Raffl

On February 20th 1810 French and Bavarian forces killed the Tyrolean rebel leader Andreas Hofer in Mantua at that time a part of Austria Hofer had led the Tyroleans in their fight for independence from Bavaria and was betrayed by an insignificant farmer the betrayal and its effect on the farmer is the subject of this historicallybased drama Director Christian Berger has shot the story emphasizing visual poetics as well as closeups to reveal the nuances of subtle emotions as they play across the human face Whatever the farmer Raffls motivation he is clearly an underdog overworked with his labor unrecognized he receives no expected reward for his betrayal of Hofers hiding place and he has to quickly leave for the city to escape his fellow villagers wrath Once in the city and working hard in a factory Raffl must come to grips with the fact that his identity has changed and he may have betrayed himself as well as Hofer