Under the Sand – The Promise of Freedom (Land of Mine)
Original title: Under sandet
German title: Unter dem Sand - Das Versprechen der Freiheit
Denmark, in May 1945: The Second World War is over and with it the five year occupation of Denmark by German troops. Now the traces of the war must be eliminated, especially the more than two million mines that Hitler and his high command had buried on the west coast of the country. Under the supervision of the Danish sergeant Carl Rasmussen, German prisoners of war are to clean a beach area of 45,000 land mines within just three months. Those assigned for this dangerous squad are eleven, mostly underage boys of Hitler’s “Volkssturm”, neither trained nor equipped for that purpose. Among them, there is 15-year-old Wilhelm, the twins Ernst and Werner, 16-year-old, self-assured Sebastian and Helmut, the oldest aged 19. Initially, their guard Rasmussen has absolutely no mercy on them. Although they have to work under the most difficult conditions, the boys dream of their future, of returning to their families, as they have been promised freedom after the completion of this deadly task.
Press
"In Dänemark mussten junge deutsche Kriegsgefangene Millionen Landminen ausgraben. 'Unter dem Sand' ist ein überragend klarer Antikriegsfilm über Schuld und Vergeltung. " (Wenke Husmann, zeit.de)
zeit.de , Wenke Husmann