Phantom of the Dark Region
It's a few years after the war, and the Šumava region resembles the Wild West - a no man's land, an El Dorado of adventurers, secret agents, smugglers, and border runners. A restless district patrolled by policemen and border guards trying to impose the rules of the new regime. It draws dramatic fates like a magnet. But one stands out. Twenty-four-year-old Josef Hasil first helps guard the border in the uniform of the National Security Corps, only to become, after February 1948, its most feared opponent - later dubbed by the secret police as the King of the Šumava. In the deep forests, in the marshes, but also in interrogation rooms and prison camps, a gripping story unfolds.
01. The Border
It is the spring of 1948. The joy of peace has not yet faded, but the Cold War is already fully impacting the relations between the East and the West. Deep Šumava forests separate the two blocs. Twenty-four-year-old cook Josef Hasil serves in the kitchen of the National Security Corps in Zvonková. Despite his young age, he has already experienced a lot. He’s been through a German labor camp and worked with partisans. Now, he primarily longs for fun, adventure, and freedom, with politics being the last thing on his mind.
02. The Bridge
CIC agent Klára entrusts Hasil with a difficult task: 'You will lead the armed partisans across. If you fail, everyone you care about will suffer.' Hasil picks up the thrown gauntlet. 'If I see them first, they won’t catch me…' The King of the Šumava comes to life.
03. The Bride
In the morning, I’ll lead people across the border, at noon there’s a wedding, and then we’ll dance and drink until morning. I can handle that no problem. No tree grows to the heavens - only the one whose roots reach into hell. The story of the King of the Šumava reaches its climax. The noose is tightening.