Valley of Peace (1956)
(Dolina miru, France Štiglic, Yugoslavia 1956, 88 min., DCP, Slovenian w/subtitles)
Black History Month. In the middle of World War II, war orphans Marko and Lotti try to reach the “valley of peace” to find shelter. On their way, they meet an American pilot, Jim (John Kitzmiller), fleeing after the crash of his plane. Both the German enemy and the allies are racing to find him, but the heroic GI is slowed down by the two children he has taken under his wing.
With Valley of Peace, France Štiglic brought Yugoslav film to a world stage: his humanist masterpiece premiered at the 1956 Cannes Festival, where Kitzmiller won the award for Best Actor. A former GI, Kitzmiller came to film a few years after landing in Italy, after a proposal from a director looking for a black soldier. He then starred in a score of movies, mostly Italian. After Valley of Peace, his career took off, and he became known for his parts in Dr. No (1962) and Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1965).