WLEXT.IS
Madrid, October 1940
Juan Luis?
I'm so sorry to disturb you so late.
No, don't worry. Come in.
Are you okay?
Everything's over. They've taken me out of the government.
It will be public tomorrow.
The charge as Foreign Minister is over
for Juan Luis Beigbeder y Atienza.
I thank you for the services you offered.
The attitude says it all, there's something hidden.
I'm sorry.
I was with Franco yesterday afternoon
to tell him some things about his next meeting with Hitler at Hendaya.
I tried to convince him that it was a bad idea to join the war on the Axis side.
He was so kind that he even remembered
the times we shared in Africa.
Were you friends?
No, not really.
In fact, I think Franco never had any appreciation for me.
I didn't like him either, what can I say?
He's so serious.
And obsessed with ranks and promotions.
God knows I'm not a liberal.
But I'm sick of Franco's megalomaniac totalitarianism after his victory.
That monster of the great and free Spain makes me sick.
Don't get close to the window, please.
You might be seen from the outside.
They wanted my head to show loyalty to Germany.
Well, they have it now.
There was no need to crush me.
What did they do to you?
Franco and Serrano have spread the rumor
that Rosalinda forced me to betray my country.
Would Serrano like to give me moral lessons?
And they'll send me to Ronda under house arrest.
I don't know if they'd like to judge me at a court-martial
and shoot at me any day against a wall.
I'm sorry, Sira. I didn't want to disturb you at this time.
No, no, no.
I need you to do something for me.
Sure.
They are for Rosalinda.
I need them to get to Lisbon.
- Is she in Lisbon? - Yes.
We knew the Gestapo was after her and
she needed to escape the country.
Get them to Alan Hillgarth.
He'll be able to deliver them through the embassy's diplomatic mail.
Okay. I'll do it.
You know what?
I've loved Rosalinda so much.
I've loved her so much.
I don't know if I'll see her again, but if I don't, tell her...
Tell her I'd have given my life to have her by my side this sad night.
Do you mind if I have another drink?
You don't have to ask.
Thanks.
Go see her in Lisbon as soon as you can.
She'll be glad to spend some days with you.
The address is on the letters I gave you.
It will be better for me to leave before I'm missed.
Rosalinda will get your letters, I promise you.
Everything will be fine, just wait some time.
Sooner or later everything's okay.
May God hear you, may God hear you.
Beigbeder gave me letters for Mrs. Fox. Lisbon. Diplomatic mail.
Awaiting instructions, urgently.
Move along.
It's been a long time, Sira. A long time.
Ignacio?
How much you have progressed, Sira.
What are you doing here?
Is that how you say hello to someone who was once your fiancé?
I came to see you.
Dry yourself off and change your clothes. We have to talk.
What do you want, huh? How did you get in here?
Why are you after me?
Be calm, Sira. Be calm.
Questions one by one. Don't be afraid.
Is it okay if I get myself a drink?
You have to go.
You have to get me out of your mind.
That's what I'd like the most, I swear.
But I can't do that, darling.
I work for the General Direction of Security of the Government.
I'm in charge of surveillance of all the foreign ones living in Madrid.
Or suspected of living in Madrid.
- And how's that related to me? - In every way.
Because, as far as I know, you're now a Moroccan citizen, right?
What do you want?
Change your clothes, or you'll get pneumonia.
And then... I want to see your documents.
Don't close the door.
Ignacio.
Passport.
Aris Agoriuq.
Same birthday as yours, what a coincidence.
May I know why you had your nationality changed?
My passport was stolen.
I couldn't get a new one during the war.
A friend gave me Moroccan nationality so I could move without trouble.
And the name?
It's Tirja.
A dialect from the Rif tribes.
They thought it was better to make it more Arab.
Aris Agoriuq.
And your boyfriend?
The one you left me for, I mean.
Isn't he here?
My private life is not your business.
And what's the purpose of your presence in Madrid?
Work.
To sew, as always.
- This is a sewing workshop. - Show it to me.
Show me your room.
The room.
I think you're crossing the line.
Will you check my underwear too?
Stop it.
Don't think I'm an idiot, Sira. I know who mounted this fake workshop.
This is no fake.
The only thing I do here is work from nine to nine.
How are you involved with the minister Beigbeder?
He's a friend from my time in Tetouan.
He must be a good friend since he spent the whole night here yesterday.
He's not my lover, if you're thinking that.
I'm not the mistress of any minister.
Beigbeder is a traitor who sold himself to the Britons.
Do you know what he is?
An imbecile tangled with a British bitch.
I don't like the person you've turned into.
Who are you to judge me?
Do you think you're better for living the war in Africa
and coming now pretending you're a high-class woman?
I judge you because I loved you.
And because, even if you don't trust me, I wish the best for you.
You don't care about anyone but yourself, Sira.
Have you wanted to know what became of your people after the war?
Have you wanted to go to your neighborhood and ask for them?
To know if someone needs a hand?
I can tell you if you want to.
You neighbor, Alberto, for instance. He died in Brunete.
His middle son was executed in Madrid as soon as the troops came in.
The little one is in prison.
And your friend, Sole.
A soldier got her pregnant with twins and then he left. What does she do now?
She offers her body to the workers of the Cebada market.
Asking for one peseta for the service she does right there
- against the bricks of the wall. - Ignacio, please shut up.
Your old boss, Manuela, last thing I knew is that she lost her workshop.
She was sewing napkins
in a store on Aguila Street.
- Do you remember Trini, the baker? - Stop it, Ignacio.
Please, stop.
You can't give me moral lessons.
Because if I'm evil, you're worse.
You're nothing more than selfish.
I have to go now.
I'm afraid you won't get rid of me so easily.
You don't need to walk with me.
[Madrid, October 1940]
If we come back soon you play together this afternoon, I promise.
Okay.
Your hand really shakes.
But if it's not on the first time, it's on the second, or the third.
Sewing is about patience, patience and more patience.
Move along, please.
Let's go somewhere else.
Miss Agoriuq?
- Yes, it's me. - Dr. Rico is waiting for you.
- Come with me, please. - Thanks.
Sit down, please.
I don't have much time so
I'd appreciate it if you got straight to the point.
Fine.
No, thanks.
Beigbeder came to see me the night before his destitution.
What?
I was very nervous and I thought that
That maybe he'd be calmer if he talked to me.
What did Beigbeder want from you?
He gave me some letters for Rosalinda.
I'm sure you'll know how to get them to her.
We'll do that.
What will happen to him now?
We don't know, yet.
Once they got rid of a complicit minister
we guess Germany's pressure will increase.
That's why you must be aware.
And be ready for any eventuality.
Take special care about suspicious people around you.
And don't dismiss the possibility that you're being checked.
Is something wrong?
You look nervous.
No, no.
Beigbeder's visit unsettled me, but
I'm okay already, really, don't worry.
How's the workshop doing?
We really are full of requests.
A very important debutante ball is about to take place.
We know. It's for a high-up Spaniard's daughter
with close bonds with the Germans.
Now you must be more careful than ever listening to your clients' conversations.
The problem is I can't handle that much work.
I have no time. Either I take less work or I'd require more hands to sew.
This ball is very important, so hire someone you trust.
With no communist past or political implication.
I leave it to you.
If you need me, keep on the protocol.
How can I help you, ma'am?
- Sira? - It's Sira, Manuela.
Oh, Sira, my darling!
I'm so happy, girl!
How did you find me, darling?
They gave me your address at the store you work in.
- Oh, Sira. - I have so many things to tell you.
I'd ask you to come in but...
- No, no. Don't worry. - I have nothing to offer you.
I have a taxi on the street.
If you like I can invite you for a coffee and show you where I live.
Better, better. Give me a minute, darling.
Give me a minute.
Do you know anything about someone from the workshop?
About Paquita?
I know nothing.
The last time I saw them was so long ago.
I wanted to ask you something.
Tell me.
Would you like to come and sew at the workshop with me?
No, darling.
Come on, say yes, for old times' sake.
Oh, Holy Mother!
It's marvelous.
Here's where we sew.
We can't handle all the requests.
- Are all of those requests? - Yes.
A ball will take place and the girls are going crazy.
- They all want to wear a new dress! - I know.
Hello, cuties.
What are your names?
Dora, and my sister Martina.
This is Manuela.
She taught me how to sew when I was like this.
She has told me you sew very well.
Dora, from now on you'll take care of the sleeves.
Your sister, the cuffs. If we organize our work a little
we'll go faster.
From now on, I want all the requests to go through me.
- So I can organize the week in advance. - Very well.
How are we doing on thread?
- Not great. - One of you will need to go for more.
- Me! - Me!
Oh, well. Why the hurry for going out to the street?
Manuela will think I'm a monster!
No, miss. It's that both of us want to see if the handsome guy is still there.
- What handsome guy? - A man in a car.
He has been there all morning keeping an eye on the door.
- I think he likes Martina. - No.
I think you have too many birds in your heads.
I don't want to hear about guys.
And from now on, I want you to tell me if you see him again. Understood?
- Yes, miss. - Don't talk to him.
Is it clear?
Well, girls, let's work.
What is it, darling?
What's wrong?
Ignacio came to see me last night.
What Ignacio? Your Ignacio?
Yes.
He works for the Ministry now.
I think he's checking on me.
The man in the car that the girls mentioned, that's true.
He's down there keeping an eye on the door.
But why is he checking you?
I think it's because, when I came back from Morocco
I needed to come with a new name and a Moroccan passport.
So Ignacio thinks I'm into something dark.
And you are.
Manuela, come on.
I think he's angry about what I did to him.
And now he wants me to pay.
You broke his heart, darling.
But, well.
He'll overcome it sooner or later.
I think he'll see it.
Or the man in the car will get tired of being there and leave us alone.
She has lost a lot of weight because of the nerves.
I'll look horrible. They will all laugh at me.
Don't say that, honey.
Don't worry, Alba.
This can be fixed very easily, really.
Don't be silly, come with me.
Alba, come with me to the mirror.
Don't fret. Come.
Let's see. We'll cut the straps
and put them inside.
Then, hold it.
We'll stretch it here.
You'll look precious, darling.
Martina, take her with Manuela to take the measures. Okay?
Go, weepy girl.
Thank you so much, really, I don't know how to thank you.
You can't imagine how anguished she was.
Don't worry, it is my job.
She has been dreaming all year about her ball, and, well.
- As we were at 18. - Yes.
If we were her age again, right?
Oh, I can tell you.
Now that I'm thinking about it.
Would you like to attend the ball?
Inviting you is the least I could do to thank you.
No, don't worry. There's no need, really.
Please, say yes. It will be a pleasure to have you there.
Come in.
Excuse me, miss. Manuela sends a message.
She says she's sick and will stay in bed.
She won't be able to come to work tomorrow.
Oh, for God's sake.
She was perfectly okay when she left.
- Thanks. - Good night, miss.
Good night.
Invited to ball. I need instructions.
- Hi. - Sira, I wasn't expecting you.
They told me you were sick.
- How are you? - Oh, yes, yes.
When I left work yesterday I was feeling very bad.
- But I'm okay now, you see. - I'm glad.
Thanks for caring. See you tomorrow.
May I come in for a moment?
I need to talk to you.
Come in, darling. Come in.
I have nothing to offer you.
Can we talk tomorrow, instead?
This house is more uncomfortable and humble than I'd like.
That's what I wanted to talk about, actually.
I see.
I just crossed by the doorwoman.
She told me you have to leave the apartment as soon as possible.
Don't pay much attention to her.
That woman is all talk but no action.
Come in, darling.
You have no need to live here.
My workshop is too big.
Both of us could leave there very easily.
If you are ashamed, you can pay me a symbolic rent.
You're very generous, and I thank you, but no.
Think of all the time you'll save in transit.
Don't insist. I don't want to be a burden.
It's no burden.
And, to be honest, I also...
I feel alone as well.
I'm sorry, darling.
Is there someone else in the house?
No, there's no one here.
What's going on?
Don't ask, darling. For your own good.
Tell me, Manuela.
Whatever it is, I can help you.
Come, come.
Paquita?
Sira?
Sira.
Paquita! Paquita!
- How are you, Paqui? - Fine.
I'm just a little cold.
She has had a fever all morning, that's why I didn't go to work.
I have to take care of her.
I'm okay, it will go away.
And you, you're so pretty.
Holy Mother.
I almost don't recognize you.
How are you?
- And Ramiro? And Tangier? - Very good.
- I'll tell you later. - Well.
You're our accomplice now, Sira.
Welcome to this river.
I'll prepare a little soup for you.
Oh, Sira, tell me.
I thought I'd never see you again.
- And see. - See.
Look.
How little.
And how's Emilio?
Emilio died, Sira.
He was wounded at the front. He died in my arms.
I'm so sorry.
I deserted next day.
We were going to lose the war anyhow.
And even if it weren't so...
If Emilio's death taught me something
it's that is it's not worth it to die for your beliefs.
Look.
How handsome.
It's tough enough to lose one's father.
I couldn't leave my child completely orphaned.
Do you have a son?
- I didn't know that. - Yes.
Look.
I got pregnant when you left.
He's a boy. Look at these.
His name is Elias.
He's what I love the most in this world.
Of course.
We should've never gotten apart from him.
If we just had not gone to the front.
If we had left Spain.
But we didn't have money, Sira.
Emilio wanted to fight.
We couldn't do anything else.
We left him in Madrid during the war
with my brothers-in-law, Emilio's brother and his wife.
They had two children already and
they didn't care to take care of him.
When Emilio died...
I came back for him and...
And they refused to give him back to me, Sira.
According to them...
Elias had no future with me.
I think that somehow they...
they blame me for his brother's death.
They say...
that before giving him to me they'd denounce me to the Nationals.
Oh, Paqui...
Paqui, Paqui.
I'll help you.
I will help you now.
WLEXT.IS