A Hidden Life

WWII. Hard-working husband and wife farmers Franz and Fani Jagerstatter, parents to three infant daughters, are part of the tight-knit rural community, which includes extended family members, of St. Radegund nestled in the Austrian Alps. Along with his colleagues, Franz was sent home from basic training early in the conflict when it looked the war might be over with France's surrender to Germany. But in 1941 as the war continues, Franz is called back into military service. The problem now is that the Austrian military members must swear loyalty to Adolf Hitler, something that he in good conscience cannot or is unwilling to do. This stance places not only him but his family at greater odds with those in the community, each person objecting not always for the same reason, and thus leads to them being increasingly ostracized and isolated. With Fani by his side, Franz has to decide what to do, his continuing objections which they know could lead to him being imprisoned or possibly executed for treason. Beyond what he is to do, the further associated question becomes if there is a breaking point for him in the pressure placed by those around him and by the Nazis.