Original subtitles

Hey. Up.

Get up!

They don't see us.

No, Wolf. Don't.

Your shoe!

Keep your toes covered or you'll lose them.

Don't worry, we'll find you a new one before we leave.

Why did you hide it?

If you get to Kolo,

tell my wife Klara I will come for them.

Tell them yourself. Tonight.

You ready

Yeah.

No, he'll see you.

The Russians aren't far,

they'll be here by spring.

The spring?

We'll not make it to the end of the week.

No one's coming for us.

-You'll get us all killed. -We're already dead.

Come on.

-Monik, don't. Please. -Monik, now.

Now. Move.

- Herr Polizeimeister, my shovel, my shovel!

The shovel. Sorry. Forgive me.

Don't kill me. I want to work.

I want to. I want to work. I'm sorry. Forgive me.

- Kaputt, huh? - Please.

Kaputt.

You really want to work?

Uh-huh.

Then you dig with your hands, okay?

Lenz!

Your lucky day. Huh?

Hm.

Hey. Stop!

You and you.

What you're waiting for? Dig!

Move!

Dig! Dig!

On the drive back. Tonight

You're mad.

Will use the knife to cut through the side of the transport truck

-You already tried that. With a rock, now we've got a blade.

And then what?

They've already rounded up every Jew from here to Lodz.

Where exactly will we go?

Have you seen anyone arrive from Grabow?

It's only a few kilometers away across the river. It could be done.

No, it can't.

There's still a ghetto there.

I know the rabbi, Schulman,

he's with the underground, trust me, he can help us.

But what if Goldman is right?

-What? -If we escape, they'll kill everyone.

They'll kill everyone if we don't.

It's too dangerous

Every morning when they take us out, half don't come back.

We don't know if we'll survive the day.

I overheard the Poles, they say the Russians will be here by spring.

Forget the Russians. We have nobody but ourselves.

Goldman says if we just hold on a little longer...

A little longer? For what?

Was burying your parents, your sisters not enough?

Forgive me, Solomon. I only meant that...

We must stop being afraid if we want to live.

Or if we just want to survive.

Stop! Hey.

No talking. Hmm?

Okay, Oskar.

Take your hats off!

Have you done sorting before?

No, Scharfuhrer.

-You. -No, Scharfuhrer.

-Yes, Scharfuhrer. -Department?

Clothes, Scharfuhrer.

If you steal anything,

You try to escape,

you so much as talk to each other..

-Are you listening to the Scharfuhrer, dog? -Jawohl.

-What? -Jawhol, Polizeimeister.

Everything must be kept in order, in the right pile.

You pick up the belongings, you take it inside for sorting.

-Very simple. -Yes, Scharfuhrer.

No talking, no eye contact.

No speaking, no eye contact.

Come, everyone. Everyone off.

It is all right. You're safe now.

-Go over there. -This way.

Come a little bit closer. Yes, please

Stand there.

Come, come.

Am aware of the hardships you Jews have endured since the start of the war.

And in the ghettos,

the horrific living conditions,

the disease

the lack of food.

But I assure you

your suffering is finally over.

This is the Kulmhof Transit Center.

Let me be the first to tell you that you have all been chosen for good honest work.

From here you will be transported immediately

to a new state-of-the-art factory in Leipzig

where you will be given hot meals, a place to stay,

and fair wages like that of the German workforce.

Now, as you may know, there has been a scare of typhus in the ghettos.

And we cannot allow that to spread to the factory.

Therefore. before the long journey, you will need to shower,

and all your clothes and luggage will be disinfected.

Gold, money, foreign currency, and jewelry are to be deposited against a receipt

Do not lose your receipt

Since you will be asked to present it upon arrival in Leipzig.

Now please, gather your things.

Do so quickly so you can step into the warmth of the castle

where you can undress and shower.

Do not forget to properly mark your baggage

so it can be identified later.

Goldstien? Goldstien.

Make sure to hand over all valuables hidden in your garments.

The steam from the disinfecting oven will destroy everything.

It would be a shame to let your valuables be ruined.

Your number.

We all know how stressful this period can be.

We believe it would be helpful if you would write letters to your families

that you have arrived to your destination and you're safe and healthy.

This way

You two.

Solomon? Solomon Wiener?

It's me, Aaron. From Kolo.

You don't remember me? I'm Moishe's father.

Yes, yes, I remember you.

Did you see Moishe?

He was in the transport two weeks ago.

Did he arrive at Leipzig?

Will we be working in the same factory?

Uh, Moishe...

Take this gentleman's belongings inside for disinfection.

-Yes. -Now.

-You wrote your letter? -Yes.

-You can go inside. -Thank you.

Go.

Stop.

Mama! Mama!

[muffled screaming continues[

Hide this. Hide it.

My pockets are torn. Hide it.

You're risking our lives over a pencil?

If people knew what this place is, what the Germans are doing,

they will help us.

Now take it, please. Come on.

Move.

Get them out.

Stop.

What you're waiting for?

They're not gonna bury themselves.

Use every centimeter. Keep them tight.

Good.

Look in the mouth.

Good.

Hey, hey. No, no, no.

The fat ones on bottom, the skinny one's on top.

Klara. Klara.

Klara!

Klara!

Gutta! Abos!

My baby, my baby. Klara.

Kill me. Kill me now, please. Let me be with my family.

Let me be with my family

You have to leave them.

-No. No. -Leave them.

Kill me. Please.

I beg you. Please kill me

Yeah...

Continue to work. Come on.

Come on!

Come on. Come on.

- Back to work. - Come.

-We have to keep going. -Keep going?

Hey. Get up.

For what?

Hey! Continue working. Come on.

Come.

Get up! Back to work. Hey!

- This is your last warning. - Please.

Continue working now! Get up!

Come on.

Back to work.

Work!

Work.

- Ready? - Now?

As soon as we are on the truck.

-Ready? -It'll never work.

You'll get shot.

We're walking.

Move!

Tomorrow morning,

They'll have fixed the truck.

Stop!

So what is here?

We caught him outside the woods, Polizeimeister.

He came to us looking for food.

Thank you.

Move!

Move faster!

Open it!

Everyone stand in line.

Hats off!

You can eat now.

You have to eat.

And tomorrow we have to make sure we board the back of the truck together.

If we get separated,

Solomon, do you know the way to Grabow?

No.

This is the castle.

Grave site.

We run east through the forest until we hit the river.

Follow it downstream.

Then head north through the farms past Dabie.

The water is freezing.

So fall in and you're finished.

But it moves quick.

So, if we can find a raft or something,

it'll take us downriver

and we'll be in Grabow in 30 minutes.

We just have to keep away from the roads.

And whatever happens, do not trust the Poles.

I'm sorry about your family, Michael.

We will do right by them.

Very good.

Hats off!

Let us lighten the mood, yes?

Play something.

No, no, no, no, no, play something happy.

Something uplifting, something to dance to.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, super!

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance!

Dance!

Louder. Louder. Louder.

Take your hats off!

And shoot.

Solomon, if you get to Grabow...

Thank... Thank you.

Not a word until morning.

What now, Szlamek?

what are we going to do now?

We run.

Run? We have no one left to run to.

Wolf was right.

No one's coming for us?

As long as we're still breathing, there is hope.

Hope? All of our families are gone.

There are other families.

One day the Germans came into our ghetto

saying they were in need of workers.

Only the strong will be chosen, they said.

Each man should bring a shovel and enough bread for two days.

My family, like everyone else in Izbica,

were convinced that we were off to a labor camp.

Better than starving in the ghetto.

The Nazis put us in the truck

and we even stopped on the way there at a petrol station

so that we could stretch our legs.

My neighbor, Bronshtein, he wandered off,

the Nazis, they didn't even notice.

And when the truck kept going, he came running back,

banged on the side so that, God forbid, he wouldn't be left behind.

We had no idea.

No idea.

But as soon as we arrived here, they made...

they no more effort to conceal what was really going on.

They took away our shovels, our food.

I was taken out the forest with three others to dig.

The rest we buried that day.

My family, my...

My parents, my four sisters...

Not long after.

We have... We have to get the word out.

We...

We have to warn our people what this place is, what it really, really is.

Do you think that will bring an end to all of this?

I don't know.

I don't know, but if we succeed,

the next Brohnstein will not be so keen to run back.

But how? How do we escape?

Just like Wolf and Monik planned.

With what? We haven't got a blade.

We have this.

We cut through the side of the truck on the way out tomorrow.

We take the river. We stay off the roads

and we don't stop running until we reach Grebov.

Yes?

Yes.

Listen, everyone.

Michael and I are going to leap off the next transport tomorrow morning.

Who's with us?

You think you're the first to try to escape, young Szlamek?

Remember Zerlin from Leczyca?

Isserman and Greenberg from Kutno...

No, they ran from the castle or the gravesite,

not from the transport trucks in the middle of the forest.

-There will only be five or six Germans on us. -And two never ran together.

We'll use the trees for protection, draw fire in different directions.

Exactly.

Join us, Goldman.

The Russians are less than 400 kilometers away.

We don't know that.

We only have ourselves to rely on, Goldman.

You can take your chances here.

Michael and I are leaving.

Even if you make it through the forest,

the first Pole you meet won't hesitate to bring you back for five Zlotys.

Grebow is only a few kilometers away.

-Yes. -The ghetto has not been liquidated yet.

And there's a rabbi there, he can help us.

And if by some act of God, you make it there in one piece,

who do you think will be staring down the barrels of a firing squad

once they realize you're gone?

Goldman's right.

We've survived this long.

You are all welcome to join us.

If we succeed and they take it out on you...

please know that I am sorry.

We will pray for you.

We will pray for all those who suffered here.

Wolf. Wolf.

He was from Kutno, yes?

Yes?

Lodz.

Wolf was from Lodge.

Monik from Kutno.

Thank you, Felix.

Who else?

Who else?

Jacob Zerlin, from Leczyca.

Josef Herskowicz, from Kutno.

Josef Herskowicz...

Motle, uh...

Motle Symkie, also from Leczyca.

Gecel Stajer, from Turek.

Josef Herskowicz, from Kutno.

Who else?

Moshe Pocar. From Kutno.

Moshe had a son here with him.

Uh, Josef? No.

Fabel.

Fabel Pocka.

-Fabel... -Also from Kutno.

Isia Maja. From Zhezhani.

Jonas Ley, from Zhezhin.

-Who else? -Jabob Szlamowicz, from Lodz.

Aaron Nusbaum, from Sanok.

Noah Judkiewicz, from Kutno.

Moshe Henikov. From Kutno.

Jacob Jacobitkevic...

Gecel Stajer, from Turek.

Isaac Szama, from Brzeziny..

My wife.

Klara.

Gutta and Abos Podchlebnik, ages 5 and 7,

from Kolo.

Who else? Who else?

The late transport has finally arrived!

Everybody out! Back to the forest.

At least we don't have to walk you dogs back, huh?

Good luck!

Goldman. Goldman...

Goldman. Goldman!

Goldman!

Goldman.

Hey, sit down!

-Sit down! -Pleas, Herr Polizeimeister.

-Sit down, I said! -It's important.

You sit down or you'll be the first in the ditch!

Sit down, I said!

Spare a cigarette?

Yeah?

You like it? It's good, yeah?

Good cigarette, huh?

Yeah. You like it, you have it, it's yours.

Yes, come on now!

There's another one coming!

You smoke it too, my friend!

Yeah!

Yes, you take it, you share it!

Go, smoke it!

Smoke it, smoke the cigarette!

Smoke it! Smoke the cigarette!

Ah, smoke the cigarette, huh?

Stop the truck! Stop the truck!

Stop the truck!

We'll freeze.

Go.

Hold on!

Michael! Hold on!

Michaeal!

-Hurry! -I'm coming.

Hold on!

- Hold on! - Solomon!

Michael! Hold on!

I've got you!

I've got you!

All right.

We need to keep moving.

My leg.

I've been shot.

Where? Show me.

Right here, right here.

Ah!

It passed straight through.

Do you want to know something?

I... I think I broke my leg jumping off the truck.

Come on.

Come on.

I guess... we're going to be late for roll call.

Come on.

Do you think they'll report it?

I'm sure they've notified every police station from here to Lodz.

Two witnesses escaped.

Lange will have Lenz's head.

I'd pay money to see that.

Put a milk bottle on him.

What do you think's going to happen to the others?

Shh. Do not move.

Just stare right back at them.

Come on. Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Stay low.

We need to head for the barn.

They'll hand us in if they catch us.

We'll freeze out here.

Come on. Come on. Stay low.

What now?

-The motorcycle... -Can you ride one?

Yes.

Shh...

Wait. She's alone.

-Railway uniforms. -My husband's.

They might keep you safe but please hurry.

That's all I can do. Now go, please.

Thank you.

God be with you.

Hey!

Hey!

Let's turn around.

What do we do?

Stop!

-Polish? -Yeah.

Okay, come. Come help us.

Push!

Come on! Go, go, go, go, yeah!

Hey! Wait a minute.

Come here.

Come here, come.

What happened to your leg?

Oh, just an accident.

A group of Wehrmacht fired at us just past Dabie.

A stray bullet.

-A stray bullet? -Yes.

I don't think they meant to.

Franz!

-My medic will take a look. -Oh, no, really. There's no need.

I insist.

So you are with the railway?

-What? -Your uniforms.

Ah, yes. Yes. Uh...

We are just on our way to repair on the other track.

-Klodawa? -Yes.

Well, that's our direction. We will give you a lift.

Oh, thank you. Thank you, but I have to...

I have to take him home.

He can't work in this state.

Where does he live?

Siedlec, just past Grabow.

All right. So we will take him.

I would not want to hold off any service to the Fuhrer's trains.

No, of course not. I...

I, uh, have to refill the bike anyway, so...

But thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.

Thank you for your help, sir.

Well, thank you for your help.

We need to avoid the guards.

It's not just the Germans I'm worried about.

The Judenrate?

-Here. -Did Wolf tell you where the rabbi's house is?

No.

But someone here will know.

It's empty.

It's curfew.

That was your leg.

- Who is it? - Please, please let us in. Please.

We're looking for Rabbi Schulman.

You're not from here. Who are you?

No, no. We're Jews. We're Jews.

We are escaped from the Nazi camp at Chelmno.

We're looking for Rabbi Schulman.

Abramson.

You know you can't break curfew.

Abramson?

Yes, yes, I know.

I have a problem with the lock.

Well, fix it.

Don't let the Germans see it open during curfew.

You say you come from Chelmno?

-Yes. -My son...

with his family, they were sent off to work in Chelmno.

Jacob Abramson.

He sent me a letter from Leipzig.

Maybe you saw him.

No, I'm afraid not.

Please, sir, the Rabbi's house?

Go around back.

Take the side street all the way down.

It's the second house on the right.

The blue door.

Thank you.

Are you sure you did not see my son?

Sorry, sir.

Rabbi Schulman?

-My-- -Shh. Quickly.

Please, please. My dear Esther, bring a bowl of water and some food.

Motle, go and fetch the doctor.

Hurry, but make sure no one sees you.

Please, come sit.

Thank you. Thank you, Rabbi.

Solomon Wiener, from Izbica.

This is Michael Podchlebnik, from Kolo.

We are escaped prisoners from the Nazi camp in Chelmno.

Please, eat.

Amen.

Thank you, Rabbi.

There's a work camp in Chelmno?

It's not a work camp. It's a death camp.

What are...

We have to be... we have to be brief.

We passed a whole contingent of Wehrmacht on our way here.

It won't take them long to figure out who we are, where we were headed.

What have you done?

I...

I know this will sound crazy, and it is crazy,

we've just come from a place, a true Gehenna on Earth.

What... What place?

The Germans are building death camps,

factories designed to exterminate our people.

We have buried an entire Jewish community,

thousands, with our own hands, our own families.

-Rabbi. -Thank you for coming. Come, please.

Here. Sit, sit.

Thousands, you say? How?

With gas from a truck engine,

and then we buried them in ditches in the forest.

Impossible.

This is the 20th century. No one can annihilate

an entire nation and get away with it.

Even during wartime, it's unheard of.

And yet it is happening, Rabbi.

No more than a few kilometers from here.

They tell them stories of work in Leipzig,

and then they murder them.

Listen, we don't have much time. We need your help.

We need to get a message out and notify everyone.

No, I have a community here.

I cannot, I must take care of them. I cannot spread rumors.

Rumors?

Rabbi, these are not rumors.

Our people, they must be warned.-

-The world, it must know the truth. -It cannot be the truth.

I know the Germans here they would not do this. No.

-Rabbi. -No, no, there is a war going on.

People are sick, scared, frightened for their lives.

This will cause panic. You will scare them even more.

But they should, they should be scared. Look.

Look at these names.

No. These are just the ones that we remember.

Look at my hands.

Every day they bury a thousand of our brothers and sisters.

Look at me and tell me you don't believe me, Rabbi.

Look at me!

I...

Oh, no!

Nothing I can say will do it justice.

You have to see it with your own eyes.

It will be the last thing you ever see, Rabbi.

We came here so that you, your family, this community will never have to.

Why, why, why, why are you here? I'm just a rabbi.

We were told that you had connections to the underground in Warsaw.

Oh! No, no.

Who, who told you this?

Wolf Kaminski.

Rabbi, can you help us?

Are you expecting anyone else?

No.

Rumkowski.

We heard you may have some guests.

Guests?

No one came looking for you?

Who would come during curfew?

Then you don't mind if we come in?

I was just about to daven. Please, join me.

Your father would be happy to know that you didn't miss prayer.

That should hold the Judenrate off for a while, but they'll be back.

Tell me what happens in Chelmno?

We, we, we will write everything down.

But we need to know that you can get this out.

Have, have you something to write on?

Tell me everything.

The camp started operating on the 8th of December, 1941,

when the first transport of Jews arrived from Kolo,

Michael's village.

Over 700 were gassed that day.

They, they were, they were the first.

the first, the first day I arrived,

my...

My...

My, my...

We will get everything done.

This will reach the underground

and they will get it to London.

I promise you this.

People will not remain silent.

The world will tremble.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I am aware of the hardships you Jews have endured

since the start of the war and in the ghettos.

The horrific living conditions, the disease, the lack of food.

But I assure you, your suffering is finally over.

This is the BBC reporting from London.

We will now present a special broadcast about horrible atrocities

committed on the Jews by the Hitlerite occupant.

Here in London, we have received detailed information describing

the entirety of the cold, calculated system,

in which thousands of members of the Jewish community

are being shot, gassed, and cruelly murdered.

These inhuman crimes committed on innocent people

cry vengeance to heaven.

They cry for a fair and strict punishment...