An old man decides to look for his dead son and bring his corpse back
to bury him in the land of his ancestors; his son, a Kazak soldier, was
killed in action somewhere in Russia. Along with his grand-son, they go
across the country and discover the harsh reality of the war.
commentaries
As for most film-makers of that time, the Italian neo-realism influence
can be felt in " Land of the Fathers", but what is more striking is the
rejection of the classical hero: the days of the strong, determined hero
righting wrongs are over. The film starts with the record of the hero’s
death. A grand-father and his grand-son go to fetch the corpse of their
father and son who died at war, in order to bury him in Kazakhstan.
The film is therefore constructed on this fundamental absence. How
could then a new hero possibly emerge?
Source : Festival International du Cinéma Asiatique de Vesoul, 2012
