One day, Mrs Horn accidentally reveals to the local butcher that she is harbouring a Jew. Eugen also develops an attraction to their teenaged daughter. He is taken in by the Horn family, who treat him well. The friends soon voice their dislike of Eugen and their fears of being caught, so they send him away to another communist family after two weeks. Eugen is often harassed by German officers on his commute to and from work, though occasionally, strangers secretly show their support for him by sneaking cigarettes into his pocket.įearing for the boy's safety, Eugen's mother and stepfather send him to live with family friends, who are communists. The boy is forced to wear the yellow badge in public, while his mother and stepfather are exempt due to their secular marriage.
Not wanting to wait for the Russian troops, the two women pack their suitcases and flee.Įugen Friede, aged 16, lives with his Jewish mother and non-Jewish stepfather. Due to her disguise, Hanni is unable to convince the soldier that she is Jewish and he threatens to return that night. When the war is over, Hanni and Viktoria are terrorised in their home by a Russian soldier. The two women form a close mother-daughter relationship and Hanni is finally able to sleep safely. Viktoria immediately takes her in, as does her husband, Jean. Hanni agrees.Īfter Oskar leaves for war, Hanni properly introduces herself to Viktoria she reveals her Jewish heritage and asks for a place to stay. The young man, Oskar Kolzer, asks Hanni to visit his mother, Viktoria, as he has been recently drafted into the army his father is now elderly and he fears that his mother will be left alone. She also frequently attends the cinema her repeated visits are soon noticed by a young man and his mother, who are employed there. She sleeps in public bathrooms and on park benches, enduring fatigue and loneliness. Hanni becomes homeless when her helpers are informed on and arrested. Hanni's helpers also provide her with medical treatments for her finger and money for future trips to the hairdresser. During the day, she walks around in public where there are large crowds, learning to "look and move like everyone else" her outward confidence helps her to hide in plain sight. To blend into German society, Hanni dyes her hair blond and renames herself "Hannelore Winkler". Hanni sneaks out of the apartment and is taken in by a Christian friend of her mother's. The family protecting her are soon found out and arrested. She works in a factory, sewing parachutes for the Wehrmacht, despite having a badly injured finger. Hanni Lévy, aged 17, is taken in by a family after her mother's death. With nowhere else to stay, Cioma takes his forged military pass and impulsively cycles all the way from Berlin to Switzerland, hoping to cross the border. He lives peacefully with her for some time, until she is betrayed by a friend and arrested. A warrant is soon sent out for his arrest and he hides in the home of Helene Jacobs. His wallet and the passport photos of other Jews were stored within. One day, Cioma accidentally leaves his bag on the train. Stella decides not to denounce him and bids him farewell, which the older Cioma believes was an act of love and mercy. He expresses his long-time infatuation with her and invites her to his hideout. He works alongside Werner Scharff, who is soon caught by the Gestapo and sent to Theresienstadt Ghetto, a hybrid concentration camp and ghetto.Ĭioma is spotted by a former classmate, Stella Goldschlag, who unbeknownst to him is a Jewish informant. With his education and experience in graphic design, Cioma finds work falsifying passports and other documents for Franz Kaufmann, a lawyer, who is helping people to escape the country.
Some of the homeowners suspect or are aware of his Jewish heritage, but let him stay nonetheless. Cioma pretends to be a German soldier in need of temporary lodging, as assigned by the accommodation office, and he moves from apartment to apartment. Unfortunately, his parents are sent there and are killed soon after. The helpers put themselves at great risk should their activities be known to the Gestapo, who work with a network of spies and informants.Ĭioma Schönhaus, aged 20, is spared from being sent to Auschwitz by pretending to be an employee at a munitions factory. Their saviours come from different walks of life, including ordinary German citizens, communists, Christians, and people working within the Nazi hierarchy. Their survival is attributed to resilience, luck, and help from others. Their individual situations are re-enacted, and in interspersed interviews, they recollect and comment on their experiences.
The film recounts the struggle of Cioma Schönhaus, Hanni Lévy, Eugen Friede and Ruth Arndt-Gumpel to survive their persecution as Jews in Berlin from 1942 to 1945.
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