The Windermere Children (2020) Movie Script
1
They tore me out
from my father's arm...
..and took me away.
This moment, I will never,
never forget.
We were unloaded from the trains,
and boys and men in one queue,
women and children
in the other queue.
And they told us to move forward...
I was ten months old
when I arrived in Theresienstadt.
At night, we could see
the chimneys were glowing...
You had dead bodies
all laying on the floor.
Well, I hope it's not me tomorrow.
We were starving all the time.
All we were thinking of was food.
We were supposed to be eliminated...
They got the 10,000 children,
took them to Chelmno
and they gassed them and then
they buried them to mass graves.
I only believed that
the war was over
when I actually saw German soldiers
captured by the Russians.
And they told me that
we're going to England.
I didn't know
anything about England.
I couldn't speak any...not a word of
English - I knew two words.
I know "OK"...
I came with absolutely nothing
because I had no clothes of my own,
no toys.
Didn't know where we were going
or what we're going to do.
TRANSLATION:
This is the last group.
It's been a long day, let's get them
settled as soon as possible.
Welcome! It's warm inside.
Geht bitte weiter, Kinder.
Willkommen.
Willkommen in England.
Off you get. That's it.
Welcome to Windermere.
This way.
Welcome. Welcome to...
Ah. Ah...
HE CHUCKLES
My dear boy, it's nothing
a damp cloth can't sort out.
Now, please...
Please follow your friends.
Please remove all your clothes
and put them on the pile.
We have to get rid of them
for typhus.
You will be given new
clothes in the morning.
Cough for me.
I need you to remove
all clothes and shoes.
On the pile here.
We've got some blankets...
Next one, please.
Oscar!
Ah.
May I introduce you
to Edith and Georg Lauer -
kept prisoner with some
of the children in Theresienstadt.
Edith, Georg,
overseeing our project, our esteemed
director, Oscar Friedmann.
Travelling all day,
you must be exhausted.
We are glad to finally be here.
Before coming to England,
Oscar ran an institution for
troubled boys in Germany.
He has since become quite the expert
with regards to child refugees...
..which is why I asked him
to lead this project.
They are going to be here
for four months?
Yes.
And after?
We are working very hard
at what will happen to them
after Windermere.
Come. You look shattered.
Mr Friedmann.
One of the lads is
refusing to get off.
Refusing?
I tried to explain he's got nothing
to fear, but he won't budge.
FOOTSTEPS
What happened?
We talked. And now we wait.
And how long you...?
Take him inside, Jock, would you?
This way, Salek.
Come inside.
Come this way.
Now, let's get you seen quickly.
Nurse?
Good lad.
My name is Jock Lawrence.
And you?
Arek. Arek Herszlikowicz.
Arek. And where are...where are
you from, son?
Otoschno. Auschwitz.
Buchenwald. Theresienstadt.
He was in four camps?
Again, physically smaller than
we might expect for his age.
Various scars across his back
and arms.
Burn scars.
Damage to the fingers. Healed.
Badly.
Open your mouth please, son.
HE TRANSLATES
Four missing teeth.
Several in decay.
Again, almost certainly
due to malnutrition.
Yet another for the dentist.
Problem?
At the last minute, another boy
on the flight went back to Poland.
This boy took his place,
but there was no more time
to amend the roster.
Oh, my dear boy, calm yourself.
We shall sort everything out.
In the meantime...
..welcome to England.
CHATTER AND LAUGHTER
Compared to survivors
in newsreels I've seen,
they look more normal
than I was expecting.
Three months ago, you wouldn't have
recognised a single child.
This way, please.
Mr Friedmann is quite clear - girls
and boys must sleep separately.
How, when these boys
and these girls are inseparable?
We want them to leave the chaos
of their former life behind
and restore order.
And I understand. They will not.
Then we must explain it to them.
May I suggest
explaining it tomorrow?
Once they - and I - have slept.
Would you prefer me to?
I can manage.
HE SPITS
Most strangers get a slap.
He must like you.
I...I did not expect such
little ones to survive.
They were exceptions.
Hidden.
Living off scraps.
Like rats.
I will be most curious to see how
it has affected them.
Turn around.
Wherever Bela goes, they go too.
Inseparable.
Leonard, you know, the Lauers
think four months is not enough.
Well, you've certainly
got your hands full.
One of the boys said to me,
"The reason I am alive
"is because I was strong enough
to take bread
"from someone who was
too weak to eat it."
The camps taught them
survival at any cost.
Four months.
Not much time to bring them
back to civilisation.
Keeping them all together
in one place was your idea.
We've achieved that.
I wish I could give you longer.
We raised as much as we could.
BIRDSONG
GENTLE SNORING
Salek!
Ah, Oscar, if you ask me,
they look a tad peckish.
RABBI WEISS BEGINS BLESSING
CHILDREN SHOU Hertha! More bread! What?!
More bread. Let them see
it will never run out.
Do you think every meal's
going to be like this?
Let's hope not.
So how do you plan to tame them?
"Tame" them?
Jock, they're not animals.
Next. Stand there, please.
AIR RUSHES
Next!
Close your eyes.
HE COUGHS
Next!
Right, next.
Ey-up!
THEY LAUGH
What's going on here?
You seen these?
Who you looking at, Fritz?
Aw, look.
Adolf wants to shake hands!
Go on, shake hands, Malc. Go on.
Now yank the Kraut bastard over!
Go on, Malc. Pull a bit harder.
What is he doing?
What are you doing?
I'm trying!
He's stronger than he looks!
Get off me! Let go!
Hey!
LAUGHTER
Get off! Lads! Lads!
Come on. Get off!
AIR RUSHES
That's good. Next!
HE ROARS
CHILDREN LAUGH
ROARING CONTINUES
HE COUGHS
Woohoo!
Woo! Woohoo!
BICYCLE BELL RINGS
Woohoo!
Mrs Lauer?
Good morning.
I would like to apologise
for the ill-judged comments
I made about the little
children last night.
No apology necessary.
I would like to
understand them more.
To that end, I was wondering
if you might bring them
to my classroom to paint.
Paint?
I have developed a therapy where
we invite children to paint
without instruction or critique.
They choose the colours
and the themes that they want.
I've discovered that this freedom
allows their subconscious
to reveal itself upon the paper.
It would be fascinating
to know what...
..the...the little leader...
Bela.
To see a visual representation
of her psychology
would be extraordinary.
I am taking them for a walk.
Come with.
THEY MUTTER
What's your name,
and why are you dressed like that?
THEY GIGGLE
Perhaps wear some
trousers next time!
DOG BARKS
CHILDREN SCREAM
He's perfectly friendly!
It's not your dog.
It's any dog.
Kinder!
Are these the Jewish children
we've been told about?
Some of them, yes. Bela!
We were promised that land would be
given back to the local community
after the war.
Why can't their own people
take them?
Oh, well, most Jewish communities
have been established in the cities.
Then send them to the cities.
That is the plan,
once they have been revitalised
with careful supervision.
It hardly seems fair that we
should have to accommodate
all these foreigners.
Madam...
..are you aware what these
children have been through?
The war has been
terrible for everyone.
Not just for you people.
Kinder!
Bela!
Bela!
Come on now!
News-paper.
Newspaper.
ALL: News-paper.
Photo-graph.
Photograph.
ALL: Photo-graph.
It would be easier if you put
out the cigarettes!
Who can say this?
ALL: It is a pleasure to meet you.
Window.
Yes.
English girls.
English girls?
He like.
Likes English girls?
Sala.
Watch and listen.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
ALL: Good afternoon.
My name is Rabbi Weiss.
My name is Sala Feiermann.
My name is Benyak Helfgott.
My name is Arek Herszlikowicz.
My name is Itzek Alterman.
My name is...
ALL: Ephraim Minsburg!
My name... My name is Chaim Olmer!
Mama...
GASPS AND MOANS
ANGUISHED SHOUTING
WAILING AND SHOUTING
I wonder if they will ever
be free of night terrors.
Talking about it will help.
Starvation, beatings, shootings,
hanging, gassing.
All these were
commonplace in their lives.
What would you say?
Forget about all that
and focus on the future?
First, I will listen.
A favourite game of the guards
was to put ground-up glass
into our soup...
..and watch some of us slowly
bleed to death from within.
For those of us who remember a life
before, these things were horrific.
But these children, they...
..they grew up in that horror.
For them it was normal.
If you ask them how they feel,
they might just...shrug.
I get the impression most don't
want to talk about it.
They are more obsessed with
the fate of their relatives.
Every day they ask
when the Red Cross is coming.
Very nice.
Lovely.
SHOUTING OUTSIDE
FOOTBALL THUDS
WHISTLE BLOWS
Come on, lads!
Put your back into it!
Is he very good,
or the rest very, very bad?
No real skill.
But from his speed,
his balance, his strength,
he's clearly a natural athlete.
Amazing, considering.
Oscar, I've been contacted
by the coach of a Windermere team,
asking if we'd like to play
a friendly with them.
A friendly? Aye.
A match played as a gesture
of friendship
from the local community to the
children.
Is the team good?
Aye. Not bad.
Well, if you had 11 of him...
..probably.
Surely what doesn't kill them
makes them stronger?
I think they need to experience what
they can do, not what they can't.
Tell your contact thank you, but no.
Hold the ball!
Hello, love.
Look who it is. Go on, Malc.
You seen this, Malc?
BOYS LAUGH
Enjoying English ice cream, are you?
Here's something to remind you
of home.
CHILDREN SOB
Georg.
Look at him.
Oh, he's pissed himself!
Enough.
Aye-aye, Malc.
And what do you want?
Good afternoon, gentlemen.
You were attempting the Nazi salute?
So? So...
..it is always the right arm.
Trust me, I'm German.
I am also a Jew.
So no Nazi.
Try.
Try!
Higher.
Now...
..the boy you scared so much that
he pissed himself -
he's not German, he's Polish.
As are the others.
They watched their families being
slaughtered by the Nazis.
Do you understand? Slaughtered?
You should lower your arms, boys.
You look like fools.
None of us can imagine what they
went through in their short lives.
Not you.
Not me.
I need your word that my children
are safe to walk your streets.
From man to man.
What do you say?
Well, thank you so much.
Good day to you.
That's very good. Thank you.
That's very good. Thank you.
# ..Take me over there
Drop me anywhere
# Birmingham, Leeds or Manchester
Well, I don't care... #
Come on, girls,
I can't hear you singing.
What about you fellas?
Just imagine...
CHILDREN LAUGH
..and there's a nice little bit of
stuff waiting for you! Beautiful!
# ..Blighty is the place for me... #
Now all together, boys!
# ..Take me back to dear old Blighty
# Put me on the train
for London town
# Take me over there
Drop me anywhere
# Birmingham, Leeds or Manchester
Well, I don't care!
# I should like to see
my best girl... #
Come with me.
Son, I've been a PE teacher
for many years, I've seen a lot
of kids play all sorts of sports.
The most you can hope for
is a modicum of enthusiasm
and the ability to put the right
plimsoll on the right foot.
The number I've encountered with
genuine physical ability
is small, to say the least.
Do you understand
a single word I'm saying?
Plimsoll.
YOU have natural talent.
But like any natural gift,
you need to work at it
to make the most of it.
So here's a book of exercises
for you to look at.
If you're interested.
No.
For YOU.
Thank you, sir.
Forget any notion of competence.
Whether the child is a good
or a bad artist is immaterial.
My interest only concerns
what they paint.
How do these compare with children
who survived the Blitz?
Despite being bombed daily,
those children expressed
themselves as you would expect
of those in good mental health.
Strong colours.
Clear blue skies, shining suns.
Smiling faces.
They painted happy times.
By contrast, these children
depict their most painful memories
of losing family and identity.
And extreme violence.
It is as though they can no longer
access the happy memories
to draw upon.
"Jedem das Seine" was the...
The gate of Buchenwald. I know.
HE SIGHS
I'm sitting here all day waiting...
..to talk to them,
and here they scream
from the rooftops.
Before I came here...
..I was determined to
hold their experience
at arm's length,
to protect myself.
But how can you analyse
these paintings?
How can you ignore
the suffering on every page?
Week after week, I see
this same level of extremity.
When I saw this one...
..I was overwhelmed by sadness.
I did something
I have never done before -
instinctively I went to the boy
and I held him.
Marie...
We feel compelled to respond
as if they were our own children.
How does what we feel help them?
ANGUISHED GASPS
GROANS
HE GASPS
SCREAMING AND WAILING
THUNDER RUMBLES
BIRDSONG
THUNDER RUMBLES
Tree. Branch.
Twig. Rain.
Water. River.
Bird.
Flower.
Thank you.
You are welcome.
Kiss.
Lunch.
Hungry?
Always.
CAR HORN TOOTS
ANGUISHED SCREAMS
Salek...
RABBI WEISS PRAYS
Amen.
OTHERS: Amen.
PRAYER CONTINUES
HE BREATHES UNSTEADILY
PRAYER RESUMES
Amen.
OTHERS: Amen.
PRAYER CONTINUES
Amen.
OTHERS: Amen.
PRAYER CONTINUES
Amen.
OTHERS: Amen.
Sala?
Salek?
Salek.
Sala.
Sala, eventually,
when your strength is fully restored
and you have built a new life...
..you will meet someone who will
love you as much as you love them.
JOCK: Focus on the game, boys!
Into the centre! All of you!
Come on.
Down. Press-ups.
Now, please.
Right, 20.
Start again, with Ben.
WHISTLE BLOWS
Back on the floor, son.
You've barely done five.
You same like guard I knew.
Same voice.
Same face.
Same...
Whistle. Whistle.
Back on the floor, son.
What do you want from me, son?
To go easy on you out of pity?
Is that how you're going
to live out there? Hmm?
How long do you think pity lasts?
"Poor refugee children."
They're not just refugees.
Yes, spare me the sermon, Rabbi.
I know what they are.
You think in six months,
the real world will care?
Everyone suffered in the war.
Not like they have.
Folk don't walk around
comparing misery and loss.
Arek!
Maybe no need to shout?
I wasn't shouting. Everyone speaks
like this in Scotland.
THEY MUTTER
Ben! Perhaps just leave it.
Perhaps mind your own business,
Rabbi. Ben!
I've developed more
training for you, more advanced,
now you're getting stronger.
You need to keep
pushing yourself, son!
I am "son" of Moishe Helfgott.
Shot running away from death march.
Years, 37.
I say that not for pity.
For truth.
It's just an expression.
I say it to everyone.
I not want you say it to me.
Please.
Understood.
The war's over, Berish.
They need to move forward.
Not so easy, when everyone
you love lies in the past.
BOYS LAUGH
CHAIM MUMBLES
I trust you enjoyed
the eggs, gentlemen?
I trust you also enjoyed the other
food that's gone missing?
And the knives, forks, spoons,
plates, bowls, bicycles.
Even a frying pan
from the dining room.
Anything that isn't nailed down
or locked up is likely to disappear.
KNOCK AT DOOR
Yes?
A woman has just come
from Windermere about a dog.
What kind of dog?
A missing one.
The local community
has been very good to us.
Stealing from anyone
is completely unacceptable.
But there will be no punishment.
Instead, I will respect you
for having the courage to live up
to your responsibilities.
WHISPERING
Did you take the dog?
Go and fetch it, please.
Spare the rod and spoil the child.
Unlike carpets, madam...
..children are not
improved with beating.
Thank you.
I...am...sorry, madam.
Thank you, Juliusz.
The invitation to a friendly
game of football between us
and the locals
to foster good relations...
Now might be the time to reconsider.
DOG BARKS
MUSIC: Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen
by Alex Baranowski
In autumn, the weather gets cooler.
Who can say this?
In autumn the weather gets cooler.
Come on, lads. Press-ups.
THEY PRAY
MUSIC CONTINUES:
Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen
Well done.
THEY SING ALONG
Good luck in America.
We've always known
this moment would come,
but everything is
being done to help make
the transition from Windermere
as smooth as possible.
Everyone is determined to give each
child the opportunity to live
a full and productive life.
We've made sure that every one
of them has somewhere to go.
I wish I could say I feel
they will be ready to leave.
I feel the same.
Well, what parent ever believes
they have done enough to
prepare their children
to fly the nest? True.
Yet every forest floor is littered
with bodies of young birds
pushed out before they were ready.
We are not pushing them out.
Their departure is carefully planned
and equally carefully supported.
Compared to when they arrived,
the children are transformed.
Outwardly, aye.
Aye, they're fatter.
Fitter.
They speak some decent English.
But up here...
Who knows?
You must understand,
if I had accepted the government's
original offer, we would be sitting
on milk crates in a hall
in Bethnal Green talking about
ten children, not 300!
We have to accept there is neither
a bottomless pit of money
from the community, nor infinite
goodwill from the Home Office.
I also want to do more for them.
Six months ago, they lived from one
piece of rotting bread to the next.
Many had given up all hope.
Your compassion and skill
has set them on their feet.
Because of you...
..they now possess the tools
to move on from here
with confidence and hope.
Every day, relationships
are forming before our eyes...
And breaking apart.
Yes, but this is natural.
They are starting to behave
like normal children their age.
In just four months.
It's extraordinary.
I applaud.
I applaud each of you.
Keep up, lads!
BICYCLE BELLS RING
Warm up, boys. Gather round.
Keep stretching, lads.
Mr Montefiore?
Mr Montefiore. Have you heard
news on my papers yet?
My dear boy, I have
started the ball rolling.
The ball?
The ball is in motion.
The wheels are turning.
With a fair wind and the continuous
application of elbow grease,
you shall have your papers
in your name.
When?
That I can't say.
But I can say...
..eventually...
..welcome to England.
Boot.
Laces.
Fingers.
Hand.
Fist.
Open.
Empty.
Alone.
Family.
Family.
Family.
Grass.
Green.
Trees.
Green.
England is very green.
CROWD GASPS
WHISTLE BLOWS
Throw in, Calgarth.
I hope you've got your medical bag.
It's in the car if I need it.
Nice one, lad! Are you OK?
Tiptop, my dear.
Very tiptop.
Thank you.
So kind.
You're welcome.
WHISTLE BLOWS
That's half-time.
One-all.
Have to hand it to you,
your lads have been brutal
but effective.
Haven't they just.
You're doing very well, lads.
Very well indeed.
Individually, you two are a pair
of footballing clowns.
But when you work together,
you're bloody lethal.
Keep it up.
Same goes for the rest of you -
keep those tackles going in.
Might I interject?
Of course.
It's a wonderful performance, boys.
That said, this team that
you've been playing so...
..effectively,
they are the children
of all those good people.
And without them,
your stay in Windermere
would have been impossible.
So perhaps -
and this is merely a suggestion,
Mr Lawrence is your coach,
of course, not I -
but perhaps you might consider
not breaking anyone's legs
in the second half?
In the spirit of friendship.
What do you think, Mr Lawrence?
Aye.
It's a thought.
Excellent.
Well done.
Well, boys, whatever happens,
I'm sure you'll do us proud.
He say we lose game?
No, no. No.
What I think he's saying is,
sometimes it's less important
to win badly than to lose well.
Lose well?
To achieve something bigger
than winning a game of football.
You understand?
Go and tell your team.
Did you see that? He just
gave the ball away.
What's that about?
Is it a Jewish thing?
I've got it!
Excuse me!
I am looking for Salek Falinower!
Salek?
I was informed that
Salek Falinower was staying here!
No, this can't be.
Salek!
Chiel?
Bread is life.
None understand this
better than you.
RABBI WEISS RECITES BLESSING
ALL: Amen.
Thank you, Rabbi.
Ladies and gentlemen,
esteemed guest...
After everything you've lost...
..no children deserve to be
given the world more than you.
But...
..when you leave here,
don't expect anything.
Don't grab whatever
you want from the world
because you feel your
suffering entitles you to it.
Earn your place in the world,
as you have earned the friendships
you've made here.
In Calgarth,
you have forged a new family,
with brothers and sisters
who will be with you
for the rest of your lives.
Take care of one another.
Be proud of who you are,
and what you've overcome.
And even if you struggle with
the darkest of thoughts,
be open to the wonders
that life can offer.
Especially then.
To you, my dear children...
..l'chaim.
ALL: L'chaim!
I felt like living again.
More or less, everything
opened up for me.
Erm...
I started feeling like
I'm a human being again.
That's what Windermere did to me.
The memories are absolutely
indescribable.
After all the hardship
and hunger and disease,
good things started in Windermere.
It gave me a lot,
because I made many friends.
This is the most important,
because I was not alone any more.
Windermere is my first
home in England...
..which means that I've always got
an allegiance to it.
I am a citizen of a state.
I am proud of it.
A lot, a lot.
When I show my British passport,
I know who I am.
First of all, we will forever be
grateful for the
British Government...
..for giving us the opportunity...
..to go on with our lives.
Give us the opportunity...
..to work here.
We could talk about the past,
talk of our experiences more
so than with anybody else.
Although we always have a little
bit of a barney as well!
I'm a happy person,
and also...
..I help...try to help my fellow
human beings as much as I can.
They tore me out
from my father's arm...
..and took me away.
This moment, I will never,
never forget.
We were unloaded from the trains,
and boys and men in one queue,
women and children
in the other queue.
And they told us to move forward...
I was ten months old
when I arrived in Theresienstadt.
At night, we could see
the chimneys were glowing...
You had dead bodies
all laying on the floor.
Well, I hope it's not me tomorrow.
We were starving all the time.
All we were thinking of was food.
We were supposed to be eliminated...
They got the 10,000 children,
took them to Chelmno
and they gassed them and then
they buried them to mass graves.
I only believed that
the war was over
when I actually saw German soldiers
captured by the Russians.
And they told me that
we're going to England.
I didn't know
anything about England.
I couldn't speak any...not a word of
English - I knew two words.
I know "OK"...
I came with absolutely nothing
because I had no clothes of my own,
no toys.
Didn't know where we were going
or what we're going to do.
TRANSLATION:
This is the last group.
It's been a long day, let's get them
settled as soon as possible.
Welcome! It's warm inside.
Geht bitte weiter, Kinder.
Willkommen.
Willkommen in England.
Off you get. That's it.
Welcome to Windermere.
This way.
Welcome. Welcome to...
Ah. Ah...
HE CHUCKLES
My dear boy, it's nothing
a damp cloth can't sort out.
Now, please...
Please follow your friends.
Please remove all your clothes
and put them on the pile.
We have to get rid of them
for typhus.
You will be given new
clothes in the morning.
Cough for me.
I need you to remove
all clothes and shoes.
On the pile here.
We've got some blankets...
Next one, please.
Oscar!
Ah.
May I introduce you
to Edith and Georg Lauer -
kept prisoner with some
of the children in Theresienstadt.
Edith, Georg,
overseeing our project, our esteemed
director, Oscar Friedmann.
Travelling all day,
you must be exhausted.
We are glad to finally be here.
Before coming to England,
Oscar ran an institution for
troubled boys in Germany.
He has since become quite the expert
with regards to child refugees...
..which is why I asked him
to lead this project.
They are going to be here
for four months?
Yes.
And after?
We are working very hard
at what will happen to them
after Windermere.
Come. You look shattered.
Mr Friedmann.
One of the lads is
refusing to get off.
Refusing?
I tried to explain he's got nothing
to fear, but he won't budge.
FOOTSTEPS
What happened?
We talked. And now we wait.
And how long you...?
Take him inside, Jock, would you?
This way, Salek.
Come inside.
Come this way.
Now, let's get you seen quickly.
Nurse?
Good lad.
My name is Jock Lawrence.
And you?
Arek. Arek Herszlikowicz.
Arek. And where are...where are
you from, son?
Otoschno. Auschwitz.
Buchenwald. Theresienstadt.
He was in four camps?
Again, physically smaller than
we might expect for his age.
Various scars across his back
and arms.
Burn scars.
Damage to the fingers. Healed.
Badly.
Open your mouth please, son.
HE TRANSLATES
Four missing teeth.
Several in decay.
Again, almost certainly
due to malnutrition.
Yet another for the dentist.
Problem?
At the last minute, another boy
on the flight went back to Poland.
This boy took his place,
but there was no more time
to amend the roster.
Oh, my dear boy, calm yourself.
We shall sort everything out.
In the meantime...
..welcome to England.
CHATTER AND LAUGHTER
Compared to survivors
in newsreels I've seen,
they look more normal
than I was expecting.
Three months ago, you wouldn't have
recognised a single child.
This way, please.
Mr Friedmann is quite clear - girls
and boys must sleep separately.
How, when these boys
and these girls are inseparable?
We want them to leave the chaos
of their former life behind
and restore order.
And I understand. They will not.
Then we must explain it to them.
May I suggest
explaining it tomorrow?
Once they - and I - have slept.
Would you prefer me to?
I can manage.
HE SPITS
Most strangers get a slap.
He must like you.
I...I did not expect such
little ones to survive.
They were exceptions.
Hidden.
Living off scraps.
Like rats.
I will be most curious to see how
it has affected them.
Turn around.
Wherever Bela goes, they go too.
Inseparable.
Leonard, you know, the Lauers
think four months is not enough.
Well, you've certainly
got your hands full.
One of the boys said to me,
"The reason I am alive
"is because I was strong enough
to take bread
"from someone who was
too weak to eat it."
The camps taught them
survival at any cost.
Four months.
Not much time to bring them
back to civilisation.
Keeping them all together
in one place was your idea.
We've achieved that.
I wish I could give you longer.
We raised as much as we could.
BIRDSONG
GENTLE SNORING
Salek!
Ah, Oscar, if you ask me,
they look a tad peckish.
RABBI WEISS BEGINS BLESSING
CHILDREN SHOU Hertha! More bread! What?!
More bread. Let them see
it will never run out.
Do you think every meal's
going to be like this?
Let's hope not.
So how do you plan to tame them?
"Tame" them?
Jock, they're not animals.
Next. Stand there, please.
AIR RUSHES
Next!
Close your eyes.
HE COUGHS
Next!
Right, next.
Ey-up!
THEY LAUGH
What's going on here?
You seen these?
Who you looking at, Fritz?
Aw, look.
Adolf wants to shake hands!
Go on, shake hands, Malc. Go on.
Now yank the Kraut bastard over!
Go on, Malc. Pull a bit harder.
What is he doing?
What are you doing?
I'm trying!
He's stronger than he looks!
Get off me! Let go!
Hey!
LAUGHTER
Get off! Lads! Lads!
Come on. Get off!
AIR RUSHES
That's good. Next!
HE ROARS
CHILDREN LAUGH
ROARING CONTINUES
HE COUGHS
Woohoo!
Woo! Woohoo!
BICYCLE BELL RINGS
Woohoo!
Mrs Lauer?
Good morning.
I would like to apologise
for the ill-judged comments
I made about the little
children last night.
No apology necessary.
I would like to
understand them more.
To that end, I was wondering
if you might bring them
to my classroom to paint.
Paint?
I have developed a therapy where
we invite children to paint
without instruction or critique.
They choose the colours
and the themes that they want.
I've discovered that this freedom
allows their subconscious
to reveal itself upon the paper.
It would be fascinating
to know what...
..the...the little leader...
Bela.
To see a visual representation
of her psychology
would be extraordinary.
I am taking them for a walk.
Come with.
THEY MUTTER
What's your name,
and why are you dressed like that?
THEY GIGGLE
Perhaps wear some
trousers next time!
DOG BARKS
CHILDREN SCREAM
He's perfectly friendly!
It's not your dog.
It's any dog.
Kinder!
Are these the Jewish children
we've been told about?
Some of them, yes. Bela!
We were promised that land would be
given back to the local community
after the war.
Why can't their own people
take them?
Oh, well, most Jewish communities
have been established in the cities.
Then send them to the cities.
That is the plan,
once they have been revitalised
with careful supervision.
It hardly seems fair that we
should have to accommodate
all these foreigners.
Madam...
..are you aware what these
children have been through?
The war has been
terrible for everyone.
Not just for you people.
Kinder!
Bela!
Bela!
Come on now!
News-paper.
Newspaper.
ALL: News-paper.
Photo-graph.
Photograph.
ALL: Photo-graph.
It would be easier if you put
out the cigarettes!
Who can say this?
ALL: It is a pleasure to meet you.
Window.
Yes.
English girls.
English girls?
He like.
Likes English girls?
Sala.
Watch and listen.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
ALL: Good afternoon.
My name is Rabbi Weiss.
My name is Sala Feiermann.
My name is Benyak Helfgott.
My name is Arek Herszlikowicz.
My name is Itzek Alterman.
My name is...
ALL: Ephraim Minsburg!
My name... My name is Chaim Olmer!
Mama...
GASPS AND MOANS
ANGUISHED SHOUTING
WAILING AND SHOUTING
I wonder if they will ever
be free of night terrors.
Talking about it will help.
Starvation, beatings, shootings,
hanging, gassing.
All these were
commonplace in their lives.
What would you say?
Forget about all that
and focus on the future?
First, I will listen.
A favourite game of the guards
was to put ground-up glass
into our soup...
..and watch some of us slowly
bleed to death from within.
For those of us who remember a life
before, these things were horrific.
But these children, they...
..they grew up in that horror.
For them it was normal.
If you ask them how they feel,
they might just...shrug.
I get the impression most don't
want to talk about it.
They are more obsessed with
the fate of their relatives.
Every day they ask
when the Red Cross is coming.
Very nice.
Lovely.
SHOUTING OUTSIDE
FOOTBALL THUDS
WHISTLE BLOWS
Come on, lads!
Put your back into it!
Is he very good,
or the rest very, very bad?
No real skill.
But from his speed,
his balance, his strength,
he's clearly a natural athlete.
Amazing, considering.
Oscar, I've been contacted
by the coach of a Windermere team,
asking if we'd like to play
a friendly with them.
A friendly? Aye.
A match played as a gesture
of friendship
from the local community to the
children.
Is the team good?
Aye. Not bad.
Well, if you had 11 of him...
..probably.
Surely what doesn't kill them
makes them stronger?
I think they need to experience what
they can do, not what they can't.
Tell your contact thank you, but no.
Hold the ball!
Hello, love.
Look who it is. Go on, Malc.
You seen this, Malc?
BOYS LAUGH
Enjoying English ice cream, are you?
Here's something to remind you
of home.
CHILDREN SOB
Georg.
Look at him.
Oh, he's pissed himself!
Enough.
Aye-aye, Malc.
And what do you want?
Good afternoon, gentlemen.
You were attempting the Nazi salute?
So? So...
..it is always the right arm.
Trust me, I'm German.
I am also a Jew.
So no Nazi.
Try.
Try!
Higher.
Now...
..the boy you scared so much that
he pissed himself -
he's not German, he's Polish.
As are the others.
They watched their families being
slaughtered by the Nazis.
Do you understand? Slaughtered?
You should lower your arms, boys.
You look like fools.
None of us can imagine what they
went through in their short lives.
Not you.
Not me.
I need your word that my children
are safe to walk your streets.
From man to man.
What do you say?
Well, thank you so much.
Good day to you.
That's very good. Thank you.
That's very good. Thank you.
# ..Take me over there
Drop me anywhere
# Birmingham, Leeds or Manchester
Well, I don't care... #
Come on, girls,
I can't hear you singing.
What about you fellas?
Just imagine...
CHILDREN LAUGH
..and there's a nice little bit of
stuff waiting for you! Beautiful!
# ..Blighty is the place for me... #
Now all together, boys!
# ..Take me back to dear old Blighty
# Put me on the train
for London town
# Take me over there
Drop me anywhere
# Birmingham, Leeds or Manchester
Well, I don't care!
# I should like to see
my best girl... #
Come with me.
Son, I've been a PE teacher
for many years, I've seen a lot
of kids play all sorts of sports.
The most you can hope for
is a modicum of enthusiasm
and the ability to put the right
plimsoll on the right foot.
The number I've encountered with
genuine physical ability
is small, to say the least.
Do you understand
a single word I'm saying?
Plimsoll.
YOU have natural talent.
But like any natural gift,
you need to work at it
to make the most of it.
So here's a book of exercises
for you to look at.
If you're interested.
No.
For YOU.
Thank you, sir.
Forget any notion of competence.
Whether the child is a good
or a bad artist is immaterial.
My interest only concerns
what they paint.
How do these compare with children
who survived the Blitz?
Despite being bombed daily,
those children expressed
themselves as you would expect
of those in good mental health.
Strong colours.
Clear blue skies, shining suns.
Smiling faces.
They painted happy times.
By contrast, these children
depict their most painful memories
of losing family and identity.
And extreme violence.
It is as though they can no longer
access the happy memories
to draw upon.
"Jedem das Seine" was the...
The gate of Buchenwald. I know.
HE SIGHS
I'm sitting here all day waiting...
..to talk to them,
and here they scream
from the rooftops.
Before I came here...
..I was determined to
hold their experience
at arm's length,
to protect myself.
But how can you analyse
these paintings?
How can you ignore
the suffering on every page?
Week after week, I see
this same level of extremity.
When I saw this one...
..I was overwhelmed by sadness.
I did something
I have never done before -
instinctively I went to the boy
and I held him.
Marie...
We feel compelled to respond
as if they were our own children.
How does what we feel help them?
ANGUISHED GASPS
GROANS
HE GASPS
SCREAMING AND WAILING
THUNDER RUMBLES
BIRDSONG
THUNDER RUMBLES
Tree. Branch.
Twig. Rain.
Water. River.
Bird.
Flower.
Thank you.
You are welcome.
Kiss.
Lunch.
Hungry?
Always.
CAR HORN TOOTS
ANGUISHED SCREAMS
Salek...
RABBI WEISS PRAYS
Amen.
OTHERS: Amen.
PRAYER CONTINUES
HE BREATHES UNSTEADILY
PRAYER RESUMES
Amen.
OTHERS: Amen.
PRAYER CONTINUES
Amen.
OTHERS: Amen.
PRAYER CONTINUES
Amen.
OTHERS: Amen.
Sala?
Salek?
Salek.
Sala.
Sala, eventually,
when your strength is fully restored
and you have built a new life...
..you will meet someone who will
love you as much as you love them.
JOCK: Focus on the game, boys!
Into the centre! All of you!
Come on.
Down. Press-ups.
Now, please.
Right, 20.
Start again, with Ben.
WHISTLE BLOWS
Back on the floor, son.
You've barely done five.
You same like guard I knew.
Same voice.
Same face.
Same...
Whistle. Whistle.
Back on the floor, son.
What do you want from me, son?
To go easy on you out of pity?
Is that how you're going
to live out there? Hmm?
How long do you think pity lasts?
"Poor refugee children."
They're not just refugees.
Yes, spare me the sermon, Rabbi.
I know what they are.
You think in six months,
the real world will care?
Everyone suffered in the war.
Not like they have.
Folk don't walk around
comparing misery and loss.
Arek!
Maybe no need to shout?
I wasn't shouting. Everyone speaks
like this in Scotland.
THEY MUTTER
Ben! Perhaps just leave it.
Perhaps mind your own business,
Rabbi. Ben!
I've developed more
training for you, more advanced,
now you're getting stronger.
You need to keep
pushing yourself, son!
I am "son" of Moishe Helfgott.
Shot running away from death march.
Years, 37.
I say that not for pity.
For truth.
It's just an expression.
I say it to everyone.
I not want you say it to me.
Please.
Understood.
The war's over, Berish.
They need to move forward.
Not so easy, when everyone
you love lies in the past.
BOYS LAUGH
CHAIM MUMBLES
I trust you enjoyed
the eggs, gentlemen?
I trust you also enjoyed the other
food that's gone missing?
And the knives, forks, spoons,
plates, bowls, bicycles.
Even a frying pan
from the dining room.
Anything that isn't nailed down
or locked up is likely to disappear.
KNOCK AT DOOR
Yes?
A woman has just come
from Windermere about a dog.
What kind of dog?
A missing one.
The local community
has been very good to us.
Stealing from anyone
is completely unacceptable.
But there will be no punishment.
Instead, I will respect you
for having the courage to live up
to your responsibilities.
WHISPERING
Did you take the dog?
Go and fetch it, please.
Spare the rod and spoil the child.
Unlike carpets, madam...
..children are not
improved with beating.
Thank you.
I...am...sorry, madam.
Thank you, Juliusz.
The invitation to a friendly
game of football between us
and the locals
to foster good relations...
Now might be the time to reconsider.
DOG BARKS
MUSIC: Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen
by Alex Baranowski
In autumn, the weather gets cooler.
Who can say this?
In autumn the weather gets cooler.
Come on, lads. Press-ups.
THEY PRAY
MUSIC CONTINUES:
Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen
Well done.
THEY SING ALONG
Good luck in America.
We've always known
this moment would come,
but everything is
being done to help make
the transition from Windermere
as smooth as possible.
Everyone is determined to give each
child the opportunity to live
a full and productive life.
We've made sure that every one
of them has somewhere to go.
I wish I could say I feel
they will be ready to leave.
I feel the same.
Well, what parent ever believes
they have done enough to
prepare their children
to fly the nest? True.
Yet every forest floor is littered
with bodies of young birds
pushed out before they were ready.
We are not pushing them out.
Their departure is carefully planned
and equally carefully supported.
Compared to when they arrived,
the children are transformed.
Outwardly, aye.
Aye, they're fatter.
Fitter.
They speak some decent English.
But up here...
Who knows?
You must understand,
if I had accepted the government's
original offer, we would be sitting
on milk crates in a hall
in Bethnal Green talking about
ten children, not 300!
We have to accept there is neither
a bottomless pit of money
from the community, nor infinite
goodwill from the Home Office.
I also want to do more for them.
Six months ago, they lived from one
piece of rotting bread to the next.
Many had given up all hope.
Your compassion and skill
has set them on their feet.
Because of you...
..they now possess the tools
to move on from here
with confidence and hope.
Every day, relationships
are forming before our eyes...
And breaking apart.
Yes, but this is natural.
They are starting to behave
like normal children their age.
In just four months.
It's extraordinary.
I applaud.
I applaud each of you.
Keep up, lads!
BICYCLE BELLS RING
Warm up, boys. Gather round.
Keep stretching, lads.
Mr Montefiore?
Mr Montefiore. Have you heard
news on my papers yet?
My dear boy, I have
started the ball rolling.
The ball?
The ball is in motion.
The wheels are turning.
With a fair wind and the continuous
application of elbow grease,
you shall have your papers
in your name.
When?
That I can't say.
But I can say...
..eventually...
..welcome to England.
Boot.
Laces.
Fingers.
Hand.
Fist.
Open.
Empty.
Alone.
Family.
Family.
Family.
Grass.
Green.
Trees.
Green.
England is very green.
CROWD GASPS
WHISTLE BLOWS
Throw in, Calgarth.
I hope you've got your medical bag.
It's in the car if I need it.
Nice one, lad! Are you OK?
Tiptop, my dear.
Very tiptop.
Thank you.
So kind.
You're welcome.
WHISTLE BLOWS
That's half-time.
One-all.
Have to hand it to you,
your lads have been brutal
but effective.
Haven't they just.
You're doing very well, lads.
Very well indeed.
Individually, you two are a pair
of footballing clowns.
But when you work together,
you're bloody lethal.
Keep it up.
Same goes for the rest of you -
keep those tackles going in.
Might I interject?
Of course.
It's a wonderful performance, boys.
That said, this team that
you've been playing so...
..effectively,
they are the children
of all those good people.
And without them,
your stay in Windermere
would have been impossible.
So perhaps -
and this is merely a suggestion,
Mr Lawrence is your coach,
of course, not I -
but perhaps you might consider
not breaking anyone's legs
in the second half?
In the spirit of friendship.
What do you think, Mr Lawrence?
Aye.
It's a thought.
Excellent.
Well done.
Well, boys, whatever happens,
I'm sure you'll do us proud.
He say we lose game?
No, no. No.
What I think he's saying is,
sometimes it's less important
to win badly than to lose well.
Lose well?
To achieve something bigger
than winning a game of football.
You understand?
Go and tell your team.
Did you see that? He just
gave the ball away.
What's that about?
Is it a Jewish thing?
I've got it!
Excuse me!
I am looking for Salek Falinower!
Salek?
I was informed that
Salek Falinower was staying here!
No, this can't be.
Salek!
Chiel?
Bread is life.
None understand this
better than you.
RABBI WEISS RECITES BLESSING
ALL: Amen.
Thank you, Rabbi.
Ladies and gentlemen,
esteemed guest...
After everything you've lost...
..no children deserve to be
given the world more than you.
But...
..when you leave here,
don't expect anything.
Don't grab whatever
you want from the world
because you feel your
suffering entitles you to it.
Earn your place in the world,
as you have earned the friendships
you've made here.
In Calgarth,
you have forged a new family,
with brothers and sisters
who will be with you
for the rest of your lives.
Take care of one another.
Be proud of who you are,
and what you've overcome.
And even if you struggle with
the darkest of thoughts,
be open to the wonders
that life can offer.
Especially then.
To you, my dear children...
..l'chaim.
ALL: L'chaim!
I felt like living again.
More or less, everything
opened up for me.
Erm...
I started feeling like
I'm a human being again.
That's what Windermere did to me.
The memories are absolutely
indescribable.
After all the hardship
and hunger and disease,
good things started in Windermere.
It gave me a lot,
because I made many friends.
This is the most important,
because I was not alone any more.
Windermere is my first
home in England...
..which means that I've always got
an allegiance to it.
I am a citizen of a state.
I am proud of it.
A lot, a lot.
When I show my British passport,
I know who I am.
First of all, we will forever be
grateful for the
British Government...
..for giving us the opportunity...
..to go on with our lives.
Give us the opportunity...
..to work here.
We could talk about the past,
talk of our experiences more
so than with anybody else.
Although we always have a little
bit of a barney as well!
I'm a happy person,
and also...
..I help...try to help my fellow
human beings as much as I can.