“Shadows in My Eyes” deals with the dramatic events in Copenhagen in 1945 during the German occupation and sheds light on the profound human losses and traumas caused by the war. The story is marked by a momentous mistake: an RAF air raid on the Gestapo headquarters in Shellhus partially misses its target, resulting in the bombing of a nearby Catholic school. This tragedy unfortunately has devastating consequences for pupils and teachers, who are wounded or killed in the hail of bombs.
The movie presents a variety of storylines that intertwine. Young Henry, traumatized by a previous RAF attack, struggles to regain his ability to speak and receives support from his cousin Rigmor and her friend Eva. Teresa, a young novice, also faces a difficult situation as she tries to prove her faith around Frederik, a policeman cooperating with the occupiers. The plot reaches its climax when the air raid on the Shellhus triggers a momentous mistake that results in the Jeanne d'Arc Institute being bombed.
Henry plays an essential role in the rescue operation after the attack, while Rigmor and Teresa perish in the wreckage. Eva's parents are searching for their daughter, who survived the attack and finally makes it to safety with a symbolic act of eating.
“Shadows in My Eyes” sensitively depicts the complex human destinies that unfold in the chaos of war and points to the deep psychological scars that can result from the violence of war.