Secret Delivery (Tichá pošta)

THE SECRET DELIVERY

I remember the last winter before the war.

It was the last time I saw my parents laugh

and talk without a care in the world.

Together with a German family we were friends with,

we would all go skiing on a hill known in the region as Hat Hill.

My brother Jíra and his best friend Jochen

were looking forward to sitting next to each other at school.

But then everything changed.

Jíra and Jochen couldn't be friends anymore

or go skiing together.

All Germans, including Jochen and his family, now lived in the Reich,

while we stayed on the other side of the border, in the Protectorate.

The front reached us in the beginning of February 1945,

but the Nazis would not admit defeat.

1945 PROTECTORATE OF BOHEMIA AND MORAVIA

Here.

German deserters.

They are rounding them up.

My Dad said so.

What's going to happen to them?

They'll get shot.

PUBLIC SCHOOL

Our parents wouldn't allow Jíra to see his German friend Jochen.

But Jíra kept crossing the border.

Should I get him?

No. Let him do whatever he wants.

Little brother.

I'll never forget that fateful day when all our lives changed.

- Go on! - Giddyap!

Look, a hare!

Not here, little hare!

- Damn it, are you blind? - Shit!

Hands up!

Are you mental?

They were shooting at a hare at the border.

Almost got me.

Good thing you don't sit next to me at school, Stinky.

Look at those boys of ours!

Mad, right?

Giddyap!

Jíra! What are you doing?

I've been drafted.

Lucky you, then.

With that leg of yours,

they'll take one look at you and send you back.

They're drafting cripples too now.

If I don't go, they'll shoot me for desertion.

Don't worry about Jochen. We'll take care of him.

I'm sending Jochen to Helga.

Didn't she leave you two for an SS man?

She's still his mother.

Whatever.

We'll be here. Always.

You in one piece?

Yeah, I guess.

My ski flew off.

I see it. It's down there.

Crap!

Quiet!

Who are they?

Gebirgsjäger!

They're looking for partisans and deserters.

They've caught a few already. Brought them outside the school today.

They've got great skis.

We have to find your ski. Let's go tandem.

Look!

Maybe a wounded animal.

Hurry! Run!

Who do you think he is?

Who he was, right?

He's dead.

What if he's not?

Jochen!

You German?

I'm...

Czech.

Are you German?

No.

He's a Nazi for sure, and now he'll shoot us both.

We should have stayed away.

A bit dark for a Kraut, don't you think?

You American?

He's probably from Africa. There are people like him there.

English?

I'm French.

What's a Frenchman doing here?

I don't know.

We're getting nowhere.

You wait here with him.

Where are you going?

I'll go get Dad.

What happened? Jochen!

He needs a doctor.

Why, Father?

Are you stupid, seeing Jíra?

What did I tell you? He's Czech! You're German!

Mr. Erlebach, it's not Jochen's fault...

Father!

Stop!

The boys were skiing on Hat Hill, and he crashed into a tree.

- Go on. - Off you go.

Sorry, Jíra. There was no other way.

You could've said something before punching me.

You would have ducked.

If I'd known why, I wouldn't have moved.

Jíra! What happened to you?

Jíra will be fine.

- Good evening, Mr. Soukup. - Doesn't look too good to me.

Dad, it's not what it looks like.

- We'll talk about that later. - Jíra, for heaven's sake! Who did this?

He did...

Karl?

The boys found him in the forest.

Who is it?

Is it a Gypsy?

No.

A pilot.

German?

French.

Jochen, unhitch the horse.

Come inside, Jíra.

I'll take you.

Vašík, home. Now.

Get out of here!

Take him to Anka's room.

Come with me.

- It's his. Hide it. - Right.

Anka?

Go get Dr. Holubec.

What should I say?

Why don't you just tell him we have a French pilot here?

Boženka... Off you go!

Vašík, you're in the way!

Where are you going, all alone like this?

Get in. I'll give you a ride.

No, thank you.

Get in.

Don't be afraid of me.

Where will it be?

To Dr. Holubec.

He lives by the church.

Someone at home ill?

My brother.

He was out skiing. Crashed into a tree. Broke his nose.

Thanks.

- Thanks a lot. - No problem.

The Nazi! He's coming here! And he's coming for me!

Sit down.

Good afternoon.

Hello.

My name is Gollwitz. I command the Gebirgsjäger here.

What are you doing here?

You live in a village in the Reich.

I just brought Jíra home.

Mr. Gollwitz, have some soup.

Listen, boys. I understand.

When I was your age, I got into a lot of mischief too.

Look.

This is my family.

We lived in Varnsdorf before the war.

This is...

Kurt and Leni.

Nice kids.

Stop meeting up in the Reich.

End of discussion.

And that means what?

That it's forbidden.

And if it's forbidden, we don't do it.

- We what? - Don't do it.

Boženka, use this if he can't take the pain,

but I think snow will be fine.

Just keep icing it, and it'll be all right.

I'll take you home, Doc.

Thanks.

Doctor, could you take a look at me too?

I often feel pain... here.

I can take you home later, Doc.

Thank you. All right.

Do you know Postmaster Tománek?

I'm staying with him, in case you ever want to see me.

- Let's lay him down. - All right.

Hold his leg here.

A bit more.

More.

You'll have to keep his arm immobile.

That leg...

is really bad.

What's his name?

Pierre.

He needs to get to a hospital as soon as possible.

Couldn't he stay here and you could come and treat him?

What?

No way, Anicka. He needs surgery.

I know old Vican at the hospital in Lejkovec.

He's with the resistance.

But how will we get him there?

Could you take him, Doctor?

No.

The patrol stopped me twice yesterday.