SetinPraguein1953,thissuspensefulcrimedramafollowshonestpolicecaptainHakl(Trojan)andhisinvestigationofaseeminglymundanerobberyatagoldsmith’sshop.Inafraughtpoliticalclimate,thisincidentisseizedonbytheCommunistauthorities,whorequireasmokescreenfortheirown,fargrander,deception.
OntheordersofStateSecurity,Hakl’sinvestigationistakenoverbyMajorZenke(SebastianKoch,TheLivesofOthers),anEastGermanspecialist,whohasbeentoldto“prove”thatthegoldwasstolenbytheJewishmunitytofinanceZionistterrorism.ButtheexperiencedHakl’sinstinctsputshimonthepathofanaltogetherdifferentstory.Canonejustmanstanduptotheforcesofanincreasinglyoppressivestate?Theshadowofthepastloomsoverallinvolved,andthiscanmakeaculpritofavictimandaheroofaculprit.Somberandatmospheric,thisisamovingandpellingstudyoftheStalinistera.
