The Optimist

So, Mr Heller, I think it's fair to say that

it's time to get your affairs in order.

Oh!

Oh, I see.

Huh! I didn't...

I see. Well...

Alright then.

Thank you. You'll let me know?

Absolutely.

Talk to me. Just me, not my wife.

Of course.

Alright.

Thank you.

Yeah. Yeah.

Work will set you free.

Right.

Uh-huh? Here, for you, and I got one for you too.

Thank you. - And don't forget to brush your teeth.

I will. - That's Egyptian cotton.

Really? - It's beautiful, isn't it?

It is. - Yes.

Fifty percent off everything.

You're not gonna get a deal like that anywhere.

I need to steal him for a moment.

You do? - Oh, don't forget to bring him back.

Alright. Well, you make a decision. I can get either one.

Would you just stop for a sec?

Uh, fine, fine, fine.

OK.

Dad, what did the doctor say?

Nothing. Just what I thought.

What about the stomach pains?

Pulled muscle. It's OK.

It's going to be OK.

Who wants a chocolate? Who's ready?

Alright, here you go. Oh, there's one for you.

And there's one for you.

And there's one for you as well.

Hi-ho! Get your chocolate.

Get it. Get it. Get it.

Hey, Herbert.

Hello. How are you? - Looks like the sale's going great.

Remember, city council said merchants had to provide extra parking?

Anywho, it'd be great if you could set up some parking around the corner.

I'm sorry...

You'll have to excuse me. I'm sorry.

So far, your record for surviving the worst day of your life is 100%.

Just in case you needed it.

You need it too?

Here... Let me give you another one.

Here you go.

So a little bird told me it was somebody's birthday today.

[SHE PLAYS "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" ON PIANO]

It's a serious, serious surgery.

You survived.

Abbey...

You're gonna be here for a while, you know?

Hey, Ruth. This is David, Holocaust Foundation.

David.

Listen, there's this gentleman, Herbert Heller.

He was at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Sorry, I don't do that anymore.

Come on, Ruth.

You know how to do this. Just follow the protocol.

I was never very big on protocols.

The thing is, Ruth, I don't know where else to turn.

You know what?

I have an idea.

Do you have another shirt?

Put it on.

Wear a different colour next time.

Hey.

Hello, Mr Heller.

Hello. - Hello.

I'm Ruth. - Hello, Ruth.

Yes.

Come in.

This is, uh...

this is Luke, our cameraman. - Hello.

And this is Abbey, our intern. - Hello.

Um...

So, ah, Mr Heller, would you like to have your fam--

Please. Uh... Herbert.

Alright? - OK. Herbert.

Would you like your family here for any of this?

No, no.

They don't know anything about any of this business, so no.

They're not aware that you were at Auschwitz?

Never any desire to tell them?

Uh, OK, so how this works is we meet here each day.

You'll ask questions?

Mm-hm.

What sort of questions?

I might start by saying...

tell me about your father.

Which, maybe you can tell me about your father.

What a beautiful dogwood tree.

Hm? - Your dogwood tree, it's in bloom.

It's beautiful.

Oh! Look at that.

So, Herbert? - Yes.

Um... your father was an engineer?

He was.

And you have photos?

You asked me to bring some photographs. - Mm-hm.

I did. These are, uh... - Thank you.

Well, they're family photographs.

And I'd like to... have them back.

Of course.

This is where I'll sit? - That's where you will sit.

You see this, it's nicely set up here. - Alright. Oh, my.

This is the interview, huh?

This is the interview. - Are you...

are you the Heller from... from Heller's?

I am. - Like the store?

That's right. You, you know the store?

Yeah. Um...

I've got a photo.

She's a Heller's kid. - Yes.

Ha!

One of our best-selling models, that one.

Yes.

A good stroller.

You know, we don't have to just jump into this right away.

Why don't we have a little bite to eat first?

Ah. - What can I get you?

No. I'm not hungry. Thank you.

No? I'll get you something, just in case.

And you too, hm?

Come.

Uh, Abbey, keep an eye on the equipment.

Sorry. Just, uh, getting the camera.

I feel like I know your face.

Maybe from the store, from Heller's?

Would have been a while ago.

What happened there?

I don't know. Um, it was just like a medical...

02 sat. 02 sat's 100%. - You're OK, Abbey. Abbey, you're OK.

Too nosy.

Whatever. - I'm sorry.

Sorry.

I've got one myself.

I tell my daughters I got burned on the water heater.

But you didn't.

No.

So, how did it happen then?

Long story.

We've got time.

Huh, time...

That's why I'm doing this.

What?

Don't know that I do have time.

Anyway...

Not so sure.

Oh, go ahead.

I want to see what happens.

Maybe if you tell me about your scar

I could tell you about mine.

Ah.

We make a deal, huh?

Do you know the name Heydrich?

No.

But you've heard of Hitler, I think, yes?

Yeah. Yeah, yes. - So...

Heydrich.

Reinhard Heydrich.

He was Hitler's third in command.

It was Heydrich who came up with the plan.

What plan?

The plan to kill all the Jews.

Heydrich came to my hometown.

To Prague.

Before Heydrich

my father gave us a magical childhood.

He was a respected engineer.

This is stunning. What a beautiful dress.

Thank you.

This is why they act as if the world outside doesn't exist

as though nothing bad can happen.

They just drink more champagne and keep listening to Mahler.

You don't like Mahler?

That's not the point.

The point is they're just pretending things are safe.

Already, the newspapers are publishing in German instead of Czech.

My brother's family left for Canada last month.

So what are you suggesting, my friend?

What I'm saying, Karel, is it might be time for us to leave too.

And what about Papa?

Papa actually believes it.

Right now, he's saying it's OK

and it will be OK. - Even Schoenberg left.

So you actually believe they would have all the 60,000 Jews leave Prague?

I mean, don't be ridiculous.

They can't afford to lose their biggest businessmen

or their top engineers.

Everything will return to normal soon.

But it's not true. - Karel...

They've already taken the Sudetenland.

They will take whatever they want.

They will do whatever they want.