The Promise (2011) s01e01 Episode Script

Can't I wait out here? You know hospitals freak me out.
It's time to grow up, Erin.
I don't know why we're even doing this.
You hate him.
I've only seen him, like, five times in my entire life.
Right, let's get you sorted.
Who's left you in this mess? - Mum.
- Oh, thanks.
Look, Dad Erin's here.
We got the first train up when we heard.
You don't look half as bad as I imagined.
Anyway, I've brought you some nice flowers.
Cheer the place up a bit, a nice bit of colour.
I might just tidy away a few things while I'm here, cos there's not a lot of room.
Dad, you haven't taken your pills.
I'll speak to a nurse about that.
Ugh! OK.
We'll get you tidied up and I'll go and find a doctor, find out what's going on Where the fuck is she? Why am I still alive? You won't leave without him.
I'll find him.
Go.
Go.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry Oh, no! No! No! No! I was born in this house.
I don't think we should be doing this.
He isn't even dead yet.
What about this? It's all junk.
Bin it.
I think it's a diary.
You don't read someone else's diary, Erin.
It's private.
Which one's him? - That one.
- Where's it taken? Palestine.
It's what they used to call Israel.
And he was stationed there.
Grandad taught you to do that, didn't he? With this knife.
It's funny you said he was in Israel.
Eliza's got to go out there to do her national service.
- Thought she was British.
- She's got dual nationality.
Actually she's asked me to go out with her for the summer.
When? On Monday.
Monday?! What about your work experience? I can still do that.
It's just for a few months, while she does her basic training.
No.
No? What do you mean, no? I mean no.
You're not well enough.
Mum, I'm fine.
I'm not even And, anyway, it's too dangerous.
It's not.
They live miles away from that.
Eliza Eliza isn't my daughter, you are.
And I want you to have a proper plan for your gap year, not bumming around with your friends in a war zone.
Anyway, I need your help here with Grandad.
That's so unfair.
It's my fucking gap year, I'll go if I want! Please don't use that language with me, Erin.
And for once in your life, why don't you try doing something for someone else, something that's not about what you I am doing this for someone else.
I'm doing it for Eliza! See you packed for Britain, as usual! Dude! Hey! I never thought your mum'd let you come.
I just told her I was going to Israel to have obscene amounts of sex, and she said, "Totally fine.
" You will, you know.
Yeah, right.
So not true.
You will.
Stop it, idiot.
- Pop your cherry! - Shut up.
Pop that cherry! Can you hang that up for me? Fuck off! - Cheers.
- Cheers.
Thanks for doing this, Rin.
It means a lot.
Yeah, it's like a major pain in the arse.
I get to chill out by the pool while you learn how to kill people.
By the way, did you tell your parents? Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
No, I mentioned it.
It's cool.
It's the 21st of April in the year of our civilisation, 1945.
The worst day of my life so far.
We buried 1,700 bodies today, the most since we arrived I've seen some sights in this war.
I thought I could take pretty much anything.
But this makes me want to vomit, to weep.
On average, 500 a day dying, and 500 a day will continue to die, whatever we d.
O.
They bussed us in to a place called.
Bergen-Belsen, straight from the front llne.
We thought it were going to be a cushy number, taking over a prison camp abandoned.
By the retreating German army.
Imagine a wild.
, windswept landscape and dust- dust everywhere - catching in your eyes, your throat, making It hard to see, making you wonder what it is you're breathing in.
A barbed-wire fence stretches as far as the eye can see.
Inside are 60,000 prisoners, men, women and children.
Once, they were ordinary, decent people just like us.
Now they're reduced to the state of animals.
Sanitation has completely broken down so the poor wretches do their business where they stand.
Typhus rages through the camp and the inmates have neither the strength nor, in many cases, the will to resist it.
I wish everyone at home could see what I've seen.
They might then understand why we've been fighting this war.
VE Day came and went while I were inside Bergen-Belsen.
I found it hard to celebrate.
Just wanted to be on my own.
Me thoughts were with those of me friends and comrades who bought this victory hard.
, with their lives.
Apart from any personal feelings, it's difficult to think of peace when surrounded by so much human misery.
And I doubt if it's as simple as burning down a few huts.
The damage that's been done here can't be so easily repaired.
What is it? My grandad liberated a concentration camp in the war.
I had no idea.
Is this it? Nearly.
Fucking hell.
Hi! - Hi! - Hello! Oh, I've so missed you.
Oh, um, this is Erin.
Hi.
Can I hug you too? I feel I know you so well.
Welcome.
Thank you.
You should watch the sun go down over the Mediterranean on your first day in Israel.
- L'chaim.
- L'chaim.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
Cheers.
While you're here, we want you to treat this as your own home, Erin.
Is that OK? What? I don't know.
Just not what I expected.
You thought we all lived in bomb shelters? It's like paradise.
Yeah, I guess.
You have no idea.
There are some really, really hot guys here.
I know.
These are cool.
Erin! Fuck off! Can't you see she's epileptic? Are you OK? I'm fine.
Did you take your medication? Now you're even starting to sound like my mother.
Geez, give me a break.
Do you want some breakfast? You are joking.
All right, sarge.
Hang about, hang about, here we go.
That's more like it.
All right, ladies? Spin around there, tuck her in nice and tight.
All right, mate.
Palestine, also known as the Holy Land.
Ruled by Britain under League of Nations mandates since Allenby threw out the Ottomans in 1917.
Jews and Arabs have lived here together in relative harmony since biblical times.
What's that accent? Is he a kraut? However, Jews fleeing Nazi persecution started arriving in numbers in the 1930s.
Our victory in Europe has turned this exodus into a flood.
Many are coming straight from the concentration camps in every kind of rust bucket imaginable, most completely unseaworthy.
You should be aware that these Jews see returning to the Holy Land as a fulfilment of a promise made to them by God.
The Arabs, who have lived here for a thousand years, see things a little differently.
Our job is to settle them down, get them living peacefully together again, to be, um the meat in the sandwich, between the Jews and the Arabs, if you like.
I'm being sent back with the ship.
It's because I'm Jewish, isn't it? It wouldn't be right, Alec.
They'd say the same if you were an Arab.
There aren't any Arabs in the company, sarge.
I thought you'd like to get off home early, anyway.
This trip sounds like a pot of cold piss.
Can't just fuck off and lead the lads, sarge, we've been together since Arnhem.
Please don't make me.
I'm a British soldier, same as you.
- Thanks, sarge.
- All right.
Get in line! OK, lads, let's round 'em up.
Come on, lads.
Into line, that's it.
Come on.
Help him out.
Help him out.
Come into line.
Dennis! Keep your eye on these two.
All right.
All right.
It's OK.
Haven't we seen these pictures somewhere before? This way.
Mein Mann, meine Kinder ist dort? Vielleicht.
I'm sorry, I'm really sorry.
This way.
In welchem Lager sind Sie gewesen? In Mauthausen.
- Wo sind Sie an Bord gegangen? - In Trieste.
Are you with him? Here, Nash, what is he anyway, some kind of German? He's Czech.
What's wrong with your arm? Don't pull.
Nein.
- Speak up.
- Nein.
What is this? Is this your s? Come on.
Come on.
Come on, it's fine.
OK, go.
Go on.
Raus, raus! Go! Go! - Oi! - Stand still.
The government quota on Jewish immigration exists for very good, practical reasons, Sergeant.
- I shouldn't have to remind you of that.
- No, sir.
We expect you to set an example in these matters, not take the lead in disobeying what was a very clear order.
Yes, sir.
John Sergeant Matthews was part of the team that went into the camp at Bergen-Belsen.
Is that right? Yes, sir.
- How long were you in there? - Six weeks, sir.
Stand at ease, Sergeant.
I expect it was pretty grim.
Yes, sir.
Well, then your attitude is perhaps a little more understandable, but every time we let one of these characters slip by us, we increase the chance of further open insurrection by the Arabs, who see these Jews as stealing their land.
And I don't have to tell you who'll be stuck in the middle if a civil war breaks out between the Arabs and the Jews, - do I, Sergeant? - No, sir.
Seven days' loss of privileges.
I know there has to be a quota and that this little land can't take every Jew who suffered at the hands of Nazis.
But I think if I'd been through what these people have been through, I'd want a homeland too.
I didn't like what we were asked to do today.
None of us did.
These people have suffered enough.
But we responded with barbed.
Wire and baseball bats.
It weren't right.
Are you OK? Sure.
Aren't we going in? Um there's another gate round the back.
My brother's there.
He's one of the demonstrators.
Where? Which one? When do I get to meet this famously sexy brother? Never.
Anyway, you'd hate him.
He's completely insane.
I can't do this.
That's such bollocks, dude.
If these morons can do it, you so can.
They seem like morons to me too, Rin, that's the whole point.
I know you think it's like idyllic, happy families out here, but it's total bullshit.
I've been to school in England since I was eight years old.
I come here for holidays.
I can barely speak the language, for God's sake.
There's no way I can stick this for two years.
OK.
Here's the deal.
You hate it, I come and get you, we make a dash for the border.
What do you reckon? - Hello.
- All right? - All right, lads.
- All right, sarge.
You set me up, you bastard.
I had no choice, did I? Everyone already thinks you're a poof.
This is Len.
He's a bit shy.
- This is Ziphora.
- Hello, sergeant.
And this is Clara.
How do you do? Hello.
Ta.
Is this your first time in the club? Yeah.
What do you think of it? It's OK.
Don't be taken in.
It's all just propaganda.
What do you mean? There are 100,000 British soldiers in Palestine.
For the city, that's 100,000 opportunities.
You look so shocked.
I've just got no idea what you're talking about.
It isn't complicated.
The clubs are to generate support for our desire for a homeland.
You came through that door, you were a stranger.
And if I do my job properly, by the time you leave, you'll be a friend.
Then you write home to your family, tell them how well you're being treated by the Jews in Palestine.
Multiply that by 100,000 times.
So this is a job? Certainly.
I had to take courses in table manners and exams in English to get in.
Someone pays you? Of course.
The city pays me.
What? Ask me.
I have been trained to answer all your questions.
Well, I was just wondering if, er Well, some of the lads might not, you know misunderstand your role.
I don't know.
I finished my training this morning.
You're my first client.
So what happened with Clara? She asked me round for tea.
You're in there, mate.
No, I'm not.
It's with her family.
It's part of her job.
Fucking hell.
I'd knock that right on the head.
Meet her mum and dad?! For all the British soldiers listening out there, stop enforcing your government's illegal immigration quotas.
Stop intercepting our ships and putting our refugees in concentration camps.
Have they not suffered enough? - Stop behaving like Nazis.
- Wankers! If we're the Nazis, who have I been fighting for the last five years? - Jack, just go round them.
- Gotcha.
Where is everybody? Just keep your eyes peeled.
Here we are.
Welcome to Qiryat Haiyim.
We have orders to search the village for weapons.
Look wherever you want.
We have no secrets.
There's Robbins.
Supposed to be an intelligence officer, is he? - I called it off.
- What do you mean, you called it off? They knew we were coming, there was no point.
The place was deserted.
They must have moved everything out last night.
I don't get it.
No-one in the company knew about the search before this morning.
Probably got nothing to do with it.
Take a look in there.
What do you see? Nothing.
Clerks.
See any Arabs? - No.
- That's right.
Rowntree decided to search Qiryat Haiyim six days ago.
The order came through this office.
What do you expect? They're all local Jews.
It leaks like a sieve.
They know everything we're doing usually before we do.
- Bring her to me.
- See you later.
Sorry, sarge.
So now you know we are originally from Berlin.
You must tell us where you are from, sergeant.
From Yorkshire.
Leeds.
Thanks.
And your parents are still living there? No.
At least I don't think so.
- You don't think so? - Papa, please stop interviewing him.
You must forgive him.
He thinks he's still working for the Berliner Morgenpost.
That's fine.
I don't mind.
I was adopted.
I grew up in an orphanage.
I don't know what happened to my parents.
That's very sad.
When you are demobbed, you must go back and look for them.
I won't be demobbed.
I'm not a conscript.
I'm a 30-year man.
Where I come from, it were join the Army or go down the pit.
I chose the Army.
I feel sorry for you, not knowing your family.
Without my daughter, I wouldn't be sitting here.
I would never have survived.
You like Clara? I do, yeah.
Then you must come again.
Meet some of our friends.
You can tell us all about Stella Maris Base, what you boys get up to in there.
Hm? We often wonder.
Yes, of course.
Goodbye, then, sergeant.
Bye.
Goodbye.
Bye.
Maybe it was just a casual remark.
I don't think so, sir, there was something about the way he said it.
It were pointed, like he were saying, "If you want to be friends with my daughter, there's a price.
" Hm.
We could feed him some old rubbish.
- String him along.
- No.
He's just a little rabbit, seizing an opportunity.
We need to flush out the fox.
You told him you were sympathetic to the Jewish cause? Not in so many words, no, sir.
You should.
Be open.
Tell him you have access to a great deal of very sensitive information and you're happy to meet his friends, but not at the apartment, it's not safe.
OK.
The Jews have been granted permission to protest against the quotas next week.
No doubt it will be noisy and well attended as usual.
Suggest meeting there, amongst the crowd.
Won't I stand out like a sore thumb, sir? I wasn't suggesting you went in uniform, sergeant.
Dress in civvies.
Be a Jew for the day.
Would you rather go? I would.
OK.
You are angry.
I am, yeah.
Most of us are on your side, you know.
You think we're being ungrateful.
If I'm honest, yeah.
Yeah, I do, after all we did for you in the war.
You fought the war for your empire, Len, not for us.
Do you want one? No, thanks.
Did your mother die in the war? No.
She's still alive.
She met someone else at the camps.
I think she's in Italy now.
So you see, not every concentration camp story has an unhappy ending at least for her.
I'm sorry.
Unless you disperse now, we will open fire.
Unless you disperse now, we will open fire.
Ready! Fire! Len Are you Itzak? Come.
We cannot talk here.
Too many eyes and ears.
No! Oi, Robbins! What the fuck did you do that for? Sorry, mate.
There was no way we could warn you.
That was Yaakov Maazel.
We've been after him - for months.
- They'll think I've double-crossed 'em.
No, they won't.
It was a riot.
We fired to disperse the crowd.
That's fucking bollocks! You set me up, you bastards! Well, that's the way Rowntree wanted it, and if you don't like it, take it up with him.
Hi.
You must be Erin.
I'm Paul, Eliza's brother.
- Hi.
- Hi.
What are you reading? My grandad's diary.
He was stationed here after the war.
He was a British soldier.
Did you know our grandfather was in the Irgun? It's the underground army that fought the British.
They killed a lot of people like your grandfather.
What's the point? What do you mean, what's the point? The point is, it's wrong and it should be challenged in the courts like in any other civilised country.
You know what happened at Bil'in? Do we have to talk politics? They built the wall right across the village land.
The Palestinians couldn't get to their fields to harvest their crops, so what did we do? We protested.
We wrote letters.
We took them to the Supreme Court, all the things my son thinks are a complete waste of time.
Do you know what the court did? It told the government to move the wall and give the Palestinians back their land.
- Yeah, a tiny part of their land.
- And they did.
They dug it up and rebuilt it.
Yeah, and for every time the court sides with the Palestinians in the full blaze of publicity, there are a hundred cases which no-one hears about where they side with the government, where they throw out the appeal and legitimise the land grab.
It doesn't help.
It's actually his cosy liberal opposition that perpetuates this fucking occupation.
Hey, it's not my anything, Paul, OK? Fucking or otherwise.
Max And how do we perpetuate it by opposing it? You'll have to explain that to me.
What do you think when you hear about all these petitions and rallies? What does it make you think? I don't know.
OK, enough.
Erin, do you want some more? It makes you think Israel is a society like your s.
That's how protests help the occupation, by making the world think that this is a functioning democracy, that you can change anything here by political action.
But weren't you protesting the other day? We saw you outside the army base.
Exactly.
He should take a look round the rest of the Middle East if he doesn't think Israel's a democracy.
What are we, I'd like to know, if not a democracy? - A military dictatorship.
- Oh, come on, Paul, don't be silly.
This country is run by politicians, not the army.
Yeah, and you know who all these wonderful politicians are, Erin? Begin, Shamir, Rabin, Barak, Sharon? They're all ex-generals.
The army controls every aspect of our lives, our roads, our transport, our borders.
They mess with our kids' education, and their leaders end up in government.
What else is that but a military state? What? Hi.
Hey.
Are they always like that? Why do you think I live in England? Does Paul hate your dad? Not really.
It's just complicated.
Why? Tell me.
What's the point? Just the usual macho bullshit.
My dad's this really famous liberal, OK.
And when he was a general, he signed a letter criticising the occupation.
That was a really big deal at the time.
Your dad was a general? Yeah.
Paul's a liberal, isn't he? I don't get it.
He used to be really pro-military to annoy Dad and then the army sent him to Hebron.
I think he had a really rough time there.
When he came out, he was suddenly this super-hardline anti-Zionist.
And I told you, he's completely insane.
What does he do now? Oh, I don't know.
He volunteers for these really weird ex-military pressure groups.
Mostly he just sponges off my parents.
Apart from that, you really like him.
You're so crap at that.
Give me Oh, cheers I just know, any minute now, you're going to ask me how my first week in the army was.
Oh, please, tell me all about your first week in the army, Eliza.
It was a total fucking nightmare, but thank you for asking me.
They were minding their own business, protesting peacefully, which they have every legal right to do Oh, Christ! Do we have to listen to that shit again, sarge? Best to know what they're saying about us.
Injured in the panic that followed.
These were unarmed civilians trying to peacefully demonstrate against your government's illegal immigration quotas, and you shot them dead in the street.
Shame on you, Tommy, shame on you.
What a load of bollocks! Oh! That's fucking disgusting! Fuck off back home, then! Oi, Sergeant Chamberpot Right.
Don't be too long.
Get dried off, yeah.
Put your shirt back on.
- Your turn next.
- Hope she's worth it, sarge.
Shit.
All right, Ray.
George, can you hear me? Fuck.
Come on.
Sorry.
Come on.
Mind your backs.
All right, let's have a look at him.
Cut it off.
Come on, mate, come on.
Come on.
All right Fucking bastards shot him in the back.
Put some pressure there.
That's it.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
Did you get a look at any of them? No, sir.
They just shot the lads and ran.
I wondered if you thought it were retaliation, sir, for what happened at the demonstration.
Possibly.
Perhaps you should postpone your visit tonight.
It's fine, sir.
The following communiqué has been received from the Irgun Zval Le'umi, today, 11th October 1945.
Six British soldiers from the Parachute Regiment were killed in combat by forces of the National Military Organisation.
All our soldiers returned.
Unharmed.
To their bases.
The Nazi British occupation forces have responded with a curfew, which will I thought you might be caught out by the curfew.
I'm very sorry about what happened to your friends today.
It was quite wrong.
Shameful.
But it doesn't alter the fact that you are no longer welcome in my house.
I'm sure you know why.
That had nothing to do with me, I promise you.
I'm on your side.
We may be stateless, sergeant, but we are not stupid.
I was afraid you were dead.
Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Do you know where they buried the British soldiers that were killed here? Er I think there's a big military cemetery at Ramle.
Would you take me? These are all from the First World War.
Over here.
Here.
This is them.
Thanks.
Oh, my God! What? What is it? It's Robbins and Nash.
I've just been reading about them.
They worked for Rowntree.
- They're friends of my grandad's.
- So, where are the other guys? - Isn't that why we're here? - Yeah, but these two are still alive.
They're going to be killed on 30th July 1947.
It doesn't say how they die.
Maybe we could look it up.
He's got no idea they're going to be killed.
- I need your passport.
- Why? Where are we going? Into the occupied territories.
I thought you were taking me home.
Isn't it too dangerous? Rather be back safely by the pool? Uh Wait here.
I won't be long.
I joined Combatants For Peace because I realised that although I'd seen Palestinians through my weapon sights on a daily basis I didn't actually know any Palestinians.
I'd never been in a Palestinian home except to search it.
But once you've met your former enemy realised he's a human being just like you you can never go back never take up that weapon again.
Never.
Thank you, Paul.
Omar My name is Omar Habash.
I fought six years with the al-Aqsa Martyrs.
People say to me, "What's the matter with you, Omar?" "Why are you talking to the enemy?" And say I spent six years fighting them.
My brother fought them and spent three years in their jails.
My father died fighting them.
For 60 years we have fought them and still we aren't free.
60 years they have fought us and still they don't feel safe.
The first time you sit down with your enemy to try to end this occupation, it's going to be difficult.
It's the same person who tortured you.
The same person who tried to kill you.
But I say if we, the fighters we, who were the most bitter of enemies can sit down together why can't you? If we can shake hands why can't you? Sorry to be thick, but why are we taking him back into Israel? Ask him.
He speaks English.
My home is on the other side of the wall.
Omar is an Israeli Arab.
He has the same rights as Eliza and me, in theory.
Go back.
Omar, don't.
It's not worth it.
Husband, my husband.
Why are you doing that for us? Why? Go.
Go there.
Go, go, go.
Paul Paul, look out.
Where are you going? We can't just leave him.
He wants us to go, OK.
The longer we stand here, the more of a hard time they're going to give him.
It's his decision.
Will he be OK? Now we've gone, they'll most likely get bored and let him go.
I'll ring in an hour, make sure he's home.
Welcome to Israel, Erin.
You just got a crash course in what it means to be a Palestinian in this fucking country.
But isn't it to stop terrorists getting into Israel? Come here.
Do you know what that is? It's a Palestinian village.
Do you know what that is? That's another Palestinian village.
That one's outside the checkpoint, that one's inside the checkpoint.
Which one does the terrorist come from? You tell me.
The village outside the wall or the one that is already inside? The checkpoints are there for one reason - to make their lives impossible so they'll give up and move away.
T's about control, humiliation and forcing them off their land.
It's got nothing to do with terrorism.
Nothing! Sorry I shouted.
You're having to play catch-up pretty fast in this insane country of ours, aren't you? I like it here.
Well, that's because you live in the safe little world of my parents.
Why are you so down on them? Because they're part of the problem.
That's so unfair.
They're some of the kindest, most generous people've ever met.
You're right.
They are.
You know, when I was ten years old, my father took me to see the border.
The Jewish side was green and fertile, and the Arab side was brown and barren with a few goats, and and then he said to me, and this was this big lesson he wanted me to remember, he said "Look what they've done with the land in 2,000 years.
"Look what we achieved in 50.
" And this is a good man, a liberal man.
It took me years to learn to question the assumptions behind the things he said to me that day.
They are not as deserving as we are.
They do nothing with the land.
They're animals.
They hate us.
Shit, I left my wallet on the table.
Get in, I'll be right back, OK.
Paul