Rosenstrasse

The events that unfolded

on Rosenstrasse in Berlin...

from February 27 till March 6, 1943,

are a historical fact.

Looks like we're getting a crash course

in Jewish mourning.

The rabbi gave Mom a list

of do's and don'ts for sitting Shiva.

What else do we have to do?

No mirrors for 7 days.

I can't shave without a mirror.

You're not allowed to shave.

I can't stay home from work for 7 days.

Thirty.

You can't shave for 30 days.

No phone calls.

But Mom, it's Luis.

He flew all night just to get here.

No phone calls for 7 days.

Take off your shoes please.

Stop it, please.

I need to talk to Luis.

Hello?

Why suddenly these airs of Jewishness?

It's only for a week.

Dad wouldn't have approved of this.

He would understand me.

But Mom,

he used to cringe at Jews who

suddenly discovered their Jewishness.

He was my husband,

and I'm going to mourn for him

according to our traditions.

Dad wouldn't have stayed home from work,

no matter who died.

I don't understand why religion

has suddenly become so important.

Ben, come here

What's wrong?

I think you should lie down.

Thank you, Hannah. I'm fine.

I'll go buy groceries

before everyone gets here.

They'll bring food for us.

Not all our friends

became Orthodox overnight.

Come here, Julia.

Sit down...

and take off your shoes.

Luis.

Instead of a wedding

you come home for a funeral

I still can't believe this is happening.

Who is she?

She came to the funeral.

Mom definitely recognized her,

but she wasn't making any introductions.

Should I go after her?

That's the least of our problems.

Mom has really gone off the deep end.

I'm so sorry, Ruth.

What's he doing here?

Luis just flew all the way

from Nicaragua to see you.

Everybody sends their condolences to you.

They loved and respected Robert.

Your whole family means so much to them.

Thank you.

And you know he was like a Father to me.

Don't let her hurt your feelings.

She's gone crazy and she knows

how much Dad loved you.

He was never in a hurry for us to marry.

Luis. You know he was

too open-minded for that.

He would never had insisted

on a conventional ritual like marriage.

I used to think that

but looking at Ruth now, I wonder...

Maybe it always bothered them

that I'm not Jewish,

and they just wouldn't admit it.

That's ridiculous.

I never saw him happier than

the day we made the wedding announcement.

Are you sure about that?

I'm not sure about anything

except that my Father's dead,

my Mother's nuts,

and everyone is blaming me!

Please, come in.

Ask Luis to leave.

Don't be mad that

he didn't come to the funeral.

Thank God he didn't.

You don't approve of him?

It's not that; he just doesn't belong.

He's Hannah's boyfriend.

And he was Dad's protege.

It won't work out. They're too different.

If anything, they're too alike.

Tell her if she marries him,

she's not my daughter anymore.

Tell him to leave. If you don't, I will.

The sooner Hannah forgets him, the better.

You're really going too far now.

What are you doing here with a star?

Looking for the Gestapo.

Hold my purse over it.

- My mom has a star too.

- Do what I say.

You can't go in there.

I'm looking for my mom.

But not here, do you understand?

Not here.

Why are you doing that?

Ruth.

Silence, Rachel

Silence

Isn't it time to break the silence?

I need some peace.

You will never have peace

without forgiving all of us.

Shut up, Rachel.

This time I've given up for good.

You speak German?

Just like you, you and your mother.

This is your mother as a child in Berlin.

And the woman?

The woman who saved her life.

Saved her life?

My mom sent for Ruth to come live with us

in America after the war.

I thought she came to America alone.

That's true too.

My parents immigrated here

from Europe back in 1933.

I was born in the USA.

My name is Rachel Rosenbauer.

I'm your mother's cousin.

Hi! Rachel.

I'm so sorry that she never

told us anything about you.

Or about this woman.

Why didn't she?

It's all my fault,

even though I was just

a child at the time.

Just like your mother.

When she came to live with us,

I was terribly jealous of her.

She would secretly look at

this photo at night and cry.

I used to scold her...

and tell her to be quiet,

complaining that I couldn't sleep.

The truth was I didn't want my mom

coming in and taking her in her arms.

You see?

I was egoistical like all children.

Your mother never forgave me.

Little girl...

What are you doing by the men?

I'm looking for my mom.

She's got our ration stamps

and I'm hungry.

I'm sure she's here.

Then let's see, what's her name?

Miriam Suessmann.

A sound Jewish name. And yours?

Ruth, but when I was little,

my dad called me sweet pea.

She's in there.

Miriam Suessmann.

See, sweet pea, she's not here.

When the men came,

I hid behind the bathroom door...

just like you showed me.

You're my big girl.

Why didn't you come home?

They took us from the factory

and brought us here.

Everyone in the building is gone,

I'm all alone.

I'll come home soon,

I promise.

Please.

Go now, you heard what the keeper said.

I want to stay with you.

Please let me stay with you.

God will protect you.

Look...

You always wanted this.

I'll be sure not to lose it.

Please.

Have one of the women

outside take care of you.

Do you hear me?

I love you.

Now go...

Why did you want us

to speak German with you?

The language is all I have

left from my mother.

Why didn't you ever tell us about her?

Or about Rachel, your cousin?

I couldn't.

Or about the German woman who saved you?

Your father was the one who saved me.

Her name was Lena Fischer

and she lived in Berlin.

I would really like to know, Mom.

It wouldn't do any good.

Maybe it would,

I'm your daughter.

Shouldn't I know all about you?

Let me rest. I'm tired.

When Shiva is over, I'm going to Berlin.

Are you leaving me?

No such luck.

Luis, for the first time in my life,

I saw a picture of my mother

as a little girl.

It was shown to me by a cousin of hers,

whom I'd never have met

if she hadn't come to Shiva.

That lady we saw.

And in this photograph she gave me,

mom is hugging a young German oman.

Rachel said she saved

mom's life back in Germany.

Her name is Lena Fischer.

And since there's probably only one Fischer

in all of Germany you're going to ind her.

If she's still alive,

she's the only one left who can tell me.

what happened over there.

Wouldn't it be easier just to ask Ruth.

She won't talk about it!

Unlike you, she's devoted her life

to ignoring the country of her birth.

She must have told Robert.

Unfortunately he kept

her secret very well.

Said what?

I love you.

I'd like to see Hauptsturmfuehrer Weber.

Room 205.

Where are you going?

To see Hauptsturmfuehrer Weber.

You are aware you can

get divorced anytime.

Yes.

Now is perhaps the right time.

The formalities can be handled swiftly.

I just want to know where my husband is.

He hasn't come home from his night shift.

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