Synopsis
LEA is not only a story about love but also about repressed memories that effect one? life to the point of tragedy. Lea loses her will to speak after she witnesses her mother? death at the hands of her violent father. The only thing she does with any purpose is to write letters to her deceased mother, which was her dying wish. 51-year-old Herbert Strehlow, a furniture restorer, must live with the pain of losing his wife during their honeymoon. Fate finally brings them together when Herbert buys Lea from her violent father. Lea, who has never experienced human affection, lives day to day with only her letters giving her any comfort. Herbert is drawn to Lea who bears a striking resemblance to His dead wife. Suspicious of her letters, he intercepts one and has it translated. Surprisingly, he discovers that her letter is an eloquent piece of poetry. He begins to understand her emotional void and uncovers her artistic spirit hidden deep beneath her silent apathy. Their relationship, which at first seemed doomed, begins to thaw until gradually each one manages to penetrate the mysterious world of the other. They realize that they bound by a spiritual kinship. For Lea it is the death of her mother, for Herbert it is the death of his first wife. Lea? life begins to take a turn for the better as their love begins to blossom. Director Ivan Fila begins his story in the fall of 1993, with the death of Lea in a hospital in Hamburg. His feature debut LEA received the Best Foreign Language Film Award from the Golden Globe Awards as well as numerous awards and recognitions from international festivals. (ZEONG Chosin)