Keswick Film Club - Home From Home: Chronicle of a Vision

Synopsis

"This is a magnificent, career-capping achievement from one of the great storytellers of our era" - Trevor Johnston, Time Out. Director Edgar Reitz has revisited his fictional village of Schabbach once more - this time going back in time to the 19th century. Here we meet Jakob - "a dreamer, a Romantic, a reader, always getting yelled at by his blacksmith dad for idling. He has conceived a passionate desire to leave the grind and oppression and emigrate to the promised land of Brazil - a 'homeland' that is an alternative both to Germany and the church’s feebly promised heaven" - Peter Bradshaw, Guardian.

Reitz first invented Schabbach in his epic 1980s TV series Heimat (Homeland), which became a classic. He moved on with the characters in several films before bringing us the 'prequel' here - though one which stands alone for those of us not familiar with it.

Although Chronicle... is nearly 4 hours long, it is filmed in a stunning crystal-clear black and white which is "never dull for a moment; indeed, there is a box set addictiveness to the whole thing" - Peter Bradshaw again. There are a few dabs of colour too...

What better way to spend a dull December afternoon..?!