In 1944 Kosovo, Shaky successfully runs a restaurant frequented by Nazis, while protecting Jews right under their noses, until a German Colonel executes purge orders from Himmler. With his world turned upside down, a reluctant Shaky must escort 53 refugees to safety, or face annihilation

SYNOPSIS:

Did you know? At the start of World War 2, two-hundred Jews lived safely in Albania; at the end there were over 2000. How did this happen in a German occupied country? The Yad Vashem (The World Holocaust Remembrance Center) in Israel, remembers Albanian families who join the ranks of Oskar Schindler, and other heroes who saw beyond politics, hatred, and madness.

My family fought in two World Wars. Few remain today with accounts of those tumultuous times. This two-hour war/historical drama feature, is inspired by real people and events, in the vein of The Zoo Keepers Wife, and Defiance.

It follows Shaky, a brooding WWI vet, who does what he can to help the Jews, more out of self-loathing than duty. His in-laws are part of a “Pipeline” shuttling refugees to the Albanian interior, which is a monumental embarrassment to Nazi high-command, and they will do what’s necessary to stop it.

This is a tale of revenge and redemption infused with a rich culture and religion. The Promise - A story of Besa, highlights the heroism of a nation, whose stories were hidden for decades. It showcases a few of the deeds managed by many, and the unified decree of “Protect thy neighbor.”

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During WWII, the Kingdom of Albania was occupied by Italian forces, which turned a “blind-eye” to the influx of Jews and their subsequent movement to the interior. Networks provided false papers and safe havens, allowing newcomers to integrate into society, or flee to safer regions. In 1943, when Italy capitulated to the Allies, Germany moved in, and made plans to rid their vassal state of the “Jewish pipeline.”

We open at night in the hills of Phristina, where the brooding WWI veteran, SHAQIR “SHAKY” MIKULLOVCI (45) – a rugged Slavic man who is a known pacifist and borderline alcoholic – patrols abandoned farmhouses in search of refugees. It is an uneventful night. Shaky returns to his family’s restaurant, which by the way, is very popular with German forces.

The town Commandant, General ERICH VON HADLER (50’s), introduces Shaky to the visiting Colonel HANS KELLER (49) – a sinister Nazi who invites himself to Shaky’s farm. This does not bode well for Rabbi JACOB LEVI, and several families in hiding at the Mikullovci’s estate. Colonel Keller alludes to an escape from a Belgrade concentration camp, and begins a mind-game with Shaky.

On a nightly patrol, Shaky and his only WWI friend, JAFAR AL AMIN – a level headed Moroccan, finds SARAH NEUMANN (10) hiding in a barn. The Albanian custom Besa, demands Shaky protect the girl. There is something familiar about Sarah – she bears a resemblance to a Jewish girl from Shaky’s past.

The Colonel’s gambit is realized, causing Shaky’s sister-in-law – AISHA (37) to plan an exodus through the mountains; it is a treacherous route to a safe haven camp in the Albanian Alps. The first leg starts on the trains, but, you need papers. False documents are slow in the making, and Shaky decides to speed things up.

He applies pressure on the mayor, and at the same time discovers his lost sweetheart, JOHANNA SCHAFFER (42) had a daughter named Sarah. Some finger counting panics Shaky; he confirms the child he found is Johanna’s daughter.

Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler orders a “Round-up” of Jews in Phristina, at midnight on May 14th., 1944. Through collaborators, the Nazis acquire a list of all the Jews in hiding. Colonel Keller tasks his adopted son, “SS” Captain WILHEIM SCHMIDT (27) to assist; Wilheim is Shaky’s estranged son, Mehmet.

The Nazis sweep the town and cut off the trains. Shaky and his companions find an alternate way out, but Wilheim infiltrates their ranks, and discovers a crucial point to the refugee safe haven. Colonel Keller uses Sarah against Shaky, and the girl’s identity solidifies Wilheim’s fate. A choice looms over Shaky’s soul – get the Jews to safety, or risk their lives for Sarah’s.

History estimates 280 Jews were rounded up between May 13th., and 14th., 1944, with 53 bodies unaccounted for.