Hilda Augustovičová

The drama of a young Slovak army officer who gradually realises the horrors of fascism during the fighting in Ukraine. On his return to Slovakia, he joins the SNP. However, he cannot overcome his loner attitude or his doubts about the meaning of partisan activity.

Nazi soldiers committed atrocities even when sober – and if they got drunk, they did even worse. The inhabitants of a Slovak village during the national uprising learn this when they have to accept an arrogant Hitlerite guard. When two soldiers go missing, the unit commander threatens to have five hostages executed for each of them as a warning. And he refuses to change his order, even when it turns out that drunkenness is to blame for the unfortunate incident. But the villagers get justifiably angry and take up arms.