Schatten der Erinnerung (2010)

Lena, a geologist and mother of a daughter, receives word from friends in her home village that her father, Gottfried, is terminally ill. Eight years ago, he disowned her because he blamed her for her mother’s death, so returning to her Alpine home village is not easy for her. She tries to reconnect with her father, but he rejects her completely. It is only her daughter who begins to thaw the old man’s heart. Lena sees Anton, her old childhood sweetheart, again—the man she has never been able to forget. But by now he is married to Magda. Magda has taken over her father’s construction company and is planning a major coup with a crooked lawyer. A ski resort is to be built above the village. To make way for it, the forest—which has served as a protective barrier for the village—must and will be cleared. Lena recognizes the threat and tries to fight the crooked lawyer. Anton supports Lena in saving the village. In the process, they both realize they are still in love with each other. At this year’s folk festival, Anton confronts Lena and asks why she left the village in such a hurry eight years ago. Lena tells Anton that Magda had told her she was pregnant by him and that they both wanted to get married. Feeling so betrayed in that moment, Lena fled to the mountains to think. A terrible storm began at the time, and Lena’s mother, worried about her, went into the mountains to look for her. She had an accident there. Anton explains to Lena that Magda had spread lies. He and Magda only got together after Lena left. He had always loved Lena. Lena confesses to Anton that he is her daughter’s father.