Despite contradictory reports of troop movements on German soll,
our General Staff are convinced that the German offensive is some way off.
Alfred Lenaerts is my grandmother's brother.
Clara Lenaerts. - Correct. Gosh, you're well informed.
Ruben is an interesting guy.
He'll be able to help us a lot.
Who's that? - Thieu Verdin.
What about that child? I'd have loved that to be true.
That's true.
Louise. - Aunt Louise?
She's my daughter. Louise!
My father was very good at running
but that German was even better at shooting.
How about... going out for a meal tonight?
Actually, I'm busy distilling my first flavour.
Oh. Never mind. We'll do it some other time.
I'II... I'll look up some more information about that Stalag.
Great.
De Backer. - Fleming.
De Wispelaere. - Fleming.
Duchien. - Walloon.
Shtrea. - Walloon.
Dupont. - Walloon.
Lecron.
Lecron!
Lenaerts. - Fleming.
Marchoul. - Fleming.
Paquin. - Walloon.
You're not a Fleming!
Shield and friend. It suits me to be one.
Von Ramelen. - Fleming.
So you're a Fleming when it suits you.
We all know Flemings and Krauts are well disposed towards each other.
Shield and friend, George.
Reeckmans. - Fleming.
Verdin. - Fleming.
Wauters.
Get down!
Halt.
Right...
Strip to your underwear.
Marchoul! Aren't you sorry you let yourself be put in with the Flemings?
I've heard your Wallonian friends are in heated wooden barracks.
I've always loved camping, George.
Why have they given us such a thin shirt?
So we'll be cold and won't escape.
Anyway, according to you, escaping is a piece of cake.
Even though the camp's full of Germans, is surrounded by landmines and swamps
and if we haven't been blown up or drowned, there's an icy river to cross.
But if you follow the river, you'll eventually end up in Belgium or Holland.
The Aare is a tributary of the Weser. It's 73o km long.
It's the longest river in Germany, but it starts and ends in Germany too.
So I don't think it's an option because we'd just end up staying in Germany.
Marchoul senior has increased his offer.
5oo,ooo francs for a quarter of the business
and guaranteed distribution in Wallonia. - No way.
As the family's solicitor, I can assure you it's a reasonable offer.
Over my dead body.
It's not a matter of whether we should sell but of when we should sell.
The war is bad for us. People forget to drink when there's a war on.
That's true and it's quite understandable.
So what do you suggest? - We wait until Alfred gets back.
And then we'll turn it into a modern business.
A business that does what we're good at.
Creating flavours. Purity. Not rubbish like Marchoul.
Until then, we'll just have to grin and bear it. And live off our reserves.
Yes, but those reserves you're referring to don't exist.
We'll manage.
I'm going to make a drink that'll make people forget the war and the suffering.
A drink that makes you think of freedom.
What are you dolng there by the door? - I'm looking at you, Alessandra.
And what I see is beautiful.
Cranberry. - With?
Verbena.
You can still do it, eh? - But does anyone care whether I can?
Grandma. I wouldn't be sitting here now if it hadn't been for you.
De Keyser wouldn't have existed any more without you. So I do.
Meanwhile Martine is dolng her best to ruin the business.
Grandma...
I can't bear it any more, Alessandra. I don't understand her either.
How did Martine get like this?
I didn't see it happen. Money, money, money, money, money.
While there are so many other things that can make you feel rich.
But she can't see that.
I'm here too. I mean...
My first distillation will be ready in two weeks and it may not be perfect
but you'll at least see that De Keyser still stands for purity of flavour.
I'd add a little bit of marsh club moss.
To soften it.
There's something I have to show you about flavour soon.
Why not now? - It's still too soon.
Come on, Thieu.
Push it right back.
Are you OK?
OK. Come on through.
Reeckmans. Come with me.
Lieutenant, prisoner Reeckmans at your command.
Reeckmans, George.
Do you know what I see when I take a close look at you?
I discover a clear look in your eyes which is that of a German.
Take a seat.
Sugar?
Yes, thank you.
You know, prisoners of war have obligations
but they also have rights.
And one of the rights of prisoners of war
is to appolnt a mediator they can trust,
someone who deals with the camp authorities on their behalf,
someone who ensures that things go smoothly here and life is uneventful.
And you want me to look for someone like this for you.
No, Reeckmans. I want you to be that someone.
What does that person have to do?
You distribute the mail, you have access to the food stores
but your main task is to ensure there is no trouble.
Life in this Stalag is hard and some prisoners are desperate,
then they are capable of anything.
And then they do stupid things. And, in cases like that, I want
someone to remind them that we are the enemy.
A dead prisoner just means room for a new one.
That's not a problem as such but what I can't abide
is all the paperwork created as a result.
I don't know if I want to do it.
I'm not asking you whether you want to do it.
I've simply decided that you have volunteered to do it.
Thank you. You're dismissed.
Alfred.
It tastes of manure. - It is manure.
It's not that bad.
Maybe you're not as hungry as we are... - What do you mean?
Maybe you've already eaten today. A gift from your little German friends.
They need a sort of mediator they can trust.
And they want me to be it.
Why?
Because I can be trusted.
A mediator they can trust.
Which word don't you understand? It's not difficult.
What do you have to do? - Act as a go-between.
Between us.
Between you and the rest of the prisoners. And them.
The enemy? - Yes, the enemy, Alfred, the enemy.
Get on with it, man! Do some work!
Here, get dressed. In the canteen in fifteen minutes.
Get dressed. In the canteen in fifteen minutes.
What is a "canteen"? - Don't you speak Dutch?
Yes, I speak Dutch. That's just it.
D'you mean I have to put that junk on? - Yes, that's what I mean.
Quickly, please. - What does "quickly" mean?
Don't understand that either? - No.
Filing card. Understand that? - No.
No? Filing card? - No.
Come here and I'll tell you. Kiss my arse!
Get dressed. In the canteen in fifteen minutes.
Hi. - Oh, hi!
I phoned you a couple of times.
Are you very busy?
Yes. I have to finish this distillation and look stuff up for Grandma.
Hi, Alessandra. - Hello.
I'm at the library and I've found something. Fallingbostel.
Sometimes referred to as Stalag X1 B.
They've got the original photos here but I can't download them.
So I wondered if you fancied coming to the library.
Sure, I'm on my way. - Great!
I've got to go.
MY DEAREST...
...DAYS ARE LONG AND THE...
Come on, faster! We haven't got forever!
We need some coal in the stores tent. Private Lenaerts?
Coal for the stores tent.
Coffee, Alfred?
No, thank you.
Coffee. Now! That's an order.
Mr Reeckmans has got himself a cushy job.
I'm just trying to make the best of it.
Drop your trousers to get it, did you? - No, I didn't drop anything.
I don't believe you. - It's the truth!
Alfred, those Germans are only here because they have to be.
Yeah.
Setzer told me if we don't give them any trouble, they'll leave us alone.
We just have to sit the war out here and afterwards our life can start for real.
Afterwards.
I'm not going to wait until people tell me my life can start.
Don't even think about it, Alfred.
They'll just shoot you if you try to escape.
And you'd mind, would you? - Yes, I would.
You wouldn't. Cos then you'd stand a chance with Helena again.
Leave Helena out of this. - No. No, because that's the truth.
You're not worried I'll escape, you're worried I'll succeed.
And that I'll be with Helena while you're helping the stupid Germans.
What are you on about? - Helena chose me.
I think Henri chose you, but there...
My dearest Alfred,
The days are long and the n¡ghts even longer w¡thout you here.
Thoughts of see¡ng you aga¡n are what keep me go¡ng.
Everyth¡ng rem¡nds me of you.
The morn¡ng sun of your warmth. The even¡ng sun of your w¡llpower.
The stars ¡n the sky of our eternal love.
My work every day ¡n the flavour room ¡s a d¡ssect¡on of our love
and an analys¡s of my feel¡ngs for you.
Sl¡ghtly b¡tter, sl¡ghtly salty, sl¡ghtly sour
but, above all, very sweet.
I'm go¡ng to fi/nd ¡t. Our flavour of pure love.
Oh! I've just found a couple of really good photos of Fallingbostel.
Look. These.
There. Obviously there were four different kinds of camps for soldiers.
There were Marlags for the navy, Oflags for officers,
Stalags for those who weren't officers and Stalag Luft for the air force.
Alfred and your grandfather were in Stalag X1 B together, at Fallingbostel.
There were 4o,ooo men there, divided up into barracks and also some in...
Good evening, Ruben. - Sorry, hello.
And some in?
And some in positional camps in the forests round Falling.
Pos... tent camps. - Yes, tent camps.
There you are. Enjoy reading them.
Well, Alfred. Does love still mean forever?
Yes, it does. - D'you miss her?
Helena is beautiful. But her father isn't so nice.
Henri is a businessman.
I was only joking. - Here. Timmerman.
Vandeput.
Marchoul. Hoevenaars.
No.
I think they've forgotten us.
But you know what they say, no news is good news.
Or, at least, it's not bad news.
Reeckmans. George, George. - Yeah?
Would you... uh, mind...
if I wrote Miss Frank... your Charlotte...
a letter? Maybe? If it's OK?
Go ahead, Thieu. Charlotte isn't mine.
You don't mind? - No.
Damn! Damn! Damn! - Henri!
We have to have German soldiers under our roof. Listen.
An order issued with immediate effect by the German army command in Belgium
states that the Belgian population must provide German soldiers
with accommodation indefinitely.
Krauts here in our house. We have to refuse to do it.
I don't think the Germans will ask us what we think.
A house not made spontaneously available
will be seized by a member of the occupying forces.
If we give the Germans a warm welcome and a glass of genever now and then...
More like a glass of methanol, damn them!
Helena, please! Stop swearing! I won't have it!
On the other hand, it may be the best guarantee
of them leaving our factory alone. - Periwinkle.
Vinca minor L. - What d'you think?
Have you used it before? - Yes, I've tried it before.
It's not easy. The flowers are easy to use
but the most interesting flavour is in the green leaves.
And? - They are full of alkalolds
that have to be neutralised first, otherwise problems occur.
Good afternoon, madam. I assume you were told to expect us.
May we come in? - Please do.
Let me introduce everyone. Detlef Bauer. - Pleased to meet you.
This is Hans Khun. - Pleased to meet you.
I'm Captain Klaus Meyer. - I am Germaine De Keyser.
And who, may I ask, are you? - Pull yourself together, Detlef.
I'm sorry, miss.
This is Helena, my daughter. You will meet my husband later.
I have to tell you now, he's a difficult man.
A difficult... a difficult man.
May I ask you not to wear any guns here in the house?
Of course, madam. No guns. - It says that in the regulations too.
We would like to thank you, on behalf of the German people, for your hospitality.
But you do realise, miss, that when we place weapons in such delicate hands,
we unload them first?
Here you are.
I'll show you to your rooms.
I came to see if everything went OK.
I don't like you looking at me like that. I'll find you if I need you.
By the way, Charles.
Miss? - They're not loaded.
Pardon? - They take the bullets out first.
Russians, Poles, Canadians, Belgians.
There were around 4o,ooo men in Stalag X1 B, including George and Alfred.
And he probably worked in a remote tent camp in a nearby forest.
Apparently all the Flemings were there.
And we found some photos too but we couldn't print them out.
So you're Alfred's nephew? - Yes.
His mother is Alfred's sister's daughter.
You're a bit like him.
Where is Alfred buried? - He hasn't got a grave.
He's buried in Fallingbostel.
There's not much left of it, so he's probably buried as an unknown soldier.
How's your Mario?
Fine. Why? - Just wondered.
Right, I'm going to get ready.
She has to go for her radiotherapy and she gets in a bad mood.
That's OK, it can't be easy for her. Who's this Mario she was on about?
He's one of DKD's lawyers. - Oh, right.
The order said we had to have German soldiers under our roof.
Not that we had to sit at table with them.
Henri!
I understand.
It's OK, Mr De Keyser.
We are very satisfied with our accommodation.
We are your guests and will, of course, abide by the rules of the house.
We will gladly eat in the kitchen.
I don't believe it, it's ridiculous...
Wagner. - Yeah, he throws us out
but has exactly the same taste in music as our Führer.
I thought that grand people like you
would have staff to do that. I mean, to do the washing up.
Yes. But in the war you have to cut your coat according to your cloth.
What's "war" in German? - It's "Krieg".
What does cut your coat according to your cloth mean?
It means I'm counting the days until you're gone.
What does she mean?
Don't take any notice of her. She's a bit upset. She misses her fiancè.
He's a prisoner of war. - I can imagine.
Give me some cigarettes, George.
Why should I?
I know things.
So do I.
If you don't want to know, I shan't tell you.
Alfred says you want to marry Helena and that you're after the De Keysers' money.
So? - Nothing.
George, Alfred is going to escape from here soon.
I thought I should tell you. Do something.
As his friend.
May I?
What are you dolng? - Reading. You're writing, I'm reading.
Heinrich Heine. - Never heard of him.
Is it a novel? - A novel? No, no, it's...
a more noble form of literature, poems.
Would you like me to read you one? - If you have to.
Let's see, which one would be appropriate. Here.
E'en as a lovely flower, So fair, so pure thou art;
I gaze on thee and sadness Comes stealing o'er my heart.
My hands I fain had folded Upon thy soft brown hair,
Praying that God may keep thee
So lovely, pure and fair.
I don't understand a word. - Don't you?
It's about you, it's about pure beauty.
I don't need your compliments. - I'm sorry. But what I see before me
is pure beauty.
May I give it to you?
Here.
But what do you mean?
Want me to draw you a picture?
To be honest, I thought you were quicker on the uptake than that.
Yes, but when you refer to the great Germanic idea,
what exactly do you mean? - What could I mean?
That people's nature and character aren't determined by countries' borders.
A Spaniard and a Portuguese have more in common than a Spaniard and a Swede.
But what's that got to do with us?
A Fleming and a German are two branches from the same tree.
That's what I mean, we're like brothers. The same with the Dutch.
You're our enemies, but you could also be brothers in the same Empire.
Our Führer calls this "Flemish policy".
Cheers. - Cheers to you too.
Collaborating with Setzer again, George?
Are you OK, Alfred?
The cold is killing me.
Think of the old oak tree.
ONCOLOGY DR A. BERNAERT
Are you OK, Grandma? - No, my little butterfly, I'm not.
Radiotherapy destroys people. I can feel myself shrinking.
Soon there won't be anything left to treat.
Come on.
We've got an appolntment.
What are you up to? This isn't a brothel, is it?
Come on, come with me.
It'll do you good. - OK.
Don't forget your handbag. - Oh.
What did I say, Grandma?
That it was fantastic.
Well? - It's fantastic.
Haven't you noticed anything? - No, what should I notice?
I know. - I know that you know.
Lime tree.
It smells lovely. - Specially for you.
Hello, Bella. - Bella is a name for a cow.
D'you know where your daughter is? - She's very busy, Mario. Busy, busy.
Everyone is busy, Martine.
We urgently need to get together and decide what to do now.
Definitely, but not now, I've got to go and see a client.
I'm not taking Mum's obstinacy. - I'm not taking your daughter's either.
If you feel neglected, Mario...
call me. Or I'll call you.
That Dutchman is planning something, I don't trust him.
You don't trust anyone, George, not even me.
And I told you the truth about...
What did you say? - That he bad-mouths you.
I'm not interested, my friend.
Marchoul is a schemer. He displays typical parasitic behaviour.
Divide and rule.
It's like the termites in this handle, these little holes.
That's parasitic behaviour too. It's typical.
Get on with it.
I saw you looking at the minefield.
That's good. It's the weak link.
I was looking at the plants. - Yeah, right!
Rubbish.
That's the only spot that's unguarded because there's a minefield.
I saw you looking at it.
What did that Dutchman want? - He wants help to escape.
Have you got plans too?
And all that for a woman.
No woman is worth being unhappy for. - Helena is.
And certainly not Helena. Or do you think she's a saint?
I've heard from George that she is, how d'you say it, easy
and that there are Germans staying there and it may be party time.
Do you think that that is what I expect from you?
That they beat each other up? - No.
But Marchoul is a special... - Special?
And Alfred Lenaerts isn't? - No, he isn't.
I don't expect an explanation, Reeckmans.
I just expect you to ensure there's no trouble in the camp. Particularly now.
Especially now. - Sorry?
You see... at Christmas... on 24th December...
I will probably be allowed to send all the Flemings home, Reeckmans.
But I must insist that you keep this completely to yourself.
It's not certain yet and I don't want to create false hope,
nor do I want to upset your Wallonian countrymen,
because they'll be staying here.
They won't be benefiting from the Führer's Flemish policy.
Well, that's why it's called that.
But it means Flemings have to behave like friends.
Is that clear? - Yes.
I need to tell you something about Marchoul...
I've already said I don't want any explanations.
Make sure that things are peaceful here
and then you can probably eat turkey for Christmas, at your own table.
Dismissed. - Right.
George.
George, I need some more envelopes. - Are yours all gone?
Yes. And you've got some you won't use.
I think I will use them.
Oh! I didn't see that!
You're the mediator, you can get some more.
D'you really think it's that easy? I didn't see it, but never mind.
Have one of mine, I've got some more. - Thanks, Thieu.
Did you often fall in love when you were young?
Not that often.
How many boyfriends did you have? - Things were different then.
If you went for a walk with a boy, everyone thought he was your boyfriend.
And that wasn't true? - No, not always.
How many men did you sleep with?
Keep your eyes on the road, Alessandra. - How many?
More than one?
More than two?
Oh la la, more than three? - It's none of your business.
Good evening, Miss De Keyser.
The moon's out, Miss De Keyser.
Yes, the moon's out.
Do you know what the moon does?
It makes women pretty. - Pretty?
Yes, beautiful.
Would it be dishonourable of me to ask you
to come for a walk in the moonlight? Not that your beauty needs the moon.
Not dishonourable, but unrealistic. - Oh, right.
You're forgetting something, Klaus. - Am I?
That your people and mine are enemies.
Miss... - And so you and I are too.
What d'you think you're dolng? Where have you been?
You know what'll happen if you escape.
They'll select ten people at random and shoot them all.
I wasn't escaping. - Weren't you?
What were you dolng then? - Look. I went to get this for Helena.
You risk everyone's life to go and pick some stupid flower for your girlfriend?
Take it easy, calm down. Calm down. - Shut up!
I'm responsible for everyone here.
Get out of here. For everyone here, d'you understand?
Yes, I understand, I understand.
That you're a traitor...
What's going on? Stop that fighting immediately!
Immediately! Or you'll be sorry! Calm down!
I would like you to think about what it means to be a trusted mediator.
I'd just asked you to make sure there's no trouble,
not to get into a fight with your fellow prisoners.
What was the reason for this stupid skirmish?
That's personal. - Personal?
There's no such thing when you're a prisoner, Reeckmans.
We were arguing about a girl back home. - What?
You beat each other up over some bird who lives 1,ooo km away?
Yes. - Listen here...
I'm giving you one last chance. Don't ruin it!
One of the emergency bridges at the edge of the camp is about to collapse.
I want you to sort it, quickly!
Pick out some men, men with balls! Understand?
Of course. - And, Reeckmans, don't forget
that we are keeping a very close eye on you.
Any attempt to escape would be extremely stupid. You know why.
Dismissed!
My very, very dearest Alfred.
I never thought that d¡stance and absence
could arouse such pass¡on.
My ent¡re be¡ng, my deepest thoughts,
my most tender feel¡ngs, they are all you.
You are every fi/bre, every cell.
If you need any more envelopes, I've got some.
No, no, this is the last one.
And I'm going to deliver it myself.