“You’re only alive in the moments when you’re prepared to die.”
When Johanna Gabathuler (Dominique Devenport) returned to her home in Switzerland, she thought her days of facing down death were over. When the First World War began she’d volunteered for the Red Cross, keen to help ease the suffering of those fighting in the trenches across Europe; there she’d found love with a German solider and had returned home pregnant. With her lover dead, she thought her war was done and she could devote her life to raising her child. She was wrong.
No sooner is her daughter born than she’s taken away, her father sternly telling her “you have no child”. Maybe a weaker woman would have accepted this, and meekly gone along with the rich husband she’s expected to marry to keep the family Sanatorium afloat. Not Johanna. Her quest to regain her child and to escape the future her father has mapped out for her will lead her into the arms of a much more dangerous suitor: the German secret service.
Johanna Gabathuler (Dominique Devenport). Credit: Global Screen
As the first example of total war in Europe, the First World War swept up everyone in its wake, and swept aside old social restraints in the process. Using women in war was previously unthinkable; officially only the caring duties such as nursing were open to them. But as the frontlines chewed up manpower, more and more roles became open to women. And espionage – a job where being seen as harmless and beneath notice was a strength – was a perfect fit for women who weren’t satisfied with the role society demanded of them.
Now back working for her family, Johanna soon discovers there’s a dark side to her father’s Sanatorium. With a steady stream of wounded soldiers from all sides passing through its neutral territory, it’s full of sensitive military information, and people willing to do anything to get ahold of it. While her fiancée sneeringly says the wounded men injured themselves to get out of the war and her father plays the role of genial host, in the darkness a deadly game is taking shape.
A chance meeting at a formal Christmas dinner brings her to the attention of the Countess Von Hausner (Jeanette Hain), an assured, intelligent woman who’s more than a match for the men who circle around her. Later that evening, Johanna receives a letter: the Countess knows where her daughter is – and it soon becomes clear that if Johanna wants to be reunited with her, there’s going to be a heavy price to pay.
Secrets sold for money, murder in the mountains, deception around every corner; this is a series that doesn’t hold back when it comes to drama. Surrounded by stuffy, patriarchal types who expect a woman to be meek and servile, Johanna’s refusal to be bound by the rules of her time makes her the perfect spy. And as her mentor and handler, the Countess makes for a perfect partner in crime.
The scenic setting belies the machinations behind the scenes. Credit: Global Screen
There’s a lot going on in Davos 1917. Based on actual events, in Johanna it has a thoroughly modern heroine dealing with issues that are both a century old and sadly still relevant today. Not to mention the scenery in and around the Sanatorium is stunning – you’d think it was an advertisement for a Swiss getaway if not for the covert murders taking place on those snow-covered peaks. Perhaps the most intriguing element here is the Countess, who’s based on a real-life historical figure: the German handler for Mata Hari, the most famous female spy of the war.
She has the skills and the knowledge Johanna needs; as the daughter of the Sanatorium’s owner, Johanna can go places she can’t. And when things get dangerous (what would a spy drama be without guns being drawn and inconvenient traitors being quietly executed?), it turns out they make for a great team. Well, apart from the whole “I won’t tell you where your daughter is until you finish the mission” thing.
As the series develops, so does the relationship between the Countess and Johanna. The two women have both been scarred by war; Johanna needs a family after being betrayed by her own. But the connection between them is built on shaky ground, and trust can never be taken for granted. It’s inevitable that eventually the student shall become the master.
And in the world they inhabit, a rival is a threat that must be eliminated.
Davos 1917 is now streaming at SBS On Demand.
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Davos 1917
