Transatlantic (2023) s01e02 Episode Script

1
- Another?
- No, thank you.
A coffee, please.
I'm married.
I admire your confidence,
but I'm not trying to seduce you.
Word is you found a way out.
Many British were trapped
in France after the retreat at Dunkirk.
Too many.
They need help.
You're asking me to smuggle British POWs
out of France?
I'm American.
Exactly.
Britain is at war and under siege.
We need allies
who can operate freely in France.
- Miss
- Call me Margaux.
Margaux, my country is
officially neutral in this war.
I read the articles you wrote from Berlin
in The New York Times, Mr. Fry.
I know exactly
how you feel about American neutrality.
What you're suggesting
is treason.
Mr. Benjamin.
Excuse me.
I hope you don't mind. I
I just have a question about your work.
What brings you here?
Oh, curiosity.
Here. Uh
If the aura of unique objects disappears
when they are mass-produced,
where does it go?
The more interesting question would be,
what happens to the aura of unique objects
that are scattered by the forces of evil
while the world as we know it
is being destroyed,
broken into pieces?
But one day,
we will put the pieces
back together again, like a puzzle.
And this process is called tikkun olam.
Tikkun olam.
Tikkun olam.
Tikkun olam.
Tikkun olam.
Tikkun olam.
Exactly.
We are looking to fund
resistance cells like yours.
The Emergency Rescue Committee
is a relief organization.
I'm here helping people escape violence,
not contribute to it.
- So help our boys escape.
- I can't help you.
See the man over there?
In the overcoat, just passing by?
Commander of the Marseille police.
He's preparing to raid the Splendide.
- When?
- Oh
- Five, ten minutes.
- What?
The man reading the Italian
newspaper, that's one of his men.
So are those two wearing scarves,
having a conversation by the desk,
and that man
having his shoes shined, smoking a cigar.
All four are
just waiting for the commander's signal.
You can't know that.
Just wait here and find out.
Larbi Benbarek, you saw
his recent triumph?
- Who?
- Larbi Benbarek.
- The Black Pearl of Marseille.
- Paul.
- You are not a football fan?
- No.
I believe this hotel is about be raided.
- What?
- We have to get our people out.
Mr. Benjamin and some of the others
are headed to Banyuls by train today
and over the Pyrenees tonight.
Can you get him to Lisa?
I have an idea of where
I can take the others for one night.
Anyway, is Mary Jayne upstairs?
- Oh!
- Aren't they great?
If everyone's dressed as vineyard workers,
Lisa can take people over during the day.
And they're so much more comfortable
than those old boots
everyone keeps showing up in.
- You don't like?
- No, they're not big enough.
Oh. They're so comfortable,
I may never take them off.
As long as you don't run off in them.
No. I'm not going anywhere,
even though my father is furious with me.
He keeps saying, "Marseille is no place
for an American woman like you."
What's an American woman like you?
You know.
Well, you don't see American tourists.
Excuse me, I'm not a tourist.
- No.
- Why are you laughing?
It's not funny.
I have real responsibilities here.
There are people who are counting on me.
Yeah. I am counting on you.
Are you making fun of me?
I would never make fun of you.
- The police are raiding the hotel.
- What?
- Police!
- Police!
Police! Come on!
Your papers!
What is going on?
- And you are the hotel director?
- No. Varian Fry.
Director of the
American Emergency Rescue Committee.
Several guests
are under our protection.
Haven't they been through enough?
No one's breaking any laws.
They are all criminal aliens, Mr. Fry.
- They are refugees!
- What is the difference?
- Get dressed.
- What is going on?
Quick. The police are here.
- Please.
- Okay.
Police!
Police, open up!
Police! Open the door!
Open up! Police!
Open the door!
Get out! You pervert!
Get out of here!
Get out of here!
Oh, look! We can fit
at least three people at a time in here.
I can take them down the elevator.
- You sure we can hide here?
- We aren't hiding.
Ah, shit!
The espadrilles!
I'll be right back.
Okay. Here. These are for them,
and then you hide the rest, okay?
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
And then later?
I'll come find you. Wherever you are.
Good.
- Where are we going?
- You will see.
I can't go on.
I'm not finished with my book.
I need to write.
Mr. Benjamin, your ideas are in here!
Your life is worth more
than one damn manuscript. Understand?
Yes.
Shit.
Let's go.
- Come with me.
- I can't see.
Silence! Quiet!
Where are we?
Welcome to the real Marseille.
- Thanks.
- You're welcome.
Let's go!
Hey.
Thanks.
Walter Benjamin, Julius Berger.
Lisa Fittko.
Come with me.
Here and here.
André, Max,
Jacqueline, everyone just stay here,
and I'll go in first.
What is this place?
You're dreaming, Max.
I dreamed I was a suitcase.
Actually, that wasn't a dream.
That really happened.
Hello?
Hi.
Varian
No, I'm just here to ask a favor.
This is an emergency.
You didn't come alone?
Hello! I'm Mary Jayne Gold.
I work with Varian.
Lovegrove. Thomas Lovegrove.
Our hotel was just raided by the police.
I didn't know where to take the refugees.
- Is this your house?
- For now.
- And how many people live here?
- One.
One? How many bedrooms do you have?
What, ten? Fifteen?
- At least.
- So can we stay here tonight?
- Stay as long as you'd like.
- No. One night is all we're gonna need.
- How much will you charge us?
- Hold on.
Varian, think it through.
Think how many people we can hide here.
We already have
the Bretons and Max Ernst with us.
We can fit the Mahlers, the Manns,
even the Levines and the Fraiberg kids,
and it only took us 20 minutes
to get here from the port.
The ERC's won't go for us
living in a private villa.
The committee is in New York!
They don't need to know.
Some of our people are wanted
by the police.
We may be fugitives ourselves now,
as far as we know.
So we'll be hiding in plain sight.
This villa is perfect for us.
It's not fair to put Thomas in danger
if he's not involved in our work.
I'm pretty comfortable
with danger, actually.
- I insist you stay.
- It's settled.
- Wanna give us a tour?
- After you.
Hug the dull.
Prickly thorns are below.
In his slippers,
a snail has lost his armor,
but he has found a mailbox.
The rain falls upside down.
It is blown by the currents, like ribbons.
The gray-black clouds
are reflected on the skin of the sardines.
Swindled, under the influence
of their lumbar pains!
You okay?
Are you okay?
- Did they hurt you?
- No. No. No.
- They cleaned us out.
- Not quite.
- All set?
- Everyone is tucked into bed.
Um
- Mary Jayne.
- Mm-hmm?
I think we're, uh, gonna need
even more money than we thought.
We need a new office,
transportation in and out of the city
It's not a problem.
- Are you sure?
- Don't worry.
- I'll take care of it, Varian.
- Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
Feels very good to have
everybody sleeping in beds tonight,
so thank you, Thomas.
Uh, remind me again how we know
that you're not a Gestapo informer?
Me? I was raised on a kibbutz.
Well, Fairy Godmother shows up
with an empty villa in a time of crisis,
may turn out to be a wolf.
No, Thomas got stuck in Europe
like everyone else when the war started.
- This man is not a Gestapo informer.
- A fairy godmother, maybe.
No, seriously.
- I know him.
- How?
How do you two know each other?
Five years ago, uh, in Berlin,
an innocent Jewish man
was brutally attacked by Nazis in a bar.
We were the only two who tried to help.
He was just drinking beer.
They put a knife through his hand. Blood
I wrote about it for The New York Times,
and they buried it.
That was the moment that I knew
that this war was gonna be
different from any other war.
- Can I help you?
- No, all good. Sit down.
Not big, but comfortable.
The only thing missing is
our mother's cooking.
Thank you, Paul.
You didn't show him
the best part.
You've had a long day.
That's better.
We We can't keep doing this.
Is this about your wife?
No. Eileen knows exactly who I am.
It's Mary Jayne
and everyone else who is right next door
and in bedrooms up and down this hallway.
I need to keep
these two sides of my life separate.
Two sides of yourself?
I mean
the personal
and the professional.
'Cause what would they think?
The walls here are very thick.
No, I'm serious.
Fine.
Miss Gold, I'm sorry,
but your balance doesn't cover
the amount you've requested to withdraw.
But I have money wired once a week
from the Second National Bank in Chicago.
Nothing came in this week.
Oh, well, I'm sure
that's just a misunderstanding.
And while I work that out,
you could maybe advance me some cash?
I'm afraid that's impossible.
- I beg your pardon?
- You have no money in your account.
I've been a valued client of this bank
for months.
For now, this is the last of your funds.
Please.
Thank you!
Jesus.
- Think they found what they wanted?
- I hope not.
Yes.
- Can you help me with this?
- Yeah.
Just
Max Ernst.
Passports.
The list?
Yeah.
A few years ago,
we traveled the Riviera by rail.
First class. My law firm
was doing excellent business.
I felt like I was on top of the world.
Who knew everything could fall so far?
Not me.
I was offered a job in Palestine in 1933,
but I turned it down.
I didn't wanna live in the desert.
Maybe I made the wrong decision.
So many wrong decisions
led us all to this moment.
Wrong decisions
misconstrued as a narrative of progress!
I try not to look back.
But I can only look back.
As long as you walk forward!
As we move forward,
we all leave piles of rubble.
Nothing more.
History
is the wind blowing us forward,
turning everything in its path to rubble.
Come on.
Let me help you.
Thank you!
Where are you from?
Berlin, originally.
- Oh, Berlin.
- I left in '33.
Where did you go?
First, my older sister Ursula and I
went to Paris,
then Trieste, London, Seville
Hm.
and, uh, back to Paris again.
And the rest of your family?
Well, my father died
just before Hitler came to power.
And then, uh, my, um Well, last I heard,
my mother and my little sister Eva
were on the way to London.
But
Well, the truth is
I just don't know if they made it.
And I also don't
I don't know how to find out.
Maybe I don't wanna find out.
If you keep up like this,
we won't make it across before dawn.
I am sorry. I can't go any faster.
Then we should turn back.
All the way back to Banyuls?
There is a stone house
we can sleep in.
We passed it a little while back.
It's not far.
I can't go back to that house.
I'd rather stay the night here.
Here?
Right here.
We'll pick you up at dawn.
Good night.
- Doesn't it get to you?
- What?
There's starving people
sleeping on the beach ten yards from here.
This country's going down the crapper,
pardon my French.
No wonder your father wants you home.
They don't have
champagne like this in Chicago.
Is that why you're still here?
Did you speak to him?
Not yet.
What did he say when you didn't show up?
He cut me off.
Will you speak with him? Please?
Tell him there's nothing to worry about.
Problem is, I agree with him.
Do you really want me to leave, Graham?
- Me?
- Yes.
You're not gonna miss me when I'm gone?
Mr. Benjamin.
Mr. Benjamin?
Mr. Benjamin!
What is going on?
I took some morphine
to help me sleep.
You shouldn't mess around with that stuff.
Don't worry.
I know exactly what I'm doing.
Good morning.
So
let's go.
Mr. Benjamin
- Where have you been?
- Working.
- How'd you get out here?
- With Varian.
We, um
We found an office yesterday.
We furnished it and everything.
It's ready to go.
We already started arranging interviews.
Word is spreading.
That's great.
- Yeah.
- So are you coming in?
You live here,
but you didn't spend the night here.
I'm staying here, Albert.
You're welcome to stay here too.
Yeah. Yeah. Sure.
In a mansion half an hour
from all the people we're trying to help.
Hm. Maybe I'm just more comfortable
in a place like this than you are.
This place only has 26 rooms,
and the house I grew up in has 30, so
MJ, hey.
Please. Can you just
I
I came out here to see you.
- I really need to take a bath right now.
- Okay. Yeah, sure. Yeah.
Transit visas, por favor.
Something's wrong.
Stay calm.
The border was closed
yesterday. How did you get over here?
The French let us through.
There's a hotel next door.
Stay there until this is resolved.
God, I need a cigarette.
Can I have one?
Hm. Thank you. Thank you.
How was your night?
Oh, don't be coy.
You seem like a modern woman.
A modern woman
with a Presbyterian conscience.
My father's frozen my trust.
No more money.
- Why?
- He's trying to force me to go home.
He misses you that much?
Hardly. No. No.
He's just worried about his reputation.
God forbid his daughter be going around
Marseille with the unwashed masses.
You know what's gonna happen if I go home?
My mother is gonna scrape
the bottom of Lake Michigan
to find any corpse or divorcé
willing to marry her spinster daughter.
And then I am going to spend
the rest of my life
at the club playing bridge.
But if I go back, he unfreezes my trust,
and I could send Varian money
from Chicago.
I could help pay for the new offices.
I could feed everybody here.
I could get train tickets and
I don't know. Maybe the rescue committee
needs money more than it needs me.
I wouldn't be so sure about that.
Please don't tell Varian.
I I promise I will figure something out
before I have to let him down.
Maybe you don't have to.
Don't have to what?
Go home or let anyone down.
Mr. Benjamin.
My manuscript
has to make it to America.
Remember my briefcase, will you?
You will carry that briefcase
to America yourself, Mr. Benjamin.
With or without me.
Promise me?
I promise.
I was born in Bulgaria.
I moved to Hamburg after high school.
I met my wife, Jana, on the bus.
I had to leave
with our neighbors to France,
but now I don't know where they are.
I was born with nothing.
Every job I had,
I was the best.
Then I built my own factory, then another.
I treated my workers with dignity.
I paid my taxes.
I lived with my sister. I work at home.
One day, I was told
they were coming for us.
My husband and son
were killed in the Nazis' invasion.
For some reason, they left me alive.
And they were all gone.
My brother.
My sister.
My mother.
I don't know
what has happened to my brother.
Are you a professional artist,
a politician, or a published academic?
- No.
- I'm European. We are all Europeans.
I'm a seamstress.
I'm a mother.
And our parents are dead.
I don't have any family now.
Can you help me?
I must go to America.
I will do anything to save my family.
- Can you help?
- Can you help me?
- Can you help?
- Please help me.
I just need somewhere safe
while all this madness ends.
Can you help us?
Are you a professional artist,
a politician, or a published academic?
Can I borrow a pencil?
Please.
What do you think?
I really like it.
I don't just do caricatures.
I can draw anything.
- I don't know that we can help you.
- Please.
Maybe I can help you.
I went to art school.
I was the first in my class.
I'm sorry. Can you excuse me for a moment?
Varian?
- Yeah?
- Someone from the consulate called.
Patterson?
One of his deputies.
He said it's urgent.
- Are you sure it isn't a trap?
- The Spanish are letting us go.
We have to get on the train
before they change their minds.
Where's Mr. Benjamin?
Mr. Benjamin!
Wake up! They are letting us go.
Mr. Benjamin, wake up!
Mr. Benjamin, wake up!
Walter
In a situation
presenting no way out,
I have no other choice
but to make an end of it.
Damn it!
My life will come to a close
in a small village in the Pyrenees,
where no one knows who I am.
Lisa, our train.
You're right.
- Mr. Fry.
- I recognize you.
The vice-consul?
- Bingham. Hiram Bingham.
- Mm-hmm.
Um, well, thank you for meeting me here.
I wanted to make sure
no one could hear us.
- Mr. Bingham, I have to get back to work.
- Of course. Uh
I wanted to explain
our new policy in person.
New policy? Jesus, we're having
a hard time keeping up with the old one.
- Just hear me out.
- We have our hands full.
The only good news I have is
we got Walter Benjamin out.
Well, that is very good news.
Uh
Mr. Patterson doesn't know I'm here.
From now on, our new visa policy is
you come directly to me.
Why is that?
Patterson's not sympathetic to your cause.
This morning, he said to me, and I quote,
"No pinkos, no British POWs, no Jews.
Do I have to spell it out for you?"
I don't know
what you're hearing from New York.
Well, I know that the Kindertransport
to England has been called off.
And there's zero appetite stateside
for taking in refugee children.
My wife was at a party in D.C. recently
where some socialite made a joke about it.
A thousand Jewish children?
"Well, they're just gonna grow up to be
a thousand ugly adults," she said.
You know, the American government
is deliberately stalling
because no one cares
all hell's breaking loose.
You need to get as many people out
as possible now.
Yeah, you're telling me.
Good to know we still have
some friends inside the consulate.
Not friends, Mr. Fry.
Just me.
Don't be nervous.
My boss will answer all your questions.
Where is he?
Right here.
Mary Jayne,
meet Margaux.
Hello.
- Do you smoke?
- Oh, no, thank you.
Hm. Too bad.
There's more where this came from.
Work with us.
Uh
Work with you?
As a spy?
I haven't been trained.
No?
Surely, you know how to bend yourself
around a man so he feels comfortable,
even if you don't.
Uh I'm sorry, what?
To make absolutely sure you're not taking
too much space in a room?
I
How about swallowing your feelings
when they're inconvenient,
or holding your tongue
when you're furious?
I'm guessing you're the type
who remembers people's birthdays,
their favorite songs,
and all kinds of other personal details
without being asked to do so.
Am I wrong?
- Thank you.
- Voilà.
If you tell me
you don't play down your own intelligence
in situations where it might be perceived
as threatening,
well
I won't believe you.
I'd say you've spent your whole life
training for this, Miss Gold.
Haven't we all?