"SLOVAK FILM DISTRIBUTION presents" "A PATH ACROSS THE DANUBE" "Story:" "Screenplay:" "Script Editor:" "Cast:" "Edited by:" "Sound:" "Music:" "Associate Producer:" "Director of Photography:" "Directed by:" "Is contraband a trademark of the Slovak postal service?" "You're not here for trafficking!" "We aren't smugglers!" "It's for friends." "And BFeclav is a Czech city, it's not abroad for me!" "Lundenburg!" "It's been called Lundenburg for more than a year." "It's a temporarily definitive fact." "Czechoslovakia doesn't exist anymore, we have a Slovak postal service, and it has to work perfectly." "So far, it's only been an overprint." "Soon we'll have everything Slovak!" "For now, this gives me a sense of security." "Home-made, Slovak, one can tell right away." "Home-made, in Hungary." "Don't compromise the reputation of the new Slovak State!" "Don't fly in the clouds, the landing will be hard!" "L've already landed, unfortunately." "No wonder the air traffic was cancelled." "Keep close to the earth." "You won't regret it." "And I'll be flat-footed, right?" "That's no shame." "All good postmen are flat-footed." "Here we are!" "GERMAN REICH" "I can't get used to the dark. lt's like being in a morgue." "You haven't forgotten about us like the others." "It's not so bad, is it?" "Stop fooling around!" "How many items won't arrive this time?" "We're receiving too many complaints!" "There's poverty, so people steal." "The war will find you, too!" "Finally!" "You're here." "Where to?" "Using the toilet in a station is forbidden." "We go back immediately." "All right, all right." "I hope that's it." "You wanted coffee too, didn't you?" "Original Swiss, Jesus!" "You do live well in Slovakia!" "We pretend to." "Hey, colleague!" "Thank you!" " Playing Santa Claus prematurely?" " Permanently!" "Where have they been hiding you from me?" "I was a telephone operator." "When they started speaking German, I was sent here." "It's better here." "The telephones don't ring and you can sleep on parcels." "We have nothing to pay you with but the record." "Wine, women, and song, that's what I love!" "Just song. lt's my mum singing." "The crap from Poland again." "There, they shoot people, but here they whine that they're homesick." "Christmas is getting near." "Leave it among the parcels for Vienna." "How about sending it to Belgrade?" "A Christmas present for them." "Are you out of your mind?" "It's army mail." "Take it easy!" " Are you crazy?" " Life is motion." "So let it go round the world." " But,Jarunka!" "You can't..." " People make mistakes." "Heho me!" "Is it possible?" "You've got class!" "Next time I'll cut your blouse." "Looking forward to it!" "It needs some hot steam." "L'll spend Christmas in bed again." "Here we are!" "A Gestapo raid!" "Jesus Christ, the Gestapo!" "What are you doing..." "Away with it!" " You're kidding!" " Look!" "Railway signal! L'm a nervous wreck!" "What a duty!" "We'll survive!" "Take it easy." "Help yourself!" "Home-made!" "You must be solid ice." "You're delayed, by three hours." "We got stopped at each signal." "Smell it to thaw out!" " Try it, chief!" "' W5 good!" "It'd do me good, but duty is duty." "Help yourself, you're spending the night here anyway." "A German transport was derailed." "Good, isn't it? Stop it!" "Sing!" "Why aren't you singing with us?" "Better not." " Do you wear the traditional folk costume?" " I go straight to mass in the morning." "Put it on!" "Only for a while." "I envy the Moravians their maidens." "Religious, but also keen on having fun." "They're not hysterical like our women are." "Do you know the march of the postmen-guardists?" "Postmen-guardists, on guard!" "The Slovak motherland calls you to show the world..." "I hope we didn't miss it." "This is it." "Thanks to Moravian postmen for directing the mail to Belgrade." "Surprise us again." "Good night, dear listeners." "This is London!" "Great!" "It was about us." "Are you insane?" "They broadcast the message all day." "They will find us!" "In such a mess?" "No way!" " You don't know what the Gestapo can do!" " Stop it!" "Come and have a look!" "He's stiff." "God's eye." "You know what, Francek?" "He's gone." "Such a chicken!" "No wonder." "His mother can't even leave the house." "Why?" "A Jew?" "On his mother's side." "They won't let him stay here long." "Wait..." "That was amazing." "You have to have class." "That's what life is about." "I only knew one such man, Captain §lapeta." "We did handstands on the bridge and he flew under." "He escaped from the Germans on a plane without any undercarriage." "How did he land?" "Don't know, but he had class." "L've got a present for you." "Too many colours, but I didn't have enough wool." " Do you like it?" " I thought of you, too." "But it'll take some time!" " Mr. Kadlec?" " No, I'm Lesa." "Francek's colleague." "I need to talk to him." "Open up!" " Franz isn't in." " Have the Gestapo been here?" "Don't shout, are you insane?" "You got him in trouble?" "I was there too, and I'm not a kid anymore!" "Be quiet." "Give thanks to God if you manage to get away." "Francek is innocent. I'll tell them he was against it." "Do you think anyone will care?" "Wait in the basement." "Mr. Kadlec is coming." "And you've never been here." "You don't know anything about Franz." "But I..." "I regret ever asking you for medicine." "You shouldn't have said that." "Wait!" "Where do you want to go?" "I don't care." "You must leave, too!" "Come on, mum!" "Selma, where are you?" "The music's too loud, I can't sleep!" "Mother's a wreck." "You must understand." "Father didn't come back from Sweden when the trouble started." "He left us here with his mother." "Mother had to stop singing and now I..." "So you're going to your father?" "Never!" "Quick!" "The creek will lead you to the railway. lt's not far." "Easy." "Many have done this before." "Thanks." "Please somebody for us." "Thank Mr. Tichééek." "I wouldn't give a glass of water to a Slovak now." "Why did you give that to him?" "He's got enough." "And father fixed the teeth of his whole family." "Damn cold, isn't it?" "You need a coat." "It doesn't matter." "Leave me alone!" "Don't yell at me, this isn't my fault!" "Put something on!" "Father left in the summer." "He always knew how to choose well." "Here,just take it!" "This is it!" "To hell with that!" "Jump on!" "SLOVAK REPUBLIC" "Don't let it go out!" "Here!" "This is no good." "You should've grabbed a dry log." "Czechoslovakia, complete. lt's very valuable." "Very special stamps." "I thought they'd make myjourney to America easier." "Why not?" "You can go now." "In Slovakia, if you have the money, you can go anywhere." "At what cost?" "We were lucky it wasn't us." "They paid for it." "Are you crazY-7" "What are you doing here?" "Waiting for the train." "Since the border's been closed, nothing stops here." " Shit!" " We'll have to walk!" "What a great start!" "We're colleagues!" "We work at the railway post." "We had a bit to drink and got on the wrong train." "You know, it's Saint Nicholas' Day." "But don't make a mess in here." "We'll wait till it stops raining." "I can't wait to be back home!" "L'll go and get drunk the first thing!" "IDs!" "Come on!" "Get up!" "Come on!" "Which one of you is the Czech guy?" " Me, why?" " What did you steal?" " Hands against the wall!" " I didn't steal anything!" "Francek, run!" "Quick!" "Francek, run!" "Jesus!" "What have you done?" "They're brutes, they show no mercy!" "You killed him!" "A policeman!" "You know what that means?" "Get away from me!" "I don't want to have anything to do with such an idiot!" "Viktor." "What happened?" "What is it?" "Look at you!" "Have you been home?" "I can't!" "Don't say anything to mum." "Did you beat someone up?" " Good evening." " Good evening." "Dad, we got into trouble." "We must take off." "Why?" "Come on, tell me!" "It's not Victor's fault." "I did the shooting." "Shut up!" "He attacked us first!" "He would have killed me!" "Policemen can do anything!" "Oh my God..." "Was it you at the railway station?" " For Christ's sake!" " Don't tell mum!" "Please!" "It would kill her." "You need money, don't you?" "Jesus Christ!" "I knew it wouldn't end well." "What were you doing there?" "And who is he?" " I am..." " Let him be!" "It doesn't matter now." "What doesn't matter?" "You idiot!" "I should've beaten you when you were a child, but I had to do what she wanted!" "Now she's got ajailbird for a son!" "That's too much!" "Wait..." "Where do you want to go?" "Everybody in town already knows!" "Go to Hungary and on from there." "But get rid of the Czech guy!" "Here, take it!" "Come on, take it!" "Give him something and let him leave." "Who did the shooting, him?" "It makes no difference!" "It does." "L've got him into trouble and I want to help him!" "And what about us, your family?" "He's ajew, isn't he?" " Sure he is." " Then only God can help you." "Everything's different in the Slovak State now." "Wait, I'll bring more money." "Take my coat, you look like..." " l'll go to the police." " Be quiet, will you?" "Don't worry, it's got nothing to do with you." "I won't say anything." "Shut up!" " Careful!" " Lie down!" "Keep him warm!" "We'll be there in a minute!" "To the hospital." "Hurry up!" "Come on!" "Shit, what a piece ofjunk!" " Coming this way!" " I can see that!" "Well." "What's up?" "What're you doin' here?" "Are you drunk or crazy?" "Look at my tail!" "They'll be our angels." "It's full of moths, keep it." "Why are you running away?" "Franz has to get out of the Reich." "And I don't abandon my friends." "Couldn't you come and talk to me?" "How far did you think you'd get?" "You flew these years ago..." "Whatever, just wanna get out of here!" "Even ifl ended up like Captain §lapeta!" " Quite a role model!" " He had class!" "Go to hell!" "They only used us for the hard work." "Sorry, buddy, nothing against the Czechs, but we're better off without them." "There are worse things in the world." "Right, but he talks bullshit!" "He could've joined our army!" "He'd be flying, not delivering mail." "Now he doesn't do that, either." "Who would I be fighting against with you?" "Against the moths!" "We should be thankful for what we have." "Let's have a drink and we'll see." "Just drink!" "Goddamn, sing, we're not a funeral procession!" "What are we doing here?" "Where's Vinco?" "You were the one talking to him." "There was no talking with you." "The destination is clear." "You have to cross the Danube, go down to Budapest, then to Yugoslavia and on to the Near East." "The French will divide you by the kinds of arms." "L'll fetch the wine." "Soldiers first." "You'll be given passports and money." "The civilians go by a different route." "Any questions?" "Hasil, Air Force." "Who secures the route?" "Military intelligence." "If the Hungarians arrest you, you'll be reclaimed by the French consulate in Budapest." "Write a last will." "Hand me your documents and pictures." "You'll get it all back when the war's over." "That's it." "If there is one." "Why don't England or France fight against Germany?" "That's a problem for the politicians, we are soldiers!" "Not to provoke Hitler, that's important!" "The English have never lost a war." "Stop it." "You had time for discussions in coffee-houses." "I have special instructions for pilots." "None of the Poles is a pilot?" "We're from the cavalry." "The white cavalry!" "What are you so proud of?" "!" "At least they were shooting, unlike us." "Shooting, right." "Into their pants!" "This goulash is great." "I feel as if we were in Budapest already." "Excuse me..." "Eat and drink, there's plenty of everything." "Finally." "The food is here." "I take only Slovak money or gold." "Pork leg." "Great!" " You're a pilot too?" " Why?" "You have pilot boots." "L'm not." "Captain Mikula brought us here." "Is Vinco a captain?" "What a career!" "Congratulations!" "You should've said you were a pilot." "Don't mind me." "The eagle flies alone." "I belong to nobody!" " On principle!" " Out of need, rather." "You won't fool me!" "Come back as winners!" "Truth wins out!" "See you after the war!" "For liberty!" "For the Republic!" "Is that fair?" "Civilians always get a better deal." "Good, isn't it?" "Here!" "I couldn't swallow it." "So much money..." "The miller milked us well." "Get used to wartime prices!" "I gave you a fixed price." "Get off if you don't like it." "Look!" "It's cold in here, we sleep in the kitchen." "§tefan!" "I admire your courage with strangers..." "I can take care of myself." "Take it out!" "I knew we were in good hands." "You've got a fortune in here." "It's a mess, but what should I do?" "Business is bad." "Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring." "People leave their unneeded possessions behind." "First, the Germans and Jews fled." "Mostly from Vienna." "Then Czechs, now the Poles." "You are the first one from here." "Really?" "And we got no drinks to celebrate." "My husband was hiding it." "The children hate drunks." "But he was a good man." "He did what I told him." "Right, men should play second fiddle." "To a good ending!" "Just a sip, I don't drink." "I fell down in the yard once and I said 'enoughl'." "There it is!" "One more!" "No more for me." "I don't know what it would do to me." "It depends on the situation." "He was like you, ready for anything." "You have to make the best of life!" "He loved politics and paid for it." "Hungarian supporters beat him to death." "A year ago, when the border was altered." "L'll help the Devil himself if he's against them." "Why hell?" "I'll help you to come to heaven." "What do you say?" "Don't touch me!" "I know none of you nor want any of you!" "Bastards!" "Look, you've never seen such a thing before." "You could buy a bicycle for this, dolls for the girls, and half a pig for mum." "Do we have to leave?" "Let me see!" "Stop following me!" "Shall we sleep together too and wear the same pair of socks?" "Soon we'll be going to the loo together!" "You're like a leech!" "What are you laughing at?" "Typical Jew, doesn't even get offended." "Why offended?" "I feel sorry for you." "Really?" "From now on, be sorry for yourself." "Come back!" "Do you hear me?" "Where are you going?" "Wait!" "You won't get anywhere on your own!" "You're not making my or your friend's life any easier." "L'm sorry." "I lost my temper." "L'm only a woman." "So behave like a woman, then!" "Franz, are you asleep?" "It's alright." "We need to behave, even if we're in trouble." "Otherwise we'll end up like lice." "Good night." "Shut up!" "Are you coming with us?" "Do you know the way?" "It's not my first time." " Let me help you." " l'm not a sissy." "Sorry." " That's the Danube, isn't it?" " Yes." "Dad used to go to work this way." "Look out!" "Guards!" "They are our soldiers." "The border is somewhere here." "It's over!" "lsn't it great?" "Wasn't so hard." "The station is over there." "Hurry up not to miss the train!" "§tefan, salute!" "L'll have good luck." "Great to see you!" "Come on!" "A woman wakes up her husband at midnight:" ""Somebody's ringing the doorbell."" "He replies: "Let me sleep, it's just the Gestapo."" " You're such an idiot!" " Why?" "You got clear instructions!" "How can you behave like that?" "What do you want here again?" "Stop shouting!" "My friends came to play cards." "The four of us could play too!" "As soon as we're out, I'll inform the authorities about your behaviour." "We're not there yet." "And I'm an operator, Mr. Flier." "You're not a soldier, you're a clown!" "Did you hear what he just said?" "Who do you think you are?" "People like you fucked up our Republic." "Arrogant officers, sons of bitches!" "Step aside!" "How dare...?" "I am the commander." "Speak in your language." "I can still remember some of it." "We served you before!" "I have to tell you something." " What?" " Well..." "Where's the fake passport from?" "Fake?" "It must be a misunderstanding." "I wasn't told it was fake." " And yours?" " I refuse to answer." "You're an officer, is that correct?" "You'll go tojail!" "To have warm shelter in winter, and free food?" " I beg your pardon!" " I don't pardon anything!" "You think Hungary is a place for a stroll!" "And you can't behave!" "We'll pay for the window." "And you two, don't you have passports?" "Why do you, a Slovak, run away from Slovakia?" "And why right now?" "People have their ideals." "Ideals?" "Women, fights, booze." "But when you should go tojail..." "What's so funny?" "Nothing. I'm coming down with flu or something." "L'll send you to Budapest." "They'll know what to do with you." "Thanks." "That's it." "Well, come on!" "One by one!" "That's excellent." "What sort of folk are you?" "Informing on each other..." "One piece of advice I give you, get rid of the Czechs!" "They're German citizens now." "Desertion is treason." "I should hand you over to the Gestapo." " Please don't!" " You see?" " It wasn't my idea." " Whose then?" "L'm a policeman, not an informer!" "You'll go back to where you came from!" "Do you know the newjoke?" " Hitler meets Stalin..." " Shut up!" "Where did you learn Hungarian?" "Just a few words." "I can speak that much in Romanian too." "Over there, they knock your gold teeth out first." "Where did you want to go?" "To Germany?" "Me?" "What are you sayin'?" "Of course you!" "Go to hell!" "What the hell do you think of me?" "You're not gonna get me into trouble!" "What the hell?" "Shut up, for Christ's sake!" "The guards at the border shoot right away." "Good luck!" "Don't come back, we can shoot too." "You'll remember me, just wait!" "Nobody could forget such a rat." "Bastards!" "It's clear now." "It doesn't concern you." "All the best!" "Don't cough, they'll find us!" "Quiet!" "Watch out!" "Hey, here we are!" "What happened?" "Are you alright?" "It's nothing serious." " And you, are you okay?" " Yes, so far." " What about Vala§ek?" " He got what he deserved!" "He'd have got us into a mess." "Or our families." "Stop that!" "The innocent always pay." "And we'll die out here too!" "We have to go on!" "We won't get far in this state." "We need to hide for a while." "We know a..." "Just don't give up." "It would be the end of us." "We can't go on. lt's suicide!" "Stop!" "Do you hear me?" "He must have gone crazy." "We have to get out of here." " Viki..." " We must find Zuzka." "I don't thinkl can make it." "I'm terribly cold." "You can do it!" "Go alone." "I can't." "Death for death, there's no escape." "Lamenting is the last thing we need!" "Stay here, I'll have a look around." "Where was he shot?" "I can't see any wound." "He was brought here dead. lt's a severe provocation!" " He's got no documents." "What shall we do?" " Let the Hungarians deal with it." "It looks like pneumonia." "And probably the pleura is inflamed too." "Is he going to be alright?" "Hopefully." "But it'll take a while." "Turn the heating down." "He needs a lot of liquids." "He can't go to hospital." "One word in Czech, and we're all in trouble." "But you probably don't have the money anyway." "He's got some valuable stamps." "Has he?" "Let's have a look." "I like Moravians, I studied in Brno." "L'll give you a thousand five hundred for them." "You need cash." "Franz expected to get a lot more!" "In Paris you'd get ten times more." "I can't give you more." "Medical treatment is included." "I hope not to lose much. lt's a deal!" "Run!" "Go and hide!" "Mum!" "Monsters!" "Is it St. Lucy's day already?" " Well, I'll go ahead." " There was no other way." "You'll be there by Christmas too." "Come on, we won't lie to each other." "When I remember how it all started I'd..." "It would've happened even if we hadn't done anything." "Sooner or later everybody... they get everybody." "Let's go, I wanna be back by evening." "Zuzka will lead me across the Danube." "Out of this trap." "Afterwards..." "We'll see what happens." "Go!" "Good-bye." "Hurry up, Viki!" "What's up?" "Sorry, I couldn't help it." "Never mind." "I nearly fainted." "It happens to me, in church too." "I needed that so bad." "So did I." "What do we do now?" "You're the man." "Think of something." " Let's leave." "Please!" " We will..." " What is it?" " l'm scared." "Let's go before it's too late." "Let's find a hotel in the city." "But not here, please." "We'll wait till it stops raining." "You mustn't leave me!" "I won't let you go!" "Love me, I need it!" "Darling..." "What is it?" "Let go!" "No!" "Victor!" "Upper Hungary." "We have land there too." "You violated at least six sections of the law." "Including trespassing on private property, and what is more, armed." "It's not her fault!" "Let her be!" "I decide what to do!" "I sacrificed myself for the nation." "For one symbolic gulden a year." "We've already taken the Danube back." "I hope to live to see Hungary whole again as it used to be for a thousand years!" "Put us in jail if you want to, we don't care about Hungary." "Let the dead rest in peace!" "All right then." "Let's see how much life there is in you." "Fifty lashes!" "Don't do that, it'll kill him!" "That surprises me, he's young." "You're the one to know how strong he is." "You're older, I understand you would do anything for him." "But what can you offer to me, an old man?" "I buried two wives and I spend the nights alone, in pain." "L'll forgive him if you offer me another option." "No?" "You've decided!" "Is it fascinating?" "Not for me, not anymore." "It's over." "Nothing, emptiness!" "Give me one chance, just one, and I'll send the brutes away." "Give me what you gave to him." "Never!" "You old bastard!" "When a woman says 'never', it means nothing!" "Can you hear him?" "The heroism didn't last long." "Everybody's betrayed by his own body." "For Christ's sake, stop them!" "Let's go." "What is it?" "We have to leave, Zuzka!" " Some of them must be open." " I can't..." "Wait a moment!" "You'd better go home, I'll go alone." "I thought mum would be here." "She must be back home by now!" "Waiting for you with the girls." "Go,just go!" "I should pay you... but I have nothing left now." "Well, when the war's over." "Let's hope." "Bye." "Bye." "Viki!" "We're destined for each other!" "It looks like it." "Have you risen from the dead?" "Kind of." "I prefer to die in the fresh air." "You must go on." "We'll cross the Danube, and that'sjust the beginning." "Yes!" "And it feels as if we've already been on the road for ages." "Eat." "It'll be a Iongjourney." "The world awaits you." "You'll join the army you choose." " I doubt that." " Stop that!" "We'll beat Hitler and come back." "Girls, booze, music." "Back to Jarunka, you liked her!" " Why have we stopped?" " Police!" "Over there!" "They'll find us here." "I knew it." "That's the end of us." "The children didn't do anything wrong." "You have no idea what they do to them in Poland!" "We've been travelling for a month." "Bye, Viki." "I always mess things up." "I may succeed next time." " Give me your coat." " What for?" "We'll confuse them a little." " How?" " We'll see." "I almost gave up." "Nonsense, Franz." "We've got class, right?" "You have, that's right!" "What about me?" "Stay here and keep quiet!" "Be careful!" "Don't worry." "Viki, do you think it'll work?" "English subtitles edited by D. Shearman"