The Devil's Arithmetic (1999) Movie Script
1
Looks better than it feels.
You okay?
Yeah.
You sure?
No pain, no gain.
So, what's happening
Friday night?
Melissa's having a party.
Mmm, forget it, her parents hang
out in the kitchen all night.
Ani DiFranco's at the Beacon.
We'll never get in.
What about Johnny Depp's
new movie?
Uh... I don't know.
Hey, check out the guys
at the window.
Oh, they look like
losers to me.
So, what tattoo
are you getting?
I can't decide.
Does it hurt a lot?
I've felt worse.
Decide already, Hannah.
I'm stuck between
a butterfly tattoo
or angel wings on my ankle.
Go for the butterfly.
It'll match your
Dracula lipstick.
Good point.
Maybe I should get
a tattoo on both ankles.
How much would it cost?
Could be a couple
of hundred bucks.
Oh, I'm late, forget it.
I have to go.
Go? Where do you have to go?
My aunt Eva's.
For Passover.
Passover?
Yeah, that's the cracker thing.
I'll call you guys
later about tonight.
The Jewish persuasion begin
their Passover holiday
this evening.
They are not allowed
to eat bread,
but only what they call matzo.
I'm getting ready!
You're supposed
to be home at 4:00!
You have ten minutes, Hannah!
That's ten, not 15!
I had your blue
dress dry cleaned!
It's in the closet.
Did I hear you say
thank you to your mother?
Oh, do I have to go?
I'm not going
through this again.
Get dressed.
Why do I have to go?
It's a waste of time.
Some things you have to do
because you have to do them.
Come on, Mom.
We're going because
it's important.
Why is it important?
It's important because
I say it's important.
That's shrewd, Mom,
that's really shrewd.
Red light shine in my face
No disgrace to blush
and stop short
My heart
Intersection
of State and Main
Two strong roads
keeps me apart
What's between this
Analogy chronology if you were
the sea in my memories
Ready at any time
What's in a face
Are your seconds
faster than mine?
Ready at any time
Words between us...
Oh, Lenore!
Oh, Aunt Ethel,
it's so good to see you.
I'm so glad you came.Hello, Aunt Ethel.
Burton, my favorite nephew, oh.
You look wonderful.
Thank you, hi.
Hannah, come, I'll give
you a good hug, oh.
You look lovely.
So, do you recognize me?
I'm such a stranger?
It's so good
to see you.
Mmm.
Every time I see you,
you look more like her.
And every time I see you,
you say the same thing.
Well, the shape of your mouth,
the color of your eyes...
You're blessed with
her beauty.
And her name.
If her name lives on in you,
nothing can give me
greater pleasure.
Why don't you tell
me more about her?
Shh, shh, shh...
You wouldn't understand.
Understand what?
What it was like
in the camps.
What we lived through,
if we lived.
What it was to be a Jew.
This experience is so far
from your world,
I am afraid,
though I still want to
tell you what's happened,
it will mean nothing to you.
And that would
hurt me very much.
You see?Mm-hmm.
Good, now come.
You don't remember
Sandra Kugleman?
Sure, I remember
Sandra Kugleman.
We were in school together from
kindergarten to sixth grade.
Mm-hmm.
Do you remember
Sydney Hollander?
Oh!
I had such a crush
on Sydney Hollander.
Don't I know it.
Oh, my God, I used
to write him love letters.
No.
I swear to God.
And I've never told
anybody this.
It's embarrassing for me.
When he found out
it was me...
...Balanced mutual funds,
something like that.
Give me a call next week
and I'll set it up for you.
Did I ever tell you, Hannah,
about life in Yanuf
before the war?
Lots of times, Uncle Morris.
It's an interesting story.
Not as interesting as the story
I can tell you.
In the camp,
there was some young Jews,
Yeshiva buchasand they...
That's students.
She doesn't know
from "buchas".
All right, don't make
a federal case out of it.
Students, Yeshiva students.
And they tried to make
an escape.
But the Nazi pigs,
they set up a trap,
and they were caught.
That's because they knew
before that they were--
I think they're starting
the Seder now, Uncle Abe.
You can tell me the rest
of the story later.
It was in the book.
The arithmetic,
the numbers.
You add, you subtract...
And there are
no more Jews.
Come, children!
Morris, Abe!
Baruch Atah Adonai
Eloheinu melekh ha'olam asher
kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel yom tov.
We praise You eternal our God,
ruler of the Universe,
who makes us holy
by thy mitzvah,
and commands us to light
the festival lights.
Amen.
Amen.Amen.
Blessed are Thou eternal
our God, ruler of the Universe,
who creates
the fruit of the vine.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
"Why is this night different
from all other nights?"
"In all other nights we eat
either leavened bread or
unleavened bread."
"On all other nights,
we eat herbs of any kind.
On this night, why only
bitter herbs?"
We were slaves... of pharaoh.
And the eternal
our God brought us out.
Now, if God had
not brought us out,
our children and
our children's children
would still
be enslaved in Egypt.
"Therefore, even were we all
wise, all men of understanding,
"and even if we were all old
and well learned in the Torah,
"it would be still our
duty to tell the story
of the departure from Egypt".
Hannah, it's your turn
to read.
Come on.
"It is told that Rabbi Eliezer,
Rabbi Joshua, Rabbi Elazar,
"the son of Azariah,
Rabbi Akiba and Rabbi Tarfon,
"sat all night in Bene-Berak
telling the story
of the exodus from Egypt."
Hey, you're drinking too much.
Mom, give me a break.
I'm trying to be religious.
I'm starting to
like this holiday.
Are you all right?
I'm loaded.
The way you speak.
I'll never get over it.
The cup of Elijah,
the prophet,
who visits each Jewish family
and drinks a drop of wine.
Who will open the door
and let Elijah in?
I want to, I want to!
But Grandpa,
Jeremy did it last year.
Hannah will open the door.
Aunt Eva...
Please, do it for me.
Come.
What's going on here?
Are you feeling
all right, child?
Does anything hurt you?
Will someone please tell me
what's going on here.
What is this place?
Where did you
people come from?
Don't you remember?
Remember what?
You've been very sick, Hannah.
This is your
first day out of bed.
You've got to be kidding me.
I haven't been sick.
I never get sick.
Where is everybody?
Where are my parents?
Sit down, child.
We will tell you.
I'm sorry, Hannah.
This has been a tragedy
for all of us.
But most of all for you.
The fever took
your parents away.
It's a miracle that
you're still with us.
Will you repeat
what you just said?
No... no, you don't have to.
You should know my parents
are still alive,
and I want to go
back to New Rochelle.
New?
What is that?
New Rochelle,
I'm from New Rochelle!
Hannah, you're from Lublin.
You've been very ill.
It's the fever.
Let's begin at
the beginning.
I'm your cousin Rivkah.
And this is my mother,
your Aunt Mina.
And I am Hannah Stern, right?
Yes.
And you're from Lublin, Poland.
Where you lived with you
parents, of blessed memory.
Is it a bad dream?
Am I having a bad dream?
Hannah, you're still weak.
Calm down.
It must be the wine.
I drank too much
at the Seder.
Here, come rest.
You'll feel better.
You do look familiar to me.
I should think so.
We are cousins, sit.
Here, lie down.
Listen...
Something is wrong.
I'm not crazy, Rivkah,
and I'm not dreaming.
Please, believe me.
Ahh...
Hannah, you almost left us.
You've had a burning fever
for nearly two weeks.
You're just
recovering now and...
I think that we should
feel grateful for that.
Now try and rest.
You do this for me?
I was listening for
when you would wake up.
You're so quiet
that I was afraid...
I don't know what to do.
Let me help you get ready.
For what?
For the wedding.
I'm getting married?
No, silly.
Leah is marrying Shmuel,
the Yeshiva student.
And I have picked out
the prettiest dress
for you to wear to the wedding.
Yeah?
Ohh...
No, thank you.
I'll wear my own dress.
Your taste is too
virginal for me.
Of course.
What else should it be?
I... suppose you're used to
big stores
and fancy clothes.
Malls, actually.
Yeah?
This isn't a dream, is it?
No, Hannah.
This is real.
I'm afraid I'm gonna have
to believe it's a dream
or I'll loose my mind.
After all you've been through,
you don't have
to apologize to me.
This is your home now.
And I don't think
that we should
ever hide anything
from each other.
All right?
You look lovely.
Weird.
The way you speak.
I'll never get over it.
Come.
We don't want to be late.
Mama?
I want to take
Hannah to Mendel's.
No, it's out of the question.
Mama, please, I promise
I won't ask for anything
for the whole month.
It's too much money.Please?
Please, please, my dear
sweet mother, please?
You see how she gets her way?
Thank you!
Come.
There's so much
I want to show you.
Rivkah, I'll see
you at the wedding!
Enjoy yourself, Hannah!
So, I'm in
another country?
Oh, I wish I could do something
that would make you feel better.
Come, we'll have fun.
Soon, we'll enter the world
famous village of Yanuf.
My Uncle Abe was always
trying to tell me about Yanuf.
But I never listened to him.
How are you?Hello, Yossel!
Well, it's not an
exciting city but...
It is where we live,
and we're very happy here.
Come.
He's very nervous.
So, no criticisms!
And above everything else,
be compassionate.
It'll be a mitzvah for you.
How long does it take
for a man to get dressed?
He's been there for--Shh! He's coming!
Shmuel.
All I can say,
from the bottom of my heart
is that you look
absolutely gorgeous.
You're not joking
with me, Isaac?
Joking? On this occasion
of such solemnity?
Never.
Please, take my arm...
And we will proceed to the house
of the luckiest woman in town,
your future wife.
Bread! Fresh bread!
Someone is looking this way.
Yes, I see him.
It's Ariel, the rabbi's son.
They say he will be
a very great man.
Hold your chin up... up.
Your camera is so gigantic.
It's the latest.
Consider it quite portable.
My father has a Nikon.
Now, be still.
Very still.
Serious.
And one, two and...
After the wedding, we'll get
the picture from Mendel.
Rivkah!
An, Esther! Miriam!
So this is Hannah
from Lublin?
Yes, my cousin.
And my best friend.
Hannah, I want you to meet
Esther and Miriam.
You see, we have all
been waiting to meet you.
Have you ever seen
a moving picture?
Movies? Sure, just about
every week.
Shh! Every week?
What's going on?
The Bedeken.Let's go!
Ariel, I, I must
tell you that...
I am extremely anxious,
and I feel nauseous.
You're not doing too badly.
If I were in your shoes,
I'd probably be in
the hospital by now.
But what's strange
is that, uh...
in spite of my anxiety
and everything, I am...
I am happier now than I have
ever been in my whole life.
Right before the ceremony,
is Bedeken.
It's the unveiling
of the bride.
Nathan is in Lvov
on business.
So, forgive him
for not being here.
Mazel Tov,Leah.
When do you expect the baby?
Around Hanukkah.
How wonderful,
a Hanukkah baby.
Make sure you don't
dance too much.
I wont.
But I will kiss you
for good luck.
What's happening now?
It's a tradition.
To remind us what
happened to Jacob.
What happened to him?
You really have been ill.
The bride was veiled.
So Jacob thought that
he was marrying Rachel.
But he was really
marrying her sister.
Oh.
Mazel Tov! Mazel Tov!
What's this all about?
The chupah.
The ceremony takes place
under the chupah.
This is a sacred space
that symbolizes the home
that Leah and Shmuel will build.
Mama.
Leah will circle Shmuel
seven times.
And this binds them together
as a couple.
Each circle,
it represents the seven days
that the world was created.
Blessed are You Lord our God,
King of the Universe
who has sanctified us
with his commandments.
And command us concerning
elicit marriages.
Forbidden to us the betrothed,
and permitted to us those
who are married
to us through the rite
of chupahand Kiddushin.
On this 26th of October,
in the year 5703,
of the creation of the world
in Yanuf, Poland,
the groom, Shmuel Lvovitch
will take the virgin,
Leah Shiskol,
daughter of Rochel Shiskol
and Mordecai Shiskol
to be his wife,
according to the customs
of Moses and Israel.
You will to respect,
feed and take care of her
according to the
rights of Israel.
We'd like to invite
Ariel and Isaac
to act as witnesses
to this ceremony.
Please join us at the chupah.
By this ring, you are
consecrated to me
by the traditions
of Moses and of Israel.
Blessed are You Lord our God,
king of the Universe
who has created all
things for His glory.
May the barren one
rejoice and be happy
at the ingathering of her
children to her midst.
Blessed are You, Lord,
who gladdens Zion
with her children.
Grant abundant joy
to these friends.
Blessed are You, Lord,
who gladdens the groom
and bride.
Put it down!
Quickly! Do it!
Mazel Tov.
What year is it?5703?
5000? That's impossible.
This isn't the future.
Ah, you mean
Christian calendar?
Yes.
1941, October, 1941.
They're Nazis!
Shh...
No, no...
They will kill.
I remember this.
It's, it's six million Jews.
Don't ask me how I know,
I just do.
Everyone out!
Jews of Yanuf, you're being
relocated to the East
to work in factories
for the German war effort!
It is government policy.
All you need will
be provided for.
This way to the trucks,
ladies and gentlemen!
We cannot just go.
Plans need to be made,
clothing to be packed.
Food to be provided for the--
You will want for nothing!
We want nothing,
except to be left alone.
In this matter,
we are making the rules.
When you get to your new homes,
anyone who wants to work
will be treated humanely.
And you will be happy
among your own people.
Each and every Jew from these
territories is being relocated.
Let us discuss this.
Let, let us try.
My daughter!
Leave me!
Rivkah!
Rivkah! Anna!
Walk! Walk!
Jenny!
Leave me!
Wait!
Rivkah!
Stay with me.
I can't see Mama.
I can't see her!
I don't know where
they're taking her.
Mama!
The synagogue!
They're burning
our synagogue.
I know, I know.
Rivkah, which is worse?
Knowing or not knowing?
I don't know.
You are my wife.
Yes.
Nothing could change that.
We will always be together.
Always, I promise.
I love you.
Perhaps you will forgive me,
if under these circumstances,
I introduce myself to you.
I'd like that.
I'm Hannah.
Ariel Gershon.
Allow me to introduce
you to my family.
My father, Nochim, the Rabbi.
My mother, Channa.
That is your name also.
Channa?Yes.
I'm surprised you
do not know this.
This is my little brother Dovid.
And my two sisters,
Sylvia and Jenny.
This is my cousin Rivkah,
and my Aunt Mina.
I would also introduce you to
my friends Shmuel and Leah.
But they seem very busy.
It's so cold.
Here, I hold you.
How will we take care
of our children?
Mama, I'm so afraid.
Mama?
I must make myself
look smaller.
Mendel? Would you be kind
and let me have your belt?
What will keep my pants up?
I'll freeze till death.
Excuse me.
Don't tell Esther.
She gave it to me for
a birthday present.
I must keep my baby
alive for Nathan.
I'm just so cold, cold...
Here, this will keep you warm.
And soon, we will be in a place
where we will be sweating,
because it will have a fireplace
that will be burning.
It will be so hot that we
will have to stand outside
our new house.
Let's go!
Come on!
Move!
Move! Move! Move!
Oh, my God!
I want all men,
and all male children
over ten years of age,
to go to my left!
And I want the rest,
to go to my right.
Do it!
Do it now!
Leah!
Leah!Shmuel!
Silence!
Jews...
if you do what you are told,
you will not be harmed.
All we ask is
for your cooperation.
My men will move among you
and relieve you of your
valuables for safekeeping.
Leah!
Come on!
Commandant! Commandant!
Commandant!
Permission to speak with you!
Silence!
And you are?
Rabbi Nochin Gershon,
from the village of Yanuf.
May I speak with you
privately, please?
Privately? Why, privately?
We are among friends.
I give you my personal guarantee
that everything of value
that we have will be given
to your guards.
There is no need
for this violence.
No need?
Ach, why didn't I think of that?
That is an excellent suggestion,
Rabbi.
Guards! Step away!
And let the Jews fill
the wheelbarrows themselves.
And if anything of value
is withheld from us,
then the Rabbi and myself will
have a private conversation.
Take you dress off!
Drop your clothes at the wall!
What is this?
Take it off!
Let me help you.Don't bother with her!
Faster!
Go on, now, I said!
Esther...
You out!
Leah Lubesch.
Outside!
Quickly! Schnell!
Out!
Out!
Out!
Macht schnell!
Out!
Out!
Go! All of you!
Please...
Out with you!
Come on! Move!
Come on, come on!
Get your clothes off.
Let's go, one, two, three.
Get dressed!
Macht schnell!
Move! Move!
Go! Sit down!
Go! You cannot
be fancy now, Jews!
You are not here on vacation!
Put it on!Put those rags on!
You, get in now!
Hurry up!
Move!Ohh...
Keep moving!
Come on!
Move!
Faster!
Over there!
Give it to me.
Ja, ja,
we had four truckloads today.
Do you have the figures
for the new arrivals?
80 men, 70 women and
13 below the age of ten.
How many have we terminated
since the last arrivals?
Aren't you pleased with
how I am proceeding?
Why did you allow
the Rabbi to embarrass you?
Ah, the Rabbi, yeah.
I have a special plan for him
which I think
you'll approve of.
Is there anything else?
HeilHitler.
This is the Commandant's office.
Oh, no.
Yetta.
Where do we sleep?
Wherever it pleases you.
Except, of course,
where I sleep.
It would be indecent for us
to sleep in top of each other.
Are we going to have dinner?
Bedtime!
All of you to bed!
Or they will come
in with their dogs.
To bed!
There is space here
for your friends.
Where is your mother?
Here, you come rest with us.
If you want food,
get in line!
Hungry Jews
are dead Jews!
Dead Jews do not work!
Grab your bowl.
You will not get another.
Grab your bowl.
You will not get another.
She says she won't eat.
Sarah, you must eat, okay?
You don't want to
get sick, do you?
Okay, we're looking for your
mommy and daddy
and we'll find them soon,
but you must eat, okay?
Do this for Rivkah and me.
Here.
Eat some bread.
You, over there,
back to work!
I'm Hannah Stern
from New Rochelle.
And my mother's name is Lenore.
And my father's name
is Burton.
And I'm me, nobody else.
How are you doing?
I'm on my honeymoon.
It was a beautiful wedding!
It would be nice if
we had the wedding cake.
Work, no talking!
You're here to work
or there'll be smoke
coming out of the woods.
The belt cuts into my stomach.
I'm afraid it's
hurting the baby.
Wrap this
around you tightly.
Here, Yetta.
If they should find out...
They're not looking
for pregnant women.
But after the baby comes...
We will talk about it
when we have to
talk about it.
Here.
I stole a piece
of bread tonight.
Take it.
No, I can't.
Yetta, please.
For the baby.
The baby, yes.
I was thinking about how much
help I could be to all of us.
What do you mean?
I had a history teacher
who spent a whole semester
talking about
the Jews during the war.
You know what I was doing?
I was writing notes
to my friends.
I have no idea
what my teacher said.
The only thing I remember
is that no one paid any
attention to all of us.
You have a very
vivid imagination.
And it is causing you
much needless pain.
I wish that was true.
What were we saying when
the Nazis interrupted us?
I forget.
It was so long ago.
I was about to say
that I heard
you arrived the very same
day from Lublin.
Ohh...
I don't remember anymore.Remember what?
Where I came from.
Where I'm going.
And you want
to know something?
I don't care.
I share your confusion,
except I do care.
I would like before
I don't care anymore
to spend an afternoon
with you.
Perhaps walking through
the forests of Yanuf.
Are you asking me
for a date?
Yes.
That is what I'm asking.
Well, I accept your offer.
And only, instead of walking
in the forest,
maybe we could
go to the movies
in Times Square
in New York City.
Fantastic suggestion!
I'll look forward
to it very much.
Yeah.
Up! Up! Attention!
HerrCommandant!
I'm told the Rabbi Gershon
is concerned that typhus
is spreading among the women.
His wife and two daughters
may be in danger.
This one...
This one...
And this one.
Typhus!
Your mother
and sisters...
They were taken from their
barrack this morning.
They say they have typhus.
What is it?
Mama...
Sylvia...
Jenny...
They were taken.
They say they have typhus.
We will say Kaddish.
Hannah?
I would really love to hear
one of your stories
about the future right now.
I'm not in the mood.
Please?
All right.
In the future,
the Jews who survive...
Jews will survive?
Yes, Rivkah.
After the war,
Jews will go to America
and live normal lives.
And they will be safe there?
Of course.
What will we eat
in America?
Pizza.
Pizza?
Ohh...
It's a delicious food.
It's like thin bread with tomato
sauce and cheese melted on top.
I like mine with
mushrooms and olives.
And besides pizza,
there's cheese burgers
and French fries.
Cheese burgers
and French fries.
Well, cheeseburgers
aren't exactly kosher.
So, I guess the Jews
who come to America
will have to eat veggie burgers.
That's burgers made
out of vegetables.
You have such a vivid
imagination.
Please, can we listen more?
Tell us another story, please.
More...
Once upon a time,
there was a girl named Dorothy.
She lived with her
dog Toto in Kansas.
That's in America.
"How could you frighten
everybody like that?", she said.
You know what the Lion said?
He just burst into tears.
He cried like a baby.
"Well, you're not brave.
Not brave at all",
said Dorothy.
"You're nothing
but a coward."
"That's right", said the Lion.
"Nothing but a coward".
"I'm melting, I'm melting",
cried the Wicked Witch.
And she dissolved
into a puddle.
"You've killed her", they said.
"I didn't mean to",
said Dorothy.
Then Dorothy said,
"There's no place like home.
There's no place like home."
Was it real?
I used to think
it was just a dream.
But now I'm not so sure.
What's wrong?
I'm scared.
Of what?
The Wicked Witch
of the West.
It's just a story, okay?
It's only a story.
Let's go to bed.
Ariel, they're taking
us to the gas!
Ariel, tell them!
Tell them!
Tell them!
Don't forget us!
Remember us!
What have you been doing?
Everything.
Nothing.
Praying.
Will you teach me
how to pray?
Will you?
I'm no longer confident
that I know how to...
pray properly.
But I will tell you
what I do.
I cry, I scream.
I speak so quietly
that only God can hear me.
I have a little gift for you.
Hide it.
Our picture from Mendel.
Where did you find this?
Ariel gave it to me.
Oh...
It's beautiful.
You keep it.
No.Yeah.
No.Yes.
It's for you.
Maybe sometime in the future
you'll make a copy for me.
I will do that.
Ariel is planning an escape.
What?
Yeah.
Yeah, him and some of
the other men.
Yeah, they bribed
the guard Hans.
Oh, my God!
What?
I know this.
I know it.
My Uncle Abe.
He tried to tell me
at the Seder.
Hannah...
No, what did he say?
No...
Hannah? Hannah? Don't.What is it?
No, I can't!
I have to remember.
What did he say to me?
What was it?
I have to remember.
What was it?
Rabbi!
Ariel's escape...
The guard he's bribing,
it's a trap.
You have to warn him.
I will try,
if he will listen to me.
He said that he could not
go on living like this.
I will try.
Go to sleep.
I can't.
I keep thinking
of my Aunt Eva.
Who is this?
She lived through this.
All this.
I should've tried
to see her more.
I should've, I should've,
I should've...
Hannah, calm down,
calm down.
Do you know what a stupid girl
I used to be?
I almost got one
of these put on!
Can you believe that?Shh!
I wanted to get tattooed.Shh, don't talk foolishness,
shh!
It is foolishness,
isn't it?
My whole life has
been foolishness.
I'm being punished.
That's it.
God is punishing me.
I forbid you to say that.
Is God punishing me?
Is He punishing
the children? No.
I won't believe that.
Then why? Why?Ask them... why?
Ask the Nazis, not me.
Don't ask me.
I stole these scarves
for you and Rivkah.
Join us.
You're not going through
with it, are you?
Don't!
You won't get away with it.
It's a trap!
You're famous for your
imagination, Hannah.
But I know.
You have to believe me.
Even if what you say is true,
I would still go
through with it.
At least we'll die like
human beings.
There is so much I want to say
to you that my voice is choked.
You don't have to talk.
Look at me and I can hear
everything you cannot say.
Permit me to be frivolous.
What will our first
meal be together
when I come home
from my studies?
It will be simple.
A kanadlesoup, a plain piece
of meat with horseradish.
And for dessert I will
think of something very sweet.
Move! Move!
No talking!
Shh!
The head is in
the wrong position!
We need to try
and turn the baby around.
Hannah, you hold her leg!
You want me?Yes!
Nathan! I want Nathan!
Bring me Nathan!
You know it is not possible.
Shh!
Hannah, hold her legs tightly!
I'm trying!
I'm trying!
Don't try, do it!
You're not
little girl anymore!
Oh, my God...
You have a daughter.
Daughter...
My daughter!
If only Nathan could
know he has a daughter.
Shh...
Oh, no, no!
They're beating them.
All of them, no!
I told them.
I told them not to.
I told them
and they didn't believe me.
These men,
these pieces of,
in your Jew language, drek...
tried to escape last night!
Escape!
And where would
they have gone to?
To the minefields?
To the woods,
to starve?
To the town where no decent
Pole would give them shelter?
This camp is in
the middle of nowhere!
Remember that!
You are in the
middle of nowhere!
I see I have been
too easy on you.
I have made you
into my pets, yeah.
That is what they
call you, you know?
My dirty little pets!
I have been too kind.
And this is how you reward
my generosity!
No...
Silence!
Ohh...
No...
Amen.
Get him out!
Guards, get this man!
I cannot bear it!
Amen.
Hannah...
I can't believe
he's dead.
I can't believe it.
Come back to bed.
You'll make yourself sick.
Here... come close.
We will keep you warm.
I don't want to live
like this anymore.
It's too painful.
I wish I was--Shh!
Don't.
Don't say that.
Hanna...
What you've been doing...
has been so wonderful for us.
What have I been doing?
Your stories.
They've been keeping us alive.
Me alive.
But most of all the children.
How?
They give us hope.
They help us think
about the future.
But you don't believe
my stories about New Rochelle
and my relatives are true.
They are true up here...
And that is
all that counts.
They're coming!
I see them.
Hide the baby.
On your feet!
Schnell! Schnell!
I'm surprised at you ladies.
Surprised and I must
say disappointed.
Did you really think
that you could keep this
a secret from me?
Where have you hidden it?
Am I getting warmer?
You know very well
we don't allow babies
for a very simple reason.
They cannot work.
Please, Herr Commandant.
I beg you with all my heart.
You know the rules.
Then I will go too.Ah, this is useless.
If you do not let me go with
my child, I will kill you.
I swear I will kill you!
And neither God nor the Devil
will stop me.
If that is your wish...
I never say "no"
to a lady.
Corporal.
No... no.
You cannot be that
inhuman, you cannot!
The baby is not yours to take.
The mother is not yours to take.
You are a dog
and you will burn in Hell!
I'm sure I will.
That's no doubt about it.
But I warn you, woman,
to mind your tongue
or I'll have it
ripped out of your mouth.
You think you frighten me?
You think you can take
anymore from me
than you have already taken?
Corporal, since both
these ladies
have offered
to accompany the baby,
please be so kind as to
accompany them.
Where are you taking them?!
Mama! Mama!
You must remember!
All of you!
Tell them!
You must tell them!
Mama!
Mama, don't leave me!
Please, please...
Please don't leave me...
Mama!
Move!
Ahh!
Rabbi!
It's Passover soon,
isn't it?
Yes soon, yes soon.
I want to have a Seder.
Hannah, you're a fine girl,
but that would be
impossible here.
Just tell me what to do.
I want to do it for Rivkah.
Ever since they took Mina away,
she's always depressed.
Please...
and also for me.
We'll hide the flour here.
Where did you get it?
The guard Becker.
I gave him Leah's
wedding stockings.
The right way is to shoot them
at the base of the neck.
It's much less messy.
Here, let me show you.
Right here.
That's where you shoot.
Here, go on.
There?Lower.
There?Lower.
Here!Good.
Shall I shoot her?
Why not?
Please, don't, sir.
She's a good worker.
We need good workers.
It would be wasteful
to shoot her.
You don't want
your friend to die?
You see?
They'll do anything
to delay the inevitable.
Isn't that true, Jewess?
Yes.
You saved my life.
You would do the same for me.
I don't want to die.
None of us do.
We won't let it happen.
We must remember who
we are and what we saw.
We must fight to stay alive
so we can tell everyone
what we've been through.
The matzohs are beautiful.
I can't believe
we made them.
Here, go put them
on the table.
Are you all right?Yes.
Yes.
You should lie down.I will.
First, I have to
tell you a secret.
Can I tell you a secret?Always.
I'm going to use
one of the names you
told me in your stories.
When all this
is over,
I call myself "Iva."
Eva?Yes.
You will be my Eva!
Yeah, I will be Eva
if I survive.
Oh, but you will survive.
You will,
I promise you.
I'm tired.
We praise You eternal our God,
ruler of the Universe,
who makes us holy
by His mitzvah.
And command us to light
the sacred candles.
I'm confused as
to what happens next.
The wine.
But we don't have any wine.
Then we must eat
the matzohs next.
Do you know?Yes.
I'll say the prayer.
Blessed are Thou,
eternal our God,
ruler of the Universe,
who made us holy
with His commandments
and command us with
the eating of matzoh.
Blessed are Thou
eternal our God,
ruler of the Universe,
who made us holy
with His commandments,
and commands us to the eating
of the bitter herbs.
Since we don't have
anything for dinner,
we must pretend we have
already eaten.
And then we will
open the door for Elijah.
Hannah should open
the door to Elijah.
Why?
Why do you choose me?
I don't know.
Your name came first
to my mind.
Go, Hannah.
Open the door.
Go.
I love you.
I will never forget you.
Can I go with you?
With me?
To open the door
for Elijah.
Yes...
Yes, we will go together.
What are you two up to?
I was feeling sick,
so we came out
for fresh air.
We will go back.
How old are you?
I'm, I'm, I'm...
Eight, nine?
She's eleven soon.
Then we'll see if she
can work with the women.
Your name?
Sarah Taitz.
Get back inside!
Are you satisfied with
the projected estimates?
Arrivals will be 140 men,
92 women
and 31 below the age of ten.
And terminated
from the last batch?
Well!
Aren't you pleased
with how I'm proceeding?
I'm not pleased.
If you do not keep
the pace with the numbers,
you and you alone will
pay the consequences.
That one!
What is she doing?
She's disturbed!
I've requested--
Oh, shut up!
Take her away!
Jawohl,Herr Commandant.
That one, and that one,
and that one.
Immediately!
Shh!
That one!
Quiet!
Shh!
That one!
She is sick.
Get rid of her.
She's not,
Herr Commandant.
She's not, she's just a little
tired, that's all it is.
Get back to work!
Take off you scarf.
Give it to me.
This is no time to argue,
give it to me.
You are to stay here
and say nothing
and do nothing.
No.
...child can't work!
Get rid of her.
Rivkah, listen to me.
This is the future.
This is what is meant to be.
I will survive too,
I promise you.
No, no!She is eight, old woman!
Don't take her.Take them away!
He knows it's me.
He won't know.
They all think
we look the same.
The one with
the rag on her head.
She is sick.
We will be together again.
I promise you.
It's not my imagination.
Can you not see
she is sick?
I love you.
Come on, let's go!
Not a word or I end your
miserable life right here.
Undress!
Take off your clothes!
Now!
Go forward!
Come on.
Oh, my God.
Oh, oh...
Hold me tight!
Ah, thank God,
she's moving!
Didn't I say
it wasn't serious?
Am I home?
You drank too
much wine, honey.
Am I home?
No, sweetie.
We're at Aunt Eva's.
Eva? Where is Aunt Eva?!
Here, darling,
here I am.
We were so worried.
You don't know how
glad I am to see you.
My Rivkah.
Please, could you
excuse us one moment?
Just one moment, please.
What name did you call me?
Rivkah, your name.
How do you know?
This is you, isn't it?
And this is Hannah,
the girl I was named after.
Yes.
She was my cousin.
You once offered
to give me this picture.
Did I?
I have no recollection.
But if I offered, I will make
a copy and you will have it.
She's dead, isn't she?
Yes, she's dead.
When we were...In the camp.
Yes, she--Saved your life.
And went...
Instead of me.
To the gas.
How do you know this? How?
Maybe it's from
my imagination.
Maybe it's from
a dream I had.
I don't know.
But what I still
don't understand
is how so many people
could be punished,
men, women and babies
who didn't even have
a chance to think
a bad thought.
Once I would have said
you have to ask the Nazis.
But now I know better.
And I say you
have to ask God.
There is no one else.
Do you know how
to talk to God, Hannah?
So quietly that
only God can hear me.
Oh, yes.
And I will always
remember what happened.
Always.
Yes, remember always.
Then along came the shochet
and killed the ox
That drank the water
that put out the fire
That burned the stick
that beat the dog
That bit the cat
that ate the little kid
That Daddy bought
for two susim
Chad gadya
Chad gadya
Then the angel of death
that killed the shochet
That killed the ox
that drank the water
That put out the fire
that burned the stick
That beat the dog
that bit the cat
That ate the little kid that
Daddy bought for two susim
Chad gadya
Chad gadya
The Holy One blessed be He
who killed the angel of death
That killed the shochet
that killed the ox
That drank the water
that put out the fire
That burned the stick
that beat the dog
That bit the cat
that ate the little kid
That Daddy bought
for two susim
Chad gadya
Chad gadya
We're so glad
you're here...
That was great, I never got
through the whole thing before.
You didn't get through it
this time either.
Looks better than it feels.
You okay?
Yeah.
You sure?
No pain, no gain.
So, what's happening
Friday night?
Melissa's having a party.
Mmm, forget it, her parents hang
out in the kitchen all night.
Ani DiFranco's at the Beacon.
We'll never get in.
What about Johnny Depp's
new movie?
Uh... I don't know.
Hey, check out the guys
at the window.
Oh, they look like
losers to me.
So, what tattoo
are you getting?
I can't decide.
Does it hurt a lot?
I've felt worse.
Decide already, Hannah.
I'm stuck between
a butterfly tattoo
or angel wings on my ankle.
Go for the butterfly.
It'll match your
Dracula lipstick.
Good point.
Maybe I should get
a tattoo on both ankles.
How much would it cost?
Could be a couple
of hundred bucks.
Oh, I'm late, forget it.
I have to go.
Go? Where do you have to go?
My aunt Eva's.
For Passover.
Passover?
Yeah, that's the cracker thing.
I'll call you guys
later about tonight.
The Jewish persuasion begin
their Passover holiday
this evening.
They are not allowed
to eat bread,
but only what they call matzo.
I'm getting ready!
You're supposed
to be home at 4:00!
You have ten minutes, Hannah!
That's ten, not 15!
I had your blue
dress dry cleaned!
It's in the closet.
Did I hear you say
thank you to your mother?
Oh, do I have to go?
I'm not going
through this again.
Get dressed.
Why do I have to go?
It's a waste of time.
Some things you have to do
because you have to do them.
Come on, Mom.
We're going because
it's important.
Why is it important?
It's important because
I say it's important.
That's shrewd, Mom,
that's really shrewd.
Red light shine in my face
No disgrace to blush
and stop short
My heart
Intersection
of State and Main
Two strong roads
keeps me apart
What's between this
Analogy chronology if you were
the sea in my memories
Ready at any time
What's in a face
Are your seconds
faster than mine?
Ready at any time
Words between us...
Oh, Lenore!
Oh, Aunt Ethel,
it's so good to see you.
I'm so glad you came.Hello, Aunt Ethel.
Burton, my favorite nephew, oh.
You look wonderful.
Thank you, hi.
Hannah, come, I'll give
you a good hug, oh.
You look lovely.
So, do you recognize me?
I'm such a stranger?
It's so good
to see you.
Mmm.
Every time I see you,
you look more like her.
And every time I see you,
you say the same thing.
Well, the shape of your mouth,
the color of your eyes...
You're blessed with
her beauty.
And her name.
If her name lives on in you,
nothing can give me
greater pleasure.
Why don't you tell
me more about her?
Shh, shh, shh...
You wouldn't understand.
Understand what?
What it was like
in the camps.
What we lived through,
if we lived.
What it was to be a Jew.
This experience is so far
from your world,
I am afraid,
though I still want to
tell you what's happened,
it will mean nothing to you.
And that would
hurt me very much.
You see?Mm-hmm.
Good, now come.
You don't remember
Sandra Kugleman?
Sure, I remember
Sandra Kugleman.
We were in school together from
kindergarten to sixth grade.
Mm-hmm.
Do you remember
Sydney Hollander?
Oh!
I had such a crush
on Sydney Hollander.
Don't I know it.
Oh, my God, I used
to write him love letters.
No.
I swear to God.
And I've never told
anybody this.
It's embarrassing for me.
When he found out
it was me...
...Balanced mutual funds,
something like that.
Give me a call next week
and I'll set it up for you.
Did I ever tell you, Hannah,
about life in Yanuf
before the war?
Lots of times, Uncle Morris.
It's an interesting story.
Not as interesting as the story
I can tell you.
In the camp,
there was some young Jews,
Yeshiva buchasand they...
That's students.
She doesn't know
from "buchas".
All right, don't make
a federal case out of it.
Students, Yeshiva students.
And they tried to make
an escape.
But the Nazi pigs,
they set up a trap,
and they were caught.
That's because they knew
before that they were--
I think they're starting
the Seder now, Uncle Abe.
You can tell me the rest
of the story later.
It was in the book.
The arithmetic,
the numbers.
You add, you subtract...
And there are
no more Jews.
Come, children!
Morris, Abe!
Baruch Atah Adonai
Eloheinu melekh ha'olam asher
kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel yom tov.
We praise You eternal our God,
ruler of the Universe,
who makes us holy
by thy mitzvah,
and commands us to light
the festival lights.
Amen.
Amen.Amen.
Blessed are Thou eternal
our God, ruler of the Universe,
who creates
the fruit of the vine.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
"Why is this night different
from all other nights?"
"In all other nights we eat
either leavened bread or
unleavened bread."
"On all other nights,
we eat herbs of any kind.
On this night, why only
bitter herbs?"
We were slaves... of pharaoh.
And the eternal
our God brought us out.
Now, if God had
not brought us out,
our children and
our children's children
would still
be enslaved in Egypt.
"Therefore, even were we all
wise, all men of understanding,
"and even if we were all old
and well learned in the Torah,
"it would be still our
duty to tell the story
of the departure from Egypt".
Hannah, it's your turn
to read.
Come on.
"It is told that Rabbi Eliezer,
Rabbi Joshua, Rabbi Elazar,
"the son of Azariah,
Rabbi Akiba and Rabbi Tarfon,
"sat all night in Bene-Berak
telling the story
of the exodus from Egypt."
Hey, you're drinking too much.
Mom, give me a break.
I'm trying to be religious.
I'm starting to
like this holiday.
Are you all right?
I'm loaded.
The way you speak.
I'll never get over it.
The cup of Elijah,
the prophet,
who visits each Jewish family
and drinks a drop of wine.
Who will open the door
and let Elijah in?
I want to, I want to!
But Grandpa,
Jeremy did it last year.
Hannah will open the door.
Aunt Eva...
Please, do it for me.
Come.
What's going on here?
Are you feeling
all right, child?
Does anything hurt you?
Will someone please tell me
what's going on here.
What is this place?
Where did you
people come from?
Don't you remember?
Remember what?
You've been very sick, Hannah.
This is your
first day out of bed.
You've got to be kidding me.
I haven't been sick.
I never get sick.
Where is everybody?
Where are my parents?
Sit down, child.
We will tell you.
I'm sorry, Hannah.
This has been a tragedy
for all of us.
But most of all for you.
The fever took
your parents away.
It's a miracle that
you're still with us.
Will you repeat
what you just said?
No... no, you don't have to.
You should know my parents
are still alive,
and I want to go
back to New Rochelle.
New?
What is that?
New Rochelle,
I'm from New Rochelle!
Hannah, you're from Lublin.
You've been very ill.
It's the fever.
Let's begin at
the beginning.
I'm your cousin Rivkah.
And this is my mother,
your Aunt Mina.
And I am Hannah Stern, right?
Yes.
And you're from Lublin, Poland.
Where you lived with you
parents, of blessed memory.
Is it a bad dream?
Am I having a bad dream?
Hannah, you're still weak.
Calm down.
It must be the wine.
I drank too much
at the Seder.
Here, come rest.
You'll feel better.
You do look familiar to me.
I should think so.
We are cousins, sit.
Here, lie down.
Listen...
Something is wrong.
I'm not crazy, Rivkah,
and I'm not dreaming.
Please, believe me.
Ahh...
Hannah, you almost left us.
You've had a burning fever
for nearly two weeks.
You're just
recovering now and...
I think that we should
feel grateful for that.
Now try and rest.
You do this for me?
I was listening for
when you would wake up.
You're so quiet
that I was afraid...
I don't know what to do.
Let me help you get ready.
For what?
For the wedding.
I'm getting married?
No, silly.
Leah is marrying Shmuel,
the Yeshiva student.
And I have picked out
the prettiest dress
for you to wear to the wedding.
Yeah?
Ohh...
No, thank you.
I'll wear my own dress.
Your taste is too
virginal for me.
Of course.
What else should it be?
I... suppose you're used to
big stores
and fancy clothes.
Malls, actually.
Yeah?
This isn't a dream, is it?
No, Hannah.
This is real.
I'm afraid I'm gonna have
to believe it's a dream
or I'll loose my mind.
After all you've been through,
you don't have
to apologize to me.
This is your home now.
And I don't think
that we should
ever hide anything
from each other.
All right?
You look lovely.
Weird.
The way you speak.
I'll never get over it.
Come.
We don't want to be late.
Mama?
I want to take
Hannah to Mendel's.
No, it's out of the question.
Mama, please, I promise
I won't ask for anything
for the whole month.
It's too much money.Please?
Please, please, my dear
sweet mother, please?
You see how she gets her way?
Thank you!
Come.
There's so much
I want to show you.
Rivkah, I'll see
you at the wedding!
Enjoy yourself, Hannah!
So, I'm in
another country?
Oh, I wish I could do something
that would make you feel better.
Come, we'll have fun.
Soon, we'll enter the world
famous village of Yanuf.
My Uncle Abe was always
trying to tell me about Yanuf.
But I never listened to him.
How are you?Hello, Yossel!
Well, it's not an
exciting city but...
It is where we live,
and we're very happy here.
Come.
He's very nervous.
So, no criticisms!
And above everything else,
be compassionate.
It'll be a mitzvah for you.
How long does it take
for a man to get dressed?
He's been there for--Shh! He's coming!
Shmuel.
All I can say,
from the bottom of my heart
is that you look
absolutely gorgeous.
You're not joking
with me, Isaac?
Joking? On this occasion
of such solemnity?
Never.
Please, take my arm...
And we will proceed to the house
of the luckiest woman in town,
your future wife.
Bread! Fresh bread!
Someone is looking this way.
Yes, I see him.
It's Ariel, the rabbi's son.
They say he will be
a very great man.
Hold your chin up... up.
Your camera is so gigantic.
It's the latest.
Consider it quite portable.
My father has a Nikon.
Now, be still.
Very still.
Serious.
And one, two and...
After the wedding, we'll get
the picture from Mendel.
Rivkah!
An, Esther! Miriam!
So this is Hannah
from Lublin?
Yes, my cousin.
And my best friend.
Hannah, I want you to meet
Esther and Miriam.
You see, we have all
been waiting to meet you.
Have you ever seen
a moving picture?
Movies? Sure, just about
every week.
Shh! Every week?
What's going on?
The Bedeken.Let's go!
Ariel, I, I must
tell you that...
I am extremely anxious,
and I feel nauseous.
You're not doing too badly.
If I were in your shoes,
I'd probably be in
the hospital by now.
But what's strange
is that, uh...
in spite of my anxiety
and everything, I am...
I am happier now than I have
ever been in my whole life.
Right before the ceremony,
is Bedeken.
It's the unveiling
of the bride.
Nathan is in Lvov
on business.
So, forgive him
for not being here.
Mazel Tov,Leah.
When do you expect the baby?
Around Hanukkah.
How wonderful,
a Hanukkah baby.
Make sure you don't
dance too much.
I wont.
But I will kiss you
for good luck.
What's happening now?
It's a tradition.
To remind us what
happened to Jacob.
What happened to him?
You really have been ill.
The bride was veiled.
So Jacob thought that
he was marrying Rachel.
But he was really
marrying her sister.
Oh.
Mazel Tov! Mazel Tov!
What's this all about?
The chupah.
The ceremony takes place
under the chupah.
This is a sacred space
that symbolizes the home
that Leah and Shmuel will build.
Mama.
Leah will circle Shmuel
seven times.
And this binds them together
as a couple.
Each circle,
it represents the seven days
that the world was created.
Blessed are You Lord our God,
King of the Universe
who has sanctified us
with his commandments.
And command us concerning
elicit marriages.
Forbidden to us the betrothed,
and permitted to us those
who are married
to us through the rite
of chupahand Kiddushin.
On this 26th of October,
in the year 5703,
of the creation of the world
in Yanuf, Poland,
the groom, Shmuel Lvovitch
will take the virgin,
Leah Shiskol,
daughter of Rochel Shiskol
and Mordecai Shiskol
to be his wife,
according to the customs
of Moses and Israel.
You will to respect,
feed and take care of her
according to the
rights of Israel.
We'd like to invite
Ariel and Isaac
to act as witnesses
to this ceremony.
Please join us at the chupah.
By this ring, you are
consecrated to me
by the traditions
of Moses and of Israel.
Blessed are You Lord our God,
king of the Universe
who has created all
things for His glory.
May the barren one
rejoice and be happy
at the ingathering of her
children to her midst.
Blessed are You, Lord,
who gladdens Zion
with her children.
Grant abundant joy
to these friends.
Blessed are You, Lord,
who gladdens the groom
and bride.
Put it down!
Quickly! Do it!
Mazel Tov.
What year is it?5703?
5000? That's impossible.
This isn't the future.
Ah, you mean
Christian calendar?
Yes.
1941, October, 1941.
They're Nazis!
Shh...
No, no...
They will kill.
I remember this.
It's, it's six million Jews.
Don't ask me how I know,
I just do.
Everyone out!
Jews of Yanuf, you're being
relocated to the East
to work in factories
for the German war effort!
It is government policy.
All you need will
be provided for.
This way to the trucks,
ladies and gentlemen!
We cannot just go.
Plans need to be made,
clothing to be packed.
Food to be provided for the--
You will want for nothing!
We want nothing,
except to be left alone.
In this matter,
we are making the rules.
When you get to your new homes,
anyone who wants to work
will be treated humanely.
And you will be happy
among your own people.
Each and every Jew from these
territories is being relocated.
Let us discuss this.
Let, let us try.
My daughter!
Leave me!
Rivkah!
Rivkah! Anna!
Walk! Walk!
Jenny!
Leave me!
Wait!
Rivkah!
Stay with me.
I can't see Mama.
I can't see her!
I don't know where
they're taking her.
Mama!
The synagogue!
They're burning
our synagogue.
I know, I know.
Rivkah, which is worse?
Knowing or not knowing?
I don't know.
You are my wife.
Yes.
Nothing could change that.
We will always be together.
Always, I promise.
I love you.
Perhaps you will forgive me,
if under these circumstances,
I introduce myself to you.
I'd like that.
I'm Hannah.
Ariel Gershon.
Allow me to introduce
you to my family.
My father, Nochim, the Rabbi.
My mother, Channa.
That is your name also.
Channa?Yes.
I'm surprised you
do not know this.
This is my little brother Dovid.
And my two sisters,
Sylvia and Jenny.
This is my cousin Rivkah,
and my Aunt Mina.
I would also introduce you to
my friends Shmuel and Leah.
But they seem very busy.
It's so cold.
Here, I hold you.
How will we take care
of our children?
Mama, I'm so afraid.
Mama?
I must make myself
look smaller.
Mendel? Would you be kind
and let me have your belt?
What will keep my pants up?
I'll freeze till death.
Excuse me.
Don't tell Esther.
She gave it to me for
a birthday present.
I must keep my baby
alive for Nathan.
I'm just so cold, cold...
Here, this will keep you warm.
And soon, we will be in a place
where we will be sweating,
because it will have a fireplace
that will be burning.
It will be so hot that we
will have to stand outside
our new house.
Let's go!
Come on!
Move!
Move! Move! Move!
Oh, my God!
I want all men,
and all male children
over ten years of age,
to go to my left!
And I want the rest,
to go to my right.
Do it!
Do it now!
Leah!
Leah!Shmuel!
Silence!
Jews...
if you do what you are told,
you will not be harmed.
All we ask is
for your cooperation.
My men will move among you
and relieve you of your
valuables for safekeeping.
Leah!
Come on!
Commandant! Commandant!
Commandant!
Permission to speak with you!
Silence!
And you are?
Rabbi Nochin Gershon,
from the village of Yanuf.
May I speak with you
privately, please?
Privately? Why, privately?
We are among friends.
I give you my personal guarantee
that everything of value
that we have will be given
to your guards.
There is no need
for this violence.
No need?
Ach, why didn't I think of that?
That is an excellent suggestion,
Rabbi.
Guards! Step away!
And let the Jews fill
the wheelbarrows themselves.
And if anything of value
is withheld from us,
then the Rabbi and myself will
have a private conversation.
Take you dress off!
Drop your clothes at the wall!
What is this?
Take it off!
Let me help you.Don't bother with her!
Faster!
Go on, now, I said!
Esther...
You out!
Leah Lubesch.
Outside!
Quickly! Schnell!
Out!
Out!
Out!
Macht schnell!
Out!
Out!
Go! All of you!
Please...
Out with you!
Come on! Move!
Come on, come on!
Get your clothes off.
Let's go, one, two, three.
Get dressed!
Macht schnell!
Move! Move!
Go! Sit down!
Go! You cannot
be fancy now, Jews!
You are not here on vacation!
Put it on!Put those rags on!
You, get in now!
Hurry up!
Move!Ohh...
Keep moving!
Come on!
Move!
Faster!
Over there!
Give it to me.
Ja, ja,
we had four truckloads today.
Do you have the figures
for the new arrivals?
80 men, 70 women and
13 below the age of ten.
How many have we terminated
since the last arrivals?
Aren't you pleased with
how I am proceeding?
Why did you allow
the Rabbi to embarrass you?
Ah, the Rabbi, yeah.
I have a special plan for him
which I think
you'll approve of.
Is there anything else?
HeilHitler.
This is the Commandant's office.
Oh, no.
Yetta.
Where do we sleep?
Wherever it pleases you.
Except, of course,
where I sleep.
It would be indecent for us
to sleep in top of each other.
Are we going to have dinner?
Bedtime!
All of you to bed!
Or they will come
in with their dogs.
To bed!
There is space here
for your friends.
Where is your mother?
Here, you come rest with us.
If you want food,
get in line!
Hungry Jews
are dead Jews!
Dead Jews do not work!
Grab your bowl.
You will not get another.
Grab your bowl.
You will not get another.
She says she won't eat.
Sarah, you must eat, okay?
You don't want to
get sick, do you?
Okay, we're looking for your
mommy and daddy
and we'll find them soon,
but you must eat, okay?
Do this for Rivkah and me.
Here.
Eat some bread.
You, over there,
back to work!
I'm Hannah Stern
from New Rochelle.
And my mother's name is Lenore.
And my father's name
is Burton.
And I'm me, nobody else.
How are you doing?
I'm on my honeymoon.
It was a beautiful wedding!
It would be nice if
we had the wedding cake.
Work, no talking!
You're here to work
or there'll be smoke
coming out of the woods.
The belt cuts into my stomach.
I'm afraid it's
hurting the baby.
Wrap this
around you tightly.
Here, Yetta.
If they should find out...
They're not looking
for pregnant women.
But after the baby comes...
We will talk about it
when we have to
talk about it.
Here.
I stole a piece
of bread tonight.
Take it.
No, I can't.
Yetta, please.
For the baby.
The baby, yes.
I was thinking about how much
help I could be to all of us.
What do you mean?
I had a history teacher
who spent a whole semester
talking about
the Jews during the war.
You know what I was doing?
I was writing notes
to my friends.
I have no idea
what my teacher said.
The only thing I remember
is that no one paid any
attention to all of us.
You have a very
vivid imagination.
And it is causing you
much needless pain.
I wish that was true.
What were we saying when
the Nazis interrupted us?
I forget.
It was so long ago.
I was about to say
that I heard
you arrived the very same
day from Lublin.
Ohh...
I don't remember anymore.Remember what?
Where I came from.
Where I'm going.
And you want
to know something?
I don't care.
I share your confusion,
except I do care.
I would like before
I don't care anymore
to spend an afternoon
with you.
Perhaps walking through
the forests of Yanuf.
Are you asking me
for a date?
Yes.
That is what I'm asking.
Well, I accept your offer.
And only, instead of walking
in the forest,
maybe we could
go to the movies
in Times Square
in New York City.
Fantastic suggestion!
I'll look forward
to it very much.
Yeah.
Up! Up! Attention!
HerrCommandant!
I'm told the Rabbi Gershon
is concerned that typhus
is spreading among the women.
His wife and two daughters
may be in danger.
This one...
This one...
And this one.
Typhus!
Your mother
and sisters...
They were taken from their
barrack this morning.
They say they have typhus.
What is it?
Mama...
Sylvia...
Jenny...
They were taken.
They say they have typhus.
We will say Kaddish.
Hannah?
I would really love to hear
one of your stories
about the future right now.
I'm not in the mood.
Please?
All right.
In the future,
the Jews who survive...
Jews will survive?
Yes, Rivkah.
After the war,
Jews will go to America
and live normal lives.
And they will be safe there?
Of course.
What will we eat
in America?
Pizza.
Pizza?
Ohh...
It's a delicious food.
It's like thin bread with tomato
sauce and cheese melted on top.
I like mine with
mushrooms and olives.
And besides pizza,
there's cheese burgers
and French fries.
Cheese burgers
and French fries.
Well, cheeseburgers
aren't exactly kosher.
So, I guess the Jews
who come to America
will have to eat veggie burgers.
That's burgers made
out of vegetables.
You have such a vivid
imagination.
Please, can we listen more?
Tell us another story, please.
More...
Once upon a time,
there was a girl named Dorothy.
She lived with her
dog Toto in Kansas.
That's in America.
"How could you frighten
everybody like that?", she said.
You know what the Lion said?
He just burst into tears.
He cried like a baby.
"Well, you're not brave.
Not brave at all",
said Dorothy.
"You're nothing
but a coward."
"That's right", said the Lion.
"Nothing but a coward".
"I'm melting, I'm melting",
cried the Wicked Witch.
And she dissolved
into a puddle.
"You've killed her", they said.
"I didn't mean to",
said Dorothy.
Then Dorothy said,
"There's no place like home.
There's no place like home."
Was it real?
I used to think
it was just a dream.
But now I'm not so sure.
What's wrong?
I'm scared.
Of what?
The Wicked Witch
of the West.
It's just a story, okay?
It's only a story.
Let's go to bed.
Ariel, they're taking
us to the gas!
Ariel, tell them!
Tell them!
Tell them!
Don't forget us!
Remember us!
What have you been doing?
Everything.
Nothing.
Praying.
Will you teach me
how to pray?
Will you?
I'm no longer confident
that I know how to...
pray properly.
But I will tell you
what I do.
I cry, I scream.
I speak so quietly
that only God can hear me.
I have a little gift for you.
Hide it.
Our picture from Mendel.
Where did you find this?
Ariel gave it to me.
Oh...
It's beautiful.
You keep it.
No.Yeah.
No.Yes.
It's for you.
Maybe sometime in the future
you'll make a copy for me.
I will do that.
Ariel is planning an escape.
What?
Yeah.
Yeah, him and some of
the other men.
Yeah, they bribed
the guard Hans.
Oh, my God!
What?
I know this.
I know it.
My Uncle Abe.
He tried to tell me
at the Seder.
Hannah...
No, what did he say?
No...
Hannah? Hannah? Don't.What is it?
No, I can't!
I have to remember.
What did he say to me?
What was it?
I have to remember.
What was it?
Rabbi!
Ariel's escape...
The guard he's bribing,
it's a trap.
You have to warn him.
I will try,
if he will listen to me.
He said that he could not
go on living like this.
I will try.
Go to sleep.
I can't.
I keep thinking
of my Aunt Eva.
Who is this?
She lived through this.
All this.
I should've tried
to see her more.
I should've, I should've,
I should've...
Hannah, calm down,
calm down.
Do you know what a stupid girl
I used to be?
I almost got one
of these put on!
Can you believe that?Shh!
I wanted to get tattooed.Shh, don't talk foolishness,
shh!
It is foolishness,
isn't it?
My whole life has
been foolishness.
I'm being punished.
That's it.
God is punishing me.
I forbid you to say that.
Is God punishing me?
Is He punishing
the children? No.
I won't believe that.
Then why? Why?Ask them... why?
Ask the Nazis, not me.
Don't ask me.
I stole these scarves
for you and Rivkah.
Join us.
You're not going through
with it, are you?
Don't!
You won't get away with it.
It's a trap!
You're famous for your
imagination, Hannah.
But I know.
You have to believe me.
Even if what you say is true,
I would still go
through with it.
At least we'll die like
human beings.
There is so much I want to say
to you that my voice is choked.
You don't have to talk.
Look at me and I can hear
everything you cannot say.
Permit me to be frivolous.
What will our first
meal be together
when I come home
from my studies?
It will be simple.
A kanadlesoup, a plain piece
of meat with horseradish.
And for dessert I will
think of something very sweet.
Move! Move!
No talking!
Shh!
The head is in
the wrong position!
We need to try
and turn the baby around.
Hannah, you hold her leg!
You want me?Yes!
Nathan! I want Nathan!
Bring me Nathan!
You know it is not possible.
Shh!
Hannah, hold her legs tightly!
I'm trying!
I'm trying!
Don't try, do it!
You're not
little girl anymore!
Oh, my God...
You have a daughter.
Daughter...
My daughter!
If only Nathan could
know he has a daughter.
Shh...
Oh, no, no!
They're beating them.
All of them, no!
I told them.
I told them not to.
I told them
and they didn't believe me.
These men,
these pieces of,
in your Jew language, drek...
tried to escape last night!
Escape!
And where would
they have gone to?
To the minefields?
To the woods,
to starve?
To the town where no decent
Pole would give them shelter?
This camp is in
the middle of nowhere!
Remember that!
You are in the
middle of nowhere!
I see I have been
too easy on you.
I have made you
into my pets, yeah.
That is what they
call you, you know?
My dirty little pets!
I have been too kind.
And this is how you reward
my generosity!
No...
Silence!
Ohh...
No...
Amen.
Get him out!
Guards, get this man!
I cannot bear it!
Amen.
Hannah...
I can't believe
he's dead.
I can't believe it.
Come back to bed.
You'll make yourself sick.
Here... come close.
We will keep you warm.
I don't want to live
like this anymore.
It's too painful.
I wish I was--Shh!
Don't.
Don't say that.
Hanna...
What you've been doing...
has been so wonderful for us.
What have I been doing?
Your stories.
They've been keeping us alive.
Me alive.
But most of all the children.
How?
They give us hope.
They help us think
about the future.
But you don't believe
my stories about New Rochelle
and my relatives are true.
They are true up here...
And that is
all that counts.
They're coming!
I see them.
Hide the baby.
On your feet!
Schnell! Schnell!
I'm surprised at you ladies.
Surprised and I must
say disappointed.
Did you really think
that you could keep this
a secret from me?
Where have you hidden it?
Am I getting warmer?
You know very well
we don't allow babies
for a very simple reason.
They cannot work.
Please, Herr Commandant.
I beg you with all my heart.
You know the rules.
Then I will go too.Ah, this is useless.
If you do not let me go with
my child, I will kill you.
I swear I will kill you!
And neither God nor the Devil
will stop me.
If that is your wish...
I never say "no"
to a lady.
Corporal.
No... no.
You cannot be that
inhuman, you cannot!
The baby is not yours to take.
The mother is not yours to take.
You are a dog
and you will burn in Hell!
I'm sure I will.
That's no doubt about it.
But I warn you, woman,
to mind your tongue
or I'll have it
ripped out of your mouth.
You think you frighten me?
You think you can take
anymore from me
than you have already taken?
Corporal, since both
these ladies
have offered
to accompany the baby,
please be so kind as to
accompany them.
Where are you taking them?!
Mama! Mama!
You must remember!
All of you!
Tell them!
You must tell them!
Mama!
Mama, don't leave me!
Please, please...
Please don't leave me...
Mama!
Move!
Ahh!
Rabbi!
It's Passover soon,
isn't it?
Yes soon, yes soon.
I want to have a Seder.
Hannah, you're a fine girl,
but that would be
impossible here.
Just tell me what to do.
I want to do it for Rivkah.
Ever since they took Mina away,
she's always depressed.
Please...
and also for me.
We'll hide the flour here.
Where did you get it?
The guard Becker.
I gave him Leah's
wedding stockings.
The right way is to shoot them
at the base of the neck.
It's much less messy.
Here, let me show you.
Right here.
That's where you shoot.
Here, go on.
There?Lower.
There?Lower.
Here!Good.
Shall I shoot her?
Why not?
Please, don't, sir.
She's a good worker.
We need good workers.
It would be wasteful
to shoot her.
You don't want
your friend to die?
You see?
They'll do anything
to delay the inevitable.
Isn't that true, Jewess?
Yes.
You saved my life.
You would do the same for me.
I don't want to die.
None of us do.
We won't let it happen.
We must remember who
we are and what we saw.
We must fight to stay alive
so we can tell everyone
what we've been through.
The matzohs are beautiful.
I can't believe
we made them.
Here, go put them
on the table.
Are you all right?Yes.
Yes.
You should lie down.I will.
First, I have to
tell you a secret.
Can I tell you a secret?Always.
I'm going to use
one of the names you
told me in your stories.
When all this
is over,
I call myself "Iva."
Eva?Yes.
You will be my Eva!
Yeah, I will be Eva
if I survive.
Oh, but you will survive.
You will,
I promise you.
I'm tired.
We praise You eternal our God,
ruler of the Universe,
who makes us holy
by His mitzvah.
And command us to light
the sacred candles.
I'm confused as
to what happens next.
The wine.
But we don't have any wine.
Then we must eat
the matzohs next.
Do you know?Yes.
I'll say the prayer.
Blessed are Thou,
eternal our God,
ruler of the Universe,
who made us holy
with His commandments
and command us with
the eating of matzoh.
Blessed are Thou
eternal our God,
ruler of the Universe,
who made us holy
with His commandments,
and commands us to the eating
of the bitter herbs.
Since we don't have
anything for dinner,
we must pretend we have
already eaten.
And then we will
open the door for Elijah.
Hannah should open
the door to Elijah.
Why?
Why do you choose me?
I don't know.
Your name came first
to my mind.
Go, Hannah.
Open the door.
Go.
I love you.
I will never forget you.
Can I go with you?
With me?
To open the door
for Elijah.
Yes...
Yes, we will go together.
What are you two up to?
I was feeling sick,
so we came out
for fresh air.
We will go back.
How old are you?
I'm, I'm, I'm...
Eight, nine?
She's eleven soon.
Then we'll see if she
can work with the women.
Your name?
Sarah Taitz.
Get back inside!
Are you satisfied with
the projected estimates?
Arrivals will be 140 men,
92 women
and 31 below the age of ten.
And terminated
from the last batch?
Well!
Aren't you pleased
with how I'm proceeding?
I'm not pleased.
If you do not keep
the pace with the numbers,
you and you alone will
pay the consequences.
That one!
What is she doing?
She's disturbed!
I've requested--
Oh, shut up!
Take her away!
Jawohl,Herr Commandant.
That one, and that one,
and that one.
Immediately!
Shh!
That one!
Quiet!
Shh!
That one!
She is sick.
Get rid of her.
She's not,
Herr Commandant.
She's not, she's just a little
tired, that's all it is.
Get back to work!
Take off you scarf.
Give it to me.
This is no time to argue,
give it to me.
You are to stay here
and say nothing
and do nothing.
No.
...child can't work!
Get rid of her.
Rivkah, listen to me.
This is the future.
This is what is meant to be.
I will survive too,
I promise you.
No, no!She is eight, old woman!
Don't take her.Take them away!
He knows it's me.
He won't know.
They all think
we look the same.
The one with
the rag on her head.
She is sick.
We will be together again.
I promise you.
It's not my imagination.
Can you not see
she is sick?
I love you.
Come on, let's go!
Not a word or I end your
miserable life right here.
Undress!
Take off your clothes!
Now!
Go forward!
Come on.
Oh, my God.
Oh, oh...
Hold me tight!
Ah, thank God,
she's moving!
Didn't I say
it wasn't serious?
Am I home?
You drank too
much wine, honey.
Am I home?
No, sweetie.
We're at Aunt Eva's.
Eva? Where is Aunt Eva?!
Here, darling,
here I am.
We were so worried.
You don't know how
glad I am to see you.
My Rivkah.
Please, could you
excuse us one moment?
Just one moment, please.
What name did you call me?
Rivkah, your name.
How do you know?
This is you, isn't it?
And this is Hannah,
the girl I was named after.
Yes.
She was my cousin.
You once offered
to give me this picture.
Did I?
I have no recollection.
But if I offered, I will make
a copy and you will have it.
She's dead, isn't she?
Yes, she's dead.
When we were...In the camp.
Yes, she--Saved your life.
And went...
Instead of me.
To the gas.
How do you know this? How?
Maybe it's from
my imagination.
Maybe it's from
a dream I had.
I don't know.
But what I still
don't understand
is how so many people
could be punished,
men, women and babies
who didn't even have
a chance to think
a bad thought.
Once I would have said
you have to ask the Nazis.
But now I know better.
And I say you
have to ask God.
There is no one else.
Do you know how
to talk to God, Hannah?
So quietly that
only God can hear me.
Oh, yes.
And I will always
remember what happened.
Always.
Yes, remember always.
Then along came the shochet
and killed the ox
That drank the water
that put out the fire
That burned the stick
that beat the dog
That bit the cat
that ate the little kid
That Daddy bought
for two susim
Chad gadya
Chad gadya
Then the angel of death
that killed the shochet
That killed the ox
that drank the water
That put out the fire
that burned the stick
That beat the dog
that bit the cat
That ate the little kid that
Daddy bought for two susim
Chad gadya
Chad gadya
The Holy One blessed be He
who killed the angel of death
That killed the shochet
that killed the ox
That drank the water
that put out the fire
That burned the stick
that beat the dog
That bit the cat
that ate the little kid
That Daddy bought
for two susim
Chad gadya
Chad gadya
We're so glad
you're here...
That was great, I never got
through the whole thing before.
You didn't get through it
this time either.