Ten years after the end of World War I, the mood on the German-French border is still toxic. A severe accident suddenly occurs in a French mine, trapping and burying alive nearly 600 French miners. Although at times the old enmity with France triumphs, the German miners want to help the other side: in the end, miners are miners. Wittkopp puts together a rescue squad. Under his command they drive across the border by truck, not stopping even for the customs officials, who were not informed ahead of time.
A film that promotes international understanding, which is still as relevant today as it was back then ‒ masterfully brought to life by director Georg Wilhelm Pabst. In 2014 the film was jointly restored by the Deutsche Kinemathek, the British Film Institute and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée.
