The Children of Villa Emma

Vienna, spring 1941: The Nazis have occupied the city, Jews are no longer safe. At the instigation of her worried father, 14-year-old Betty finds herself in a group of Jewish children who are to be smuggled to Palestine by an aid organization. Betty loses everything: her home, her family and her best friend. On the arduous journey, the group finds temporary shelter in a country house near Zagreb. When their companion Georg is shot dead, the children, now led by young Josko and his helper Helga, have to continue their flight on their own. Finally they reach the Italian village of Nonantola and move into an empty villa there. For a moment, boys and girls can be like other peers: friendships are made and romantic feelings are formed. The harsh reality of war soon catches up with the refugees. On their dangerous journey into the unknown, they must move on again.