While this is Spielmann’s fifth feature film, it was the first to receive significant distribution in the U.S., so European viewers will have to forgive Americans who are treating it like a major new discovery. The film’s simple, direct emotional power, its well-honed existential themes, and its fine observation of human behavior suggests that Spielmann has been refining his art for some time now; it feels like the product of a master craftsman. His style is unassuming and avoids easy, manipulative trappings even as it emphasizes beautiful compositions that use space—both open landscapes and tight interiors—to emphasize the characters and their emotions. (DVD)