The Damned

In the winter of 1862, in the second year of the American Civil War, a company of volunteer soldiers is sent by the US army to the barely mapped out areas in the western part of the country. They do not have to fight, the front is far away, but they have to guard the borders, bring order to these still lawless areas and otherwise await orders from on high. Some do so because they believe in the good cause, others are only interested in the paycheck. But they do not have it easy: the bitterly cold winter and untamed nature are merciless, while the enemy cannot be contained either. To make matters worse, supplies are also starting to run out.

This Cannes award-winning war story by Italian director Roberto Minervini is not a heroic epic, is not about the battle between good and evil, but shows in an intimate and philosophical way how people try to hold their own in an inhuman world. He wrote this story himself.