Time of Miracles 1989

In the village of Bethany, a place named after the biblical town near Jerusalem where Lazarus was said to be resurrected, the story unfolds in September 1945 as World War II comes to a close. The new communist government launches a sweeping campaign aimed at erasing folk customs and beliefs, in effect exorcising God from daily life. The local school is consumed by fire, and the authorities storm the village church, driving out the priest. A revolutionary climbs the church walls and hoists the Communist flag on the cross while others paint frescoes on the walls, turning the church into a battleground of symbols. Yet every attempt to whitewash the frescoes fails, as the vivid images mysteriously reappear, stubbornly resisting the regime’s efforts. The revolutionaries interpret this stubborn persistence as a counter-revolutionary act, setting the stage for a broader clash between new political dogma and long-standing spiritual beliefs.

A teacher dies, and a stranger enters the village, triggering events that will test faith and politics alike. A young man, unknown to everyone, touches the hands of the deceased teacher on the scaffold and raises him from the dead. Word spreads that Christ has arrived in Bethany, performing miracles for the villagers, while the communists insist that the resurrection is a counter-revolutionary ruse. The central problem for the regime is precisely this miracle—an event that cannot be reconciled with a worldview that denies faith. The drama turns on a fundamental conflict between two dogmas: the primitive, inflexible interpretation of Communism and the enduring, inscrutable claims of Christianity. This tension amplifies everyday life in a village where superstition, authority, and belief collide, forcing each character to navigate the uneasy space between revolutionary zeal and spiritual mystery.