In Another Lifetime

In the waning days of WWII, a band of Jewish prisoners adopts an unusual survival strategy in the Austrian drama “In Another Lifetime”, the debut feature of documentarian Elisabeth Scharang. As thousands of Hungarian Jews are forced on a death march to Mauthausen in April 1945, a small group becomes stranded in a secluded Austrian village due to a break in the chain of command. Camping in a hay barn, an opera singer from Budapest convinces his fellow prisoners to stage a version of the beloved operetta Wiener Blut, hoping to win the protection of the locals. The arrival of the strangers sparks conflicted emotions, from senseless hate to longing for the humanity of music. “In Another Lifetime” is given its own special language in the lensing of award-winning cinematographer Jean-Claude Larrieu, while the outstanding performances of the ensemble cast illuminate the spectrum of human compassion and contempt. —2011 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival