Drama,Comedy,War
Belgium,Germany,France,Israel,Netherlands,Romania
Train of Life, directed by Radu Mihaileanu, begins in 1941 in a small Jewish village in Central Europe. The villagers, led by the village fool Shlomo (played by Lionel Abelanski), are aware of the Nazis' plan to deport them to a concentration camp. They decide to come up with a plan to save themselves.
Shlomo convinces the villagers to build a fake train and to pretend to be deportees. They plan to travel to the Russian border and escape to Palestine from there.
The villagers go through a lot of challenges in their journey. They have to steal supplies to build the train, convince the Nazi soldiers that they are indeed to be deported, and ensure that all the villagers remain united.
As they travel on the fake train, the villagers come up with different strategies to keep the charade going. They use one of the village girls to imitate a Nazi guard and pretend to communicate with headquarters. They even fool a group of gypsies into thinking they are a real deportation train.
The journey is not without challenges, and things take a tragic turn when one of the villagers falls in love with a Nazi soldier. However, the villagers' determination and unity help them overcome all obstacles.
The film ends with the villagers having successfully crossed over to Russia. They are still in danger, but their spirits are lifted as they run towards the border and their dream of a new life in Palestine.
