A new widower must deal with the final request of his wife to take her ashes to a distant town. His journey leads him to accept the flow of life; the film illuminates the transcendent dimensions of life and human relationships.
The film takes a fresh approach to issues related to Nazi Germany. In the early 1940s, David, a Jewish German, is attempting to escape across the border. A farmer from the Black Forest finds him and shelters him in his barn. Childless, the farmer asks David to impregnate his wife.
This setting is the background within which the complexity of humanity is revealed in all characters, with new beginnings supplementing human failures. The title of the film is particularly apt: Schonzeit is the season of protection for animals when no hunting is allowed; the close of Schonzeit opens the time of hunting. It applies at various levels: David’s protection ends with betrayal, the closure of emotions ends with vulnerability and openness.
The Ecumenical Jury, appointed by INTERFILM and Signis, since 1979 awards a Prize in the World Competition.