Why We Believe

It's the beginning of the 20th century and in a small Slovak village isolated from the outside world the cholera epidemic erupts. Children and old people are infected, few have already died. Prayers do not help and a gloomy atmosphere of calamity is supported also by the undying strong wind. Leftist intellectual MEIR EICHLER (51) was assigned to the village just recently and superstitious villagers accustomed to traditional medicine rejected his advice to disinfect all the local wells with chlorine in belief that he wants to poison them. Butcher BENKA (43) can't cope with his sudden loss of his sick son and woman. Drunk and angry at his fate he shatters the saint statues on a local Calvary. He is troubled with possible punishment, and thus he can't bear the responsibility for his act, so he arrange everything so it looks like its doctor Eichlers fault, against whom the villagers keep deep distrust for his practices and worldview. Benka's charge is "appreciated" and there begins improvised process against Eichler. (excerpt)