L'aveu

In 1950s communist Czechoslovakia, a government minister, a war veteran long a loyal party man, leads a relatively comfortable life with his wife. However, he soon finds himself under surveillance, then under arrest. Unclear what his offense is, agents for the totalitarian regime interrogate and torture him, aiming to use their unending power to gain a false confession for these supposed crimes against the state. The film follows the story of Artur London, a defendant in the Slánský trial, who is subjected to brainwashing techniques, including sleep deprivation and being forced to walk back and forth, to confess imaginary crimes. His wife, Lise, is also forced to cooperate with the government, and the film depicts the trials and tribulations of the defendants, including the brutal treatment they receive in solitary confinement.