SyncFix by divx.NeKryXe.com
I was eleven when I came to realise how dangerous it was to be a Jew.
My Father called me to his study one day and said in order to survive we had to separate.
Papa then began to pound the Catholic prayers into my head..
so that I would pretend to be a Catholic, assuring me that God would understand.
But when he began to put me in the closet, my Mother and Father began to argue..
and once I heard them cry.
Does the Holy Communion really taste like blood and flesh?
Hail Mary's. Can't let go until you finish.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Word is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us now and at our deaths, later.
No, that's not it. You need to be strong.
I brought the potatoes.
I can't lift my arms.. Don't make me do it anymore.
Max!
Max, he's here. You told me he was coming on Thursday.
He wants to take him right away.
What happened?
Professor, if you want me to take the boy, it has to happen now
Wait, wait, wait.
There's no time. It has to be now, yes?
But he's not ready. He's got nothing packed.
Professor, yes or no?
Do you have the baptismal certificates?
Here. The priest arranged them for all three of you.
- Romek! - Sara, bring him here!
Sara, go get him some clothes, quickly!
He's not going anywhere!
You have to go now.
- No, no, no.. papa.. - Romek...! you have to go now
Please, let me stay!
Boy, get down!
- Papa, let me stay. - It's ok..
Papa.
Halt!
Papers! What you carry in your wagon?
Potatoes.
Where is he? He must be stopped.
Jude! Jew, Jew.
It's him.
Let's go.
Move! On your way.
Hya! Hya!
Praise the Lord.
So, this is the boy.
Yes.
- Father! - Oh no!
Father, she's driving me crazy. You must talk to her. She's telling me again that I stink.
Then maybe it's time to jump in the river.
- But I cannot swim. - Find a shallow spot.
As we approached the village Mr.Lipa said that the Germans loved to kill and eat the lot.
They took from the poor almost all the cows, pigs and goats.
Vladek, open the gate.
Hello neighbor.
- Hello. - You have a visitor?
Yes. This is my wife's cousin's son. They lost their house in a bombing.
- He's going to stay with us for a few months. - Ah!
What nice, noble features.
- He looks like a precious music box. - Vladek, faster!
I'm glad Mr Lipa was such a good liar. He said "You're part of my family from Krakow now."
His name is Romek.
Vladek, say Grace.
Bless...Bless us...Bless us with these ummm... Bless us for ahh...Bless us for...
- Why don't you make HIM say it? - No, you say it.
Bless us O Lord for these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord.
- Amen.
- Vladek, I want you to go to the quarry and wash the wagon for Sunday Mass.
Papa, can I show him the pig?
- What? - Papa, can I show him the pig?
After the meal.
Romek, come.
Listen boy. Don't tell anyone about this pig. Anyone! You understand?
It wasn't very smart for Mr Lipa to hide the pig and the Jew in the same house.
If the Germans find out about the pig..
POUF! POUF!
...It's just for a few months. Vladek, not a word of this to Tolo.
For hiding a pig from the Germans, there was a penalty of death.
Tolo, come here. Tolo!
Vladek, no no no. Stop it. Stop it, Vladek.
My mother said that the world was upside down.
Two plus two equaled seven or even one hundred but never four.
Right answers were dangerous and so were the kids, especially Maria, Vladek's girlfriend and Robal and Pyra.
Hey look, Vladek's cousin. He's a spy. Get him!
- He's too pretty. Let's hang him. - Come on you guys, let him go.
Hey, hey, hey! Where is Romek?
Tolo?
- In pig house. - Why?
- Vladek put him there. - Go, and get him in here. NOW!
Stop! You two better get along. You understand? Answer me!
You'll sleep together tonight.
My brother knows how to break noses you know. Vladek! Show him, show him.
If Papa hadn't stopped me, you'd have gotten this.
You are dead.
Psst! Come, sleep in my bed.
- She's having a nightmare again. - Shut up.
She works so hard during the day that it all comes back to her at night.
Tolo is so stupid.
I'd like this one there. She's a pretty little peach.
On Sunday I went to a Church for the first time in my life. I was scared.
I knew all the other children would be there.
Of course, when you really look at the group that Jesus surrounded himself with, they were all human mongrels.
Mongrels.
We are all lucky to be alive.
Everybody here who goes to the toilet every day for one minute should be happy, but...
can you smile like this little child?
No, all I ever hear from you is grunts and groans and complaints but somehow..
you survive another day to fill your mouth with the food your wife is feeding you..
How can you be so ungrateful?
How can you be so unkind to God?
Today I am starting Cathecism classes for all those lost souls who because of the war
haven't had their First Communion yet.
Vladek, Pyra... Maria, Romek and you too Tolo.
I want you all there at the first class this afternoon after the Mass. Be there or you're dead!
- Now, what is the Holy Communion? - A wafer?
- Tolo thinks it's a wafer. Vladek, what do you think? Romek?
- It is the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. - Exactly, Romek.
Ooh, Jesus!
- Who's got a knife? Pyra?
You little fools. You think it's wine and drinking at the altar every Sunday at Holy Communion?
No! It's the Blood of Christ.
It is not the wafer, it's Christs Flesh.
- Can I have my knife back? - Father, Father!
The Germans came to Batylin field. They're looking for pigs.
Don't shoot! Don't shoot!
- That's good! Good! Stay there. - Father, please save the pigs!
NO!
- Officer! Please! Take the pigs and forgive them. - Catch me these pigs.
- What? - Catch me these pigs.
For every pig you catch, you save one life.
Now you're a pig catcher.
I'll give you one minute for each one. Ah, ah-ah.
Begin!
Ah! You still have one minute.
C'mon... C'mon.
- Why did Maria run away? - She saw her parents being killed like that.
Now she acts weird sometimes.
- Did you go to the trains? - None of your business. Go to sleep.
- What trains? - I can't tell you.
- Why not? - Vladek told me not to
The day after the killing in the fields I saw the Priest in the barn.
I think he was arguing with God.
Tolo. Hey, Tolo.
- You ever see your cousin before he came here, huh? - No.
Where were you with your parents,boy? Huh?
Our house was bombed by the Germans a few weeks ago and my parents... - Oh yah? Uh-huh?
...and my mother got hurt and she is staying with other relatives who are taking care of her.
You should be with your family, boy.
One day the priest gave us a game to play. I think that's why Tolo began to get his strange ideas.
I want you to play a little game.
Vladek, take these sticks. The names of the Apostles are written on them.
They are lots. Pick two Apostles each. Learn about them. Become them. And study this book. It has pictures.
- You almost caught those pigs, Father. - What did you say?
Almost caught them. We saw you.
- And you! Get lost! Jesus didn't play with girls. - Go to hell, Vladek. I'm not going anywhere.
- Vladek, there is a blank stick. We can put Jesus in there. - The Priest didn't say to do Jesus.
You can't have the Apostles without Jesus. I want that Jesus stick. Give me that blank Jesus stick!
Okay, fine. The blank one is Jesus, fair enough?
Okay, everyone draws at the same time. Close your eyes. Close 'em! Okay, here we go. No peeking.
Hey. Give that back.
Hey, she got Judas. The traitor. You can keep it.
- But who got Jesus? - I did.
- I should get it. - Hey, give me that.
- No! - Fine. You have to hang on the Cross then.
At night, when it's cold and dark. - Okay, but,
Vladek can't throw me in the water, and he can't hit me anymore. I'm Jesus!
Tolo asked me why Jesus wanted to be crucified. To save all the people, I told him. I think he liked my answer.
- Pound it. Pound it. Hard! - No, I don't want to do it.
Ou-ouch! It hurts!
What are you doing? What are you doing? I know what they are doing. They're playing Jesus games.
You know, you can do exercises that will make it hurt less. - What exercises?
- Well, you can put your hand in the fire. - Or, you can run naked in the rain.
Or, you can make a crown of the rose-bush and wear it on your head. - Pyra! Pyra, come here.
- Stop it! You're drunk. - Shut up. You shut up. I want to talk to my neighbor. Gniecio?
- Praise the Lord. - Praise the Lord.
Neighbor, you know you have to be very careful. Germans everywhere.
- Batylin kaput! - I know.
You are the most beautiful woman in this entire village.
I'm sorry, my wife. You too are very beautiful, but in a different way I mean.
Lucky Lipa, beautiful wife, beautiful farm, beautiful cousin.
- Is that what you came here for? - It's time to go home.
Gniecio, you are not doing something stupid that could get us all killed? Or are you?
Okay, let's go.
Father? Vladek says that Jesus didn't play with girls. Is that true?
Are you still Vladek's girlfriend?
Did you ever...kiss him?
You must be without sin when you take your first communion.
Pure.
- You know about Maria Magdalen? - No.
Read about her.
- Professor Pyra. Where was Jesus born? - In the Vatican.
- Oh, so he was Italian? - Yes Father.
No, Jewish. He was a Jew.
A Jew?
Quiet! Get up!
I have an idea. I will spend an hour in the barn with my beloved.
Then, when I come out you will play the villagers and start to stone me. Okay, ready?
No chance.
I wanted to scream for help, but it was too late.
- What are they doing? - They're Iying naked on top of each other.
That's AWFUL!
Do you want to see me?
- Can I see you? - No.
- Why not? - Because.
Did she show it to you? I've seen it twenty times already.
And what did you do to stop me from going into the barn? You coward! I'm through with you.
Soldier, Juden. Soldier, Jew.
What? Are you crazy? Stop it.
- Let's go. - Moment!
- What did you say? - Jude.
Where? Where is the Jew?
I'm a Jude.
- You are? - Yes.
No. No he is not. He's joking.
Hans! Hans, hurry up. I'm melting.
Coming.
Tolo, take off your hat.
Take that hat off! Take that hat off!
- Old witch! - What'd you say? Gniecio!
- You haven't gotten a good spanking in a long time. - I need it!
Gniecio! I think you'd better talk to this boy. Look what he's wearing on his head.
Tolo, take that hat off. Tolo, take the hat off!
Take..it..off!
Why are you doing this?
For a while, I set one stone for each day that passed..
but time passed, and there were more and more stones, and no-one cared.
- Tonight I'm raising the pig. - Why?
It's getting too dangerous to keep it. Kluba will go with me.
Kluba's been snooping around here for months. He asked me to get rid of it.
- He's found a buyer. In town. - Don't.
Romek, all you have to do is push on his belly with your hands.
Ready? Now!
Harder!
She's having a BIG nightmare tonight.
- Ooh, ahh. Yes-s-s-s. - Oh boy!
Let's go.
I'll be back in the morning.
Mr Lipa was like my father. He would do anything for his family.
- Be careful - I will.
GET UP! Get up!...
GET UP!
Get up! Feed your children.
- Mama, please stop! Please stop! - NO!
I...I don't know what happened. Gniecio left with the man who bought the pig. I waited for hours.
Then I went to look for him and some people told me the Germans shot somebody.
I found him in the ditch. Then I brought him here. And that's all I know.
- The money. What about the money? - I checked. He didn't have any.
Get up! GET UP! Oh you stupid fool! Get up!
- Praise the Lord - Praise the Lord.
Just watch Tolo. He loves you so much.
Tolo comforted his mother, but he never cried.
Then, on the night of the funeral he did something very odd.
Tolo! Tolo what are you doing?
- Tolo! Tolo, please! Tolo. - Get off me-e-e! No!
- Tolo! Stop, Tolo! - Tolo! Are you insane?
- Leave me alone! I have to do my Jesus exercises. - Tolo...
- Don't! Get off of me! - Stop these games!
- Tolo... - Tolo, you'll be sick again!
Romek, what's going on? What did you do with him?
- He was running in the rain. - Why did you let him?
- I didn't. - WHAT!
- I went to get him. - What? I told you to watch out for him.
It was the only thing I asked you to do in this house for it.
Get out! - He didn't. It was me, it was me.
- Romek don't go! Romek don't go. Stop him. - Poor baby, you are going to be sick again
Where are you? Where's my new home?
What happened? Did Vladek do something to you?
- They threw me out. Who's that?
- Don't worry, she can hardly see. Come here boy.
Closer.
City boy. Hmmmm!
Lie next to me.
You are so wet.
- I felt safe with Maria, and.. - Look at me.
..I liked how she smelt like strawberries. It reminded me of my mother.
Vladek is coming.
It's OK. I will talk to him.
- What do you want? - I want to talk to Romek.
Romek isn't here.
Romek? Tolo is very sick. He wants you to come back. He wants all the kids to come.
He asked especially for you. Romek? Romek!
ROMEK!
- Mama, go away. - What?
Please Mama.
Romek? I'm sorry.
I have a plan. All of you are in it. It's a special night.
- What special night? - One night I'll hang on a big tree..
..all night, and I'm going to make them all come back.
- Who? - Everyone.
- Who, Tolo? - Papa, and yours..
and yours too Romek. We all have to take a bath together.
- Get baptized. - Get baptized together, to get ready
- Say yes, everybody. - Yes, Tolo.
- Yes, Tolo.
- I'm not putting my head in it! - You have to. You promised Tolo.
Please wait outside.
Please do it.
- Thank you. Would you lean down? I have to kiss you. - Oh no-o!
Because you shiver, by this holy riverr... and you might get cold
Listen to me and remember that you all put your heads in the bucket and now you have to follow me.
I am going to suffer for you..
but...I'm going to make things better. - You did a good job.
Vladek, come here.
- It's Robal. - He has been to the trains again.
I knew to avoid Kluba but how could I stay away from his sons?
Well, well, well. Mister Very Late Apostle!
I'm not going to play these games anymore.
says they're stupid. Stupid! What are you going to do? Stop the war?
You promised!
Okay, make my tooth grow back. Make my tooth grow back, now! - Come up the ladder.
Close your eyes.
Evil demon that stop tooth grow. Go AWAY!
Nothing, nothing! A-ha-ha-ha! He can't do it! This should be easy!
You did that on purpose, you little dwarves. - If you go, you can't come back.
I'm leaving! Robal was right. Bunch of kids and a girl..
..and a sissy Jew, playing Jesus. - Pyra. Pyra, don't go. I love you.
Stop right now. Don't touch me! You are not Jesus.
- And YOU should be on those trains! - Romek, hey!
- My nose! My nose! - Pyra... Pyra... Pyra... Pyra.
- Pyra, Pyra, Don't go. - Mama, my nose is broken. Mama.
Pyra.
I had to go for myself. People were whispering that Jews were going in one direction only.
- Who's that? Papa, is that you? - There's nobody there.
You went to the trains...
Were they jumping tonight?
Yes.
I told you. I told you I don't know what happened. I really don't know what happened.
Gniecio sold the pig to the man. I..I'm sure...
- The man in town said that Gniecio never sold him the pig. - He's a liar!
He said another man sold him the pig. A man with a big moustache like you.
What are you going to do? Rat on me? To who?
That boy...across the road... How much money did you make on that?
Get off. Get out!
- How long have you been there? - Kluba knows about me. What is he going to do?
- Probably nothing. - What's going to happen to me?
Don't worry about him. Let me show you something.
- What are these? - Holy Hosts. You want some?
No.
Don't worry. They aren't Hosts yet. They are just the edges. I never bless the edges.
Are we blessed? Or are we just the edges?
We are all scraps, Romek, but we are all blessed the same.
Not all the people, right?
Batylin..
His wife..
Vladek's father.. Maria's parents.
I went to the trains last night. My parents aren't coming back for me are they?
Probably not.
- What will you do with me if my parents don't come back? - They will come back.
What if they get sickness, or die in the war?
You can stay here.
Take those nice shoes off.
Okay, you can look.
- What are you doing? - Follow me.
Come on, all the way.
- What now? - Okay, I promise you that I will love you always, and I don't love Vladek,
and I'm so glad you came to our village, and I'm glad they didn't hang you,
and I love your nose and your hair and your skin. Now you promise. Don't let go.
Uhh! I promise I'll work hard to buy you lots and lots of perfume and..
I'll always be your boyfriend, I mean husband
- I always wanted to marry a city boy-y-y! - Free hands!
Tolo took the part of asking God to bring our parents back very seriously.
I don't know why we didn't stop him.
Harder.
I want to be alone.
Papa...
Papa?
I'm hanging.
- Ah ha! What's in the tree? Ooh! - How did you get up there?
You're so skinny. No food huh? No food.
- What do you want? - Hey Robal, how are the sheep?
- Everybody knows. - What sheep?
- Sheep are better than girls. - You'd better shut up.
Stop it everybody.
- Shut that little slut up. - Get out of here.
You know Vladek, if you dwarfs weren't so busy playing games with each other you could make some money.
- Piss on you. - You're so stupid. Just like your father.
Let go of me you bastard.
Come on, let's get out of here.
We are going home.
Vladek, what are you doing. Don't touch it. Don't untie me.
Tolo, stop it. We are going home.
No, don't untie me. You promised. You put your head in the bucket.
Now Papa is never coming back
You KILLED him Vladek.
- I haven't seen Vasha! - I lost him
Find him!
Vasha, Vasha!
Bring him!
Can you walk? Hurry up!
Stop! Where are you going?
- What do you want? - You'll tell your story at the Police Station.
Come on!
- We don't have any money. - We have no money.
No money?
If he sees us, he'll kill us!
What about gold, jewelry? Have that?
Vladek, slow down.
Kluba...
- Klu... Kluba killed your father - What?
I overheard Kluba arguing with the Priest.
The Priest went to town and found out... that it was Kluba sold the pig.
Your mother's?
Somebodies mother's.
Hey city boy! What'd you mean by what you said?
- Somebodies mother! Are you spying on me? - Come on Romek. Let's go.
Stop it! Stop it!
What do you know, Jew-boy?
Robal stop it, stop it! Robal stop it, stop it. Robal, you idiot.
Shut up you little whore!
- Let's throw him in. - No!
- Yeah! - Okay.
- What are you doing Robal? - Get lost!...
Get LOST!
Vladek...Vladek!
I... Maria.
Romek...Romek!
Be careful son. You have your mother to take care of..
and Tolo, and Romek.
Your father would be proud of you.
Let's go.
Are you coming?
Take your shoes off!
Put your head down! Put your head down!
Hey Robal.
You're not going to shoot.
Stuff that in his mouth. SHUT HIM UP!
We have no father.
- Your father will have no son. - Vladek, NO!
That was for you, Papa.
Vladek, give me the gun.
- Hands up! - Romek, run.
- Don't move! - Wait, wait. Wait!
The boy is robbing the Jews.
Pick it up later.
Come here. Come, Come.
Here!
How much money did you make tonight?
Look at me. Good job, Colonel!
Would you like to go for a ride?
Come...Come.
Hans...Hans!
Stop here.
I've got to show you something. Just wait.
Come here! Come. Come with me.
Listen now.
When I say "Go", you do the same thing you did in the forest. All right?
Come with me... I've never seen anything like this in my life.
Look at the boy. ROMEK... ROMEK! GO!
Now watch.
Take the coat off!
Faster!
And the vest...and the vest.
Good boy, huh?
Take your shoes off.
TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF!
Come here, come here.
Oficer, listen to me. Please, please.
- I'm a pole, i'm not a jew, please let me go. - Shut up!
- See, he's got something there. - Ah, beautiful.
- Good boy. - Shut up!
- Let me go. I'm not a Jew. I'm a Pole. - Hey, what's going on there?
- I'm not a Jew. I'm a Pole. - He's a Pole.
- Bring him here. - I know him.
- You know him? I know him, yes. He's a Pole.
I'm not a Jew. I'm a Pole.
- Tell me, how do you know him? - He was helping me.
- Where? - In the forest.
- In the forest? - Yes!
Well, let's see.
Pull down your pants.
Pull down your pants!
Come! come here.
Oh, I'm sorry Colonel. I'm so sorry.
Keep up the good work, and so on. Pull up your pants.
- TOLO! - Stop him!
- What do you think you are doing? - I know him. The blond boy.
- That boy? - Yes, Tolo.
It's my brother.
Come here.
Do you know the boy?
- There. Do you know him? - Tolo!
That boy says he's your brother. Is he?
Tolo!
Tolo... Tolo. No.
Do you want to go with him? Do you want to go with him? So SHUT UP!
That's my brother!
- No...No...No. Vladek! - Tolo...Tolo!
This is the Lamb of God who washes away the sins of the world.
Happy are those he calls to his Supper.
- Corpus Christi. - Amen
Corpus Christi.
- Corpus Christi. - Amen
Romek! Corpus Christi.
Amen
I will never forget Tolo..
nor the kindness of those who helped me..
to remain who I am.