Ep 119 – A Hidden Life – Franz Jägerstätter, Who Refused the Oath
Franz Jägerstätter was an Austrian farmer from a tiny mountain village who, when conscripted into the German army, refused to swear loyalty to Hitler and was executed for it on 9 August 1943.
A Hidden Life (2019) tells his story with very little dialogue, barely any camera movement, and the kind of patience that will test yours. The film is three hours long, and you just have to surrender to it to enjoy it.
We talk about the film's stunning imagery, the marriage between Franz and his wife Fanny that the film depicts so warmly you almost forget where it is going, and silence as a theme.
We also got into Austrian resistance more broadly, including Maria Stromberger, the nurse who smuggled weapons and information out of Auschwitz and later said that what she had done was only a drop in the ocean.
In a world full of resentful bishops and nihilistic Nazis, be a Franz Jägerstätter. Ep 119 is out now.
Listen here, wherever you get your podcasts, or visit our website for more information and to rate the movie.
