Movies

Upon entering Switzerland, James Larkin White (played by Albrecht Schuch) is arrested. The authorities are convinced that he is Anatol Stiller, the missing Swiss sculptor who is accused of being involved in the mysterious 'Smyrnov affair'. Despite White's persistent insistence that he is not who they think he is, suspicion continues to grow, with the investigating judge, the public prosecutor and even his court-appointed defence attorney all beginning to question his identity. Further confusion arises with the arrival of Stiller’s wife from Paris, who is unsure whether the man before her is her long-lost husband. So who is James Larkin White, and could he be hiding the identity of the missing Anatol Stiller?

Director Stefan Haupt has successfully adapted Max Frisch's great novel for the screen in a concise, cinematically focused 99-minute adaptation. His multilayered drama about identity is both powerful and precise in its study of the main character.