Original subtitles

1943: the Netherlands is suffering under German occupation.

PASTORAL 1943 It has been a long time now and a romanticized view of the war...

PASTORAL 1943

PASTORAL 1943 ...has since been established.

PASTORAL 1943 Of good Dutch people, heroically fighting the Germans.

Such brave Dutchmen did exist.

But not everybody could be like that.

In 1945, Simon Vestdijk wrote this story about it.

The story of a people. A friendly people, because...

...it has few heroes.

You wanted to pay, sir? -No, we wanted to order something.

A shame how Germans ruin nature. -It won't help Hitler. Orange!

You're a loyal patriot.

I'm looking for an address where people can go into hiding.

Jews? -Boys who don't want to work in Germany.

It's difficult. I might know something.

Thank you.

I'll see you tomorrow. -Agreed.

Hello, wife. -Sicherheitsdienst, come along.

You can stay.

Mr Van Dale, why are you so anti-German?

As an engineer, you know that we can do anything...

...to make you talk.

You know that, don't you?

You have visitors, Mr Schults. Good people. In your room.

Cohen. Arie Cohen Kaz. -Schulz? Johan Schulz?

These days, I prefer to call myself Schults.

I understand.

I need help, Schults.

Amsterdam's no longer safe.

Anne and the children have already been arrested.

I have to hide somewhere.

This is the best hiding place. Try to find the entrance.

You can sleep here tonight. I've got booze here too.

You can go in. -Not until I have to.

At least you know the way. We'll find something else tomorrow.

I know a farm across the river. This has to stay between us.

Aren't you exaggerating? You have nothing to fear.

You're a German teacher and from a German family.

I have more reason to be afraid. And actually... I am.

PHARMACY H. POERSTAMPER

And a coupon please. -Are sanitary towels rationed too?

Unbelievable.

What do you do with all those coupons? -I take them to the food office.

And then I can place a new order.

I'm going out for a bit.

I think it's safe. -How can you be so sure?

I know my own office. -Don't be so scared.

Let's look one more time.

FOOD OFFICE

Hands up. This is a hold-up.

Wilhelmus van Nassauwe... -No joking around now.

No joking around.

Mr Mertens, I'm so proud of you. Yes, I recognized you.

The bathroom?

Where's the bathroom?

ESKENS PIANO TUNING AND REPAIR

Come with us.

Speak then.

Speak up, man.

Don't you love your wife?

She's in pain.

Do you hear? Do you hear what they're doing to her?

Who can listen to that?

Please, Mr Eskens.

You know we're not humane.

We'll do anything.

Yes, hello? What?

A hold-up?

Food office?

Right away!

What's going on?

Stop everybody and check if they have coupons.

You stand right here, Mr Van Dale.

You're short-sighted.

You made it through.

You weren't arrested for anything serious.

A small thing.

I forgot a tool yesterday.

Come with me.

The piano needs to be tuned.

It was tuned yesterday.

Doesn't matter. Tune it again.

Are you sure? That can't be good.

I was a nurse.

I'm a National Socialist and I took a decision.

Yes, hello? -Yes, hello.

Poerstamper speaking. -Hello, Poerstamper.

Yes, the hold-up of the food office.

What, Mertens? The Director himself?

Yes, understood. Thank you, Mr Poerstamper.

Hello! Wait a moment.

Thanks.

Anything else wrong. -It's all fine.

I feel responsible, so if anything happens, let me know.

I'm in charge here, Mr Schults.

You have visitors again. In your room.

Without glasses, I can't even see if it's a man or a woman.

I think she looks like the woman who betrayed me.

She joined me straight after you left. Very patriotic.

An hour later, I was arrested.

It's beautiful. Really beautiful.

You should have become an artist, after all.

So everything's still safe. -Absolutely.

They don't know about our organisation. I'm certain of that.

Mail for London.

We know you like her, but she was seen with a German officer.

Who was seen with a German officer? -Miep Algera.

Our English teacher.

I bet she's a secret member of those hand raisers.

The bitch. -Maybe she fell in love with the fellow.

Luftwaffe isn't SS. She might not be linked to the NSB.

Shave her hair off and quarter her. Just wait.

What did he look like? -To me they're all Krauts.

I'll strangle her myself when the time comes.

We can't all be heroes.

Intellectuals like us don't have many weapons.

But I think we achieve more than those so-called resistance people...

...who go around cutting telephone cables and shooting NSB members.

We, the Dutch, have always been repulsed by such behaviour.

The occupation shouldn't change our mind.

We shouldn't copy the bad things of our opponent.

We should fight, but with the weapons of the mind.

Keep the altar fire burning.

The weapons of the mind.

We won't speak to Miep Algera anymore.

Right, get out your English grammar books, page 26.

We start with our German grammar, at page 33.

Piet Poerstamper, wipe this out, please.

Guys, it's true that my father is from German descent.

And my brother, with whom I don't speak anymore...

...fights with the Waffen SS on the Eastern Front.

But I pronounce my name Dutch style, Schults.

I would have preferred to change it to Schout of Schouten.

Also, I'm sorry that I have to teach this wretched language.

Did he say that? German's a wretched language?

You should call the German police. -Maybe I will.

Or maybe not.

A National Socialist has certain obligations.

But we also shouldn't antagonise people unnecessarily.

When the Netherlands will have been annexed by Germany...

...we'll build the Great-Germanic Empire with them.

What's the name of that teacher? -Schults. Or Schulz.

A traitor, even worse.

I can't get the coupons, Miss.

I tried my best for you, but you don't meet the requirements.

Rejected. By the highest authority.

I thought as much. -Thought as much?

How can I feed five people?

Come on, mother. -I tried my best.

They say others come first. -Of course.

That means I can't give you bacon anymore.

It's only fair. -You eat us out of house and home.

Have an extra serving today then.

Two kilos of cherries, please. -Do you have coupons?

No. -We'll do it black.

What's wrong? -The Krauts are here.

Raise the alarm then. -Alarm?

My name is Hare! My name is Hare!

Good afternoon, selling cherries? -No.

We're not selling. Everything goes to the city.

It's not allowed without coupons. -Everything's allowed.

I've never seen you in the city before. What's your name?

Marie Bovenkamp.

So write down my name. -I'll remember it.

I guess you're not NSB members.

No way. -I know many are against us.

But that doesn't prove anything.

Everybody was against the first Christians too.

Good afternoon.

What was that creep saying? -Nothing.

Did he want something? -No, nothing.

So he wasn't checking on us? -No.

Why was he wearing that black uniform? -Go ask him that.

He wanted cherries. He said he wouldn't tell.

I longed for your visit. Give me one day in Amsterdam.

I'm completely isolated. I don't even have guard duty...

...because every Kraut would notice my non-Arian profile, even at night.

I know I'm a pain, but I don't care.

Apart from insect powder, I need tobacco the most.

How's the news? -Perfect.

I don't trust them. I don't trust anybody anymore.

My children, my wife, my brothers and my sisters have all become ghosts.

I assume my dad was gassed.

Jews don't believe it's happening, but I do. I'm suspicious.

Old Cohen Kaz was gassed. End of story.

I'm only interested in keeping the young Cohen Kaz out of their hands.

You'll have to wait here until the English arrive.

Will they come?

Flying fortresses.

Half of Berlin has been destroyed. Tonight, the other half goes.

You'd think it was the end of the world.

A German woman stepped out of the train and hugged her husband, an officer.

And the woman yelled: "Oh God, Germany's burning".

And the man said "Hush" and walked away with her.

Germany's burning. All of Germany's burning!

We're doing bloody well, here.

Traitors!

Let's go for a bike ride together. -As long as I'll catch the last ferry.

Traitor! Hurray, hurray!

Of course you'll catch the last ferry.

You must have heard what they said: "Traitor".

I'd be crazy not to ignore that.

But do you feel that way too?

That you're a traitor? No way.

It's a ridiculous thing to say. I'd do anything for my country.

The country's not just this land, but everything, Lebensraum.

The land, that's the farmers. And we fight for the farmers.

Don't you want farmers to get a better life too?

Of course. -See?

And that's what we fight for. I can see you join us one day.

Join you? Never.

Is your family against it? -They all are.

It's no fun anymore. My dad says farming has never been this bad.

It's the Germans' fault. And you collaborate with the Germans.

Collaborate? Depends how you look at it.

Some of us are anti-German. And it speaks for itself.

We'd also prefer to solve problems ourselves.

Without the... Krauts, everything would be better.

So you're also against the Krauts. -Yes, in a way I am.

Although Germany has to win the war. So they can take charge in Europe.

But that doesn't mean I'm for the Germans.

So you're against them.

And when people in hiding are arrested? Are you against that?

I'd never go into hiding if I had to go to Germany to work.

But I understand it happens. I don't think it's very bad.

But you're against the Jews. -Yes, I'm against them.

Me too.

A Germanic girl like you has to be against them.

Jews look for girls like you. That's a known fact.

Just read Hitler's Mein Kampf.

Have you never had a Jew after you? -No way, I don't want them.

Who do you want?

And Hitler is an asshole who hunts small countries.

Say something.

What should I say?

Did you know NSB members in Amsterdam?

Not today. It's not possible.

Not today and not tomorrow.

My back hurts from working the hay.

Holland fell due to betrayal...

And Hitler is an asshole who hunts..

You're going to miss the last ferry. -I don't care.

I'll sleep in a haystack. NSB men don't mind that.

SS men always sleep under the open sky. They can go for three days without food.

That's why they're invincible.

I'm pregnant.

Why aren't you saying anything? -Yes, well...

Are you sure? -Sure?

Did you feel it? -What could I feel?

Silly.

Let's wait and see. It might still come.

When should it have come? Fourteen days ago or more.

In that case, you'll have to marry, of course.

I'll tell father myself.

After church, so he can't start about it during the service.

You could have been more careful. I didn't like it from the start.

What will you live on? He doesn't have a dime.

Who are you talking about? -Who?

About him, no?

No way.

No way? -Aren't you with him?

Aren't you with him? -Not anymore.

I don't want him. I'm with someone else now.

Kees Poerstamper from the pharmacist. He makes enough.

Kees Poerstamper, the NSB member? Your father's going to love this.

Marie's pregnant.

It's true. From Kees Poerstamper.

God damn it.

Marie and I broke up.

She has someone else now.

An NSB member.

An NSB member? Did Bovenkamp tell you that?

Marie told me herself. -Who is it?

Kees Poerstamper, from the pharmacist. -Kees Poerstamper?

Damn it! Shut up.

Where does Poerstamper live? -I understand you want to go after him.

But how do you want to do that? You don't seem to be thinking of us.

You don't have to come along.

Mertens means that while you're in hiding here...

...you can't go to town to punish this Mr Poerstamper.

Why not? -Incredible idiot.

Why did you even start with that slut? That white-faced farm slut.

Without asking me for psychological advice.

You weren't here yet.

You're right. I was still in Amsterdam.

I'd prefer to go back to Amsterdam. -Me too, but it's impossible.

You might be able to go back, but I can't.

If you want to beat up NSB members, join an assault group.

You'd be doing something useful.

While we're here and you're here, no jokes with that Poerstamper.

It's Sunday evening, 11 o'clock. The Krauts are returning from the women.

What does that mean, Van Waveren? -That guard duty starts again.

You can't do that three weeks in a row with a girl.

And if you insist, we have a pharmacy full of things here.

Now you have to get married. Do you have a picture of her?

Not even. I'd hardly recognize her in the street.

Did you ever notice any other guys?

You have to disappear for a while.

She could have a miscarriage. She might not be pregnant at all.

An English bomb could fall on her farm.

But first you have to disappear. You should go... into hiding.

Come. Terrible, my son to the Eastern Front.

First to a training camp, but then to the Eastern Front.

But it's even worse for you.

Does he have a nice picture of you?

A healthy girl, of Germanic blood...

...will always choose a boy like her.

Blond, open, strong. You and Kees will be alright.

I bet all your boys were like that.

Come on, Kees won't have been the first.

You can tell me. I won't tell Kees.

What is there to tell?

You must have had other boys.

Not the last couple of years. They've all gone to Germany.

That one's had it, boys.

Yes, sir. -But they say they live until a hundred.

Maybe he was 98 when you got him.

You know what? Sell me the crow, alright?

For how much, sir? -For a cent.

Not so modest. You get 25 cents each.

If you tell nobody he's dead. Deal?

Here, Marie. This was delivered for you.

For me? -By whom?

From the mail. -The mail?

How's that possible. Mail never arrives at this hour.

He had to be in the area. -Miss Marie Bovenkamp.

Sender: Kees Poerstamper, SS.

Open it after dinner. -Open it, Marie.

That girl cares less and less. She just sits there.

Let someone else open it then.

Yuck, what's that?

That looks like our crow.

Is that your crow? Why is he dead?

It must have died on its own. Crows tend to do that.

You'd think we were in the pub here.

If you start to tear the place down, you can go.

I'm getting fed up with these people in hiding.

Me too. -What was that silly joke with the crow?

At least someone stood up for you.

You should have stayed with him. -Stood up for me?

Didn't you notice? -He thought Griekspoor did it.

Did what? -The crow, of course.

Where's your brain? Didn't you notice how you were insulted?

The crow was Kees Poerstamper in his uniform.

I didn't understand it right away. -That dead crow?

Yes, don't you understand?

They mean to say that your Kees had best die on the Eastern Front.

But it's impossible. -Staying here is impossible.

Jan needs a couple of days holiday. Me too.

It's still impossible. -It'll be Saturday tomorrow.

They don't check as well.

On Sunday, all the Krauts go to the girls.

It's impossible. When you're in hiding, you can't make daytrips.

If you promise to be back on the last ferry, on Sunday.

My father has people in hiding. -In hiding?

I thought you'd like to know.

Why do you tell me that? -I thought you'd want to know.

You didn't have an argument with your dad, did you?

Griekspoor, just a boy. Didn't want to work in Germany.

Same for Van Waveren. He's not unfriendly.

Mertens, he's a... -Mertens?

Not Piet Mertens, from the hold-ups of the food office?

Yes.

Mertens... Who else?

Cohen. -Cohen? A Jew?

It keeps getting worse.

Tell me, what's going on between you and Cohen?

Nothing. Cohen's strange. I don't want to have anything to do with him.

Does he have a big nose? Does he drool?

Seeping eyes, desert feet...

Marie spends the night here.

I'll put in a good word for the two boys.

The poor sods have been misguided by English radio.

But Mertens and Cohen are real... -My parents can't help it either.

Alright.

And the farm? Will they leave it be?

Your father, your mother and the farm will be fine.

Promise it. -Yes, yes.

I promise.

Read Hitler's Mein Kampf. He explains it perfectly.

That girl fooled around with Cohen, I'm telling you.

If he looks so very Jewish, as you say...

...the child has to have Jewish features, or else Kees is in trouble.

Kees walks free.

German doctors can tell Jewish blood to the exact percentage.

I've been a nurse.

Do you have to get up again? -Yes.

Are you asleep?

I won't turn them in. Those people in hiding.

I won't turn them in. It's way too dangerous.

The Germans won't betray me, but that girl with her unreliable face...

She won't be able to keep her mouth shut.

And if the resistance finds out I turned Mertens in...

If the English come...

Where were you hiding?

Dear, dear gentlemen. Speak of prisons and concentration camps...

...but going into hiding is the way to learn about...

...Count August von Platen-Hallerm�nde.

But we're coming out of hiding for a couple of days.

Jan, have you been laying in a dung heap? You stink.

Where did you sleep?

I'm glad to escape the smells, the farts, the stinking feet.

I'll take you to a friend who has a bathroom.

Do you know the way here? I want to avoid Mr Schults' house.

There are no checks for identity papers at stations.

No overfull trains. Even the ticket collectors are polite.

Amsterdam, I missed you. The hot asphalt under your feet.

The zoo, the public library.

But first a drink. -Jenever.

Nectar of the gods, of the Dutch merchants.

So much for rumours that you can only buy it with coupons.

Another one? -Waiter, service.

A real Amsterdam urinal. Did I miss those.

This makes my day. Beautiful, just like a shell.

A real urinal.

Do you have to go too? Wait. Me first.

And we're taking as long as we can.

I'm safe as long as the Krauts don't take off my pants.

I'm here for the Arbeitseinsatz. -Report for the Arbeitseinsatz?

I had an argument with my girlfriend and I'm fed up.

I'd rather work in Germany.

This is the SD. Nothing to do with the Arbeitseinsatz.

You've been in hiding. -No, sir.

But I can't stand it anymore. I'd rather work in Germany.

Where were you in hiding?

And if you feed the dog some sausage, he won't bark.

On Sunday evenings, between 7 and 11, there's no guard.

That's when the Germans go to the who...

...to the women.

If you go this Sunday, don't go too early...

...or else Cohen won't be back.

It must be a strong, smelly sausage.

Then you'll be safe.

I have to be back in time tomorrow.

I have to catch the last ferry.

Where are you staying? -In a nice country house.

At an excellent location between the big rivers.

Did you ever hear from your wife?

Let's not talk about that.

You've gotten skinny. Next time, I'll bring some bacon from the farm.

Let's see if you've gotten skinny as well.

Krauts.

There are Jews here! -To the hiding place.