In the spring of 1944 in Poland, near the end of WWII, Janina faces a huge change in her life when her father decides to offer a shelter to his Jewish friend’s daughter Ester. One day, her father is arrested and Janina starts to take care of Ester by herself and in doing so secret emotions rise between them. Set in 1944 when Jewish people suffered severe persecution, this film illustrates obsessive love and its catastrophic effects on a woman. The lights moving between the world under the floor and that of the outside create attractive images while a dramatic story develops impressively. The actresses delicately portray the connection and intensity between two main characters. The expression of the Janina’s nature is compelling as she drifts between free artistic spirit and compulsive trauma from youth. This is one of the most outstanding films from Eastern Europe about WWII this year. (RHEE Soue-won)