Tunnel-Child

1969. The Prague Spring has been demolished. New barbed wire installations have been erected. Julia, who is thirteen, has moved with her mother to a village in northern Austria which lies on the Czech border. Julia has not spoken since her father's death. Her isolation increases in the village where she is an outsider. Provoked into proving her courage by some young villagers, she walks into no-man's land. She discovers a forgotten tunnel which leads to a construction site on the Czech side of the border. Julia makes the acquaintance of Roland, a forty-five-year-old surveyor, on "the other side". An ambivalent father-daughter relationship develops between them. Roman is the only one to whom she confides the secret of her border crossings. Due to his affection for her, she regains her ability to speak. And she starts to feel at ease with Alexander, who is her age. Roman makes new plans at Julia's urging. The insurmountable border foritfications will remain vulnerable . . .

Directed by Erhard Riedlsperger, Tunnel-Child leans on a strong ensemble — Josef Griesser, August Schmölzer, Georges Kern — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1990.