Kapo (Kapò)

—Finished. —Play the last few bars again.

—Was it better today, ma’am? —Yes.

—When can I come again? —Your mother said …

… you had to leave. Aren’t you?

Papa says there’s no need. We’re quite safe in Paris.

The day after tomorrow then, at four o’clock.

—Goodbye, ma’am. —Give my regards to your mother.

—I will. Goodbye. —Go straight home.

Oh, how are you, ma’am? She’s just left.

I can try, but she walks so fast.

Yes, I’ll go at once.

No, ma’am …. Hello?

Hello?

Come on! Quickly!

Out, or I’ll shoot!

Stay here by me. Don’t go! Don’t go!

Mama! Mama!

Edith! Go away! Go away!

—Get on! —You too!

Regional train №4327.

Lead all the prisoners …

… to the main square!

Get off!

Come on!

Quickly!

Everyone off the train!

Mama! Mama!

Get out!

Come on!

Move!

Come down!

Hurry up!

Left! …. Right! …. Left! …. Right! ….

Attention, please!

—No! Mama! No! —Edith!

—Edith? —Yes?

They’ll kill us all at daybreak.

—How do you know? —I heard them.

I can speak German.

They’ll kill the children and the old people.

Two S.S. said that near me.

God, if only I could see them again!

Shut up!

Stop yelling!

Come here! Where are you going?

—Let’s escape, Pierre! —And go where?

I want to see my mother and my father again.

The door’s open. You come too, let’s go!

It’s no good.

Hold him.

Goodbye, Pierre.

And who are you? Where are you off to?

—Let me come in, please! —What, in here?

Don’t send me away. They want to kill me!

Quiet, stupid!

—You’re Jewish? —Yes.

Well then!

You won’t need this any more.

Come. Maybe we can both be of some use to each other.

Hurry!

—What is it, Sofia? —I brought you this one.

She arrived tonight. Jewish. They’ve selected her …

for the gas chamber but they haven’t registered her yet.

All right, Sofia. Go now.

All right my hat! What do I get?

—I haven’t even any bread. —Give me some alcohol.

—No, it’s bad for you. —Who cares!

You’re sick, Sofia. Go now, I’ll give you something next time.

My block’s being transferred to a labour camp. I leave tomorrow.

Bye, Doctor.

They say it’s a good camp. Try to get her into our convoy.

Remember, block 12

—How old are you? —14.

—Are you here on your own? —No,

with my mother and my father, but they split us up.

Wait here.

You’re in luck. If no one had died tonight,

I couldn’t have helped you.

Take your clothes off. Quickly now.

I told you to strip off.

Everything, unless you want them to spot you at once.

Hurry up!

Put this on. Come on!

Please yourself, but if you want to live, you must put …

… this smock on, now. We don’t have much time.

Come on, hurry!

That black triangle on your smock stands for criminals.

Political prisoners wear a red triangle, like mine.

The Jews have a yellow star.

But black triangles get the best treatment.

The S.S. pick them as camp oversees.

They call them ‘Kapòs’. Beware of them.

They’re mean and they can do what they like to the prisoners.

But you stand a better chance with your black triangle.

You’re taking the place of a French thief.

I haven’t reported her death. Her name was Nicole.

Number 10099.

You’re name is Nicole now, understand? Remember that.

Come on, what’s your name now?

—Nicole. —Nicole Niepas.

—Nicole Niepas. —Number 10099.

In German it’s …

Remember that. And don’t show this for a few days.

Wait for it to heal. I’ll be right back.

I have to see if I can get you assigned to a hut.

Nicole’s is out, they’d be on to you at once.

Come here!

March!

Join the others!

Come on!

One! Two! Three! Four!

Attention, please! All the Kapòs …

… of the blocks number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 appear …

before the Commander for general roll-call!

Come on! Move!

Mama! Mama! No! No!

Mama! Mama!

Mama … Mama …!

You’ve got to live, Nicole, and think of nothing else.

Just live, that’s all. Come …

I managed to get you assigned to block 12.

That’s where Sofia is, the girl who brought you here.

Block 12. The number is on the hut, you can’t miss it.

Tomorrow you’ll leave for a labour camp.

It’s better than this. Nobody will know you.

Your name is Nicole, always remember that.

If they ask anything, say you left the infirmary today.

You’re not Jewish any more, understand?

You hear me, Nicole?

Off you go.

It’s up to you now. Try to live. Good luck!

Good luck … Go on.

How many days will it take?

If you chew it well and close your eyes, it tastes like bread.

Don’t think about it, girl. Shrug it off.

You forget everything here, except cold and hunger.

The rest is a lot of rubbish. Isn’t that right?

No, I don’t think so.

—How long have you been here? —Over six months.

Wait then. We’ll see in a year … if you’re still alive.

You listen to me, girl. In here the cleanest one stinks.

—What can you see, Isabella? —Still nothing but woods.

—What kind of woods? —I wouldn’t know.

—Looks like oak. —Still god-awful Germany then.

Right, who’ll give me some bread for a cigarette?

Where do you get all that stuff?

It isn’t like that, you know.

There’s one thing they can’t take from us against our will.

Our self-respect. I’m positive of that.

What’s wrong? Are you sick?

Go on, cry …

Stand up!

—Back! —Get out of here!

Come on! Move!

Quick! Quick!

It’s stopping again. Take a look.

—What can you see? —A station …

—but there’s no name. —Another train full of prisoners.

This damned war will never end!

—They’re not speaking German. —You sure?

—Can’t you hear them? —What’s next to Germany?

—France? —You’d like that, wouldn’t you?

Poland!

Open the wagons!

Come down!

Move!

Quickly!

Hurry up!

Come down!

Get off!

Line up!

Stay still!

Now, move!

Come on, march!

One! Two! Three! Four!

Keep in step!

One! Two! Three! Four!

Any news from Warsaw? How are they there?

Better than you, lass … Better than you.

Good luck.

Back!

Go back!

Go now! Go away!

Line up!

Come on!

Look what you’ve done!

Give me another ration!

Nicole …

I realized from the start you were a nice girl

… in spite of your black triangle.

Who sent you along with us? The infirmary doctor, right?

He’s a good man. He has saved a lot of girls like you.

You’re Jewish, aren’t you?

No, I’m not Jewish.

Attention, please! General roll-call!

Line up!

Attention, please! General roll-call!

Line up!

—How many are the politicals? —About 50 percent, but you …

… can’t trust them. Most of them have been here at least two years.