Stopy (Short 1961)

Stopy: Directed by Jaromil Jires. With Václav Lohniský, Vladimír Hlavatý, Svetla Amortová, Vera Tichánková. A Russian prisoner escapes from the Germans, finding shelter with a Cezch farmer and his family. A neighbor betrays them and is sentenced by the villagers.

“Whether intentional or not, the title and imagery call to mind the story of the footprints in the sand, about walking with God on the beach. I suspect this was not on purpose, but it may be an allusion that will ring true for some viewers.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWe also have some sort of military police force. I do not know Czech history well enough to know their significance. They do not appear to be Russians or Nazis. Perhaps an earlier, pre-1930 Austrian military force? It is hard to say.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat are we to make of footprints? Do we know whose they are, or a mysterious guest? Is it friend or foe? Sometimes what is left behind or omitted is just as powerful as what is there before us.”