Burning in the Wind

Soldini's previous film Bread and Tulips drew hearty acclaim from those outside Italy who got a chance to see it. Adapted from the novel Yesterday by Agata Kristof, Burning in the Wind moves into markedly bleaker territory. 'I was born in a village with no name, in a country of no importance,' declares Tobias (a suitably brooding Franek), an immigrant worker whose monotonous stints in a Swiss factory are contrasted with bouts of loveless sex and a fantasy of his ideal woman, Line (Lukesova). When Line finally emerges into his life, it's with a troubling twist. Set amid the bonds and conflicts of an immigrant East European community, the film is intriguing and beautifully shot (in 'Scope), without, regrettably, ever attaining the soulful warmth of Bread and Tulips.