Friend of the Enemy

Throughout the latter stages of the Second World War, when the Allies were making more and more ground on their way to an eventual victory, captured Axis soldiers were often brought back to the United States for internment at several prisoner-of-war camps dotted around the country, with a fair few ending up in Southern States.

One such camp, Camp Hearne, Texas, serves as the inspiration and setting for Friend of the Enemy. Written and directed by filmmaker Sam Balas for the camp’s modern-day museum, this short film offers a poignant lesson about overcoming deep-seated preconceptions as well as exploring the complexities of wartime mindsets.

Based on true events from the camp in December of 1943, the film introduces us to Texan farmer Lamar (Hardee), running his land alongside his wife, Sarah (Lamb). Though doing his best to get by day-to-day, he persistently struggles with an injury he sustained in the Great War prior.

Finally needing an extra pair of hands, the local army division offers the help of one of its POW residents, Jurgen (Monroe). Tensions immediately rise between the pair, yet with time and patience, a mutual sense of understanding starts to form, and perhaps even the beginnings of something akin to friendship. However, Jurgen’s perceived treachery does not sit well with the other inmates of the camp upon his return each evening, and before long, he is caught between a choice of “doing his duty” and trying to live the rest of his life on his own terms.

Filmed over two days on a micro-budget of less than $34,000, Friend of the Enemy speaks loudly, clearly and eloquently to modern audiences despite its eight-decade-old setting. Whilst exploring how stereotypes and preconceptions can create difficult and often unnecessary barriers to communication and understanding, Balas also manages to balance those heavy themes with lighter tones, showcasing how simply sharing our humanity and vulnerabilities can be the very thing that bonds us, paving a much brighter path towards empathy.

While the supporting cast mostly sits on the periphery looking in, the film is buoyed by having three strong leads intent on doing their utmost not just to sell, but to drive the story forward. Hardee and Monroe have a great chemistry that makes watching their initial disdain for one another melt away to clear affection a joy to watch, and Balas does well to ensure that their arc feels complete by the end. But also indelibly leaving their mark on proceedings is Nemo’s despicable but commanding turn as Hans, whose defiant and undying belief in duty is the sinister undercurrent that gives this film that extra layer.

Overall, Friend of the Enemy honours the memory of those who deserve to be remembered. It is a film that Balas should be proud of, the museum will no doubt also be proud of, and those who inspired it would be too.