podeswa shows as well the after effects of the Nazi terror on a death camp survivor and on the now adult Jakob (Stephane Delane). The camp survivor raises his young son with rigour, hoping to toughen him for whatever life may throw at him The adult Jakob is swept into marriage by a viva-cious wife, Alex (Rosamund Pike) but cannot rid himself of survivor's guilt and finds her joie de vivre out-of-place. He unjustly despises her exuberance.

After Athos' death, Jakob takes his ashes back to Greece for burial. He is then able to confront his memories and find love with the much calmer Michaela.