The Soundman (2025) Movie Script
But what would happen if all
these neutral nations I have mentioned,
and some others I have not mentioned,
were with one spontaneous impulse
to do their duty,
and were to stand together
with the British and French empires,
against aggression and wrong?
At present, their plight is lamentable,
and it will become much worse.
Each one hopes
that if he feeds the crocodile enough,
the crocodile will eat him last.
All of them hope
that the storm will pass
before their turn comes to be devoured.
But I fear...
I fear greatly
that storm will not pass.
It will rage and it will roar,
ever more loudly, ever more widely.
It will spread to the south,
it will spread to the north...
- How many?
- Seven.
- All last night?
- Yes.
None with ID papers?
No.
No doubt about it,
send them back.
Your parents know you're not allowed
to cross the border without papers.
Returning...
Get in.
Back to Germany, come on.
Back to Germany.
Come on, hurry up.
Quickly. Faster.
Tomorrow, May 6th,
the sun won't be shining in Antwerp.
But no rain is expected.
Temperatures will reach 16C,
time to plant those flower bulbs.
There's also
happy news from the zoo!
A cub has been born
in the lion enclosure!
When are you leaving?
We're not.
We're staying.
My father's changed his mind.
We're up again.
One o'clock. Finor time.
Thank you.
I'll be back after 1 o'clock
with news from the Almanac.
Until then.
Oh Finor, oh Finor,
A bar every day
Oh Finor, oh Finor,
A bite, oh yes, please
Chocolate full of flavour
Early in the morning
And on, throughout the day
Finor chocolate
A bite, full of happiness.
Five francs an hour.
I was here four hours, that's 20 francs.
A box of Finor is worth
more than 20 francs.
Chocolate to buy
my ticket to Brussels?
Why was it again
your father moved to Brussels?
Five francs.
The door!
"I consider myself fortunate
that in my misfortune,
"I have a noble and honourable
knight as my guide.
"But what if, on my journey,
I were escorted by common soldiers?"
Well, if it isn't our Berre!
- Aunt Gabby.
- My lad!
You smell of Limburg.
Am I wrong?
How was the journey?
How's my sister doing? Well?
Come in.
Uncle Andr is still at work.
- Hello.
- Hello.
Payment in kind.
They've run out of money.
I'm not going back.
Good.
It's about time we left here.
What did you have to do for this?
Here. Read.
"Joan of Navarre is an evil queen.
She has imprisoned
my father and my relatives."
"It is true, noble lady,
our queen treats
the Flemish very harshly."
When is your exam?
No exam.
A voice test. Tomorrow.
"I consider myself fortunate
that in my misfortune,
"I have an honourable,
loyal knight as my guide.
"But what if, on my journey,
"I were escorted
by common soldiers?"
So, that's him?
He got here an hour ago.
I almost didn't recognise him.
Last time I saw him,
he was just a little boy.
He didn't dare give me a kiss.
I think he's a little embarrassed.
He used all his equipment
to record the sound of our doorbell.
Hello there, Berre.
This is Uncle Andr,
my new husband.
- Thank you.
- What for?
The internship.
Oh, that was Gabby's idea.
Your mum told me
how much you like playing around
with microphones and all that.
I thought: "Perfect,
Andr works at the radio station, so..."
Maybe you can take
his equipment upstairs, Andr.
- There we go.
- You go first.
It's all going up to the attic.
- What have you got in here?
- Sounds.
I didn't know sound was so heavy.
A few rumours in there too.
In a few moments,
"The Politics Chronicle"
by Mr Fleischman, with the latest news
concerning the German-Austrian threat
in the face of reinforced...
Live from the Flagey building
in Brussels
the Drama Company presents
the radio play:
Arsenic and Apple Tart.
So, you think he's a little shy?
Let the boy listen to his programme.
And my programme?
When Hilter invades, there'll be
plenty of time to listen to that drivel.
- Hitler.
- Hilter, that's what I said.
Sound effects, Pierre Polak.
Ah, Polak, your internship is with him.
It's started. Eat your soup.
What aromas are these?
Freshly ground coffee.
Unusual smells for a pharmacy.
Hello sir, welcome in our shop.
How can I help you?
I am Inspector Nose.
Could you call the pharmacist for me?
He is currently unavailable.
I very much doubt that, miss.
At this very moment, he is washing down
a slice of freshly baked tart
with a gulp of hot coffee.
How do you know that, inspector?
Dear lady, my nose never fails me.
Unlike in matters of love,
my moustachioed friend
has never let me down.
Nicodemus Nose, my trusted friend...
As a little boy,
I dreamt of working on a ship.
And look at me now...
The Flagey building.
The world's largest sound factory.
On this ship, I'm not "Uncle Andr",
they call me "Chasseur Andr".
Understood?
For someone who likes to make noise,
you're pretty quiet.
There are six studios for concerts,
five for the news and two for records.
And four for radio plays,
where your internship is.
And we're the only place in the world
with two echo chambers
where sounds are trapped
and can't escape.
Sign here, please.
Also, we have three directors.
Who else has three directors?
One for French speakers,
one for the Flemish,
and one for both
French and Flemish speakers.
What a wonderful country we live in.
Dear colleagues,
this is Berre, my wife's nephew.
He's Polak's 'sound effects' intern.
- Foley.
- What's that?
It's called 'Foley' nowadays.
And is it not important that creation
around us be not only useful,
and that its usefulness speak to us
less than its beauty...
And that it be the beauty of sounds
that speak to us most.
Don't worry,
Director Van Rooy and I are ready.
If the Germans invade, we will evacuate
the building within two hours.
All the Nazis will find
is an empty box.
One last thing...
Where are we
with the 'Lists of Suspects'?
The Minister of Justice
stresses the urgency.
Last month's Minister or today's?
Dear colleague...
How many Ministers of Justice
have we had in 18 months?
- Five... or is it six?
- These are confusing times...
As is the minister's request:
"Draw up lists of those we suspect
would help the Germans
in the event of a German invasion."
Indeed: fascists, rexists,
Flemish nationalists.
But also spies hidden among all
the refugees from Germany and Austria.
Individuals who may belong
to the Fifth Column.
- Not that complicated, is it?
- Spies from the Fifth Column?
We have 644 employees.
Do some of them
have Nazi sympathies?
Yes, maybe.
But how are we to determine that?
It's not written on their foreheads.
As long as they don't walk in here
in uniform, there's little we can do.
You know we uphold
the neutrality of public broadcasting.
But the question's vagueness
may lead to arbitrariness
and, above all,
lead to false accusations.
Listen, we'll keep a close eye
on the situation.
Our staff know
they can tell the secretariat
if they notice anything suspicious.
Stand up straight and avoid eye contact.
Director...
Director.
Am I really hearing
the Soviet Union's national anthem?
Are communists just
given free rein here?
How neutral is that?
The mornings are set aside
for political broadcasters.
We have no say in that.
It was a political decision.
- Who is broadcasting right now?
- The socialists.
Ah, Chasseur Andr,
could you open this door, please?
They've locked it from the inside.
- Can't you block their audio signal?
- Yes, that's possible.
Run faster than 340 metres per second
and you'll outrun the sound wave
and be able to stop it
by standing in front of it.
The wave will
lose its energy and stop.
How fast?
340 metres per second.
The speed of sound.
- That will be difficult.
- It's very fast, yes.
- And you are?
- Berre.
- Uncle Andr's new wife's nephew.
- Chasseur Andr.
Apologies.
He doesn't know his place yet.
It's his first day as intern:
radio play sound effects.
With Polak?
- Gentlemen.
- Yes, let's go.
- Chasseur Andr, I told you.
- Chasseur Andr.
Come on, hurry up now.
Studio 10.
Pierre Polak.
And don't let me
or your Aunt Gabby down.
I have to report for a voice test
at 10:30.
You were supposed to report
for a voice test at 10:30.
Radio Play, Studio 12,
through the swing doors
and up the staircase.
Thank you.
Sir?
Excuse me, sir. Studio 12?
- You took the Brussels train yesterday?
- Yes.
You were looking to the past,
me to the future.
You faced where you came from,
I prefer looking to where I'm going.
I wasn't looking, but listening.
It makes no difference
on a train which direction you look in,
the sound is exactly the same.
It's all about the energy.
Yes, well, I have a voice test
in the Radio Play studio.
Follow me.
"How does my...
How my heart longs for his kisses.
"His words so soft and...
"sweet..."
Soft and sweet!
"So soft and sweet!"
Yes, my apologies,
there may have been a mistake in...
Mr Van Dijck. I'm here.
Miss De Vries. The audition jury was
ready for your mic test at 10:30.
- One person was missing.
- My apologies.
It's well past the academic quarter.
Shame, the other tests went great,
but you've missed your chance.
I've always been on time, but today...
I'd never been in this building...
Young lady, radio does not wait.
Ever.
Radio's more punctual than time.
It's his fault.
And he is?
- Berre.
- Berre.
Berre?
Foley intern.
Sound effects.
We were lost in the building,
through his fault.
Is that so?
Yes.
Jury members, do you agree
to proceed with the studio test?
Thank you for your understanding.
Please follow me.
You talk too loudly.
Studio mics are very sensitive,
so speak more softly.
Soft and sweet.
Yes, soft...
- Ready, Elza?
- Yes.
Lowie?
- Let's get going?
- Yep.
Right.
Concentrate.
Ready, Lowie?
Lowie.
Three, two, one...
Action, Lowie.
Dear Machteld, our suffering
is over:
the fatherland has been avenged,
the lilies have been torn.
Flanders is free!
The French have been defeated.
Dear father.
At last, I see you free,
no longer in chains.
Let me hold you in my arms.
I want to spend
the rest of my life
happy and blessed by your protection!
I never dared hope
of such happiness again.
Dries...
I told you,
I don't want to work with interns.
Mr Polak, we're doing a voice test.
That may be,
but there's some oddball here,
who claims he's working with me.
Pierre, aren't you listening?
We'll discuss it later.
Alright, let's keep going.
Ready...
But father,
why say you nothing of my beloved?
Why is he not here?
How my heart longs for his kisses.
His words so...
soft and sweet.
My happiness was his great dream.
His love was my light,
but now it is extinguished.
BELGIAN DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
1913, THIRD PLACE
He sacrificed himself for me
and put on your chains...
Coffee. Ground floor.
He has taken your place.
But how can I go on living,
knowing that he is no longer here?
At 1.30 pm, a first reading.
Rehearsal tomorrow afternoon
and live broadcast tomorrow evening.
Ah, Berre!
Please show Miss De Vries
to the secretariat.
You can get your paperwork done
and you can sign your intern contract.
For Polak?
I'll take it.
- The papers, here.
- Thank you.
Fons.
Elza De Vries. Your new colleague.
Elza, Fons Belloy.
Our star, I think I can say.
Mr Belloy, a pleasure.
Miss De Vries.
Elza.
She's starting a month's trial,
but she has the qualities
to get a permanent contract
very quickly.
And the sound effects intern. Berre.
There you have it.
1.30 pm sharp?
Yes.
- Room 241?
- Yes, 241.
Identity papers.
I don't have them.
I lost them.
I need ID papers to register you.
In-house rules.
My new ID card should arrive
any moment now.
- A certificate of loss?
- I'll bring it.
Tomorrow, please.
I'll draw up a temporary contract.
- Surname?
- Elza... De Vries.
- First name.
- Elza.
Address?
Address?
I'll come back tomorrow,
when I've got all my papers.
Yes, that might be best.
Miss De Vries.
Trousers are a garment for men.
In-house rules?
No, that's just how it is.
Can listeners hear on the radio
if I'm in a dress or trousers?
Robert Meulemans.
Yes?
Yes, come in.
What's going on here?
Fresh blood...
Hello.
Hi.
Hello.
- Denize.
- Elza.
His name is Charles Lindbergh.
He is no older than 25.
His grandfather came from Sweden.
He is American.
He flies at a speed
of over 170 km per hour.
His aircraft is called
'Spirit of St. Louis'.
Climb into your plane,
Charles Lindbergh.
Climb in and save Europe.
They are expecting you there.
I am the fog.
He who ventures out to sea,
must reckon with me.
For millennia, no one was seen
flying in these skies.
But now, I have been pierced
by a mysterious bird.
So, I ask myself: who are you?
I am many.
I am the power of all the men
who built this machine for me.
So, challenge me.
I am not afraid of you.
Not yet,
because it is still light outside.
Because you still know
where right and left are.
- Dries. Dries?
- Yes?
The snowstorm is fine,
but the fog should be played
by a woman.
The fog requires
a feminine mystique, subtlety.
But wait until the dark night falls.
And nothing more.
I am the fog.
Oh Ida...
You are undoubtedly
the perfect fog.
Yes, maybe.
Hubert, you alright with that?
Everything for art.
But I do wonder if it's wise,
at this moment in time,
to put on a radio play
about Lindbergh.
You have something
against Lindbergh?
Everyone knows that our American hero
is a friend of the Nazis.
So what? He's the best pilot,
the Nazis have the best planes.
Come on, guys.
This is entertainment.
Please, people.
This is not a political radio play.
It's about the greatness of technology.
How technology brings people together,
connects them.
The first flight
across the ocean.
What does that represent?
Can you imagine it?
An airplane, what is that?
It is a hand that we are extending
to the future.
This radio play, dear people,
conveys an optimistic message.
Namely, that man is capable
of great things
thanks to technology.
There!
And actually, Ida, I think you're right:
the fog could use
a little feminine mystery.
So, yes,
could you play fog...
- Elza?
- Elza?
Yes, I don't know if that...
Perfect. It's decided.
So, Elza, you'll be
'Fog' and 'Snowstorm'.
Fons is 'Lindbergh'.
Denize,
'Audience' and 'America'.
Ida, you'll be 'Rain'.
Lowie, 'Reporter' and 'Europe'.
And Hubert will be
the 'Airplane Engine'.
Just to tell you
that I don't have a plane.
Excuse me?
No plane.
I ordered one from the BBC,
but they delivered carpenter tools .
- Carpenter tools?
- Please, people!
Mr Polak, the broadcast
is tomorrow evening.
So, you have 24 hours
to bring me a plane.
Come up with something.
OK, let's start again from:
"He who ventures out to sea."
Three, two, one...
Action, Elza!
He who ventures out to sea,
must reckon with me.
For millennia, no one was...
BBC, wood plane.
Take one.
But now, I have been pierced
by a mysterious bird.
So, I ask myself: who are you?
- Thank you all.
- See you tomorrow.
Ida really brought that rain to life.
Drinks on the square,
for those who want...
Polak knows you're using his equipment?
Put everything back where it was.
That bell, yesterday,
in Arsenic and Apple Tart ,
it was the bell of an ice-cream van.
To indicate the inspector
is entering a shop,
why not use a shop bell?
- Polak knows his craft.
- Why not let us hear it?
He creates sound like they did
ten years ago, this is 1940.
Big speech for someone
we've not heard a word from.
Sound is too important
to be treated casually.
Every sound is unique.
If you broadcast it on the radio
and send it into the ether,
and that radio wave escapes Earth,
it will continue
to float through space for eternity.
- Up there, no one's losing sleep over it.
- I am.
You think you can do better?
Yes.
If you think you can do better,
let us hear it.
See you tomorrow.
It's a great destination for you.
Your girls have Austrian passports.
As war refugees,
they automatically get a visa.
- Hello.
- Elza...
Where were you?
In town, out for a walk.
Elza is an obsessive walker.
If it were up to her,
she'd be out all day.
If we don't tie her down in the morning,
she's gone.
The spitting image of your mother.
Mr and Mrs Sarphati
are leaving for Argentina
- but they're not taking their radio.
- Yes, I did warn my wife.
That radio is too expensive
and too big.
Only buy things
that fit in a suitcase.
Your mum would be so proud
of you working in radio.
Elza's not working in radio anymore.
Thank God.
- When are you leaving?
- Friday. Train to Le Havre.
Saturday, we board the ship
for Buenos Aires.
- If you want tickets, you must hurry.
- I'll think about it.
In Tierra del Fuego,
southern Argentina,
the wind blows so hard
that trees grow horizontally.
The German violence
in Poland, Denmark and Norway
shows that Hitler is a man of action...
In the little well?
... and that he will not hesitate
to violate Belgian neutrality.
In the well too, Berre?
Germany's warlike language
exerts an intimidating force
on the spirit of the Belgian citizens.
The Minister of the Interior urges
the population to continue their daily
routines.
Belgium is strong, our army is ready.
That German moustache
will be in Brussels soon.
Hitler has no business here.
He knows better.
"For now, he feels strong,
but he doesn't know
who he's up against."
It'll be funny when Dad hears you
on national radio tomorrow.
"Who are you really?
Who are you?"
Come on...
Wait a moment, Andr.
Wait a moment.
His sandwiches.
He must have left really early.
Not even a goodbye,
a kiss or anything.
- Poor lad.
- His racket keeps us awake all night,
we find the dismantled coffee grinder
in his room,
and now, I have
to deliver his sandwiches to him.
Poor lad doesn't know any better.
Show some compassion.
Drive safely.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
Let's start by adopting
a gymnast's stance.
Raise your heel,
bring your left arm forward.
Now.
Make sure the arm and torso
form a 135-degree angle.
Let the heels fall
and bring down the arm.
Alternately, bring the left,
then the right arm forward,
at that same 135-degree angle.
Start.
Raise and lower.
Raise and lower.
Mr Polak, you know
how much we value your work
but you must pull yourself together.
There have been too many complaints
about your gloomy
and overly negative attitude.
This is a free train ticket.
Third class. Jerusalem.
One way. It says it clearly.
"One way, never to return."
Where's it from?
There's one in my letterbox every day.
Every single day.
You can keep it.
Pierre, I know you're being persecuted
by different groups.
- And I feel for you, but...
- They're coming.
What am I saying?
They're already here.
It's swarming with fascists.
We can't allow ourselves
to wallow in gloom.
As radio producers
we must continue to believe
that with the help of modern technology,
good will prevail.
I'm counting on no more complaints.
I'm counting on it too.
Glad to hear it.
Thank you for everything.
Come on now...
Energy!
Take good care of that girl.
Come on now!
Energy!
Good morning.
What happened?
It's De Vries, right?
De Vries.
And where are you from?
Antwerp.
And your training,
Royal Theatre Academy?
My mother.
The fog sits in the middle.
Yes...
Dear friends.
We'll never be able to make sense
of Polak's desperate act.
Let us remember him as a kind man.
A pioneer in his field.
There is no solace.
Only sadness.
But we must go on.
Even in this sombre moment,
we must remain committed to our task.
Our radio signal is
the heartbeat of society.
It must never be interrupted.
Never!
Not even for this tragedy.
This medium is beautiful,
but unforgiving.
Two million listeners count on us.
Yes?
Tonight you go on the air.
As planned, with a new radio play.
At Mr Van Dijck's request,
sound effects will, for now,
be handed over to the intern.
That is,
as long as Uncle Andr's
new wife's nephew agrees?
Berre.
His name is Berre.
Berre.
So, Director Van Rooy, himself,
designated you?
And he said you could use my moped
for tonight's radio play?
Did he also say
how I was to get home?
By tram.
I'm leaving it with you
until tomorrow morning.
Oh yes,
Aunt Gabby made you sandwiches.
They're on my desk, waiting for you.
And that's why I think it's important
that we dedicate tonight's performance
to Polak.
I'm counting on all of you for that.
Sir?
Isn't Mrs Ida a better choice
to play Fog and Snowstorm?
This is my first radio play
and it's being broadcast live.
Maybe I can just watch tonight
and then next time...
Too much time lost.
If you have any doubts or questions,
Ida will help you.
Yes, Ida?
I, the fog,
I wonder: who are you?
Who are you?
I'm not afraid of you.
You understand?
You'll do great, Elza.
Absolutely. Let's get started.
From the Brussels Flagey building,
the Drama Company,
led by Dries Van Dijck, presents
Bertolt Brecht's Lindbergh's Flight.
Performed by: Fons Belloy,
Hubert Van Vaerenberg,
Ida Verdoodt,
Denize Hoovaerts, Lowie Depuydt
and, for the first time, Elza De Vries.
Technician: Jozef Vandesande.
Sound effects: Berre Meulemans.
TREE / FOG
Elza...
I am the fog.
He who ventures out to sea,
must reckon with me.
For millennia, no one was seen
flying in these skies.
But now, I have been pierced
by a mysterious bird.
For now, he feels strong.
But he does not know
who he is dealing with.
Who are you really?
Who are you?
I am many.
I am the power of all the men
who built this machine for me.
So, challenge me.
- I am not afraid of you.
- Not yet.
Because it is still light outside.
Because you still know
where right and left are.
SNOWSTORM
I am the snowstorm.
For an hour now,
a man has been within me.
A man in a machine, first high above,
then far below, close to the water.
For an hour, I've hurled him
at the water, at the skies above.
He has nothing to hold on to,
but he does not go under.
He falls upwards,
he rises downwards.
For hours, he's been unable
to see the moon, nor even his own hand.
But he does not...
But he does not go under.
I have packed his device with ice
to make it heavy
and pull it downward.
But the ice falls off
and he does not go under.
He does not go under.
For centuries,
everything fell from above to below.
Except the birds.
On ancient murals
we never found drawings
of humans flying in the sky.
But now we have succeeded.
At the end of this second millennium,
we have triumphed
over the laws of nature.
The future belongs
to technology and human ingenuity.
Hurrah!
We're off air.
Thank you all!
Yes, thank you. Truly.
Fantastic.
Bravo.
Very good.
Lowie, wow!
Really very good.
Congratulations Fons.
Everyone, thank you!
Hubert, well done.
- Bravo!
- Hats off.
They've gone for a drink,
on the square.
Shall we join them?
There's something I have to do.
- We can walk together?
- I'm taking the tram.
But I have a thing to do first.
See you tomorrow?
Yes.
Well done.
That fog sound, what was that?
The sound of a tree
sucking water up from the ground.
A primeval sound
that existed before any animals.
So, before anyone could hear it?
But, if no one can hear it,
does it exist?
You think trees can't hear?
That, I don't know.
Bye, Berre.
See you tomorrow.
Andr's already gone to bed.
I kept your dinner warm, Berre.
Come, sit down.
That was so beautiful.
That Lindbergh and his airplane.
I found it very moving.
I can't stop thinking about it.
That man's child
was kidnapped and killed.
Enough salt?
You have such beautiful green eyes.
Elza De Vries.
You think that changing 'Friedmann'
to 'De Vries' solves our problems?
I don't want to flee anymore.
You want to wait for the Nazis
to come and get us?
We're safe here, aren't we?
Belgium accepts more refugees
than anywhere in Europe.
Belgium did accept more refugees.
- But there's panic here too now.
- The king's mother is helping refugees.
"The number of Jews
who fraudulently entered Belgium
"is estimated at 30,000.
"The government must deal strictly
with these suspicious elements,
"mostly foreigners
or recently naturalised Belgians.
"Most of these aliens become
agents of subversive propaganda."
You know who wrote that?
The son of the mother
of the King of Belgium. Leopold III.
For him, you're a suspicious element
we must deal with strictly.
The Dutch queen just vetoed
a reception camp for Jewish refugees
because it was
too close to her country residence.
Twelve kilometres.
I wouldn't trust those royals.
I'll apply for residency.
Then I won't be a refugee anymore.
- You've got Belgian papers too...
- Necessary to practise law in Antwerp.
But you know
I was disbarred last year
because I'm Jewish.
Don't you see, Elza?
It's not just the Nazis
we have to be wary of.
Danger lurks here in Belgium too.
My Belgian passport is precisely
why I'm in more danger than you are.
Anonymity is a precious commodity.
Don't throw it away.
If you apply for residency,
your name will go
on the Belgian authorities' lists.
They'll know where to find you,
be able to deport you.
To Germany, for example.
But that's fine,
the Belgian Justice Minister believes
we Jews are safe in Germany.
What do you suggest?
We keep running?
No, for the last time,
go to a country where they don't
see every refugee as a spy.
If we hadn't fled Vienna,
Mami might still be alive.
Your mum wouldn't stop performing,
even when it became too dangerous.
She craved the spotlight
when it was time to seek the shadows.
Just like you're doing now,
on the radio.
You're putting us in danger.
Tomorrow I'm arranging
visas and tickets to Argentina.
From now on, be less conspicuous.
No trousers anymore.
And no more radio!
Good morning, madam.
Please...
Can you help me?
I'm looking for a dentist.
I'm looking for a dentist.
ELZA PART 1
Hello, madam.
Registration office, please?
Second floor.
That's fine, lad,
I'm good from here.
Dear listeners, war has broken out
in the Low Countries.
A musical war, that is.
Welcome to The Battle of the Bands .
Mrs De Vries.
- You didn't bring your papers yesterday?
- Indeed.
In studio 4, our own Stan Brenders
and his big band,
ready to give their all.
First, our Dutch radio colleagues
present the Dutch band, The Ramblers,
and their song Who is Loesje?
Standing at the altar
in Antwerp Cathedral,
I am overcome by doubt.
My future husband
is 37 years older than me.
He could be my father.
Will I be able to handle this marriage?
Great.
Berre, next, the organ music,
followed by Lowie.
Go ahead.
Pieter Paul Rubens, do you take
Hlne Fourment as your wife?
Yes.
Hlne Fourment, do you take
Pieter Paul Rubens as your husband?
Yes.
Place the rings on each other's fingers.
In the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Pieter Paul Rubens,
you may kiss the bride.
Yes, that's enough.
Come on, Hubert, let the girl be.
Enough, Hubert...
Hubert!
Unusual approach.
Yes, Stanislavski, comrade.
The new acting method.
Berre.
Director Van Rooy wants to see you.
Now.
They're actors.
You mustn't forget that.
It's all just a game to those men.
You have so much talent.
Really.
Don't let their nonsense
ruin everything.
Tomorrow, on air, yes?
You'll do great.
Ministry of Defence confirms
increased troop movements
at the German border.
We can therefore assume
that the Germans will soon...
It's fine. Mr Meulemans has been
invited by me, personally.
He is the late Mr Polak's intern.
Was, I mean.
As of now, he is his successor.
Your collaboration with National Radio
commits you to secrecy.
Can you do that?
- I'm good at keeping quiet.
- Good to hear.
You'll take over Polak's duties,
also his role in our emergency team.
Take a seat.
With the help of Emergency Services,
we're prepping for an invasion.
If the Germans do invade,
this building will be a prime target.
Well, we will make sure
they find nothing but an empty shell.
All the equipment in this building
must be made inoperable.
Mr Meulemans,
you will help dismantle
the Radio Play studios.
At the same time, in a secret location,
we will start a new radio station
which will take over
the transmission signal,
the moment the main transmitter
here is shut down.
In the Radio Play studio is
an emergency transmitter.
You will ensure
the technical service staff
have access to that studio,
so that they can dismantle
that last transmitter.
Everything clear?
Good.
One last thing...
EMERGENCY TRANSMITTER
Whoever is not brave
cannot stand with us
He who dares not, must perish
Should the hard battle come...
We are ready!
The hour will come
Red-hot as fire
The enemy will stand grimly before us
And the hour of a Dietsch victory
will strike
Should the hard battle come...
We are ready!
Loyal unto death
Dietschland will grow...
Goodbye, my dear little officer
Adieu, and don't forget me
Goodbye, my dear little officer
Adieu, may luck be with you...
The Dietsch folk will rise
If tomorrow you fall
And I remain alone
My friend, stay faithful
I will fight for two
Should the hard battle come...
We are ready!
Berre, guess what just happened?
Andr was riding home
and his front wheel came off.
The cops brought it here.
He has to stay in the hospital
until tomorrow.
How could that happen?
There's something in the air
that I don't like.
Berre lad, you will put my glasses back
in my cupboard?
When you're done?
ELZA, PART 2
The tickets.
We leave the day after tomorrow.
At 6 am.
Decide if you're coming with us
or staying.
I won't let you put Rifka and me
in danger any longer.
Miss De Vries, I must insist
you go by the secretariat.
I'm already late
and we're about to go on air.
Miss De Vries...
Come with me, please.
Miss De Vries.
Miss De Vries.
We've been informed
that you don't have valid papers.
You may know
that the Ministry of Justice
has requested lists be made
of possible spies
or Nazi sympathisers who may be
preparing for a German invasion,
- but also...
- You think I'm spying for the Germans?
But also of illegal refugees.
Your real name and address are known.
Someone has put you on the list.
We are obliged to follow the rules
laid down by the political authorities.
If, by tomorrow afternoon, you haven't
brought in your identity papers,
we will have no choice
but to terminate our cooperation.
Miss Friedmann.
Be careful.
You denounced me.
I'm antisemitic.
I want nothing to do with you people.
I see you as parasites,
I can't help it.
You should flee.
Morning, Denize, welcome.
Good morning.
Hello, Denize.
- Shall we start?
- Yes, just a moment.
- Wow, guys, what a bright sun.
- Nice, isn't it?
Good morning, Elza.
I think it's going to be a great day.
Here.
Berre, what's the purpose
of all these squares?
They're for the acoustics.
The distance between
the actors and the mics must vary
to recreate the echo
inside Antwerp Cathedral.
So...
Lowie, Antwerp mayor, number three.
Denize and Ida, noblewomen,
numbers eight and six.
Guys, do as he asks,
there's not much time.
Dries, I was a bishop, wasn't I?
Yes, and now
you're the mayor of Antwerp.
Yes, but mayor?
Being mayor isn't hard, Lowie.
Come on.
Rubens, number one.
Helena, number five.
And Bishop van Malderen, number four.
Let's go.
Great. Here we go!
Helena and Rubens
are walking along the Scheldt.
Elza?
Ready?
Three, two, one...
From the Flagey building in Brussels,
the NIR Drama Company
presents
the radio play,
The Marriage of Rubens.
Starring Hubert Van Vaerenberg,
Elza De Vries and Fons Belloy.
The year is 1630.
Helena Fourment meets Pieter Paul Rubens
on the banks of the Scheldt.
Noble Sir, will you tell me
how you paint those masterpieces?
My dear lady, I will tell you,
if you first tell me
from whence your great beauty comes.
My origins, sir, are modest and simple.
But I will not be beguiled
by your flattery.
I sought a girl who would not blush
when she saw me pick up my brush.
I feared pride,
the affliction of nobility.
But you, Helena, you are different.
You are so pure.
And tomorrow,
you will be mine forever.
ORGAN MUSIC
Pieter Paul Rubens,
do you take Helena Fourment
to be your lawful wife?
Yes, I take her as my wife.
Helena Fourment,
do you take Pieter Paul Rubens
as your lawful husband?
Helena Fourment,
do you take Pieter Paul Rubens
as your lawful husband?
Come on, Elza.
Helena Fourment,
do you take Pieter Paul Rubens
as your lawful husband?
Parasites?
What have I ever done
for you to call me a parasite?
I can only be free here
if I stay invisible.
Is that it?
We were driven out of Vienna.
We were no longer welcome in Antwerp,
and now,
in Brussels too,
I have to hide because I'm Jewish?
What gives you the right?
What gives anyone the right to decide
who has to live here, or there,
or who must disappear?
It's all just a game to you.
I'm done playing that game.
I'm working on something for you.
But it's not finished yet.
I can let you hear something,
but it's only a first draft.
Your tree.
Your sound.
In Argentina,
some trees grow horizontally.
- What would they sound like?
- Even warmer. Even more Elza.
I'd like to hear that.
Stand there.
In the middle.
Close your eyes.
Your ears are connected to your brain.
But your skin speaks
directly to your heart.
You can hear with your skin.
Eyes closed.
Coat off, shoes off, dress off.
- Berre, I...
- We need skin.
- You know I'm Jewish, don't you?
- Does that make a difference?
Skin is skin.
Close your eyes again.
The less you see,
the more you feel.
Take off your dress.
Your ears only hear a fraction
of all the sounds around you.
Ultrasonic sounds above 20,000 hertz
and infrasonic vibrations below 6 hertz
are best felt with your bare skin.
Better than with your ears.
Sit down.
On the floor.
Everything is connected.
This room to the house.
The house to the street.
The street to the city.
The city to the Earth.
One big sound box.
Where were you born?
Vienna.
And where did you grow up?
In Vienna, but also in Antwerp
and for a few years, in Berlin.
Wherever my mother sang or
my father worked, that's where we lived.
Your sounds from Berlin
and Vienna and Antwerp,
or wherever you've been,
are vibrations
that have blended with
the Earth's vibrational frequencies.
You'll feel it.
Lie down.
It's only a start, I hardly know you.
There are still too many sounds missing.
You have a lot of fear
and sorrow in you.
But I don't know yet
what that sounds like.
It was beautiful.
It's not finished yet.
No.
You still need to find out
what the sound of my sorrow is.
Listen.
The fear
of being left behind, alone.
That's what it sounds like.
At 6 am,
we're leaving for South America.
Come with us, if you want.
You have papers.
The choice is yours.
Six o'clock at my place,
or never again.
Over night, the German Air Force
and Army launched an attack
on Belgian airfields.
- Berre, we have to take cover.
- I have to go.
Now? But the air-raid siren?
- Where are you going?
- Argentina.
Argentina?
What are you saying?
I'm meeting Elza.
We're leaving at 6 am.
Thanks so much, Auntie.
But, lad...?
Come, Gabby.
Friedmann family?
I don't know...
I don't know...
Dear listeners,
this is an important announcement
to the population.
Last night, the German armed forces
launched an attack on Belgium,
the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
The German Air Force launched
numerous attacks in Belgian airspace.
Since 5 am, German airplanes
have been flying over our country.
A state of emergency has been
declared in Brussels.
Meulemans, you have to take
the equipment outside, not inside.
The period of greatest danger has begun.
We ask the population to strictly obey
all governmental orders.
The government is arresting suspects
throughout the country.
Fascists, communists and all subversives
will be arrested on the spot
- to defend internal security.
- Morning.
Your letters of termination.
Van Vaerenberg.
Actors are apparently redundant
in times of war.
Verdoodt.
Depuydt.
Isn't Fons here?
Our government's busy arresting
enemies of the state,
so with his fascist party member's card,
he's going to hit the jackpot.
Hovaerts.
Maybe someone denounced him?
Civilians are requested to remove
all Pacha Chicorei advertisements.
The back of these adverts
contain information for spies.
Hired the day before yesterday
and already fired today.
That must be a record.
Where do they take the arrested?
They've taken her.
Barracks, prisons...
It could be anywhere.
They won't hold her for long.
Rachel Vos.
Elza.
Friedmann.
Rifka Friedmann.
Le Vernet.
Full.
Abbeville.
Full.
Saint-Cyprien.
There's room here. Here!
Get in.
- No dawdling...
- Wait.
- Come on.
- No, but wait. No, wait!
You can't put Jews in with us...
There must be separate carriages
for the Jews, surely?
This must be a mistake.
I am Fons Belloy. Actor.
Actor at the NIR.
The National Radio.
From the radio plays.
You know my voice.
Listen to it!
You know my voice!
From radio plays!
I'm an actor!
I was Scrooge. Charles Dickens.
Sharp Mackie
in The Threepenny Opera.
I was Hamlet! I played Hamlet!
To be or not to be!
That was me! I'm an actor!
Ladies and gentlemen,
please stay tuned.
In a few minutes,
your Prime Minister, Mr Pierlot,
will address the nation.
Ladies and gentlemen,
in a few moments,
Mr Pierlot, your Prime Minister,
will address the nation
Following that,
the esteemed Mr Vanderpoorten,
Minister of the Interior, will speak.
Three, two, one...
And switch over.
And shut it down.
Dear listeners.
From now on, the broadcasts
of the National Radio Institute
will be taken over
by our mobile studio.
This is Prime Minister
Hubert Pierlot speaking.
Fellow countrymen.
Have faith.
In these dark times,
it is vitally important
that we stand together.
The enemy has invaded our country.
But our troops are putting up
an heroic resistance.
ELZA, PART 3
Ladies and gentlemen.
We will now hear a speech
by Mr Arthur Vanderpoorten,
Minister of the Interior.
In different locations,
enemy paratroopers have landed...
Elza, Elza, Elza.
Six o'clock at your place.
How my heart longs for you...
Isn't that our Berre?
Your words are so soft and sweet.
these neutral nations I have mentioned,
and some others I have not mentioned,
were with one spontaneous impulse
to do their duty,
and were to stand together
with the British and French empires,
against aggression and wrong?
At present, their plight is lamentable,
and it will become much worse.
Each one hopes
that if he feeds the crocodile enough,
the crocodile will eat him last.
All of them hope
that the storm will pass
before their turn comes to be devoured.
But I fear...
I fear greatly
that storm will not pass.
It will rage and it will roar,
ever more loudly, ever more widely.
It will spread to the south,
it will spread to the north...
- How many?
- Seven.
- All last night?
- Yes.
None with ID papers?
No.
No doubt about it,
send them back.
Your parents know you're not allowed
to cross the border without papers.
Returning...
Get in.
Back to Germany, come on.
Back to Germany.
Come on, hurry up.
Quickly. Faster.
Tomorrow, May 6th,
the sun won't be shining in Antwerp.
But no rain is expected.
Temperatures will reach 16C,
time to plant those flower bulbs.
There's also
happy news from the zoo!
A cub has been born
in the lion enclosure!
When are you leaving?
We're not.
We're staying.
My father's changed his mind.
We're up again.
One o'clock. Finor time.
Thank you.
I'll be back after 1 o'clock
with news from the Almanac.
Until then.
Oh Finor, oh Finor,
A bar every day
Oh Finor, oh Finor,
A bite, oh yes, please
Chocolate full of flavour
Early in the morning
And on, throughout the day
Finor chocolate
A bite, full of happiness.
Five francs an hour.
I was here four hours, that's 20 francs.
A box of Finor is worth
more than 20 francs.
Chocolate to buy
my ticket to Brussels?
Why was it again
your father moved to Brussels?
Five francs.
The door!
"I consider myself fortunate
that in my misfortune,
"I have a noble and honourable
knight as my guide.
"But what if, on my journey,
I were escorted by common soldiers?"
Well, if it isn't our Berre!
- Aunt Gabby.
- My lad!
You smell of Limburg.
Am I wrong?
How was the journey?
How's my sister doing? Well?
Come in.
Uncle Andr is still at work.
- Hello.
- Hello.
Payment in kind.
They've run out of money.
I'm not going back.
Good.
It's about time we left here.
What did you have to do for this?
Here. Read.
"Joan of Navarre is an evil queen.
She has imprisoned
my father and my relatives."
"It is true, noble lady,
our queen treats
the Flemish very harshly."
When is your exam?
No exam.
A voice test. Tomorrow.
"I consider myself fortunate
that in my misfortune,
"I have an honourable,
loyal knight as my guide.
"But what if, on my journey,
"I were escorted
by common soldiers?"
So, that's him?
He got here an hour ago.
I almost didn't recognise him.
Last time I saw him,
he was just a little boy.
He didn't dare give me a kiss.
I think he's a little embarrassed.
He used all his equipment
to record the sound of our doorbell.
Hello there, Berre.
This is Uncle Andr,
my new husband.
- Thank you.
- What for?
The internship.
Oh, that was Gabby's idea.
Your mum told me
how much you like playing around
with microphones and all that.
I thought: "Perfect,
Andr works at the radio station, so..."
Maybe you can take
his equipment upstairs, Andr.
- There we go.
- You go first.
It's all going up to the attic.
- What have you got in here?
- Sounds.
I didn't know sound was so heavy.
A few rumours in there too.
In a few moments,
"The Politics Chronicle"
by Mr Fleischman, with the latest news
concerning the German-Austrian threat
in the face of reinforced...
Live from the Flagey building
in Brussels
the Drama Company presents
the radio play:
Arsenic and Apple Tart.
So, you think he's a little shy?
Let the boy listen to his programme.
And my programme?
When Hilter invades, there'll be
plenty of time to listen to that drivel.
- Hitler.
- Hilter, that's what I said.
Sound effects, Pierre Polak.
Ah, Polak, your internship is with him.
It's started. Eat your soup.
What aromas are these?
Freshly ground coffee.
Unusual smells for a pharmacy.
Hello sir, welcome in our shop.
How can I help you?
I am Inspector Nose.
Could you call the pharmacist for me?
He is currently unavailable.
I very much doubt that, miss.
At this very moment, he is washing down
a slice of freshly baked tart
with a gulp of hot coffee.
How do you know that, inspector?
Dear lady, my nose never fails me.
Unlike in matters of love,
my moustachioed friend
has never let me down.
Nicodemus Nose, my trusted friend...
As a little boy,
I dreamt of working on a ship.
And look at me now...
The Flagey building.
The world's largest sound factory.
On this ship, I'm not "Uncle Andr",
they call me "Chasseur Andr".
Understood?
For someone who likes to make noise,
you're pretty quiet.
There are six studios for concerts,
five for the news and two for records.
And four for radio plays,
where your internship is.
And we're the only place in the world
with two echo chambers
where sounds are trapped
and can't escape.
Sign here, please.
Also, we have three directors.
Who else has three directors?
One for French speakers,
one for the Flemish,
and one for both
French and Flemish speakers.
What a wonderful country we live in.
Dear colleagues,
this is Berre, my wife's nephew.
He's Polak's 'sound effects' intern.
- Foley.
- What's that?
It's called 'Foley' nowadays.
And is it not important that creation
around us be not only useful,
and that its usefulness speak to us
less than its beauty...
And that it be the beauty of sounds
that speak to us most.
Don't worry,
Director Van Rooy and I are ready.
If the Germans invade, we will evacuate
the building within two hours.
All the Nazis will find
is an empty box.
One last thing...
Where are we
with the 'Lists of Suspects'?
The Minister of Justice
stresses the urgency.
Last month's Minister or today's?
Dear colleague...
How many Ministers of Justice
have we had in 18 months?
- Five... or is it six?
- These are confusing times...
As is the minister's request:
"Draw up lists of those we suspect
would help the Germans
in the event of a German invasion."
Indeed: fascists, rexists,
Flemish nationalists.
But also spies hidden among all
the refugees from Germany and Austria.
Individuals who may belong
to the Fifth Column.
- Not that complicated, is it?
- Spies from the Fifth Column?
We have 644 employees.
Do some of them
have Nazi sympathies?
Yes, maybe.
But how are we to determine that?
It's not written on their foreheads.
As long as they don't walk in here
in uniform, there's little we can do.
You know we uphold
the neutrality of public broadcasting.
But the question's vagueness
may lead to arbitrariness
and, above all,
lead to false accusations.
Listen, we'll keep a close eye
on the situation.
Our staff know
they can tell the secretariat
if they notice anything suspicious.
Stand up straight and avoid eye contact.
Director...
Director.
Am I really hearing
the Soviet Union's national anthem?
Are communists just
given free rein here?
How neutral is that?
The mornings are set aside
for political broadcasters.
We have no say in that.
It was a political decision.
- Who is broadcasting right now?
- The socialists.
Ah, Chasseur Andr,
could you open this door, please?
They've locked it from the inside.
- Can't you block their audio signal?
- Yes, that's possible.
Run faster than 340 metres per second
and you'll outrun the sound wave
and be able to stop it
by standing in front of it.
The wave will
lose its energy and stop.
How fast?
340 metres per second.
The speed of sound.
- That will be difficult.
- It's very fast, yes.
- And you are?
- Berre.
- Uncle Andr's new wife's nephew.
- Chasseur Andr.
Apologies.
He doesn't know his place yet.
It's his first day as intern:
radio play sound effects.
With Polak?
- Gentlemen.
- Yes, let's go.
- Chasseur Andr, I told you.
- Chasseur Andr.
Come on, hurry up now.
Studio 10.
Pierre Polak.
And don't let me
or your Aunt Gabby down.
I have to report for a voice test
at 10:30.
You were supposed to report
for a voice test at 10:30.
Radio Play, Studio 12,
through the swing doors
and up the staircase.
Thank you.
Sir?
Excuse me, sir. Studio 12?
- You took the Brussels train yesterday?
- Yes.
You were looking to the past,
me to the future.
You faced where you came from,
I prefer looking to where I'm going.
I wasn't looking, but listening.
It makes no difference
on a train which direction you look in,
the sound is exactly the same.
It's all about the energy.
Yes, well, I have a voice test
in the Radio Play studio.
Follow me.
"How does my...
How my heart longs for his kisses.
"His words so soft and...
"sweet..."
Soft and sweet!
"So soft and sweet!"
Yes, my apologies,
there may have been a mistake in...
Mr Van Dijck. I'm here.
Miss De Vries. The audition jury was
ready for your mic test at 10:30.
- One person was missing.
- My apologies.
It's well past the academic quarter.
Shame, the other tests went great,
but you've missed your chance.
I've always been on time, but today...
I'd never been in this building...
Young lady, radio does not wait.
Ever.
Radio's more punctual than time.
It's his fault.
And he is?
- Berre.
- Berre.
Berre?
Foley intern.
Sound effects.
We were lost in the building,
through his fault.
Is that so?
Yes.
Jury members, do you agree
to proceed with the studio test?
Thank you for your understanding.
Please follow me.
You talk too loudly.
Studio mics are very sensitive,
so speak more softly.
Soft and sweet.
Yes, soft...
- Ready, Elza?
- Yes.
Lowie?
- Let's get going?
- Yep.
Right.
Concentrate.
Ready, Lowie?
Lowie.
Three, two, one...
Action, Lowie.
Dear Machteld, our suffering
is over:
the fatherland has been avenged,
the lilies have been torn.
Flanders is free!
The French have been defeated.
Dear father.
At last, I see you free,
no longer in chains.
Let me hold you in my arms.
I want to spend
the rest of my life
happy and blessed by your protection!
I never dared hope
of such happiness again.
Dries...
I told you,
I don't want to work with interns.
Mr Polak, we're doing a voice test.
That may be,
but there's some oddball here,
who claims he's working with me.
Pierre, aren't you listening?
We'll discuss it later.
Alright, let's keep going.
Ready...
But father,
why say you nothing of my beloved?
Why is he not here?
How my heart longs for his kisses.
His words so...
soft and sweet.
My happiness was his great dream.
His love was my light,
but now it is extinguished.
BELGIAN DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
1913, THIRD PLACE
He sacrificed himself for me
and put on your chains...
Coffee. Ground floor.
He has taken your place.
But how can I go on living,
knowing that he is no longer here?
At 1.30 pm, a first reading.
Rehearsal tomorrow afternoon
and live broadcast tomorrow evening.
Ah, Berre!
Please show Miss De Vries
to the secretariat.
You can get your paperwork done
and you can sign your intern contract.
For Polak?
I'll take it.
- The papers, here.
- Thank you.
Fons.
Elza De Vries. Your new colleague.
Elza, Fons Belloy.
Our star, I think I can say.
Mr Belloy, a pleasure.
Miss De Vries.
Elza.
She's starting a month's trial,
but she has the qualities
to get a permanent contract
very quickly.
And the sound effects intern. Berre.
There you have it.
1.30 pm sharp?
Yes.
- Room 241?
- Yes, 241.
Identity papers.
I don't have them.
I lost them.
I need ID papers to register you.
In-house rules.
My new ID card should arrive
any moment now.
- A certificate of loss?
- I'll bring it.
Tomorrow, please.
I'll draw up a temporary contract.
- Surname?
- Elza... De Vries.
- First name.
- Elza.
Address?
Address?
I'll come back tomorrow,
when I've got all my papers.
Yes, that might be best.
Miss De Vries.
Trousers are a garment for men.
In-house rules?
No, that's just how it is.
Can listeners hear on the radio
if I'm in a dress or trousers?
Robert Meulemans.
Yes?
Yes, come in.
What's going on here?
Fresh blood...
Hello.
Hi.
Hello.
- Denize.
- Elza.
His name is Charles Lindbergh.
He is no older than 25.
His grandfather came from Sweden.
He is American.
He flies at a speed
of over 170 km per hour.
His aircraft is called
'Spirit of St. Louis'.
Climb into your plane,
Charles Lindbergh.
Climb in and save Europe.
They are expecting you there.
I am the fog.
He who ventures out to sea,
must reckon with me.
For millennia, no one was seen
flying in these skies.
But now, I have been pierced
by a mysterious bird.
So, I ask myself: who are you?
I am many.
I am the power of all the men
who built this machine for me.
So, challenge me.
I am not afraid of you.
Not yet,
because it is still light outside.
Because you still know
where right and left are.
- Dries. Dries?
- Yes?
The snowstorm is fine,
but the fog should be played
by a woman.
The fog requires
a feminine mystique, subtlety.
But wait until the dark night falls.
And nothing more.
I am the fog.
Oh Ida...
You are undoubtedly
the perfect fog.
Yes, maybe.
Hubert, you alright with that?
Everything for art.
But I do wonder if it's wise,
at this moment in time,
to put on a radio play
about Lindbergh.
You have something
against Lindbergh?
Everyone knows that our American hero
is a friend of the Nazis.
So what? He's the best pilot,
the Nazis have the best planes.
Come on, guys.
This is entertainment.
Please, people.
This is not a political radio play.
It's about the greatness of technology.
How technology brings people together,
connects them.
The first flight
across the ocean.
What does that represent?
Can you imagine it?
An airplane, what is that?
It is a hand that we are extending
to the future.
This radio play, dear people,
conveys an optimistic message.
Namely, that man is capable
of great things
thanks to technology.
There!
And actually, Ida, I think you're right:
the fog could use
a little feminine mystery.
So, yes,
could you play fog...
- Elza?
- Elza?
Yes, I don't know if that...
Perfect. It's decided.
So, Elza, you'll be
'Fog' and 'Snowstorm'.
Fons is 'Lindbergh'.
Denize,
'Audience' and 'America'.
Ida, you'll be 'Rain'.
Lowie, 'Reporter' and 'Europe'.
And Hubert will be
the 'Airplane Engine'.
Just to tell you
that I don't have a plane.
Excuse me?
No plane.
I ordered one from the BBC,
but they delivered carpenter tools .
- Carpenter tools?
- Please, people!
Mr Polak, the broadcast
is tomorrow evening.
So, you have 24 hours
to bring me a plane.
Come up with something.
OK, let's start again from:
"He who ventures out to sea."
Three, two, one...
Action, Elza!
He who ventures out to sea,
must reckon with me.
For millennia, no one was...
BBC, wood plane.
Take one.
But now, I have been pierced
by a mysterious bird.
So, I ask myself: who are you?
- Thank you all.
- See you tomorrow.
Ida really brought that rain to life.
Drinks on the square,
for those who want...
Polak knows you're using his equipment?
Put everything back where it was.
That bell, yesterday,
in Arsenic and Apple Tart ,
it was the bell of an ice-cream van.
To indicate the inspector
is entering a shop,
why not use a shop bell?
- Polak knows his craft.
- Why not let us hear it?
He creates sound like they did
ten years ago, this is 1940.
Big speech for someone
we've not heard a word from.
Sound is too important
to be treated casually.
Every sound is unique.
If you broadcast it on the radio
and send it into the ether,
and that radio wave escapes Earth,
it will continue
to float through space for eternity.
- Up there, no one's losing sleep over it.
- I am.
You think you can do better?
Yes.
If you think you can do better,
let us hear it.
See you tomorrow.
It's a great destination for you.
Your girls have Austrian passports.
As war refugees,
they automatically get a visa.
- Hello.
- Elza...
Where were you?
In town, out for a walk.
Elza is an obsessive walker.
If it were up to her,
she'd be out all day.
If we don't tie her down in the morning,
she's gone.
The spitting image of your mother.
Mr and Mrs Sarphati
are leaving for Argentina
- but they're not taking their radio.
- Yes, I did warn my wife.
That radio is too expensive
and too big.
Only buy things
that fit in a suitcase.
Your mum would be so proud
of you working in radio.
Elza's not working in radio anymore.
Thank God.
- When are you leaving?
- Friday. Train to Le Havre.
Saturday, we board the ship
for Buenos Aires.
- If you want tickets, you must hurry.
- I'll think about it.
In Tierra del Fuego,
southern Argentina,
the wind blows so hard
that trees grow horizontally.
The German violence
in Poland, Denmark and Norway
shows that Hitler is a man of action...
In the little well?
... and that he will not hesitate
to violate Belgian neutrality.
In the well too, Berre?
Germany's warlike language
exerts an intimidating force
on the spirit of the Belgian citizens.
The Minister of the Interior urges
the population to continue their daily
routines.
Belgium is strong, our army is ready.
That German moustache
will be in Brussels soon.
Hitler has no business here.
He knows better.
"For now, he feels strong,
but he doesn't know
who he's up against."
It'll be funny when Dad hears you
on national radio tomorrow.
"Who are you really?
Who are you?"
Come on...
Wait a moment, Andr.
Wait a moment.
His sandwiches.
He must have left really early.
Not even a goodbye,
a kiss or anything.
- Poor lad.
- His racket keeps us awake all night,
we find the dismantled coffee grinder
in his room,
and now, I have
to deliver his sandwiches to him.
Poor lad doesn't know any better.
Show some compassion.
Drive safely.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
Let's start by adopting
a gymnast's stance.
Raise your heel,
bring your left arm forward.
Now.
Make sure the arm and torso
form a 135-degree angle.
Let the heels fall
and bring down the arm.
Alternately, bring the left,
then the right arm forward,
at that same 135-degree angle.
Start.
Raise and lower.
Raise and lower.
Mr Polak, you know
how much we value your work
but you must pull yourself together.
There have been too many complaints
about your gloomy
and overly negative attitude.
This is a free train ticket.
Third class. Jerusalem.
One way. It says it clearly.
"One way, never to return."
Where's it from?
There's one in my letterbox every day.
Every single day.
You can keep it.
Pierre, I know you're being persecuted
by different groups.
- And I feel for you, but...
- They're coming.
What am I saying?
They're already here.
It's swarming with fascists.
We can't allow ourselves
to wallow in gloom.
As radio producers
we must continue to believe
that with the help of modern technology,
good will prevail.
I'm counting on no more complaints.
I'm counting on it too.
Glad to hear it.
Thank you for everything.
Come on now...
Energy!
Take good care of that girl.
Come on now!
Energy!
Good morning.
What happened?
It's De Vries, right?
De Vries.
And where are you from?
Antwerp.
And your training,
Royal Theatre Academy?
My mother.
The fog sits in the middle.
Yes...
Dear friends.
We'll never be able to make sense
of Polak's desperate act.
Let us remember him as a kind man.
A pioneer in his field.
There is no solace.
Only sadness.
But we must go on.
Even in this sombre moment,
we must remain committed to our task.
Our radio signal is
the heartbeat of society.
It must never be interrupted.
Never!
Not even for this tragedy.
This medium is beautiful,
but unforgiving.
Two million listeners count on us.
Yes?
Tonight you go on the air.
As planned, with a new radio play.
At Mr Van Dijck's request,
sound effects will, for now,
be handed over to the intern.
That is,
as long as Uncle Andr's
new wife's nephew agrees?
Berre.
His name is Berre.
Berre.
So, Director Van Rooy, himself,
designated you?
And he said you could use my moped
for tonight's radio play?
Did he also say
how I was to get home?
By tram.
I'm leaving it with you
until tomorrow morning.
Oh yes,
Aunt Gabby made you sandwiches.
They're on my desk, waiting for you.
And that's why I think it's important
that we dedicate tonight's performance
to Polak.
I'm counting on all of you for that.
Sir?
Isn't Mrs Ida a better choice
to play Fog and Snowstorm?
This is my first radio play
and it's being broadcast live.
Maybe I can just watch tonight
and then next time...
Too much time lost.
If you have any doubts or questions,
Ida will help you.
Yes, Ida?
I, the fog,
I wonder: who are you?
Who are you?
I'm not afraid of you.
You understand?
You'll do great, Elza.
Absolutely. Let's get started.
From the Brussels Flagey building,
the Drama Company,
led by Dries Van Dijck, presents
Bertolt Brecht's Lindbergh's Flight.
Performed by: Fons Belloy,
Hubert Van Vaerenberg,
Ida Verdoodt,
Denize Hoovaerts, Lowie Depuydt
and, for the first time, Elza De Vries.
Technician: Jozef Vandesande.
Sound effects: Berre Meulemans.
TREE / FOG
Elza...
I am the fog.
He who ventures out to sea,
must reckon with me.
For millennia, no one was seen
flying in these skies.
But now, I have been pierced
by a mysterious bird.
For now, he feels strong.
But he does not know
who he is dealing with.
Who are you really?
Who are you?
I am many.
I am the power of all the men
who built this machine for me.
So, challenge me.
- I am not afraid of you.
- Not yet.
Because it is still light outside.
Because you still know
where right and left are.
SNOWSTORM
I am the snowstorm.
For an hour now,
a man has been within me.
A man in a machine, first high above,
then far below, close to the water.
For an hour, I've hurled him
at the water, at the skies above.
He has nothing to hold on to,
but he does not go under.
He falls upwards,
he rises downwards.
For hours, he's been unable
to see the moon, nor even his own hand.
But he does not...
But he does not go under.
I have packed his device with ice
to make it heavy
and pull it downward.
But the ice falls off
and he does not go under.
He does not go under.
For centuries,
everything fell from above to below.
Except the birds.
On ancient murals
we never found drawings
of humans flying in the sky.
But now we have succeeded.
At the end of this second millennium,
we have triumphed
over the laws of nature.
The future belongs
to technology and human ingenuity.
Hurrah!
We're off air.
Thank you all!
Yes, thank you. Truly.
Fantastic.
Bravo.
Very good.
Lowie, wow!
Really very good.
Congratulations Fons.
Everyone, thank you!
Hubert, well done.
- Bravo!
- Hats off.
They've gone for a drink,
on the square.
Shall we join them?
There's something I have to do.
- We can walk together?
- I'm taking the tram.
But I have a thing to do first.
See you tomorrow?
Yes.
Well done.
That fog sound, what was that?
The sound of a tree
sucking water up from the ground.
A primeval sound
that existed before any animals.
So, before anyone could hear it?
But, if no one can hear it,
does it exist?
You think trees can't hear?
That, I don't know.
Bye, Berre.
See you tomorrow.
Andr's already gone to bed.
I kept your dinner warm, Berre.
Come, sit down.
That was so beautiful.
That Lindbergh and his airplane.
I found it very moving.
I can't stop thinking about it.
That man's child
was kidnapped and killed.
Enough salt?
You have such beautiful green eyes.
Elza De Vries.
You think that changing 'Friedmann'
to 'De Vries' solves our problems?
I don't want to flee anymore.
You want to wait for the Nazis
to come and get us?
We're safe here, aren't we?
Belgium accepts more refugees
than anywhere in Europe.
Belgium did accept more refugees.
- But there's panic here too now.
- The king's mother is helping refugees.
"The number of Jews
who fraudulently entered Belgium
"is estimated at 30,000.
"The government must deal strictly
with these suspicious elements,
"mostly foreigners
or recently naturalised Belgians.
"Most of these aliens become
agents of subversive propaganda."
You know who wrote that?
The son of the mother
of the King of Belgium. Leopold III.
For him, you're a suspicious element
we must deal with strictly.
The Dutch queen just vetoed
a reception camp for Jewish refugees
because it was
too close to her country residence.
Twelve kilometres.
I wouldn't trust those royals.
I'll apply for residency.
Then I won't be a refugee anymore.
- You've got Belgian papers too...
- Necessary to practise law in Antwerp.
But you know
I was disbarred last year
because I'm Jewish.
Don't you see, Elza?
It's not just the Nazis
we have to be wary of.
Danger lurks here in Belgium too.
My Belgian passport is precisely
why I'm in more danger than you are.
Anonymity is a precious commodity.
Don't throw it away.
If you apply for residency,
your name will go
on the Belgian authorities' lists.
They'll know where to find you,
be able to deport you.
To Germany, for example.
But that's fine,
the Belgian Justice Minister believes
we Jews are safe in Germany.
What do you suggest?
We keep running?
No, for the last time,
go to a country where they don't
see every refugee as a spy.
If we hadn't fled Vienna,
Mami might still be alive.
Your mum wouldn't stop performing,
even when it became too dangerous.
She craved the spotlight
when it was time to seek the shadows.
Just like you're doing now,
on the radio.
You're putting us in danger.
Tomorrow I'm arranging
visas and tickets to Argentina.
From now on, be less conspicuous.
No trousers anymore.
And no more radio!
Good morning, madam.
Please...
Can you help me?
I'm looking for a dentist.
I'm looking for a dentist.
ELZA PART 1
Hello, madam.
Registration office, please?
Second floor.
That's fine, lad,
I'm good from here.
Dear listeners, war has broken out
in the Low Countries.
A musical war, that is.
Welcome to The Battle of the Bands .
Mrs De Vries.
- You didn't bring your papers yesterday?
- Indeed.
In studio 4, our own Stan Brenders
and his big band,
ready to give their all.
First, our Dutch radio colleagues
present the Dutch band, The Ramblers,
and their song Who is Loesje?
Standing at the altar
in Antwerp Cathedral,
I am overcome by doubt.
My future husband
is 37 years older than me.
He could be my father.
Will I be able to handle this marriage?
Great.
Berre, next, the organ music,
followed by Lowie.
Go ahead.
Pieter Paul Rubens, do you take
Hlne Fourment as your wife?
Yes.
Hlne Fourment, do you take
Pieter Paul Rubens as your husband?
Yes.
Place the rings on each other's fingers.
In the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Pieter Paul Rubens,
you may kiss the bride.
Yes, that's enough.
Come on, Hubert, let the girl be.
Enough, Hubert...
Hubert!
Unusual approach.
Yes, Stanislavski, comrade.
The new acting method.
Berre.
Director Van Rooy wants to see you.
Now.
They're actors.
You mustn't forget that.
It's all just a game to those men.
You have so much talent.
Really.
Don't let their nonsense
ruin everything.
Tomorrow, on air, yes?
You'll do great.
Ministry of Defence confirms
increased troop movements
at the German border.
We can therefore assume
that the Germans will soon...
It's fine. Mr Meulemans has been
invited by me, personally.
He is the late Mr Polak's intern.
Was, I mean.
As of now, he is his successor.
Your collaboration with National Radio
commits you to secrecy.
Can you do that?
- I'm good at keeping quiet.
- Good to hear.
You'll take over Polak's duties,
also his role in our emergency team.
Take a seat.
With the help of Emergency Services,
we're prepping for an invasion.
If the Germans do invade,
this building will be a prime target.
Well, we will make sure
they find nothing but an empty shell.
All the equipment in this building
must be made inoperable.
Mr Meulemans,
you will help dismantle
the Radio Play studios.
At the same time, in a secret location,
we will start a new radio station
which will take over
the transmission signal,
the moment the main transmitter
here is shut down.
In the Radio Play studio is
an emergency transmitter.
You will ensure
the technical service staff
have access to that studio,
so that they can dismantle
that last transmitter.
Everything clear?
Good.
One last thing...
EMERGENCY TRANSMITTER
Whoever is not brave
cannot stand with us
He who dares not, must perish
Should the hard battle come...
We are ready!
The hour will come
Red-hot as fire
The enemy will stand grimly before us
And the hour of a Dietsch victory
will strike
Should the hard battle come...
We are ready!
Loyal unto death
Dietschland will grow...
Goodbye, my dear little officer
Adieu, and don't forget me
Goodbye, my dear little officer
Adieu, may luck be with you...
The Dietsch folk will rise
If tomorrow you fall
And I remain alone
My friend, stay faithful
I will fight for two
Should the hard battle come...
We are ready!
Berre, guess what just happened?
Andr was riding home
and his front wheel came off.
The cops brought it here.
He has to stay in the hospital
until tomorrow.
How could that happen?
There's something in the air
that I don't like.
Berre lad, you will put my glasses back
in my cupboard?
When you're done?
ELZA, PART 2
The tickets.
We leave the day after tomorrow.
At 6 am.
Decide if you're coming with us
or staying.
I won't let you put Rifka and me
in danger any longer.
Miss De Vries, I must insist
you go by the secretariat.
I'm already late
and we're about to go on air.
Miss De Vries...
Come with me, please.
Miss De Vries.
Miss De Vries.
We've been informed
that you don't have valid papers.
You may know
that the Ministry of Justice
has requested lists be made
of possible spies
or Nazi sympathisers who may be
preparing for a German invasion,
- but also...
- You think I'm spying for the Germans?
But also of illegal refugees.
Your real name and address are known.
Someone has put you on the list.
We are obliged to follow the rules
laid down by the political authorities.
If, by tomorrow afternoon, you haven't
brought in your identity papers,
we will have no choice
but to terminate our cooperation.
Miss Friedmann.
Be careful.
You denounced me.
I'm antisemitic.
I want nothing to do with you people.
I see you as parasites,
I can't help it.
You should flee.
Morning, Denize, welcome.
Good morning.
Hello, Denize.
- Shall we start?
- Yes, just a moment.
- Wow, guys, what a bright sun.
- Nice, isn't it?
Good morning, Elza.
I think it's going to be a great day.
Here.
Berre, what's the purpose
of all these squares?
They're for the acoustics.
The distance between
the actors and the mics must vary
to recreate the echo
inside Antwerp Cathedral.
So...
Lowie, Antwerp mayor, number three.
Denize and Ida, noblewomen,
numbers eight and six.
Guys, do as he asks,
there's not much time.
Dries, I was a bishop, wasn't I?
Yes, and now
you're the mayor of Antwerp.
Yes, but mayor?
Being mayor isn't hard, Lowie.
Come on.
Rubens, number one.
Helena, number five.
And Bishop van Malderen, number four.
Let's go.
Great. Here we go!
Helena and Rubens
are walking along the Scheldt.
Elza?
Ready?
Three, two, one...
From the Flagey building in Brussels,
the NIR Drama Company
presents
the radio play,
The Marriage of Rubens.
Starring Hubert Van Vaerenberg,
Elza De Vries and Fons Belloy.
The year is 1630.
Helena Fourment meets Pieter Paul Rubens
on the banks of the Scheldt.
Noble Sir, will you tell me
how you paint those masterpieces?
My dear lady, I will tell you,
if you first tell me
from whence your great beauty comes.
My origins, sir, are modest and simple.
But I will not be beguiled
by your flattery.
I sought a girl who would not blush
when she saw me pick up my brush.
I feared pride,
the affliction of nobility.
But you, Helena, you are different.
You are so pure.
And tomorrow,
you will be mine forever.
ORGAN MUSIC
Pieter Paul Rubens,
do you take Helena Fourment
to be your lawful wife?
Yes, I take her as my wife.
Helena Fourment,
do you take Pieter Paul Rubens
as your lawful husband?
Helena Fourment,
do you take Pieter Paul Rubens
as your lawful husband?
Come on, Elza.
Helena Fourment,
do you take Pieter Paul Rubens
as your lawful husband?
Parasites?
What have I ever done
for you to call me a parasite?
I can only be free here
if I stay invisible.
Is that it?
We were driven out of Vienna.
We were no longer welcome in Antwerp,
and now,
in Brussels too,
I have to hide because I'm Jewish?
What gives you the right?
What gives anyone the right to decide
who has to live here, or there,
or who must disappear?
It's all just a game to you.
I'm done playing that game.
I'm working on something for you.
But it's not finished yet.
I can let you hear something,
but it's only a first draft.
Your tree.
Your sound.
In Argentina,
some trees grow horizontally.
- What would they sound like?
- Even warmer. Even more Elza.
I'd like to hear that.
Stand there.
In the middle.
Close your eyes.
Your ears are connected to your brain.
But your skin speaks
directly to your heart.
You can hear with your skin.
Eyes closed.
Coat off, shoes off, dress off.
- Berre, I...
- We need skin.
- You know I'm Jewish, don't you?
- Does that make a difference?
Skin is skin.
Close your eyes again.
The less you see,
the more you feel.
Take off your dress.
Your ears only hear a fraction
of all the sounds around you.
Ultrasonic sounds above 20,000 hertz
and infrasonic vibrations below 6 hertz
are best felt with your bare skin.
Better than with your ears.
Sit down.
On the floor.
Everything is connected.
This room to the house.
The house to the street.
The street to the city.
The city to the Earth.
One big sound box.
Where were you born?
Vienna.
And where did you grow up?
In Vienna, but also in Antwerp
and for a few years, in Berlin.
Wherever my mother sang or
my father worked, that's where we lived.
Your sounds from Berlin
and Vienna and Antwerp,
or wherever you've been,
are vibrations
that have blended with
the Earth's vibrational frequencies.
You'll feel it.
Lie down.
It's only a start, I hardly know you.
There are still too many sounds missing.
You have a lot of fear
and sorrow in you.
But I don't know yet
what that sounds like.
It was beautiful.
It's not finished yet.
No.
You still need to find out
what the sound of my sorrow is.
Listen.
The fear
of being left behind, alone.
That's what it sounds like.
At 6 am,
we're leaving for South America.
Come with us, if you want.
You have papers.
The choice is yours.
Six o'clock at my place,
or never again.
Over night, the German Air Force
and Army launched an attack
on Belgian airfields.
- Berre, we have to take cover.
- I have to go.
Now? But the air-raid siren?
- Where are you going?
- Argentina.
Argentina?
What are you saying?
I'm meeting Elza.
We're leaving at 6 am.
Thanks so much, Auntie.
But, lad...?
Come, Gabby.
Friedmann family?
I don't know...
I don't know...
Dear listeners,
this is an important announcement
to the population.
Last night, the German armed forces
launched an attack on Belgium,
the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
The German Air Force launched
numerous attacks in Belgian airspace.
Since 5 am, German airplanes
have been flying over our country.
A state of emergency has been
declared in Brussels.
Meulemans, you have to take
the equipment outside, not inside.
The period of greatest danger has begun.
We ask the population to strictly obey
all governmental orders.
The government is arresting suspects
throughout the country.
Fascists, communists and all subversives
will be arrested on the spot
- to defend internal security.
- Morning.
Your letters of termination.
Van Vaerenberg.
Actors are apparently redundant
in times of war.
Verdoodt.
Depuydt.
Isn't Fons here?
Our government's busy arresting
enemies of the state,
so with his fascist party member's card,
he's going to hit the jackpot.
Hovaerts.
Maybe someone denounced him?
Civilians are requested to remove
all Pacha Chicorei advertisements.
The back of these adverts
contain information for spies.
Hired the day before yesterday
and already fired today.
That must be a record.
Where do they take the arrested?
They've taken her.
Barracks, prisons...
It could be anywhere.
They won't hold her for long.
Rachel Vos.
Elza.
Friedmann.
Rifka Friedmann.
Le Vernet.
Full.
Abbeville.
Full.
Saint-Cyprien.
There's room here. Here!
Get in.
- No dawdling...
- Wait.
- Come on.
- No, but wait. No, wait!
You can't put Jews in with us...
There must be separate carriages
for the Jews, surely?
This must be a mistake.
I am Fons Belloy. Actor.
Actor at the NIR.
The National Radio.
From the radio plays.
You know my voice.
Listen to it!
You know my voice!
From radio plays!
I'm an actor!
I was Scrooge. Charles Dickens.
Sharp Mackie
in The Threepenny Opera.
I was Hamlet! I played Hamlet!
To be or not to be!
That was me! I'm an actor!
Ladies and gentlemen,
please stay tuned.
In a few minutes,
your Prime Minister, Mr Pierlot,
will address the nation.
Ladies and gentlemen,
in a few moments,
Mr Pierlot, your Prime Minister,
will address the nation
Following that,
the esteemed Mr Vanderpoorten,
Minister of the Interior, will speak.
Three, two, one...
And switch over.
And shut it down.
Dear listeners.
From now on, the broadcasts
of the National Radio Institute
will be taken over
by our mobile studio.
This is Prime Minister
Hubert Pierlot speaking.
Fellow countrymen.
Have faith.
In these dark times,
it is vitally important
that we stand together.
The enemy has invaded our country.
But our troops are putting up
an heroic resistance.
ELZA, PART 3
Ladies and gentlemen.
We will now hear a speech
by Mr Arthur Vanderpoorten,
Minister of the Interior.
In different locations,
enemy paratroopers have landed...
Elza, Elza, Elza.
Six o'clock at your place.
How my heart longs for you...
Isn't that our Berre?
Your words are so soft and sweet.