Original subtitles

An angel from heaven has come down amongst you

shepherds all, shepherds all

Make haste to the manger

to welcome the Saviour

for us all, for us all

For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful

Amen

Why are we praying?

To thank God for taking care of us

But he doesn't

He didn't take care of Papa

Your father's perfectly fine

- So why hasn't he come home yet? - Ági, enough

- He'll come home - No, he won't

I'm sorry, sweetie

I don't even remember what Papa looks like

The postman

your daughter

To Baja?

What on earth will they do there for three weeks?

It says they'll husk maize

At Christmas?

There was no one to do it in the summer

And I guess the Russkies need it now

If we say you've gone back to Budapest?

If you resist, they take another family member

Anyone who tries to escape gets shot

It's not a ball you're going to

Take mine

They're warmer

HOLY BIBLE

You might need this

Make sure you eat well

I will

- Don't share it out - I won't

Are you leaving, too?

I'll be home soon

I promise

She'll calm down

She'll have forgotten by the time you come back

Mama

Mama Mama Mama

What's your name?

Leave her alone, she's as deaf as a post

My name is Irén

Did you bring food?

Didn't your mother pack you food?

"Beg"?

That's what

Mum said

Are you Irén?

Pastor Walter's daughter?

Don't you live in Budapest?

I bet you don't have to husk maize downtown

You live there, don't you?

Your mother said

We did until they bombed us out

But once you've husked maize, you never forget

Amen

Did they climb on you, too?

They did it with loads of girls in our village

Why do they call us fascists?

How many Swabians here?

You are, too

We declared as Hungarians in '41

- So did we - So did we

Excuse me

I'm a Gypsy

How did you end up on the train?

I come home from the Lady I do the cleaning for,

then some "davai-davai" blokes show up,

grab me and throw me on

They might have told me why,

but I couldn't understand their blabbering

Anyway, I'm Rusyn

But your husband's a Swabian

He is Damn him

Bözsi Bözsi

Erzsébet Beck

She's sick

Sick

She needs to go to hospital

- Your name? - Irén Walter

These are hot

They disinfected them

Lord have mercy upon us

Christ have mercy upon us

Lord have mercy upon us

Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ our Saviour

They took your chalk?

Germans

You attacked us

You destroyed our villages,

burned our fields

and flooded our mines

You killed and ravaged wherever you went

No one can give our children's lives back

But what you destroyed in Hitler's name,

you can rebuild here

in the Donets mines

As older inmates of Camp 1207 already know

there are only three rules

These rules must be obeyed

Anyone breaking them goes in the bunker

No food, no water for three days

You're 2,000 km from your home

in hostile territory

There's nowhere to run

You move between the camp and the mine under guard

Anyone trying to escape will be shot

If you don't make your daily quota, you get no supper

You'll continue this reparative work

until the war is over

You will then be allowed to go home

Blast Take cover

It's clear

The new ones In single file

Tunnel number 3

Number 4

Number 12

Number 3

Number 12

You're too tall You won't fit in

I'll kneel

Number 12

- Thank you - Don't thank me

Number 4

Didn't you say the daily quota's one wagon?

Per head

When both done, he'll take you back to the camp

It's bitterly cold out there It can drop below minus 30 Celsius

If anyone's nose turns white,

tell them to rub it or it'll freeze off

Good evening

None left

- We've only just made our quota - Sorry

Sometimes there's nothing left for the guards either

I'll show you mine, too

They're like organ pipes

- They all yours? - Who else's?

Heavens

The eldest is thirteen

You started early

- The smallest is two - Who's looking after them?

They look after each other

- Where's your husband? - On labour service

- Where's the sour-cream colored woman? - What "sour-cream" woman?

- The one who speaks Russian - Éva?

She sneaks out at night

Number 3

Number 12

Number 12

Number 4

It's less than yesterday

Of course it is We got no supper

I can't make exceptions

I'm a prisoner here, just like you

And if you gave us an extra person?

The head quota remains the same

And if I ask you, as a Hungarian and as a woman,

to save us some supper?

What do I get in return

as a man?

Who else should I blame?

I've not eaten for three days because of you

You don't

have to

You don't have to

Fine I won't

How's it going?

I've got my part done

Pigs get better food back home

Why bring us here to work if they can't feed us?

What bone's this?

Dog?

Cat

Number 3

Number 3

Where did you get that from?

- What's she written? - Can't you read?

Not well

"What's her daily quota?"

Quiet

She got no husband?

Her kid died young and her husband left

They're still murderers

You alright?

Have a rest

I'll talk to Fábián

- Why's she sitting? - She's got a fever

If she can stand, she can work

Not my idea It's the rules

What if she's infectious and the whole gang get sick by tomorrow?

There's no room

Maybe in transit

Why do they call it "transit"?

They're already between two worlds

You have to eat

Do you know what this is?

Typhus

It's spread by fleas

Can I have her shoes?

If she doesn't need them anymore?

She's sick

Typhus

Please

She needs medicine

Could you get some?

Please

Arkadij, truck driver He lives in the village

Yes, typhus

- The medicine's expensive - Can he get it?

He can

What does he want for it?

- A watch - I'll get one

He needs it now

He'll get this if he brings the medicine

He wants it now

- How do I know he's not lying? - You decide Just don't blame me

Hurry

Wait here He'll be back soon

10 minutes, please 10 minutes

We're waiting

Medicine

Medicine?

Sick

Typhus

No supper

You escape

you're dead

We won't we won't

We wait 10 minutes

10 minutes 10 minutes

Anna

Anna

Look at me

Look at me

No No

No

We've got to go back

Anna's still there

No, no Please

Please, please

Please

Please

Please

Please

Please, please, please

We've got to go back

Please please

We've got to go back

We've got to go back

Let me out

Mama

Where were you?

In the attic

Why didn't you tell me?

Papa

- I had a terrible dream - Everything's going to be alright

- You got a smoke? - How many do you need?

How many for this?

Irén?

Haven't seen her for a while

Irén?

Tell me about your dream

Irén

Irén

There's something in the attic

Irén

Irén

Irén

Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you

Try not to dream

Can I come in?

Any dreams?

No

Good

We've met before

Rajmund Müller

Irén Walter

Where you from?

Szekcsö Tolna County

Szabadka Bácska County

Why shouldn't I dream?

Because you'll die

Dreams give us strength, don't they?

- Strength to go on - No

Not here

Chicken

How did you get it?

- I don't smoke - Me neither

Some folks even give up meat for a smoke

This is sulphur

For the scabs

Make it last Don't give any away

Won't you get into trouble for visiting me?

As long as I've got smokes

If they run out, I'll get something else

- Like what? - Clothes, shoes

spoons

anything

You're a very clever man, Rajmund

I had no choice

I've got two sons back home and a beautiful wife

I'm 2,000 km away in the middle of bloody nowhere

If I think of it, I'd hang myself

If I want to survive, I have to set myself rules

Do they work?

You want me to teach you?

Why are you helping me?

Purely selfish reasons

Because I like you

You've got strange taste

I've got a family

Forget them That's rule number one

We're not going home from here

You're not the one to decide that

Then who? Stalin?

The Lord God

God is not here

It's just you and me

You're a nice man

but I've sworn to be faithful

You die or you survive

it's up to you

Berlin's fallen

The war's over

Hitler's dead

Hitler's dead

You can go home tomorrow

All of you

Home

Home

Where are you going?

Careful

You still need rest

When

When do we go home?

The others?

Irén?

When can we leave?

Did they tell you?

The war's over

We can go home

Say something

At the morning line-up

the commandant announced

that we have to stay and work

Stalin's orders

For how long?

They can't do that

It'll be over one day

Someone has to speak up for us at home

Who?

The lords and the ministers

We've just lost the war There's no one to speak for us

Yes

I want to survive

I promised my daughter I'll go home

You have to forget her

You can't ask that of a mother

Then you're going to die

Alright

I'll do what you say

But we better make it clear that nothing will ever happen between us

Don't think too much That's rule number two

Work don't think

What will be, will be

Rough tobacco

Give it to me

There's no better cigarette paper in the camp

Maybe not even in all Ukraine

Your turn

10 smokes equal a wagon of coal

You've already got your daily quota

Just like that?

Russia's the land of opportunity

You just need to know how to make the most of it

That's Svetlana She worked in the bakery,

stole two slices of bread for her son She got sent here

Rule number three: wash every day

However cold it is

Don't worry about him

Serjosa From Minsk

Hasn't seen his family for years

He was told, like all the other guards, that he'd be guarding war criminals

That right, Serjosa?

What's on your mind?

My family

That everything was better in the old days

And everything's going to be good again

There's no remembering There's no daydreaming

But it feels good

That's why That's exactly why it's dangerous

Sooner or later you'll start turning inwards

Won't want to come out of your head

You don't wash, you get sick

You don't make your quota, you don't eat, you lose weight, you die

Vera, you alright?

What else is on your mind?

That I could have done, could do much more for the others

Rule number four: we're not responsible for others

We have to save ourselves

One thing I don't understand

If you take your rules so seriously, why help me?

I love you

I just hope it doesn't kill me

He threw me out

I've got scabies

Everywhere

Give me a bit

Just a bit I'll give it back

I've seen you rubbing it in

I'd like to sleep

What makes you think you're better than me?

You'd sleep with them all

He'll realise that you're using him

Then this great romance will be over

There's nothing between us

- And never will be - Sure

I promised my daughter I'll go home

If that means learning to say no, I'll learn

You weren't like this before

Well, I am now

You can thank your dear commandant for that

Rajmund, look out

Watch out, the whole tunnel will collapse

Irén

Carefully

Please, please

Please, God

Rule number five

prayers don't help

He'll be back after supper You need to leave before lights out

Thanks

You've got an hour

FOUR YEARS LATER

Where's Mama?

She ran away again

You mustn't run away

A child suits you

That's what I keep saying

Every single day

Let's go

Number 2

Number 10

- Evening - Evening

- Where are we? - Outside Baja

You'll spend the night in a warehouse

Everyone here's Swabian?

Not everyone

Tomorrow morning, you all have to declare your nationality

The Germans will be transported to the border by truck,

then on to Germany to settle

- The Hungarians? - They can go home

- Where? - Wherever they came from

- If someone lives here in Baja? - They have to wait until tomorrow, too

Excuse me

I came from Szabadka, but I want to go to Szekcsö

Szabadka's not part of Hungary anymore

It's Yugoslavia again

If you're a Yugoslav citizen, you can't go to Szekcsö

You either go home to Szabadka, or carry on to Germany

But if he goes home, can I visit him?

No, you won't get a visa to a capitalist country

- Since when's Yugoslavia a capitalist country? - Since Tito changed sides

He changed sides?

So if we go home, we can never see each other again?

Can I give you some advice?

Don't go home

I can't stay with you in Hungary

You can't come to Yugoslavia with me

If we want to stay together, we have to go to Germany

That means we have to declare ourselves Germans

We'll go and find a place to live, get work

and then somehow get your daughter out

Your boys?

They're grown now

They can stand on their own two feet

Don't you miss them?

Sure I do

But I've learned to live without them

Not without you

What nationality are you declaring?

German

I'll wait by the truck

Name?

Irén Walter

20 forints

A headscarf from the Women's Association

And a permit to enter Hungary

Signed by Comrade Rákosi

Get on

I'm waiting for someone

Move it

Please, wait a minute

Please

Now all you have to say is what nationality you're declaring

Irén

Stop

Stop Stop Someone got left behind

Dear Rajmund,

You saved my life

Not with your rules,

but with your love

I'm going home

You're a survivor

I know you'll be fine

You'll learn to live without me

But I could never learn to live without hope

Mama?

Following an order issued by Stalin in 1944/45, with agreement by Churchill and Roosevelt,

700,000 Hungarian men and women were taken for forced labour

300,000 of them never returned home

Those who returned were forbidden to tell anyone about their years spent in the camps