The idea of “home” is a potent elixir. We are anchored by its stability, drawn to its refuge and reassured by its safety. So strong is the desire to believe in its sheltering power that we may refuse to acknowledge when it is no longer safe -- when the walls don’t protect us, but instead trap us -- with the enemy waiting outside, or even inside our door. Such is the tale of “All My Loved Ones,” the story of a fictional Jewish family in World War II Czechoslovakia who start out believing that “it can’t happen here” and realize too late that it can, and indeed already has.

The five Silberstein brothers and their families are a thriving extended family at the end of the 1930’s in Czechoslovakia: There’s Jakub, a successful physician with a family, and Sam, a renowned violinist about to marry a beautiful young woman. Leo is a rabbi, always ready with a proverb and a bit of advice. Marcel is an eccentric inventor and Max is something of a gypsy and cowboy. Their stories are full of the small and large events that make up daily life and each of them has ample reason to want to ignore the warning signs as Hitler stands at the edge of their fates.

But even as the subtle danger signals become clearer, the Silbersteins are reluctant to acknowledge what is going on. After Hitler seizes the Czech borderlands one of Jakub’s patients becomes distressed: “What if Hitler occupies us?” she cries. “They say he will kill all the Jews.” “This is the twentieth century,” replies Jakub. “The world would not let that happen.” The impossible can’t happen. And yet it does. At each juncture Hitler takes yet another horrific step closer, marching into Prague and then beginning a systematic program of debasing Jews and depriving them their rights. Jakub loses his patients; all of Sam’s concerts are cancelled. Sam makes plans to flee, but still Jakub and his wife stay put. “What else can he do to us?” says Irma Silberstein. When the Silbersteins finally realize there is no escape, a last-chance opportunity appears to save their youngest child, David, by sending him to a family in England.

It is an ironic blessing that tragedies of the magnitude of the holocaust produce heroes like Oskar Shindler and Raoul Wallenberg. Doubtless there are those still undiscovered and still unsung but “All My Loved Ones” brings to light at least one more. In 1938 Nicholas Winton, a young English stockbroker, became alarmed at Hitler’s actions and, in his own words, “decided to take steps.” Between March of 1939 and the outbreak of war in September Winton’s “Kindertransport” was responsible for getting 669 children out of Czechoslovakia. Almost none of their parents survived the next six years.

All my Loved Ones effectively mixes theatrical scenes of Winton (played by Rupert Graves) organizing and processing refugee trains with later documentary footage of the real Winton. Some of the most emotional scenes are those of the reunion of the real Winton with some of his “saved” children some 50 years after the war. The tears in Winton’s eyes seem to contain his own near disbelief at the impact of his actions. Within those tears are visible joy, sorrow, and gratitude that he was able to accomplish deeds that seemed impossible.

Jirí Hubac’s script is a gem. His characters are engaging, intimate and the dialogue is realistic and greatly moving. The scope of the Silberstein family is large and we grow attached to their lives, full of strength, warmth and vitality. The cast is excellent and works well as an ensemble. Director Mataj Minác simultaneously convinces us, along with the Silbersteins, that maybe everything will be all right, although we know all too well from history that it won’t. There is a wonderful subplot of the movie: the child romance of young David Silberstein and his best friend Sosha, is one of the most endearing of the film. Minác has directed several documentaries and Czech television pieces. This is his first feature length film and his future work is worth watching. He has an occasional tendency to be overdramatic in his direction, giving a soap opera quality to some scenes, but the casting and script easily compensate. All My Loved Ones won a slew of national film awards and was the Czech submission in the Oscar’s.foreign film category. American audiences have given it enthusiastic receptions. It is an enjoyable evening of fine cinema, considerably intensified by the real story behind it.