The Zookeeper's Wife

Hello, Jerzyk. Good morning, Miss.

It's a beautiful day.

Good morning.

Hello. Welcome. Good morning.

Good morning. Enjoy yourselves today.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning. Good morning.

Come along, Adam. Time for morning rounds.

Hello, my loves.

Good morning, sweetheart.

Good morning.

How's our girl today?

No problems today, Miss.

Hello, old Kasia.

Yes. Tembo.

What a beautiful girl you are.

Good morning.

Good morning, darling. Good morning, Punia.

Have you come to help me?

The torchlight was flaring in front of me.

Behind me, I could hear the breathing of a maddened creature.

It was midnight, black as coal.

I couldn't see my hand in front of me,

but I could feel her breath on my neck.

Hot and thick.

I had interfered, and she was angry with me.

She took two steps.

I thought it was the end of me.

I took my rifle, raised it,

and that's when she charged.

There was nothing I could do, I had to shoot her.

It was the picture of perfection.

An exquisite creature.

A great desecration for me.

But I have to say, her cubs did survive.

They thrived, and have grown to a proud maturity in my zoo. Cheers.

Herr Heck has taken over the Berlin Zoo from his father.

And his brother runs the Munich Zoo.

Would you like a canapé, Herr Heck?

It looks delicious, but no. Thank you.

This is Magda Gross, the sculptress. Perhaps you know of her.

Indeed, yes.

She also made this... Oh!

Excuse me.

And what do you do with yourself, my dear,

while your husband is playing with his monkeys?

I help him.

Oh, isn't that sweet.

Sweetness is the least of it.

Antonina's a magician.

Thank you. I'll take it.

We met five or six years ago, didn't we, Frau Zabinska?

Mmm.

I think you've changed your hair.

Yes.

You've only grown more beautiful

in these past years, I have to say.

The look of a stray barn cat, if you ask me.

Did you know that barn cats have the keenest sense in all of nature?

More astute and fine than any human being I hope to meet.

Do you play the piano, Frau Zabinska?

A little.

Why don't you play something for us?

I think it's the perfect time

to soothe the savage beast and all that.

Maybe she should play a German waltz.

We may all be learning the goose-step within a year.

Stefan, please. STEFAN: Isn't that so, Herr Heck?

Not now, please, Stefan.

Well, Hitler wants Poland.

It's what everyone's saying.

I wouldn't know anything about it, I assure you.

I'm a zoologist, not a politician.

Mama, Jerzyk needs you! It's Kasia.

Excuse me, everyone.

Be quiet, don't startle her.

Here, stay here. Hold the light steady for me.

She's not breathing.

I'm here, Kasia.

I'm here.

Hello, Tembo.

Hello, Tembo.

I can bring you overalls, Miss, please. I can find other men.

There's no time. She's suffocating.

Let me help you, Kasia.

Please, let me help you, my darling.

Let me help you, sweetheart.

I have no rifle, Miss, please!

Hush! Enough now!

Please.

Oh, she's blocked!

No, please, let me do this.

I'm trying, Kasia. I'm trying, my darling.

Wait, wait, wait.

You should go. You can go. Why isn't that man armed?

Whoa, Tembo.

What's his name? Tembo.

Tembo! Tembo. Good. Good, good, good.

We're losing her! Jerzyk, help me!

Push, Jerzyk!

Push! (SOBS)

Go. Go, go, go-

Oh!

Oh, she's breathing!

Oh! She's breathing!

You beauty!

She's beautiful!

Amazing! Amazing!

That was hard work, wasn't it?

It's all right. It's all right, sweetheart.

You are a, um...

You are a wonder, Punia. You are Eve in her garden.

It's late. Let's go home.

Good morning. Good morning.

Let's go! We're going.

Mama, what are those men doing? They look like mules.

We were on Nalewki Street today.

They're working the Jews like pack animals now.

I think you should take Rys out of Warsaw tomorrow.

But where will we go?

You could stay with my cousins in Zalesie.

Things are too uncertain here.

We should get Rys out of the city while we can.

But school's about to start.

Oh, he's so excited, Jan, with his new pencils, and his shoes...

You're not listening to me. I'm trying to tell you something.

It's feeling very dangerous to me right now.

What about you?

I have to stay for the animals,

but I'll come as soon as I can.

Punia, Hitler and Stalin have signed a pact.

Only Poland sits in the middle.

People are leaving.

We could stay in Zalesie for a little while,

but if war comes, we have to find a way out of the country.

I don't want to run away.

I don't want to carry Rys from place to place, like a frightened cat.

This is his home.

I'm sorry, Punia. Come back to me, come here.

People always want to run when they don't know what's coming.

It's their first instinct, always to run.

Come. It's not good for a child.

It's not good, Jan, I'm telling you.

I don't want Rys to live that way.

Please, I want to stay here.

In Warsaw.

All right.

Rys? Rys!

Look at all the planes!

Let's go inside.

But where's Papa? He's in Plonsk.

We'll meet him in Zalesie.

What about Pancho?

Quick, pack your things!

No, Rys, leave him! No, I don't want to.

We'll open the doors. He's scared.

He'll run somewhere safe. Let's go!

Mama!

(ON LOUDSPEAKER) Evacuate the zoo immediately!

This is the Polish Army. Wild animals are loose.

Emergency! Emergency!

Evacuate now!

Take the boy, Miss, please! Go, go!