In occupied Czernowitz in 1943, Mariana hides Hugo, an 11-year-old Jewish boy, in her room at the brothel where she works as a prostitute. Told from the perspective of Hugo — a child confined within a wardrobe, who must rely on his sense of hearing above all else — director Emmanuel Finkiel’s film recounts the horrors of the Shoah, as well as the unusual, multilayered relationship between Hugo and Mariana. Among fear, closeness, and growing jealousy, a bond develops between them — a bond that will shape both of them forever. Visually striking, the film blends oppressive realism with Hugo’s memories and daydreams.

Based on the novel Blooms of Darkness by Aharon Appelfeld.