LAND OF MINE

OUT 4 august / CERT 15 / 101 Mins director Martin Zandvliet cast Roland Møller, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Louis Hofmann, Joel Basman

LACKING THE DERRING-DO of combat recreations and running the risk of trivialising the emotive situation survivors found themselves in when confronting their former occupiers, few films have tackled the reprisals that took place in Europe in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Land

Of Mine attempts it — focusing on 14 young German soldiers, mere cannon fodder to Hitler, who were forced to clear landmines from a stretch of beach under the supervision of the Danish military. It’s a fascinating topic that begs interrogation of the issues raised, but too often ducks them to be truly satisfying. Nevertheless, the sense of place is as assured as the performances, while the defusing sequences are genuinely suspenseful. dp