Rada: A Belgian Christmas Eve

In a quiet Belgian village during the first winter of the Great War, the modest home of the local doctor becomes an uneasy haven. Rada, the doctor's wife, tends to her twelve‑year‑old daughter Bettine while a squad of German soldiers is forced to share the space. The crackling fire and a painted Madonna above the hearth offer fragile comfort against the cold and the looming presence of conflict.

Inside the cramped room, an elderly schoolmaster named Nanko, half‑lost in his own delusion that every day is Christmas Eve, adds a note of melancholy humor. As night deepens, the characters negotiate the fragile line between survival and conscience, with the soldiers’ presence stirring both fear and moments of unexpected humanity. The narrative captures the tension of ordinary lives caught in extraordinary turmoil, framed by the hopeful yet haunting glow of a single Christmas night.