“Powerful! ‘In the Shadow’ intriguingly brings a film noir sensibility to a time of great political tension, in much the same way Warner Bros. created socially conscious Hollywood entertainments in the 1930s and 1940s.” -Variety

“A scathing, expertly directed political commentary.” -The Hollywood Reporter

Set in 1950s Prague, “In the Shadow” follows Hakl (4-time Czech Lion winner Ivan Trojan of “Vaclav” and the Oscar-nominated “Zelary”), a member of the Communist police force and his investigation of a seemingly mundane robbery at a goldsmith’s shop. His desire for the truth, though, leads him to new evidence indicating that the case is far more complicated than it seems. State Security takes over the investigation, replacing him with a German specialist in Zionist crime, Zenke (Sebastian Koch, the Academy Award-winning “The Lives of Others,” “Bridge of Spies”), whose ominous arrival feels more than coincidental. Hakl defiantly continues his investigation on his own, sending both men on a collision course with governmental powers beyond anything they could have suspected.

Official Entry, Czech Republic: 2013 Academy Awards – Best Foreign Language Film