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Distant Journey

Distant Journey (1949)

June 3, 1949 (XC) • Drama • 104m

Overview

Prague, during World War II. Hana Kaufmann, a Jewish ophthalmologist, marries Dr. Antonín Bureš, a Christian man. When her family is sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp, their romance turns into a struggle for survival.

Director

Alfréd Radok

Writers

Erik Kolár, Alfréd Radok, Mojmír Drvota

Top Billed

Blanka Waleská

Keywords

husband wife relationship jewish ghetto holocaust (shoah) world war ii jew persecution prague, czech republic struggle for survival semi-documentary

Where to watch

Check streaming options on TMDB

Top Billed Cast

Blanka Waleská

Blanka Waleská

Hana Kaufmannová

Otomar Krejča

Otomar Krejča

Antonín Bureš

Zdeňka Baldová

Zdeňka Baldová

Hedvika Kaufmannová

Viktor Očásek

Viktor Očásek

Oskar Kaufmann

Eduard Kohout

Eduard Kohout

Reiter

Anna Vaňková

Anna Vaňková

Margit

Jiří Plachý

Jiří Plachý

Abrahamovič

Saša Rašilov

Saša Rašilov

Mošeles

Zdeněk Hodr

Zdeněk Hodr

Zdeněk Klein

Josef Chvalina

Josef Chvalina

Pepa Bureš

J. O. Martin

J. O. Martin

Rudolf Bureš

Soňa Danielová

Soňa Danielová

Ellen

František Vnouček

František Vnouček

Fried

Jaroslav Seník

Jaroslav Seník

Beer

Josef Toman

Josef Toman

Krejčí

Rudolf Deyl

Rudolf Deyl

Jarda Noha

Jan S. Kolár

Jan S. Kolár

Müller

František Kreuzmann

František Kreuzmann

Šantrůček

Jiří Spirit

Jiří Spirit

Honzík Kaufmann

Karel Jelínek

Karel Jelínek

Brych

Milka Balek-Brodská

Milka Balek-Brodská

Bindlerová (uncredited)

Otýlie Beníšková

Otýlie Beníšková

Theresienstadt Old Woman (uncredited)

Bohumil Bezouška

Bohumil Bezouška

Theresienstadt Young Man (uncredited)

Štěpán Bulejko

Štěpán Bulejko

Transport Announcer (uncredited)

Marie Burešová

Marie Burešová

Theresienstadt Stairs Woman (uncredited)

Oldřich Dědek

Oldřich Dědek

Theresienstadt Lute Player (uncredited)

Ada Dohnal

Ada Dohnal

Czech Plainclothes Policeman (uncredited)

Karel Effa

Karel Effa

Gas Chamber Builder (uncredited)

Jan Fischer

Jan Fischer

Transport Young Jewish Man (uncredited)

Marie Hodrová

Marie Hodrová

Theresienstadt Old Woman (uncredited)

Emanuel Hříbal

Emanuel Hříbal

Man Outside Embassy (uncredited)

Antonín Jedlička

Antonín Jedlička

Theresienstadt Man (uncredited)

Anna Jiroušková-Tomanová

Anna Jiroušková-Tomanová

Theresienstadt Woman (uncredited)

Marie Kautská

Marie Kautská

Naked Theresienstadt Girl (uncredited)

Eva Marie Kavanová

Eva Marie Kavanová

Theresienstadt Gate Girl (uncredited)

Věra Koktová

Věra Koktová

Theresienstadt Woman (uncredited)

Miloš Kopecký

Miloš Kopecký

Gas Chamber Builder (uncredited)

Marta Májová

Marta Májová

Ascherová (uncredited)

František Marek

František Marek

Gestapo Agent (uncredited)

Alexandra Myšková

Alexandra Myšková

Theresienstadt Woman With Bag (uncredited)

Josef Oliak

Josef Oliak

Theresienstadt Chess Player (uncredited)

Jaroslav Oliverius

Jaroslav Oliverius

Karlík (uncredited)

Zdenka Procházková

Zdenka Procházková

Theresienstadt Woman (uncredited)

Ladislav Rychman

Ladislav Rychman

Undressing Theresienstadt Man (uncredited)

Miroslav Svoboda

Miroslav Svoboda

Theresienstadt Clarinetist (uncredited)

Marie Tomášová

Marie Tomášová

Jewish Girl Shadow (uncredited)

Karolína Vávrová

Karolína Vávrová

Theresienstadt Old Woman (uncredited)

Hermína Vojtová

Hermína Vojtová

Žaludová (uncredited)

Václav Voska

Václav Voska

Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Viola Zinková

Viola Zinková

Theresienstadt Woman (uncredited)

Heinrich Himmler

Heinrich Himmler

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Rudolf Hess

Rudolf Hess

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Sepp Dietrich

Sepp Dietrich

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Joseph Goebbels

Joseph Goebbels

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Fritz Reinhardt

Fritz Reinhardt

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Hans Frank

Hans Frank

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Julius Streicher

Julius Streicher

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Hermann Göring

Hermann Göring

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Reinhard Heydrich

Reinhard Heydrich

Self - Politician (archive footage)

Crew

Miloslav Fábera

Miloslav Fábera

Creative Producer

Václav Řezáč

Václav Řezáč

Creative Producer

Otakar Pařík

Otakar Pařík

Conductor

Jan Pacák

Jan Pacák

Production Design

Josef Vlček

Josef Vlček

Sound

Mojmír Drvota

Mojmír Drvota

Assistant Director

Bohumil Šmída

Bohumil Šmída

Production Manager

Erik Kolár

Erik Kolár

Screenplay

Jiřina Lukešová

Jiřina Lukešová

Editor

Josef Svoboda

Josef Svoboda

Technical Advisor

Erik Kolár

Erik Kolár

Screenstory

Karel Marek

Karel Marek

Makeup Designer

Alfréd Radok

Alfréd Radok

Director

Josef Střecha

Josef Střecha

Director of Photography

Alfréd Radok

Alfréd Radok

Screenplay

Mojmír Drvota

Mojmír Drvota

Screenplay

Jiří Sternwald

Jiří Sternwald

Original Music Composer

Reviews

CinemaSerf

⭐ 7/10

January 30, 2026

Perhaps what adds extra impact to this story of the “Kaufmann” family is the fact that it was made in Czechoslovakia a mere four years after the war had ended. The actors and crew here would still have the true memories of the Nazi invasion, occupation and news of the Holocaust fresh in their minds when they embarked on this depiction of the tragic story of a family torn asunder because of their traditions and faith. What makes this harder to wat… read the rest.

Perhaps what adds extra impact to this story of the “Kaufmann” family is the fact that it was made in Czechoslovakia a mere four years after the war had ended. The actors and crew here would still have the true memories of the Nazi invasion, occupation and news of the Holocaust fresh in their minds when they embarked on this depiction of the tragic story of a family torn asunder because of their traditions and faith. What makes this harder to watch is that as the fear and panic sets in, the family begins to fracture and to an extent implode as, all the while, we are presented with actuality of a goose-stepping High Command that looks as unassailable as it does brutal. The story unfolds via a few different threads. As Naziism gains momentum and it’s propaganda takes control of the message, it becomes evident that Jewish people are in peril. Not all of a sudden, but by degree as they are banned from public spaces, their businesses are closed, their people shunned. That it is the family of an eye doctor - “Hana” (Blanka Walenská) - that we focus on seems to add further to the cruelty, as she, her husband “Tonik” and her ageing father (Victor Ocásek) face segregation and she sent to the ghetto at Theresienstadt where some fifty thousand of her compatriots were hemmed in, overworked, undernourished and forced to “donate” their property to the Reich. There is the occasional hint of kindness from their guards, but for the most part this is a ghastly regime that fairly swiftly becomes a feeder camp for those elsewhere with more toxic intent. The whole film has an authenticity to it that makes the continuing atrocities all the more impactful, and the entire ensemble showcase just how ill-prepared this family and the population at large were when the yellow stars started making their appearances. I don’t really know why, but it’s always the female prison warders who seem the cruellest, and that’s no exception here as their sadism is writ large. There is something really quite visceral about this and though not an easy watch, it shows humanity at it’s most destructive and also at it’s most resilient.

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