What Rhymes with Magdalena?

About Canada's secret involvement in the Vietnam War.

An unconscious man is found in a boat which drifts to the landing of an isolated African outpost where Baron von Ragenstein, an enemy agent, recognizes the man as his exact double, Sir Edward Dominey, with whom von Ragenstein went to school. He plots to kill Dominey and pose as the dead man.He learns about Dominey's broken marriage to Muriel and his relation to Sir Ronald, head of home defense. Back at the Dominey estate, Muriel is delighted with the change in Dominey, and Sir Ronald gives the spy a confidential position.The situation is complicated by Bardinet, Muriel's admirer who, like von Regenstein, is under orders from Seamon, chief of the enemy agents. Another difficulty is Baroness Stephanie, a spy who loves von Regenstein. The jealous Bardinet tells Muriel that Dominey is an impostor and she tells Sir Ronald. At Police headquarters Dominey reveals that, in Africa, it was actually von Regenstein that was killed and that he, Dominey posing as von Regenstein, has been playing the dual role in order to uncover the enemy leaders.

The film takes place at the end of the 19th century. The Cardinal Guglielmo Massaia has spent 20 years in Ethiopia to convert people to the Catholic Church. He comes back to Italy and he tries to get the help of the government of Piedmont. The Count Cavour, although he appreciates the Cardinal's deeds in Africa, cannot grant his Cabinet's support to the Cardinal's plans. The missionary man, trusting the Divine Providence, goes back to Africa by himself. The Cardinal, who is known among the people as Abuna Messias, becomes a friend of king Menelik. The support of the king is fundamental to spread his word and accomplish his mission. The Head of the Coptic Church, Abuna Attanasio, does whatever he can to prevent Massaia from reaching his goals and to get him exiled from Ethiopia. Menelik refuses to help Abuna Attanasio, who decides to address the Emperor, thus igniting a war between the Emperor and his subject Menelik. In order to end the war, the Cardinal decides to leave Africa, having nevertheless ordained a young Ethiopian priest, who will continue his mission.

Jewish girl escapes from Ghetto and enters the world of Poles revealing various life attitudes... The dramatic story of human fate, feelings, and passions, which takes place during a period of contempt for all normal values. Love, hate, fear and death, and by their side people's normal existence, filled with compromises, illegal business dealings during the war years. The picture that not only shows in full the system by which people are destroyed, but its results for the human psyche and moral values. It fully exptains how the mechanisms of change are introduced into people, the personal philosophy adopted in order to survive, the neighboring borders between good and evil.

A woman realizes that her son is following the same path of corruption pursued by her father, a Civil War traitor, and her husband, an embezzler.