Valley of Peace

African-American actor John Kitzmiller came to Europe as a soldier and never really left: following his discharge, he worked in the rapidly expanding Italian film industry, usually playing GIs named Joe or Johnny. He later worked across Europe, and in 1957 received the Best Actor award at Cannes for his work in Valley of Peace — the first person of African descent to receive such a major festival prize.

A war film giving a definite nod to the then current spirit of détente between East and West, Valley of Peace begins as a group of Slovenian children play war games under the shadow of the occupying German Army. When an Allied air raid destroys much of their town, two children, Lotti and Marko, set off for a place they’ve only heard about: the Valley of Peace. Along the way they run into Jim (Kitzmiller), a downed American flyer, who accompanies them while avoiding German patrols. Beautifully photographed, the lyrical film’s somewhat obvious politics are elegantly expressed through the wonderful interplay of Kitzmiller and the two young actors. — Film Society of Lincoln Center