Original subtitles

I'm a prisoner of the Russian army.

My name is Lali.

I'm Slovakian.

What are you doing tonight?

The Russians want to invite some local women to a dance.

A dance? Really?

They've plenty of food up there, we heard.

They do.

You'd be picked up in the square at 7:00.

You'd be driven back here at midnight.

And they want more women to party.

I see.

Do we get shot if we don't go?

There are these...

prizes, they call them.

How many friends could you bring?

Can they be married women?

Can't see why not.

I could bring maybe five or so.

Thank you.

See you then.

She agreed.

She said she'll bring others.

Ivana?

She died in her sleep.

She just didn't wake up.

I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry.

Eat slowly. Little bits.

I'm sorry.

You are too young for this.

I told you, Mama.

Go and find them some warm clothes and shoes.

My brown lace-ups, hmm?

This soup is the most delicious thing

I have ever eaten.

Listen, now.

You are only girls...

but I must speak to you as women.

The Russians have taken over our village.

And if they find you here, Bella and I...

are in some sort of trouble.

I don't even want to think about...

You are nothing to them.

You understand?

You can stay in my attic here...

but you have to hide inside.

- You cannot be seen and heard. - Thank you.

For everything.

But we want to go home.

You are made of something strong to be here.

I will get you hot water for a bath.

Thank you.

- Do you come to the dance? - No. They lock me in my room.

So, where do you have to go to get those prizes?

My father and brothers are never coming back from this war.

My mother is useless with grief, and...

I have two younger sisters.

Petrov.

Captain Petrov.

Just there with the moustache.

He has them.

Thank you. Watch me twirl.

Good. How are you?

I'm good.

It's late.

I don't like this.

The dance?

Was there dancing?

Many nights, it went on.

I was locked up.

That girl...

Lali?

I wasn't there. I could only hear it.

Lali?

I am locked in...

every night.

It's okay.

You can tell me.

Oh, I don't think it's safe.

That happened a long time ago.

Good girl.

What kind of a man...

These girls had nothing. Husbands, fathers gone.

Their families were starving.

They had me there for many weeks.

It took that time for the Russians to trust me.

- Slovak. - Yes, sir.

We need to pick up some officers.

We'll be back in 30 minutes.

Are we good?

Yes, sir. Of course.

Hey, hey, can I buy your bike? Here. Take it, take it.

- Slovakia? - It's about a day away.

When you get to a wood, go cross country heading east.

Take it. I want to live, just like you.

Go.

Thank you.

Gita! Gita!

Gita, come!

Where? There's water here.

Water.

- Here. - That's a good spot.

Yeah, this way.

- Hey, there is a pot over here. - Bring it.

But quick. We need to hurry.

He took our bloody pot.

I hate this place.

Gita only told me these things much, much later.

Those girls, what they went through.

They were raised to live in an innocent world.

It was taken from them.

The train is leaving for Korompa town.

All passengers, please get on the train.

Can I help you?

When did they go?

A few days after you left.

There were soldiers on the streets.

Mama woke me up early and gave me a parcel

to take to the Molnars.

Mrs Molnar...

she wouldn't let me go home.

She hid me.

The parcel Mama gave me was her jewellery

- and some photos. - Only a few days after I left?

It was chaos.

They were all gone when I came back.

I stayed with Mrs Molnar...

hiding.

- Goldie, they... - I know.

Look, I know.

But I thought you were gone...

and look, here you are.

They were old.

And Max and Maria would've stayed with the boys.

I thought I was the only one left.

Lali...

Oh, my darling.

Oh, my darling.

There's a girl.

I met her in the camp.

Her name was...

Her name is Gita.

I can use him to make some money.

- I have nothing. - Yes. On your way to Bratislava.

Goldie, I...

I don't want to leave you alone again.

Just go.

There's nothing else that's more important.

It's Mama's?

Gita's.

GITA, I'M HERE, I WILL FIND YOU LALI EISENBERG FROM KROMPACHY X

Hello.

Did you come from Poland, from Birkenau?

- Yes. - Yeah.

Do you know my friends, Gita Fuhrmannova? Hanna? Ivana?

- Do you know them? - Sorry.

Yes.

Okay, well, it doesn't mean he's dead, okay?

But where is he?

You think he'd be living here, sleeping out on the street?

No. We go find him.

Look, we're in our own country now.

First, we find food...

then we wash and get help.

You stink as well.

That's it. I'm done. He didn't make it.

Don't give up.

I'll wait for you.

Excuse me. I'm sorry. Coming through.

Lali!

It's her. It's her.

It's you. It's you.

Behold, you are consecrated unto me

with this ring in accordance

with the law of Moses and the People of Israel.

I've said this a thousand times in my head.

Lali...

I love you.

We've lived all our worst days.

The best are in front of us.

That's beautiful.

Oh, look at me.

There is a sandwich in the fridge.

Lali, I am running late. Bye!

- Where are you going? - Nowhere.

I was just washing the mugs. Are you all right?

- Yes. - So, I was thinking,

the post-war story could be like a little chapter at the end.

A summary.

You moved to Australia, et cetera.

Then they lived happily ever after.

It's never really like that, is it?

Yes, I mean, there's quite often an epilogue.

You know, the story is over, and you find out

that you and Gita built a life together.

We wanted a happy ending. We were always chasing it.

What is it, Lali?

I want to stop talking.

A knock on the door.

Good afternoon.

We're looking for Mr Ludwig Eisenberg.

Lali, look at me.

Come, please.

I'm all right, I'm all right. Sit down.

This place was our home.

Good food.

Clean air.

Gita had the bakery, the synagogue,

her good friends.

I don't know.

Are you going to work?

I can stay for a little bit longer

if you want.

No, no.

I am good.

Okay.

Well, you have soup in the fridge.

I'll bring the new draft over tomorrow.

Why don't you get some air, move those old bones, okay?

- See you tomorrow. - See you tomorrow.

Wherever you go...

here I am.

Good afternoon.

We're looking for Mr Ludwig Eisenberg.

That was my name.

Eisenberg, yes.

Please, come in.

Thank you.

We've been asked to verify your identities, sir.

Asked by who? What for?

We're Australian citizens.

You changed your name after the war?

- Yes, to "Sokolov." - It's all there in the papers.

We've been asked by...

the German consul to deliver a letter to you.

What is it?

- It's been opened. - It's a request...

from a German law firm

who are representing an ex-SS officer

for a statement in support of their client.

For their client? A Nazi officer?

That's right.

A Nazi officer who's on trial for war crimes.

He's asking for your assistance.

SS Officer Stefan Baretzki.

Here are the details for both the law firm,

and the German consulate.

And we'll leave you with it.

- Hello. - Hello.

- What is today? - Thursday. We spoke yesterday.

Yeah?

Come in.

- For you to read. - Yes, I will.

This time, I've focused on you and Gita.

I'm actually excited for you to read it.

I might have figured out how to tell this.

That's good.

And you are smiling.

I am.

But how are you?

I haven't been sleeping much.

The past is in here with us now.

You know, we left the camp, we left Slovakia...

and then we were here.

The past followed us like a sick dog.

You said "happy ever after", but it was hard.

Gita was so sad for many years. And all those nightmares.

- I'll get you water. - No.

Why don't you take a seat? I'll get us water.

- Gita... - You need to sign these cards.

This one for Louise's second birthday,

and Gina and Joel's twins are five.

Lali...

here.

Thank you.

You were thinking about Gita?

All this happened at the same time.

All what, Lali?

Again, again.

The Cohen Street wonder doctor.

We've tried everything.

Nothing works.

I thought I would heal over time.

Other women who were there have recovered.

You must hate me.

No.

No, never.

I'm so happy for you.

Here.

It might get cold.

- Goodnight. - Gita...

Here we are.

Cheese and pickles.

Lali, here you go. Come and have something to eat.

- Thank you. - Oh, you're very welcome.

Lali, I need you to talk to me.

I'm starting to get a bit worried.

- Are you feeling ill? - No, not ill.

- Heather... - Yes, my friend, what is it?

This is not for the book.

Okay.

The police, like we're criminals!

- Baretzki. - He was a monster.

I know who he was.

Do you remember what he did for us?

What?

Are you serious?

What he did for us?

You would stand up in front of the world,

- and say he was a good guy? - I don't know.

Are you losing your mind?

- Can't we just talk about it? - What is there to talk about?

- So many things! - What things?!

Why...

why are you so angry all the time?

I don't know what to do.

- Tell me what to do. - I can't tell you what to do.

Of course, you can. I'll do anything for you.

Lali, I'm done.

I can't go on like this.

- Neither can you. - What?

I can't give you what you need.

- The family you want. - Gita, you are all I want.

- We run and run, and get older. - Gita, stop!

Am I being punished?

Are you?

I want to go to Europe...

see my home.

Cilka...

Esther's daughter, Mimi, she's 16 now. I want to see her.

- I can't fix this. - You can't.

I didn't know if she'd come back.

So, now, I have to write this statement.

I want to tell the truth, you know?

But what is the truth?

How can I know what is right?

You were like a brother to me.

I wrote the statement,

and I took it to the German embassy...

and they sent it to the law firm...

and I never heard from them again.

Do you remember what you wrote?

That he was present at the selections...

that I witnessed him murder many people...

sometimes just because he was in a bad mood.

He went to prison.

I read about these trials, Lali.

Baretzki...

killed himself.

He was a brutal psychopath.

And I would not be alive today were it not for him.

And I have to live with this all my life.

You look so beautiful.

So do you.

- I missed you. - I missed you too.

Oh, you're cooking?

Smells so good.

- Are you hungry? - I'm very hungry.

Wait.

I need to talk to you.

I went to our old apartment in Bratislava.

I was thinking about us sitting on the floor

because we had no table.

What we were hoping for.

How happy we were.

Lali...

I almost didn't get on the plane.

I was so sick.

Sick?

Why didn't you tell me?

I went to a doctor, and he told me I was sick...

because I was pregnant.

You... What?

Gita... No...

- No. Oh, Gita. - We're going to have a baby.

I think I'd like to go back there.

Yes, to Birkenau, to the camp.

I thought you'd never go back to Europe.

I know, I never wanted to, but now...

if you'd come with me?

Lali, oh, that's...

Isn't this something you should do with your son?

We never spoke to him about the past.

He knew, of course.

He had to see it, his mother's nightmares.

You don't want your child to see your pain.

But he saw it.

I never thought I'd tell you so much.

And now you know, so, come with me.

People will probably think you're my daughter.

- Or nurse. - Hey, that's enough, sha!

Lali, I would love to...

if you're sure.

I want to go back to the camp...

to Birkenau...

to see it through these old eyes.

And with you beside me...

I would like that very much.

Come.

You deserve a rest.

- Are you ready? - Yes.

- We can stop at any time, okay? - Okay.

Good.

Interview with Lou Sokolov, 21 February 2004.

Would you tell me your name, please?

My name is Lou Sokolov.

Is that the name you were born with?

No, I was born Ludwig Eisenberg.

- What name are you known as? - Lali. They called me Lali.

- Are you married, Lali? - No, I was married.

- What was the name of your wife? - Gita. Gita Sokolov.

- Where did you and Gita meet? - Met in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

I was taken from my parents' home,

and transported like an animal...

to an unknown place.

I was the tattooist,

a Tätowierer in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

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