Summer 1946
East Prussia and Lithuania
under Sovvjet administration
"This archipelago consists of
ten principal islands,
of which five exceed the others in size.
They are situated under the Equator, and...
between five and six hundred miles...
westward of the coast of America.
They are all formed of...
vol..."
- Foods ready.
Mom, you have to eat.
You should eat.
I'm not hungry.
But she has to eat, she's sick.
Fritzchen... Fritzchen, come to me.
Come here.
Tell me your names.
Tell me your names.
Come on!
Hans Uwe Arendt.
And you too, Fritzchen.
Tell me your name.
Fritz Ludger Arendt.
Listen carefully.
I want you to go to Lithuania.
Do you remember the farm
we stayed at last winter?
Take this amulet
and give it to the farmer's wife.
They will take you in.
I'm sure.
And they will give you food.
Hans, my big boy...
promise you'll take Fritzchen there.
Okay?
You have to take care of him.
You must stay together.
No matter what.
But we won't find it without you.
- Sure.
You'll remember.
You have to cross the river Memel...
and then go east.
Always east.
And what about you?
I will follow you as soon as I'm better.
My boys...
I love you so much.
Don't ever forget who you are.
And now tell me
your beautiful names again.
Hans, get up. Mother is dead.
Mom?
Wake up!
Wake up.
No!
Don't lose it again.
Fritzchen!
Come on,
let's walk until we find a bridge.
That will take too long,
we need to cross.
But you can't swim.
Hurry, they're right behind us.
Ouch!
- Get up.
Give me that.
- What are you doing? - Let me.
Go away. Hurry.
Hold on to this.
My brother needs it, he can't swim.
Fritzchen, hold on!
After them!
- Go, swim across!
I need to get to my brother.
- No, swim.
No, Ruth!
Ruth!
- Fritzchen!
Come on, Fritzchen!
Come on!
What are you doing?
- I need to get to my brother.
Come back.
- Stop it, he cannot swim.
Frilzchen!
- He is all alone.
Come out of there.
Let me!
He needs me!
Away from the banks! Quick!
Where are you going?
- We're looking for our aunt.
You can't go there, there are soldiers.
They were shooting at us.
We have to go there.
We're all alone if we don't.
There was no one there.
Only the soldiers.
You better come with us.
Here.
For you.
I have to tell you something.
Before, at the river...
your aunt was there.
She's dead.
I am Christel.
I'm your aunt now.
I'll show you a secret.
I will protect you with this.
You're thinking of your brother, right?
I promised my mother to take care of him
and that we wouldn't lose each other.
He'll be fine.
I have to get to that farm.
Are you not sad at all?
Why?
Your sister is dead.
My sister died a long time ago.
Last winter.
That little girl's name was Ruth.
I wanted to save her from the soldiers.
Karl!
Karl, quick!
Let go of me.
Let's get out of here.
We have to find a place for him to stay.
Where do you want to go?
Is there no one...
waiting for you?
I'm trying not to starve.
But you have to be going somewhere?
Home?
Have you ever been to town?
At the sea?
Have you seen the sea?
I was at the seaside with my parents.
My brother was still small then.
You will find him.
But I have the amulet
for the farmers to recognise us
and he has nothing.
He's certainly there waiting for you.
I'm scared.
Don't be. Remember our secret.
How still is the world,
And in the veil of twilight,
As comfortable and lovely
As a quiet chamber,
Where the misery of the day
You will sleep away and forget.
Do you see the moon standing there?
There is only half of it to see,
And yet it is round and fair!
So it is with many things
That we mock confidently,
Because our eyes see them not.
Hurry! Come on!
We have to get away from here!
Get up!
- I don't want to. - Come on!
Come on, get up!
I'll go.
Eat!
Quick!
Hurry up, Karl.
Hans, my leg hurts!
I can't go on.
We need to get off the roads.
It's too dangerous.
- It's easier for Karl.
Let's go, I'll watch out for us.
Karl.
Stay!
Karl!
- Luise!
Luise, wait!
Where are you going?
Where are your shoes?
Come here!
I can't go on.
We'll make it.
Come quick,
you'll like this, come on.
You don't have to go into the water.
You'll be our guard now.
Take good care of our clothes.
Hans, come on in!
Stop it.
Come on!
Every1hing's fine.
Ey, Alexej.
No tongue.
No speak,
Russian.
Stay away!
Get up! Get up!
Come on!
Run!
Get down!
Thank you.
We'll stay here and have a break.
Wait here... right at this stone,
until I return.
You stay here.
Leave! Leave! Come on!
Christel?
Here.
Eat. Don't look,
eat.
I know.
Eat.
"23 September.
I have not as yet mentioned
the by far most remarkable feature
in the natural history
of this archipelago.
It is, that the different islands
to a considerable extent
are inhabited
by a different set of beings.
My attention was first called
to this tact by the...
Vice-Governor Mr. Lawson declaring
tortoises differed
from the different islands,
and that he could with certainty tell
from which island
any one was brought.
I did not for some time pay
sufficient attention to this statement,
and I had already partially
mingled together the collections
from two of the islands."
Wake up! Wake up!
Fritzchen!
Fritzchen.
Hans.
Hide up there.
You speak Lithuanian.
And you've got a new shin, too.
What's it like for you, here?
Are they treating you well?
And you're called Joni now?
Your name is Fritz!
- No, I'm Jonas.
Jonas, who has his own bed
and no longer has to starve.
Mom told us not to forget who we are.
That we are a family.
Are you listening?
I've found you.
No-one can separate US HOW.
The farmers mustn't find you here.
Come with me, then.
We'll find the farm mother spoke of.
What if they also only take one in?
I'm staying.
Hans, I'm happy here.
I get plenty to eat every day.
Sleep well. Until tomorrow.
Name?
Jonas.
Hans Uwe Arendt.