Home From Home: Chronicle of a Vision (DVD), Film Movement, Drama

Set in a dreary, unforgiving mid-19th century German village in Hunsrück, Home From Home captures the plight of hundreds of thousands of Europeans who emigrated to faraway South America to escape the famine, poverty and despotism that ruled at home. Edgar Reitz's film is a heart-wrenching drama and love story set against the backdrop of this forgotten tragedy. Jakob, our protagonist, tries to immerse himself in literature and learning, as the rest of his family toils to fend off starvation. He dreams about leaving his village, Schabbach, for a new life in Brazil and the freedom of the wild South American jungle. Jakob's brother, Gustav, returns from military service and his appearance is destined to shatter Jakob's world and his love for Henriette, as it symbolizes the necessary rift that will set into motion the unraveling of the regimented family structure.