A Jewish woman in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII smuggles out Jewish children and, after confronting a young mother who refuses to part with her son, kidnaps the child and smuggles him out.

SYNOPSIS:

Stefania is a strong-willed Polish Jew who lives in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII. With the help of a Polish Underground member, Peter, Stefania pays to have her sons smuggled out of the Warsaw. She believes this option is better for the children of Warsaw. Paulina Tempel is a young, naïve, and pregnant Jewish farmer’s wife who is brought to Warsaw after the Germans kill her husband. She brings with her all she has left, her son, Henryk. Paulina is assigned to live with Stefania in a Warsaw apartment. Stefania and Paulina realize they are very different people and do not get along. Stefania tries to persuade Paulina to smuggle out her son, but Paulina refuses. Stefania advises Paulina to hide her pregnancy. Meanwhile, Stefania is getting plenty of kids smuggled out of the Ghetto. She has become the inside contact for the operation and is gaining a reputation. Even the Germans begin to suspect her, especially Captain Schmidt. Captain Schmidt is the German soldier assigned to the ghetto specifically root out the smuggling operations of children. His son, Rolf Jr. a sixteen-year-old Nazi-in-training is a constant presence, one that often irritates the captain. Life worsens inside the Ghetto when Captain Schmidt forces adults to turn themselves in as smugglers—and sacrifice their lives—in exchange for saving the lives of children. Captain Schmidt forces his son, Rolf Jr., to do some of the killing. He abhors it but does as he’s told. After this incident, Stefania still cannot convince Paulina to smuggle out Henryk, so she takes matters into her own hands—she kidnaps Henryk. She takes him to her contact at the Jewish hospital, Peter, and he smuggles him out of the Ghetto. Paulina tries to catch up to Stefania, but she is held at her apartment by two Jewish men who believe strongly in what Stefania is doing. Finally, with the help of apartment-mate and former Jewish policeman, Tomas, she is able to get out. Paulina shows up at the hospital, but she’s too late. She confronts Stefania, but Peter intervenes. Bombs suddenly explode around the hospital. Peter seizes an opportunity and smuggles both Stefania and Paulina into the sewers underneath the city. Paulina wants to go find her son, but goes into labor. Paulina has the baby but cannot forgive Stefania, who agrees to continue to help the Polish Underground from her new location. Stefania however, feels tremendous guilt over kidnapping Henryk. She vows to help Paulina and her new baby survive no matter what. It is decided that the women must stay together hidden in the non-ghetto parts of Warsaw. Over the course of months, they live in the sewers, behind a toilet in an Aryan home, in two different basements of other Aryan homes. Stefania continues to smuggle but conditions worsen for all Poles. On top of the logistical problems, Stefania begins to doubt that she’s doing the right thing. After the baby almost gets the women and other hidden Jews caught because of incessant crying, Stefania and Paulina are asked to leave one of their hiding places. Paulina asks Stefania to smuggle the newborn out. Stefania goes to a German contact, a civilian who she had befriended before the ghetto movement. Stefania and Paulina make their way back into the Ghetto to work for the Underground. However, when Peter tells them of an expected massive German assault on the Ghetto, they get out. Peter gets killed. Stefania and Paulina run for their lives. Stefania gets lured into a trap by Captain Schmidt and gets caught. She is saved not by Paulina, but by Captain Schmidt’s son, Rolf Jr., who kills his father because his father had ordered him to kill children. Stefania and Paulina barely get out of the ghetto before it’s razed. At the end of the war, Stefania tries to file for the return of her home and business but is told her home is no longer hers, and monies to compensate for the loss of her business will take a long time. The women are further frustrated by the attempt to locate their children. A social worker tells them it is nearly impossible. Two years later, they finally find one—Henryk. Stefania and Paulina cement their friendship, and their commitment to not only surviving but locating their remaining children. They will do this together as sisters.

WARSAW