Institute History
Description
An elegant hidden gem of the fall festival circuit, Land of Mine debuted to standing ovations at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was selected to open the newly minted Platform program, a competition for auteur-driven work.
As the Second World War grinds to an exhausting end, the once pristine beaches of Denmark have been ravaged by over a million active land mines hidden under the sand. Driven by rage and fear, the country sends an army of captured German soldiers, many just boys, to find and diffuse them by hand. When a group of prisoners comes under the care of a hardened man resolute in his hatred, a tenuous alliance is struck in the hopes of survival.
Lusciously photographed, the striking ensemble of innocent faces projects an explosive concoction of terror and fortitude. Bringing to life this little-known piece of post-war history with palpable tension, and masterful emotional resonance, director Martin Zandvliet delves confidently into his most ambitious work, delivering a moral fable embracing compassion in the face of hostility.