Gerta and the World on the Brink: ARTE Airs Czech Miniseries
ARTE is broadcasting the miniseries "Gerta and the World on the Brink," which follows a young woman grappling with her identity during and after World War II in Czechoslovakia.
ARTE will air the two-part historical drama "Gerta and the World on the Brink" on October 9th. The series portrays the challenging life of a young Czech woman during and in the aftermath of World War II. Based on Kateřina Tučková's bestselling novel of the same name, the production focuses on young Gerta's (Barbora Váchová) struggle between two cultures and identities.
The drama is set in the occupied city of Brno in 1944. Gerta, the daughter of a German father and a Czech mother, grows up in a conflicted environment. She witnesses her father and brother become fervent Nazi supporters while she increasingly identifies as Czech. Alongside her lover Karel (Oskar Hes), the young Gerta participates in the student resistance movement against the National Socialists.
The series employs multiple timelines. Director Tomáš Mašín depicts Gerta's youth during and after the war, as well as the memories of an older Gerta (Milena Steinmasslová) from the socialist Czechoslovakia of 1989. The horrors of war do not end with peace for Gerta; she faces continued persecution and hardship due to her dual background.
"Gerta and the World on the Brink" is part of ARTE's programming in honor of the Czech Republic's status as guest of honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The broadcast offers an in-depth look at historical events and their personal repercussions.