David Ondricek's 'In The Shadow' Official Czech Oscar Entry

COLOGNE, Germany - In the Shadow, a period drama set in 1950s Prague, will represent the Czech Republic in next year's race for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

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The film stars veteran Czech actor Ivan Trojan (Zelary) as Hakl, a member of Prague's Communist police force charged with investigating what seems to be a routine robbery at a goldsmith's shop.

His investigation, however, unveils darker secrets and soon State Security replaces him on the case with a German specialist in "Zionist crime," played by Sebastian Koch (The Lives of Others). When Hakl continues his investigation on his own, he sets both men on a collision course with the ominous powers of the Communist state.

Director David Onriceck (Grandhotel) co-wrote the script to In The Shadow with Vaclav screenwriter Marek Epstein. Ondrick, Krystof Mucha and U.S.-based producer Ehud Bleiberg produced the film.

Bleiberg's Bleiberg Entertainment is handling worldwide sales to the film and will be presenting it to buyers at the American Film Market in November.

In The Shadow was set up as a Czech-Slovak-Polish and Israeli co-production with Czech group Lucky Man Film and Bleiberg Entertainment as lead producers. Poland's Centrala Film, Trigon Production of Slovakia and Israel's United King Films co-produced together with RWE, Barrandov Studio and Avion Film.

In the Shadow is currently on release in Czech theaters via local distributor Falcon.