Soundman, The (2025)

[bunniefuu]

But what would happen if all

these neutral nations I have mentioned,

and some others I have not mentioned,

were with one spontaneous impulse

to do their duty,

and were to stand together

with the British and French empires,

against aggression and wrong?

At present, their plight is lamentable,

and it will become much worse.

Each one hopes

that if he feeds the crocodile enough,

the crocodile will eat him last.

All of them hope

that the storm will pass

before their turn comes to be devoured.

But I fear...

I fear greatly

that storm will not pass.

It will rage and it will roar,

ever more loudly, ever more widely.

It will spread to the south,

it will spread to the north...

- How many?

- Seven.

- All last night?

- Yes.

None with ID papers?

No.

No doubt about it,

send them back.

Your parents know you're not allowed

to cross the border without papers.

Returning...

Get in.

Back to Germany, come on.

Back to Germany.

Come on, hurry up.

Quickly. Faster.

Tomorrow, May 6th,

the sun won't be shining in Antwerp.

But no rain is expected.

Temperatures will reach 16C,

time to plant those flower bulbs.

There's also

happy news from the zoo!

A cub has been born

in the lion enclosure!

When are you leaving?

We're not.

We're staying.

My father's changed his mind.

We're up again.

One o'clock. Finor time.

Thank you.

I'll be back after 1 o'clock

with news from the Almanac.

Until then.

Oh Finor, oh Finor,

A bar every day

Oh Finor, oh Finor,

A bite, oh yes, please

Chocolate full of flavour

Early in the morning

And on, throughout the day

Finor chocolate

A bite, full of happiness.

Five francs an hour.

I was here four hours, that's 20 francs.

A box of Finor is worth

more than 20 francs.

Chocolate to buy

my ticket to Brussels?

Why was it again

your father moved to Brussels?

Five francs.

The door!

"I consider myself fortunate

that in my misfortune,

"I have a noble and honourable

knight as my guide.

"But what if, on my journey,

I were escorted by common soldiers?"

Well, if it isn't our Berre!

- Aunt Gabby.

- My lad!

You smell of Limburg.

Am I wrong?

How was the journey?

How's my sister doing? Well?

Come in.

Uncle Andr is still at work.

- Hello.

- Hello.

Payment in kind.

They've run out of money.

I'm not going back.

Good.

It's about time we left here.

What did you have to do for this?

Here. Read.

"Joan of Navarre is an evil queen.

She has imprisoned

my father and my relatives."

"It is true, noble lady,

our queen treats

the Flemish very harshly."

When is your exam?

No exam.

A voice test. Tomorrow.

"I consider myself fortunate

that in my misfortune,

"I have an honourable,

loyal knight as my guide.

"But what if, on my journey,

"I were escorted

by common soldiers?"

So, that's him?

He got here an hour ago.

I almost didn't recognise him.

Last time I saw him,

he was just a little boy.

He didn't dare give me a kiss.

I think he's a little embarrassed.

He used all his equipment

to record the sound of our doorbell.

Hello there, Berre.

This is Uncle Andr,

my new husband.

- Thank you.

- What for?

The internship.

Oh, that was Gabby's idea.

Your mum told me

how much you like playing around

with microphones and all that.

I thought: "Perfect,

Andr works at the radio station, so..."

Maybe you can take

his equipment upstairs, Andr.

- There we go.

- You go first.

It's all going up to the attic.

- What have you got in here?

- Sounds.

I didn't know sound was so heavy.

A few rumours in there too.

In a few moments,

"The Politics Chronicle"

by Mr Fleischman, with the latest news

concerning the German-Austrian threat

in the face of reinforced...

Live from the Flagey building

in Brussels

the Drama Company presents

the radio play:

Arsenic and Apple Tart.

So, you think he's a little shy?

Let the boy listen to his programme.

And my programme?

When Hilter invades, there'll be

plenty of time to listen to that drivel.

- Hitler.

- Hilter, that's what I said.

Sound effects, Pierre Polak.

Ah, Polak, your internship is with him.

It's started. Eat your soup.

What aromas are these?

Freshly ground coffee.

Unusual smells for a pharmacy.

Hello sir, welcome in our shop.

How can I help you?

I am Inspector Nose.

Could you call the pharmacist for me?

He is currently unavailable.

I very much doubt that, miss.

At this very moment, he is washing down

a slice of freshly baked tart

with a gulp of hot coffee.

How do you know that, inspector?

Dear lady, my nose never fails me.

Unlike in matters of love,

my moustachioed friend

has never let me down.

Nicodemus Nose, my trusted friend...

As a little boy,

I dreamt of working on a ship.

And look at me now...

The Flagey building.

The world's largest sound factory.

On this ship, I'm not "Uncle Andr",

they call me "Chasseur Andr".

Understood?

For someone who likes to make noise,

you're pretty quiet.

There are six studios for concerts,

five for the news and two for records.

And four for radio plays,

where your internship is.

And we're the only place in the world

with two echo chambers

where sounds are trapped

and can't escape.

Sign here, please.

Also, we have three directors.

Who else has three directors?

One for French speakers,

one for the Flemish,

and one for both

French and Flemish speakers.

What a wonderful country we live in.

Dear colleagues,

this is Berre, my wife's nephew.

He's Polak's 'sound effects' intern.

- Foley.

- What's that?

It's called 'Foley' nowadays.

And is it not important that creation

around us be not only useful,

and that its usefulness speak to us

less than its beauty...

And that it be the beauty of sounds

that speak to us most.

Don't worry,

Director Van Rooy and I are ready.

If the Germans invade, we will evacuate

the building within two hours.

All the Nazis will find

is an empty box.

One last thing...

Where are we

with the 'Lists of Suspects'?

The Minister of Justice

stresses the urgency.

Last month's Minister or today's?

Dear colleague...

How many Ministers of Justice

have we had in 18 months?

- Five... or is it six?

- These are confusing times...

As is the minister's request:

"Draw up lists of those we suspect

would help the Germans

in the event of a German invasion."

Indeed: fascists, rexists,

Flemish nationalists.

But also spies hidden among all

the refugees from Germany and Austria.

Individuals who may belong

to the Fifth Column.

- Not that complicated, is it?

- Spies from the Fifth Column?

We have 644 employees.

Do some of them

have n*zi sympathies?

Yes, maybe.

But how are we to determine that?

It's not written on their foreheads.

As long as they don't walk in here

in uniform, there's little we can do.

You know we uphold

the neutrality of public broadcasting.

But the question's vagueness

may lead to arbitrariness

and, above all,

lead to false accusations.

Listen, we'll keep a close eye

on the situation.

Our staff know

they can tell the secretariat

if they notice anything suspicious.

Stand up straight and avoid eye contact.

Director...

Director.

Am I really hearing

the Soviet Union's national anthem?

Are communists just

given free rein here?

How neutral is that?

The mornings are set aside

for political broadcasters.

We have no say in that.

It was a political decision.

- Who is broadcasting right now?

- The socialists.

Ah, Chasseur Andr,

could you open this door, please?

They've locked it from the inside.

- Can't you block their audio signal?

- Yes, that's possible.

Run faster than 340 metres per second

and you'll outrun the sound wave

and be able to stop it

by standing in front of it.

The wave will

lose its energy and stop.

How fast?

340 metres per second.

The speed of sound.

- That will be difficult.

- It's very fast, yes.

- And you are?

- Berre.

- Uncle Andr's new wife's nephew.

- Chasseur Andr.

Apologies.

He doesn't know his place yet.

It's his first day as intern:

radio play sound effects.

With Polak?

- Gentlemen.

- Yes, let's go.

- Chasseur Andr, I told you.

- Chasseur Andr.

Come on, hurry up now.

Studio 10.

Pierre Polak.

And don't let me

or your Aunt Gabby down.

I have to report for a voice test

at 10:30.

You were supposed to report

for a voice test at 10:30.

Radio Play, Studio 12,

through the swing doors

and up the staircase.

Thank you.

Sir?

Excuse me, sir. Studio 12?

- You took the Brussels train yesterday?

- Yes.

You were looking to the past,

me to the future.

You faced where you came from,

I prefer looking to where I'm going.

I wasn't looking, but listening.

It makes no difference

on a train which direction you look in,

the sound is exactly the same.

It's all about the energy.

Yes, well, I have a voice test

in the Radio Play studio.

Follow me.

"How does my...

How my heart longs for his kisses.

"His words so soft and...

"sweet..."

Soft and sweet!

"So soft and sweet!"

Yes, my apologies,

there may have been a mistake in...

Mr Van Dijck. I'm here.

Miss De Vries. The audition jury was

ready for your mic test at 10:30.

- One person was missing.

- My apologies.

It's well past the academic quarter.

Shame, the other tests went great,

but you've missed your chance.

I've always been on time, but today...

I'd never been in this building...

Young lady, radio does not wait.

Ever.

Radio's more punctual than time.

It's his fault.

And he is?

- Berre.

- Berre.

Berre?

Foley intern.

Sound effects.

We were lost in the building,

through his fault.

Is that so?

Yes.

Jury members, do you agree

to proceed with the studio test?

Thank you for your understanding.

Please follow me.

You talk too loudly.

Studio mics are very sensitive,

so speak more softly.

Soft and sweet.

Yes, soft...

- Ready, Elza?

- Yes.

Lowie?

- Let's get going?

- Yep.

Right.

Concentrate.

Ready, Lowie?

Lowie.

Three, two, one...

Action, Lowie.

Dear Machteld, our suffering

is over:

the fatherland has been avenged,

the lilies have been torn.

Flanders is free!

The French have been defeated.

Dear father.

At last, I see you free,

no longer in chains.

Let me hold you in my arms.

I want to spend

the rest of my life

happy and blessed by your protection!

I never dared hope

of such happiness again.

Dries...

I told you,

I don't want to work with interns.

Mr Polak, we're doing a voice test.

That may be,

but there's some oddball here,

who claims he's working with me.

Pierre, aren't you listening?

We'll discuss it later.

Alright, let's keep going.

Ready...

But father,

why say you nothing of my beloved?

Why is he not here?

How my heart longs for his kisses.

His words so...

soft and sweet.

My happiness was his great dream.

His love was my light,

but now it is extinguished.

BELGIAN DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

1913, THIRD PLACE

He sacrificed himself for me

and put on your chains...

Coffee. Ground floor.

He has taken your place.

But how can I go on living,

knowing that he is no longer here?

At 1.30 pm, a first reading.

Rehearsal tomorrow afternoon

and live broadcast tomorrow evening.

Ah, Berre!

Please show Miss De Vries

to the secretariat.

You can get your paperwork done

and you can sign your intern contract.

For Polak?

I'll take it.

- The papers, here.

- Thank you.

Fons.

Elza De Vries. Your new colleague.

Elza, Fons Belloy.

Our star, I think I can say.

Mr Belloy, a pleasure.

Miss De Vries.

Elza.

She's starting a month's trial,

but she has the qualities

to get a permanent contract

very quickly.

And the sound effects intern. Berre.

There you have it.

1.30 pm sharp?

Yes.

- Room 241?

- Yes, 241.

Identity papers.

I don't have them.

I lost them.

I need ID papers to register you.

In-house rules.

My new ID card should arrive

any moment now.

- A certificate of loss?

- I'll bring it.

Tomorrow, please.

I'll draw up a temporary contract.

- Surname?

- Elza... De Vries.

- First name.

- Elza.

Address?

Address?

I'll come back tomorrow,

when I've got all my papers.

Yes, that might be best.

Miss De Vries.

Trousers are a garment for men.

In-house rules?

No, that's just how it is.

Can listeners hear on the radio

if I'm in a dress or trousers?

Robert Meulemans.

Yes?

Yes, come in.

What's going on here?

Fresh blood...

Hello.

Hi.

Hello.

- Denize.

- Elza.

His name is Charles Lindbergh.

He is no older than 25.

His grandfather came from Sweden.

He is American.

He flies at a speed

of over 170 km per hour.

His aircraft is called

'Spirit of St. Louis'.

Climb into your plane,

Charles Lindbergh.

Climb in and save Europe.

They are expecting you there.

I am the fog.

He who ventures out to sea,

must reckon with me.

For millennia, no one was seen

flying in these skies.

But now, I have been pierced

by a mysterious bird.

So, I ask myself: who are you?

I am many.

I am the power of all the men

who built this machine for me.

So, challenge me.

I am not afraid of you.

Not yet,

because it is still light outside.

Because you still know

where right and left are.

- Dries. Dries?

- Yes?

The snowstorm is fine,

but the fog should be played

by a woman.

The fog requires

a feminine mystique, subtlety.

But wait until the dark night falls.

And nothing more.

I am the fog.

Oh Ida...

You are undoubtedly

the perfect fog.

Yes, maybe.

Hubert, you alright with that?

Everything for art.

But I do wonder if it's wise,

at this moment in time,

to put on a radio play

about Lindbergh.

You have something

against Lindbergh?

Everyone knows that our American hero

is a friend of the Nazis.

So what? He's the best pilot,

the Nazis have the best planes.

Come on, guys.

This is entertainment.

Please, people.

This is not a political radio play.

It's about the greatness of technology.

How technology brings people together,

connects them.

The first flight

across the ocean.

What does that represent?

Can you imagine it?

An airplane, what is that?

It is a hand that we are extending

to the future.

This radio play, dear people,

conveys an optimistic message.

Namely, that man is capable

of great things

thanks to technology.

There!

And actually, Ida, I think you're right:

the fog could use

a little feminine mystery.

So, yes,

could you play fog...

- Elza?

- Elza?

Yes, I don't know if that...

Perfect. It's decided.

So, Elza, you'll be

'Fog' and 'Snowstorm'.

Fons is 'Lindbergh'.

Denize,

'Audience' and 'America'.

Ida, you'll be 'Rain'.

Lowie, 'Reporter' and 'Europe'.

And Hubert will be

the 'Airplane Engine'.

Just to tell you

that I don't have a plane.

Excuse me?

No plane.

I ordered one from the BBC,

but they delivered carpenter tools .

- Carpenter tools?

- Please, people!

Mr Polak, the broadcast

is tomorrow evening.

So, you have 24 hours

to bring me a plane.

Come up with something.

OK, let's start again from:

"He who ventures out to sea."

Three, two, one...

Action, Elza!

He who ventures out to sea,

must reckon with me.

For millennia, no one was...

BBC, wood plane.

Take one.

But now, I have been pierced

by a mysterious bird.

So, I ask myself: who are you?

- Thank you all.

- See you tomorrow.

Ida really brought that rain to life.

Drinks on the square,

for those who want...

Polak knows you're using his equipment?

Put everything back where it was.

That bell, yesterday,

in Arsenic and Apple Tart ,

it was the bell of an ice-cream van.

To indicate the inspector

is entering a shop,

why not use a shop bell?

- Polak knows his craft.

- Why not let us hear it?

He creates sound like they did

ten years ago, this is 1940.

Big speech for someone

we've not heard a word from.

Sound is too important

to be treated casually.

Every sound is unique.

If you broadcast it on the radio

and send it into the ether,

and that radio wave escapes Earth,

it will continue

to float through space for eternity.

- Up there, no one's losing sleep over it.

- I am.

You think you can do better?

Yes.

If you think you can do better,

let us hear it.

See you tomorrow.

It's a great destination for you.

Your girls have Austrian passports.

As w*r refugees,

they automatically get a visa.

- Hello.

- Elza...

Where were you?

In town, out for a walk.

Elza is an obsessive walker.

If it were up to her,

she'd be out all day.

If we don't tie her down in the morning,

she's gone.

The spitting image of your mother.

Mr and Mrs Sarphati

are leaving for Argentina

- but they're not taking their radio.

- Yes, I did warn my wife.

That radio is too expensive

and too big.

Only buy things

that fit in a suitcase.

Your mum would be so proud

of you working in radio.

Elza's not working in radio anymore.

Thank God.

- When are you leaving?

- Friday. Train to Le Havre.

Saturday, we board the ship

for Buenos Aires.

- If you want tickets, you must hurry.

- I'll think about it.

In Tierra del Fuego,

southern Argentina,

the wind blows so hard

that trees grow horizontally.

The German violence

in Poland, Denmark and Norway

shows that Hitler is a man of action...

In the little well?

... and that he will not hesitate

to violate Belgian neutrality.

In the well too, Berre?

Germany's warlike language

exerts an intimidating force

on the spirit of the Belgian citizens.

The Minister of the Interior urges

the population to continue their daily

routines.

Belgium is strong, our army is ready.

That German moustache

will be in Brussels soon.

Hitler has no business here.

He knows better.

"For now, he feels strong,

but he doesn't know

who he's up against."

It'll be funny when Dad hears you

on national radio tomorrow.

"Who are you really?

Who are you?"

Come on...

Wait a moment, Andr.

Wait a moment.

His sandwiches.

He must have left really early.

Not even a goodbye,

a kiss or anything.

- Poor lad.

- His racket keeps us awake all night,

we find the dismantled coffee grinder

in his room,

and now, I have

to deliver his sandwiches to him.

Poor lad doesn't know any better.

Show some compassion.

Drive safely.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

Let's start by adopting

a gymnast's stance.

Raise your heel,

bring your left arm forward.

Now.

Make sure the arm and torso

form a 135-degree angle.

Let the heels fall

and bring down the arm.

Alternately, bring the left,

then the right arm forward,

at that same 135-degree angle.

Start.

Raise and lower.

Raise and lower.

Mr Polak, you know

how much we value your work

but you must pull yourself together.

There have been too many complaints

about your gloomy

and overly negative attitude.

This is a free train ticket.

Third class. Jerusalem.

One way. It says it clearly.

"One way, never to return."

Where's it from?

There's one in my letterbox every day.

Every single day.

You can keep it.

Pierre, I know you're being persecuted

by different groups.

- And I feel for you, but...

- They're coming.

What am I saying?

They're already here.

It's swarming with fascists.

We can't allow ourselves

to wallow in gloom.

As radio producers

we must continue to believe

that with the help of modern technology,

good will prevail.

I'm counting on no more complaints.

I'm counting on it too.

Glad to hear it.

Thank you for everything.

Come on now...

Energy!

Take good care of that girl.

Come on now!

Energy!

Good morning.

What happened?

It's De Vries, right?

De Vries.

And where are you from?

Antwerp.

And your training,

Royal Theatre Academy?

My mother.

The fog sits in the middle.

Yes...

Dear friends.

We'll never be able to make sense

of Polak's desperate act.

Let us remember him as a kind man.

A pioneer in his field.

There is no solace.

Only sadness.

But we must go on.

Even in this sombre moment,

we must remain committed to our task.

Our radio signal is

the heartbeat of society.

It must never be interrupted.

Never!

Not even for this tragedy.

This medium is beautiful,

but unforgiving.

Two million listeners count on us.

Yes?

Tonight you go on the air.

As planned, with a new radio play.

At Mr Van Dijck's request,

sound effects will, for now,

be handed over to the intern.

That is,

as long as Uncle Andr's

new wife's nephew agrees?

Berre.

His name is Berre.

Berre.

So, Director Van Rooy, himself,

designated you?

And he said you could use my moped

for tonight's radio play?

Did he also say

how I was to get home?

By tram.

I'm leaving it with you

until tomorrow morning.

Oh yes,

Aunt Gabby made you sandwiches.

They're on my desk, waiting for you.

And that's why I think it's important

that we dedicate tonight's performance

to Polak.

I'm counting on all of you for that.

Sir?

Isn't Mrs Ida a better choice

to play Fog and Snowstorm?

This is my first radio play

and it's being broadcast live.

Maybe I can just watch tonight

and then next time...

Too much time lost.

If you have any doubts or questions,

Ida will help you.

Yes, Ida?

I, the fog,

I wonder: who are you?

Who are you?

I'm not afraid of you.

You understand?

You'll do great, Elza.

Absolutely. Let's get started.

From the Brussels Flagey building,

the Drama Company,

led by Dries Van Dijck, presents

Bertolt Brecht's Lindbergh's Flight.

Performed by: Fons Belloy,

Hubert Van Vaerenberg,

Ida Verdoodt,

Denize Hoovaerts, Lowie Depuydt

and, for the first time, Elza De Vries.

Technician: Jozef Vandesande.

Sound effects: Berre Meulemans.

TREE / FOG

Elza...

I am the fog.

He who ventures out to sea,

must reckon with me.

For millennia, no one was seen

flying in these skies.

But now, I have been pierced

by a mysterious bird.

For now, he feels strong.

But he does not know

who he is dealing with.

Who are you really?

Who are you?

I am many.

I am the power of all the men

who built this machine for me.

So, challenge me.

- I am not afraid of you.

- Not yet.

Because it is still light outside.

Because you still know

where right and left are.

SNOWSTORM

I am the snowstorm.

For an hour now,

a man has been within me.

A man in a machine, first high above,

then far below, close to the water.

For an hour, I've hurled him

at the water, at the skies above.

He has nothing to hold on to,

but he does not go under.

He falls upwards,

he rises downwards.

For hours, he's been unable

to see the moon, nor even his own hand.

But he does not...

But he does not go under.

I have packed his device with ice

to make it heavy

and pull it downward.

But the ice falls off

and he does not go under.

He does not go under.

For centuries,

everything fell from above to below.

Except the birds.

On ancient murals

we never found drawings

of humans flying in the sky.

But now we have succeeded.

At the end of this second millennium,

we have triumphed

over the laws of nature.

The future belongs

to technology and human ingenuity.

Hurrah!

We're off air.

Thank you all!

Yes, thank you. Truly.

Fantastic.

Bravo.

Very good.

Lowie, wow!

Really very good.

Congratulations Fons.

Everyone, thank you!

Hubert, well done.

- Bravo!

- Hats off.

They've gone for a drink,

on the square.

Shall we join them?

There's something I have to do.

- We can walk together?

- I'm taking the tram.

But I have a thing to do first.

See you tomorrow?

Yes.

Well done.

That fog sound, what was that?

The sound of a tree

sucking water up from the ground.

A primeval sound

that existed before any animals.

So, before anyone could hear it?

But, if no one can hear it,

does it exist?

You think trees can't hear?

That, I don't know.

Bye, Berre.

See you tomorrow.

Andr's already gone to bed.

I kept your dinner warm, Berre.

Come, sit down.

That was so beautiful.

That Lindbergh and his airplane.

I found it very moving.

I can't stop thinking about it.

That man's child

was kidnapped and k*lled.

Enough salt?

You have such beautiful green eyes.

Elza De Vries.

You think that changing 'Friedmann'

to 'De Vries' solves our problems?

I don't want to flee anymore.

You want to wait for the Nazis

to come and get us?

We're safe here, aren't we?

Belgium accepts more refugees

than anywhere in Europe.

Belgium did accept more refugees.

- But there's panic here too now.

- The king's mother is helping refugees.

"The number of Jews

who fraudulently entered Belgium

"is estimated at 30,000.

"The government must deal strictly

with these suspicious elements,

"mostly foreigners

or recently naturalised Belgians.

"Most of these aliens become

agents of subversive propaganda."

You know who wrote that?

The son of the mother

of the King of Belgium. Leopold III.

For him, you're a suspicious element

we must deal with strictly.

The Dutch queen just vetoed

a reception camp for Jewish refugees

because it was

too close to her country residence.

Twelve kilometres.

I wouldn't trust those royals.

I'll apply for residency.

Then I won't be a refugee anymore.

- You've got Belgian papers too...

- Necessary to practise law in Antwerp.

But you know

I was disbarred last year

because I'm Jewish.

Don't you see, Elza?

It's not just the Nazis

we have to be wary of.

Danger lurks here in Belgium too.

My Belgian passport is precisely

why I'm in more danger than you are.

Anonymity is a precious commodity.

Don't throw it away.

If you apply for residency,

your name will go

on the Belgian authorities' lists.

They'll know where to find you,

be able to deport you.

To Germany, for example.

But that's fine,

the Belgian Justice Minister believes

we Jews are safe in Germany.

What do you suggest?

We keep running?

No, for the last time,

go to a country where they don't

see every refugee as a spy.

If we hadn't fled Vienna,

Mami might still be alive.

Your mum wouldn't stop performing,

even when it became too dangerous.

She craved the spotlight

when it was time to seek the shadows.

Just like you're doing now,

on the radio.

You're putting us in danger.

Tomorrow I'm arranging

visas and tickets to Argentina.

From now on, be less conspicuous.

No trousers anymore.

And no more radio!

Good morning, madam.

Please...

Can you help me?

I'm looking for a dentist.

I'm looking for a dentist.

ELZA PART 1

Hello, madam.

Registration office, please?

Second floor.

That's fine, lad,

I'm good from here.

Dear listeners, w*r has broken out

in the Low Countries.

A musical w*r, that is.

Welcome to The Battle of the Bands .

Mrs De Vries.

- You didn't bring your papers yesterday?

- Indeed.

In studio 4, our own Stan Brenders

and his big band,

ready to give their all.

First, our Dutch radio colleagues

present the Dutch band, The Ramblers,

and their song Who is Loesje?

Standing at the altar

in Antwerp Cathedral,

I am overcome by doubt.

My future husband

is 37 years older than me.

He could be my father.

Will I be able to handle this marriage?

Great.

Berre, next, the organ music,

followed by Lowie.

Go ahead.

Pieter Paul Rubens, do you take

Hlne Fourment as your wife?

Yes.

Hlne Fourment, do you take

Pieter Paul Rubens as your husband?

Yes.

Place the rings on each other's fingers.

In the name of the Father,

the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Pieter Paul Rubens,

you may kiss the bride.

Yes, that's enough.

Come on, Hubert, let the girl be.

Enough, Hubert...

Hubert!

Unusual approach.

Yes, Stanislavski, comrade.

The new acting method.

Berre.

Director Van Rooy wants to see you.

Now.

They're actors.

You mustn't forget that.

It's all just a game to those men.

You have so much talent.

Really.

Don't let their nonsense

ruin everything.

Tomorrow, on air, yes?

You'll do great.

Ministry of Defence confirms

increased troop movements

at the German border.

We can therefore assume

that the Germans will soon...

It's fine. Mr Meulemans has been

invited by me, personally.

He is the late Mr Polak's intern.

Was, I mean.

As of now, he is his successor.

Your collaboration with National Radio

commits you to secrecy.

Can you do that?

- I'm good at keeping quiet.

- Good to hear.

You'll take over Polak's duties,

also his role in our emergency team.

Take a seat.

With the help of Emergency Services,

we're prepping for an invasion.

If the Germans do invade,

this building will be a prime target.

Well, we will make sure

they find nothing but an empty shell.

All the equipment in this building

must be made inoperable.

Mr Meulemans,

you will help dismantle

the Radio Play studios.

At the same time, in a secret location,

we will start a new radio station

which will take over

the transmission signal,

the moment the main transmitter

here is shut down.

In the Radio Play studio is

an emergency transmitter.

You will ensure

the technical service staff

have access to that studio,

so that they can dismantle

that last transmitter.

Everything clear?

Good.

One last thing...

EMERGENCY TRANSMITTER

Whoever is not brave

cannot stand with us

He who dares not, must perish

Should the hard battle come...

We are ready!

The hour will come

Red-hot as fire

The enemy will stand grimly before us

And the hour of a Dietsch victory

will strike

Should the hard battle come...

We are ready!

Loyal unto death

Dietschland will grow...

Goodbye, my dear little officer

Adieu, and don't forget me

Goodbye, my dear little officer

Adieu, may luck be with you...

The Dietsch folk will rise

If tomorrow you fall

And I remain alone

My friend, stay faithful

I will fight for two

Should the hard battle come...

We are ready!

Berre, guess what just happened?

Andr was riding home

and his front wheel came off.

The cops brought it here.

He has to stay in the hospital

until tomorrow.

How could that happen?

There's something in the air

that I don't like.

Berre lad, you will put my glasses back

in my cupboard?

When you're done?

ELZA, PART 2

The tickets.

We leave the day after tomorrow.

At 6 am.

Decide if you're coming with us

or staying.

I won't let you put Rifka and me

in danger any longer.

Miss De Vries, I must insist

you go by the secretariat.

I'm already late

and we're about to go on air.

Miss De Vries...

Come with me, please.

Miss De Vries.

Miss De Vries.

We've been informed

that you don't have valid papers.

You may know

that the Ministry of Justice

has requested lists be made

of possible spies

or n*zi sympathisers who may be

preparing for a German invasion,

- but also...

- You think I'm spying for the Germans?

But also of ill*gal refugees.

Your real name and address are known.

Someone has put you on the list.

We are obliged to follow the rules

laid down by the political authorities.

If, by tomorrow afternoon, you haven't

brought in your identity papers,

we will have no choice

but to terminate our cooperation.

Miss Friedmann.

Be careful.

You denounced me.

I'm antisemitic.

I want nothing to do with you people.

I see you as parasites,

I can't help it.

You should flee.

Morning, Denize, welcome.

Good morning.

Hello, Denize.

- Shall we start?

- Yes, just a moment.

- Wow, guys, what a bright sun.

- Nice, isn't it?

Good morning, Elza.

I think it's going to be a great day.

Here.

Berre, what's the purpose

of all these squares?

They're for the acoustics.

The distance between

the actors and the mics must vary

to recreate the echo

inside Antwerp Cathedral.

So...

Lowie, Antwerp mayor, number three.

Denize and Ida, noblewomen,

numbers eight and six.

Guys, do as he asks,

there's not much time.

Dries, I was a bishop, wasn't I?

Yes, and now

you're the mayor of Antwerp.

Yes, but mayor?

Being mayor isn't hard, Lowie.

Come on.

Rubens, number one.

Helena, number five.

And Bishop van Malderen, number four.

Let's go.

Great. Here we go!

Helena and Rubens

are walking along the Scheldt.

Elza?

Ready?

Three, two, one...

From the Flagey building in Brussels,

the NIR Drama Company

presents

the radio play,

The Marriage of Rubens.

Starring Hubert Van Vaerenberg,

Elza De Vries and Fons Belloy.

The year is 1630.

Helena Fourment meets Pieter Paul Rubens

on the banks of the Scheldt.

Noble Sir, will you tell me

how you paint those masterpieces?

My dear lady, I will tell you,

if you first tell me

from whence your great beauty comes.

My origins, sir, are modest and simple.

But I will not be beguiled

by your flattery.

I sought a girl who would not blush

when she saw me pick up my brush.

I feared pride,

the affliction of nobility.

But you, Helena, you are different.

You are so pure.

And tomorrow,

you will be mine forever.

ORGAN MUSIC

Pieter Paul Rubens,

do you take Helena Fourment

to be your lawful wife?

Yes, I take her as my wife.

Helena Fourment,

do you take Pieter Paul Rubens

as your lawful husband?

Helena Fourment,

do you take Pieter Paul Rubens

as your lawful husband?

Come on, Elza.

Helena Fourment,

do you take Pieter Paul Rubens

as your lawful husband?

Parasites?

What have I ever done

for you to call me a parasite?

I can only be free here

if I stay invisible.

Is that it?

We were driven out of Vienna.

We were no longer welcome in Antwerp,

and now,

in Brussels too,

I have to hide because I'm Jewish?

What gives you the right?

What gives anyone the right to decide

who has to live here, or there,

or who must disappear?

It's all just a game to you.

I'm done playing that game.

I'm working on something for you.

But it's not finished yet.

I can let you hear something,

but it's only a first draft.

Your tree.

Your sound.

In Argentina,

some trees grow horizontally.

- What would they sound like?

- Even warmer. Even more Elza.

I'd like to hear that.

Stand there.

In the middle.

Close your eyes.

Your ears are connected to your brain.

But your skin speaks

directly to your heart.

You can hear with your skin.

Eyes closed.

Coat off, shoes off, dress off.

- Berre, I...

- We need skin.

- You know I'm Jewish, don't you?

- Does that make a difference?

Skin is skin.

Close your eyes again.

The less you see,

the more you feel.

Take off your dress.

Your ears only hear a fraction

of all the sounds around you.

Ultrasonic sounds above 20,000 hertz

and infrasonic vibrations below 6 hertz

are best felt with your bare skin.

Better than with your ears.

Sit down.

On the floor.

Everything is connected.

This room to the house.

The house to the street.

The street to the city.

The city to the Earth.

One big sound box.

Where were you born?

Vienna.

And where did you grow up?

In Vienna, but also in Antwerp

and for a few years, in Berlin.

Wherever my mother sang or

my father worked, that's where we lived.

Your sounds from Berlin

and Vienna and Antwerp,

or wherever you've been,

are vibrations

that have blended with

the Earth's vibrational frequencies.

You'll feel it.

Lie down.

It's only a start, I hardly know you.

There are still too many sounds missing.

You have a lot of fear

and sorrow in you.

But I don't know yet

what that sounds like.

It was beautiful.

It's not finished yet.

No.

You still need to find out

what the sound of my sorrow is.

Listen.

The fear

of being left behind, alone.

That's what it sounds like.

At 6 am,

we're leaving for South America.

Come with us, if you want.

You have papers.

The choice is yours.

Six o'clock at my place,

or never again.

Over night, the German Air Force

and Army launched an attack

on Belgian airfields.

- Berre, we have to take cover.

- I have to go.

Now? But the air-raid siren?

- Where are you going?

- Argentina.

Argentina?

What are you saying?

I'm meeting Elza.

We're leaving at 6 am.

Thanks so much, Auntie.

But, lad...?

Come, Gabby.

Friedmann family?

I don't know...

I don't know...

Dear listeners,

this is an important announcement

to the population.

Last night, the German armed forces

launched an attack on Belgium,

the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

The German Air Force launched

numerous attacks in Belgian airspace.

Since 5 am, German airplanes

have been flying over our country.

A state of emergency has been

declared in Brussels.

Meulemans, you have to take

the equipment outside, not inside.

The period of greatest danger has begun.

We ask the population to strictly obey

all governmental orders.

The government is arresting suspects

throughout the country.

Fascists, communists and all subversives

will be arrested on the spot

- to defend internal security.

- Morning.

Your letters of termination.

Van Vaerenberg.

Actors are apparently redundant

in times of w*r.

Verdoodt.

Depuydt.

Isn't Fons here?

Our government's busy arresting

enemies of the state,

so with his fascist party member's card,

he's going to hit the jackpot.

Hovaerts.

Maybe someone denounced him?

Civilians are requested to remove

all Pacha Chicorei advertisements.

The back of these adverts

contain information for spies.

Hired the day before yesterday

and already fired today.

That must be a record.

Where do they take the arrested?

They've taken her.

Barracks, prisons...

It could be anywhere.

They won't hold her for long.

Rachel Vos.

Elza.

Friedmann.

Rifka Friedmann.

Le Vernet.

Full.

Abbeville.

Full.

Saint-Cyprien.

There's room here. Here!

Get in.

- No dawdling...

- Wait.

- Come on.

- No, but wait. No, wait!

You can't put Jews in with us...

There must be separate carriages

for the Jews, surely?

This must be a mistake.

I am Fons Belloy. Actor.

Actor at the NIR.

The National Radio.

From the radio plays.

You know my voice.

Listen to it!

You know my voice!

From radio plays!

I'm an actor!

I was Scrooge. Charles Dickens.

Sharp Mackie

in The Threepenny Opera.

I was Hamlet! I played Hamlet!

To be or not to be!

That was me! I'm an actor!

Ladies and gentlemen,

please stay tuned.

In a few minutes,

your Prime Minister, Mr Pierlot,

will address the nation.

Ladies and gentlemen,

in a few moments,

Mr Pierlot, your Prime Minister,

will address the nation

Following that,

the esteemed Mr Vanderpoorten,

Minister of the Interior, will speak.

Three, two, one...

And switch over.

And shut it down.

Dear listeners.

From now on, the broadcasts

of the National Radio Institute

will be taken over

by our mobile studio.

This is Prime Minister

Hubert Pierlot speaking.

Fellow countrymen.

Have faith.

In these dark times,

it is vitally important

that we stand together.

The enemy has invaded our country.

But our troops are putting up

an heroic resistance.

ELZA, PART 3

Ladies and gentlemen.

We will now hear a speech

by Mr Arthur Vanderpoorten,

Minister of the Interior.

In different locations,

enemy paratroopers have landed...

Elza, Elza, Elza.

Six o'clock at your place.

How my heart longs for you...

Isn't that our Berre?

Your words are so soft and sweet.