Arsmedia

Genre: Feature Documentary Film
Duration: 90 min
Year: 2026
Screenplay: dr. Uroš Zavodnik
Director: dr. Uroš Zavodnik
Featuring: Stanislav Zavodnik, dr. Uroš Zavodnik, dr. Christian Klösch, Patricia (Pat) Palmer,
Michael Palmer, Roger Stanton, Ian Brown, Alistair Simpson, Janez Ujčič, dr. Daniel Siter,
Images, video: ftp.arsmedia.si (username: arsmedia-press, password: Arsmedia). Access to the FTP is possible via programs such as FileZilla, CyberDuck.

LOGLINE

The heroism of two strangers on occupied Slovenian territory during World War II, Liza and Leslie, along with six-year-old Stanko – the only living witness who, as a child, forged a bond of trust between them – led to the largest escape of Allied soldiers in occupied Europe. This extraordinary story has remained untold for more than 80 years. For both of them to survive, two separate escapes were necessary.

SYNOPSIS

In occupied Slovenia in 1944, the friendship and trust between Liza Zavodnik and Allied prisoner of war Leslie Laws led to the largest successful escape and liberation of Allied soldiers from a Nazi labour camp in occupied Europe during World War II. The operation was immediately classified as “Top Secret” by the British government under Winston Churchill. The escape and liberation, exactly as they took place, would have remained an untold story forever were it not for the sole surviving witness, Liza’s son, Stanko Zavodnik (87). Through him – whom Leslie treated as “his own son” – a bond of trust was established between Leslie and Liza, who consequently connected Leslie with the partisans. Of great importance were also the notes Leslie left to his daughter, Pat Palmer, which helped preserve the story. The Zavodnik family should pay for the liberation and freedom of the Allied soldiers with deportation to Auschwitz. Yet a dramatic turn of events occurred. A German Wehrmacht railway supervisor, who was the supervisor of Stanko’s father, Avgust Zavodnik, intervened. By placing a railway wagon under the family’s house, he enabled their escape from the Gestapo, and, in doing so, also protected himself, since he had never revealed the family as supporters of the Partisan resistance (‘Partisan family’). In reality, there were two escapes. For both, Leslie with his POWs and Liza to survive, finally four different sides became involved in an extraordinary and unique way: the patriotic Zavodnik family, the Pohorje Partisans, the imprisoned Allied soldiers, and a German railway supervisor in Maribor, which makes the event even more unique.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

The film is conceived as the story of Stanko Zavodnik (87), the only living witness of the largest escape of Allied soldiers from a German labour camp in occupied Europe, as told to his son, Uroš. When Leslie’s daughter, Pat Palmer, visited Stanko in 2019, she told him that her father had told her, when she was a young girl, that she had one more family in Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Liza’s family. Without Liza’s help and courage, he would never have escaped captivity and returned to England in September 1944, together with the other rescued prisoners (87 in total). Uroš made a promise to Stanko and Pat that he would try to bring this story to the screen, a story that has remained untold for more than 80 years, and tell it as it truly happened.

GALLERY

CREW

Screenplay: dr. Uroš Zavodnik
Director: dr. Uroš Zavodnik
Director of Photography: Ivan Klarič
Editor: dr. Uroš Zavodnik in Jurij Moškon
Sound Designer: Boštjan Kačičnik
Managing director: Sandra Ržen
Producer: Boštjan Ikovic

FEATURING

Stanislav Zavodnik
dr. Uroš Zavodnik,
dr. Christian Klösch
Patricia (Pat) Palmer
Michael Palmer
Roger Stanton,
Ian Brown
Alistair Simpson
Janez Ujčič
dr. Daniel Siter

UROŠ ZAVODNIK

Dr. Uroš Zavodnik is a film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, also an editor and director of photography (DOP), the author of several feature and documentary films. He studied film arts in Austria, where he earned his doctorate in collaboration with the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (AGRFT) in Ljubljana, with his dissertation in film directing and the feature film Der Prozess. His acting mentor in the Lee Strasberg Method was Janez Vajevec. He also teaches film arts at the University of Maribor and the AMEU – Dance Academy. He has additionally lectured at VUO (Visual arts and design) of the University of Primorska and at the Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt. As a photographer, he has exhibited his work in solo and group exhibitions both in Slovenia and abroad. He also expresses himself through poetry. He served as a member of the Council of the Slovene Cinematheque Public Institute and was a member of the literary association IG Autorinnen Autoren in Austrian Carinthia. He is currently the president of KAZU (Carinthian Academy of Sciences and Arts). He has served on numerous juries at film festivals and literary competitions in Slovenia and internationally. His artistic activities are primarily focused on the Slovenian and Austrian cultural spheres.

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY AND AWARDS

-The Trial (2006),
-The Consoler (2009),
-Jože Ciuha – A Painter of his Time (2012),
-Der Proband (2013),
-Gottschebar Lont – The Lost Cultural Heritage (2015),
-Bergmandlc (2016),
-I Wish (2016),
-Stojan Brezočnik – A Lost Heart (2018),
-Spekula (2019),
-Sounds of Jazz: Jazz & Jazz Ravne (2021),
-Jazzerji (2024),
-Escape After the Escape (2026),

CO-PRODUCERS

Leiblingfilm
Zavodnik Cine Art
Zvokarna
NuFrame
MB Grip

TECHNICAL DATA

Format: DCP, 1:185, 25 fps, color
Sound: DCP 5.1