Niet tevergeefs

Summary

World War II drama about two people on the run from the Nazis.

A student and a Jewish woman have been given refuge by farmer Altink and his daughter. A communist typographer arrives to seek refuge as well and raises suspicion, especially when he unintentionally betrays Fred, the student. He helps Fred to escape, however, only for him to be shot during a visit to his mother on Dolle Dinsdag, September 5 1944, when the Dutch mistakenly thought the allied troops were near and many Germans panicked and fled. After that, the farm’s inhabitants live in fear especially when the farmer’s soldier son returns home from the Eastern front. After a terrible inner struggle the farmer shoots his son. At that moment the Jewish woman gives birth to a child, one that will grow up in a better world.

Niet tevergeefs was filmed in English as But Not in Vain. Both films were directed by Edmond T. Gréville. The practice of recording several language versions at the same time was started in the 1930s. Especially during the first few years of the sound film, the so-called multi language versions were a tried and tested way of providing countries with films in their own language.