La estrella roja (2021) - full transcript

YIDDISH NEWS

"JEWISH ARGENTINA TODAY"

Jewish Argentina, all the news

of the Jewish people in Argentina.

PURIM

ELECTION OF QUEEN ESTHER

It's the celebration of Purim.

In Buenos Aires, Jewish families gather

on the traditional Avenida de Mayo

to go where

the celebration will take place.

This year, the community's costumes

echo the current darkness that Europe

and the world are going through.

Like during the times of Queen Esther,

when the Purim feast originated,

the Jewish people face

their enemies with wit...

and with humor!

The hard work and responsibility

of choosing and deciding

who the next Queen Esther will be

has fallen on a jury of distinguished men,

composed of Rabbi Shlomo Zimmerman,

the young community leader

Israel Tempelsman,

and the pioneering cinema entrepreneur

Max Glucksman,

One by one they parade

in front of the jury and the audience,

for them to decide

who this year's Queen Esther shall be.

Many hours later,

two candidates to the crown emerge:

Laila Salama, from the Or Jadash club

in Barracas...

and Rosa Rosenthal,

from the Argentinian Hebraica Community.

Both have high chances,

but the girl from Barracas

is the audience's

and the jury's favorite.

However, when the jury is ready

to crown her as the new Queen Esther,

they suddenly realize that...

Laila Salama has disappeared!

Oh, no!

What is to be done?

Finally, they come to a decision:

Rosa Rosenthal is

the Queen Esther of this Purim.

YIDDISH NEWS

JEWISH ARGENTINA TODAY

In 2003, before shooting

my first film, Jews in Space,

I rummaged through my grandparent's house

looking for props.

My grandfather was an amateur filmmaker.

Among his belongings,

I found four 35mm film cans,

along with a folder containing a script,

a storyboard,

old photographs,

a book,

the score sheet to a tango song

and an obituary.

That was the first time I was faced

with the story of Laila Salama.

THE RED STAR

Excuse me...

Some years later, I decided

to make a documentary about Laila.

-Is my notebook there?

-Yes.

Let's see, look at this!

It's what I told you about.

-Let me see.

-It's the Werther edition from...

Where did you get this?

At my grandfather's house,

in a sort of chest...

-Was that the start of your research?

-Yes.

While researching Nurit Eldot

I found the story of Laila Salama.

Her life was fascinating.

They say she was the driving force

behind Rommel's fall at El Alamein.

I'd like to talk about Laila Salama,

you may start with "Laila Salama..."

and whatever you want, feel free.

Well, Laila Salama is a great myth,

one of the greatest,

in Argentine-Jewish history.

There's a tango, "The Red Star",

written in her honour,

composed by her husband, José Canale,

who was one

of master Pugliese's musicians.

Look,

these are drafts for the costume design

of the film A Purim Story

that Betech made in 1957, look at this...

When did you first hear about Laila Salama?

The legend of Laila Salama reached my ears

while researching

for Perón and the Nazis.

The character was stuck

in my head for a while.

I almost wrote a book about her.

An incredible character.

Her biography is perfect:

The daughter of an MI6 agent,

Rommel's lover, Wiesenthal's informant,

she spied on Eichmann.

There's even a film about her,

and a tango was written to her memory.

I started researching

the relation between the book and Laila.

That's how I found Percy Foster.

A literature teacher specializing

in the relations

between Argentinian and English culture.

Additionally, his hobby

was collecting documentation

related to British espionage.

Kim's School...

Foster had a webpage.

I found an article there

where he mentioned

the same edition

of Werther that I had found.

How is Werther related to all of this?

-Good afternoon.

-Who are you looking for?

-Mr. Percy Foster.

-Name?

Gabriel Lichtmann.

-Identification.

-Of course.

He summoned me

at the school he worked for,

the Kim's School in Pilar.

I felt like a spy

on the way to meeting his informant.

Straight ahead, turn to your left,

you'll see a staircase.

Climb to the first floor,

follow the corridor.

He'll be there.

That afternoon,

Foster was rehearsing "Twelfth Night"

with his pupils.

A play where,

like in so many of Shakespeare's,

a woman disguises as a man.

I had told him I wanted to talk

about the influence

of English culture in our country.

That was because, while messaging,

he had seemed a bit paranoid.

Alright.

Shall we start?

Excuse me, are you

"Lichtmann" with two "n"?

Yes.

Like the Czech porcelain factory

of the early 20th century?

Yes, that was my great grandparents'.

How did you know about it?

Well, I have my sources.

I let him talk about books

and authors for a while,

to make him feel comfortable,

until I felt it was time to ask him

about his other passion:

Espionage.

Borges himself said:

"All I have written comes from Poe,

Stevenson, Chesterton,

Wells and some others."

Very interesting, Mr. Foster,

very good, thank you very much.

Now, I'd like us to talk

about the MI6's activities

in Argentina during the first half

of the 20th century.

I thought we would be talking

about literature.

Well, I also have my sources,

and they told me

that you are an expert on the topic.

What would you like to know?

I'd like to talk about the timeframe

between 1930 to 1950.

Specifically about an Argentinian woman

who worked for the English,

called Laila Salama.

I have original documentation

from that time related to her

and I thought you might

be interested in it.

Your sources should have told you

that I dislike to discuss this openly.

But you do write a blog

about the history British espionage.

Exactly.

I write, but I do not talk.

And the walls have ears.

And that is a hobby, and this is my job.

If it's information you want,

you may look it up in the blog.

Excuse me.

Aren't you interested in this book?

I left empty handed,

wondering who could provide information

about the time Laila worked for the MI6.

A PURIM STORY

Nati, thanks.

-Should I sit down?

-At your spot.

-Alright.

-Camera...

I called Martin Weisskind,

the editor I usually work with,

who's a collector of novelties

related to the history of cinema.

What else? Here's the score

to "The Red Star".

-There was a record of this.

-Yes, I have it.

-Do you?

-It's around here.

Let me see!

Look at that!

The seven inch single!

-Odeon pressed this!

-Yes.

-Fantastic, it's in great shape.

-And this...

Look at this, it's crazy.

In his spare time,

Martín searches for forgotten films

in order to restore them.

Look at that depth!

When he heard I had found A Purim Story,

he got excited.

That's the father!

The film was considered lost

and had turned into a myth.

The director, Samuel Betech,

was a friend of my grandfather's

and they had scripted it together.

The film was never finished,

but Betech was obsessed

about Laila until his death.

Before dying, he left to my grandfather

everything he owned relating to her.

The script is set

during the Purim celebration in '34.

Laila's father, Daniel Salama,

traded exporting wheat

and importing spices.

His business brought him close

to German diplomats and businessmen.

Thanks to that, he could alert

British intelligence

about possible Nazi movements

in Buenos Aires.

"Laila!" says Daniel.

"Hi Dad!" says Laila.

Betech, instead of filming

an espionage story,

preferred to focus

on the father-daughter relationship

to narrate the Purim celebration.

Daniel and Laila discovered

there was a plan

to attack the Jewish community

during the celebration.

If Betech had finished this film,

his name would be in every book

on cinema history, I'm certain.

Betech was a very successful

textile businessman,

but cinema was his true calling.

He shot three short films up until 1957,

when he decided to produce

his first feature film, A Purim Story,

based on the story

of Daniel and Laila Salama.

He began shooting on February 15th

that same year,

it was supposed to take seven weeks,

but it stalled on the second

due to troubles with the unions

and Betech's own inexperience,

who had a medical issue,

he had a heart attack,

that left him knocked out

on a bed in the Israeli Hospital,

The protagonists of A Purim Story

were played by Hilel Schwartz

and Anja Pelzmajer,

two actors trained at the Yiddish theater,

who had no previous experience on film.

Hilel was quite a difficult type,

an alcoholic prima donna.

And Anja was a cocky teenager

who would flirt with anybody,

including Hilel and Betech,

who allegedly clashed

because of her during production.

This is Betech's costume design

for the Purim beauty contest.

This is a copy of Mata Hari!

Tell me about Mata Hari.

Mata Hari is a 1931 film,

with Greta Garbo,

directed by George Fitzmaurice,

about the famous German-French spy.

Laila was a fan of this film,

and it's said that it was this film

that led her to become a spy.

In addition to the admiration

she felt for her father.

Betech was also obsessed with this film,

he even got a copy

and would watch it nonstop.

I met the camera assistant

on A Purim Story.

-I don't believe you.

-Well, I don't care.

He told me that Betech,

instead of rehearsing with Anja,

would watch the film with her

every day before shooting.

Betech had the costumes made

at his own factory.

A pity he didn't get to use them.

When the production ended,

they donated everything

to the Shalom community,

did I tell you that?

No.

I'll tell you later.

Have I shown you this?

This is the storyboard

for the Purim scene!

Betech was a forerunner.

Nobody was making storyboards

at that time in Argentina.

It was a tip from Max Glucksman,

who Betech met while writing the script.

This would have been

the first Argentine film

done with a storyboard.

In addition to being

the first Argentinian spy film.

Alberto de Zavalía had already shot

End of the Night with Libertad Lamarque,

it wasn't the first Argentinian spy film.

Ok, I'm sorry.

It would have been

the first one with a storyboard.

That's it.

Look, that's Daniel watching

the Fascists approaching the stadium.

And here, he's asking Elías,

his nephew, to let Laila know.

Here they are laying traps

on the railroad tracks.

And here's Laila about to be crowned.

The fascists...

And this is the most important moment,

when Laila appears dressed

as Queen Esther,

the fascists believe they are seeing

a ghost, and they get scared,

and they run away.

Those expressionist faces...

Yes, and she's like a ghost.

That was the reason she left

the contest before it ended,

leaving her place to her rival,

Rosa Rosenthal.

Did you know Betech wanted Anja

to play both characters?

-Laila and Rosa Rosenthal.

-I didn't know that, why?

Because they really looked alike.

I believe Rosa is still alive.

Have you tried contacting her?

A BETTER LIFE IS POSSIBLE

LONG AND MID TERM RESIDENCIES

I'm sorry, Sir, Ms. Rosenthal

does not wish to take phone calls.

Alright, I understand.

It's the fifth time I try to communicate,

Miss.

I know.

Listen to me, I'm making a documentary

and I need to interview her.

-Your name is Gabriel Lishmann?

-No, Lichtmann.

Not "Lishman", Lichtmann!

Gabriel Lichtmann, let me check.

Perfect, I'll wait.

Alright.

Elías Salama, Laila's cousin,

is alive and still goes to work

every day at the toy store

he opened 70 years ago.

When I went to see him,

I met Ezequiel, his grandson.

He had to convince him to meet me.

-How are you, Ezequiel?

-How are you?

-Is it on this shelf?

-Wait a second.

Yes, down there...

-Shalom.

-Shalom, regards to your family.

Since letting my beard grow,

I'm no longer Elías' freaky grandkid.

-This way.

-Should I follow you?

Ezequiel dreams of leaving

the family business and working in film.

That's why he offered to help me.

Grandad...

This is the director

of the documentary I told you about.

Can we chat with him for a little while?

Come on...

They'll put a microphone on you

and ask you some questions.

It will be quick.

-Won't it?

-Alright.

-Are we set?

-Like a movie star, grandpa.

Thanks.

Alright.

Good afternoon, Elías, how are you?

Nice to meet you.

Fifty seven, three, fifth take.

What do you remember about Purim in '34?

Nothing.

I understand it was you who warned Laila

that the Patriotic League

was approaching.

Could be.

After that, she traveled to Africa.

Do you know what she did there?

No.

And did she contact you

when she returned?

Yes.

One last question, Elías.

Do you know if Laila Salama took part

in Adolf Eichmann's capture?

That's it, leave me alone.

-What's wrong?

-No, no.

I'm sorry...

Alright, you're not the problem.

He's like that.

Could you try to get something more

out of him later?

Yes.

-Alright, let's talk then.

-I'll keep you posted.

Ezequiel promised to help me.

He would try to get

more information from Elías.

(PART TWO)

In Argentina,

where the national group

had a shining start,

already years before

the party seized power in Germany,

it acts as the living center

of every field,

be it politics, culture or economics,

of the party's overseas organization.

In Argentina, in 1933, there were

60.000 Germans born in the Reich

and more than 135.000 born

in the country.

There were around 200 German schools

were Nazi ideology was taught.

The Argentinian National Socialist Party

had 65.000 members,

and its corresponding

Hitler Youths and assault troops.

This social service

is a relief to the existing misery,

and lays great value

on the preservation of good health.

Strengthening body and spirit

is the slogan of our sport divisions.

The bodily training of our young comrades

follows the battle readiness

of the SA in our fatherland.

In April 1938,

the largest Nazi gathering

in Latin America

took place in Buenos Aires.

Twenty thousand national socialists

met at the Luna Park stadium,

to celebrate the Third Reich's

annexation of Austria.

Laila snuck into the stadium

and wrote a detailed report for the MI6.

In June of that same year,

Laila gave notice that the Minister

of Foreign Affairs, José María Cantilo,

had signed a secret guideline

that prohibited granting asylum

to Jewish refugees

at the Argentinian Embassies in Europe.

In August, the MI6 summoned her to London

to provide her with official training.

She had just turned 16.

Her father was opposed to it,

but she traveled anyway

with a fake passport

and without his consent.

After that,

she was transferred to Alexandria.

She traveled there on a German ship

disguised as a soldier.

After arriving, she infiltrated

marshal Rommel's inner circle.

Rommel was one of Hitler's best men.

He controlled Northern Africa

and lost it after the battle

of El Alamein.

While researching this stage

in Laila's life,

I received a message from Percy Foster.

SEE YOU TOMORROW 2:00 P.M. AT THE CLOVER

He was willing to talk now.

The woman you are researching

sent this very book

to a relative who lived in London

and, of course, didn't exist at all.

See, Goethe's Werther was the key.

There were 47 copies

of it in Europe and Africa.

I have mine, look at this number...

This one should have it too.

It is the key to decipher the code.

-We need to go to page 18...

-Excuse me...

-May I take a look?

-Yes.

Eighteen...

There it is.

Line 23, second word, zero, zero two...

Those are the two last letters.

I bet you a pint that this number

stands for the name of the city

where Rommel hid

the Third Reich's supplies in Africa.

Let's go to page 34...

Then, we'll go to page five.

Page five...

Line 21.

Third word.

Triple zero, which, as everybody knows...

is the whole word.

"Mein".

-"Mein"?

-Precisely, El Alamein.

You owe me a pint.

Where did you say you got

this little book?

It was in a folder

my grandfather had at home.

But I discovered recently

that it wasn't his,

it was Samuel Betech's.

Ah, Betech. I'll buy it from you.

It's not for sale.

After a few beers,

he stopped talking about keys

and codes, and dropped the formalities.

They say Laila Salama was

a housemaid at a Tripoli hotel

where Rommel was staying.

It seems that one morning,

she snuck into his room.

He was down with a fever,

and she arranged his shirts

according to their whiteness.

She asked him if he needed anything

and made him an herbal tea.

That's how she gained his trust.

Are you telling me that Laila

and Rommel were lovers?

I'm telling you that it is very possible.

Rommel was said to be

a devout family man,

but it is also true that a woman

who had been his teenage sweetheart

and claimed having carried his child,

ended up committing suicide.

Laila had better luck.

They also say that it was Laila

who convinced him

of participating in Operation Valkyrie,

the conspiracy to kill

Adolph Hitler in Berlin.

That's impossible,

Rommel was convalescent

after the attempt

on his own life in France.

In France.

Well, that's the official version.

But, as Borges wrote at the end

of "Emma Zunz",

"all that was false

were the circumstances,

the time, and one or two proper names."

-500 Euros.

-I've told you it's not for sale.

Do you know if Laila took part

in Eichmann's capture...

In 1960?

I'm not aware she did.

ARGENTINIAN EVENTS

Saturday January 15th 1944.

A scorching summer day that died slowly,

without the slightest breeze to lighten

the city's unnerving atmosphere.

The first night lights don't disturb

the heavy calmness filled with foreboding.

Behind the lit windows,

peace itself suddenly breaks apart

in a strange vibration.

The unusual rocking

of household appliances

notifies the citizens of Buenos Aires

of distant seismic commotions,

which the radio stations

across the country

don't hesitate to confirm.

San Juan is shaken

by a violent earthquake.

Painful news of the disaster travel

through the Argentinian territory.

A minute was enough

to reduce the beautiful city

to a shapeless pile of rubble.

In 1944, while following the trail

of a Nazi leader meeting in San Juan,

a violent earthquake shook the city.

Daniel Salama was one of the 10.000

casualties of the seism.

... without the immediate heroic

and selfless help

After receiving the news,

Laila requested to return to Argentina.

She boarded a military ship

headed to Morocco,

crossed the strait of Gibraltar,

and reached the English channel

across land.

She traveled as a stowaway to London

and returned to Argentina from there.

After arriving,

she went straight to the cemetery

to visit her father's grave.

After that, she traveled to Bariloche.

THE RED STAR

In 1947, Laila met José Canale,

a musician

in Osvaldo Pugliese's orchestra,

with whom she got married

and had a child.

Emiliano.

When Laila and José met,

she went by "Silvia Céspedes"

and worked as a tour guide in Bariloche.

They had a brief affair

which seemed to be coming to an end,

because of him returning to Buenos Aires

to play in Pugliese's orchestra.

But she surprisingly offered

to come with him,

and they settled in Buenos Aires.

In the year '56, she got pregnant.

She started doing more bureaucratic jobs,

working on reports

about anti semite groups in the country

for Simon Wiesenthal.

Those can be said to have been Laila's

"normal" years, up until '59,

when she was ordered to follow Eichmann.

How did you find out about her?

Through Ernesto Baffa, he played

the record of the tango "The Red Star",

and told me a story

about the Frankfurt Tango Festival in '58,

where master Pugliese's orchestra

got to perform.

Apparently, José Canale found out

that Laila had crossed the border

to the German Democratic Republic

to meet a mysterious man.

Poor Canale started being called

a cuckold by his bandmates, very cruelly.

Of course!

Then, a rumor about her being a spy

began to spread,

saying she had taken advantage

of Pugliese's good relations

to the Soviet embassy.

As you know, all his musicians

were communists.

She was said

to have taken advantage of that

to pass on information

about Nazi war criminals

who were in the country.

Baffa said that Canale himself

had made that story up,

to save his reputation and some such.

I'd rather believe it was true.

-What should I do?

-Call him.

-Should I?

-Yes!

Finding Emiliano Canale was easy.

Emiliano, how are you?

It's Gabriel, we're at the door

waiting for you.

Alright, perfect.

Yes, ok.

He's down here.

Emiliano!

-Nice to meet you.

-Lishman.

-"Lichtmann".

-Lishpam.

-"Lichtmann".

-Licht-mann.

That's it!

-Hello.

-Hi, how are you?

-Welcome.

-Thanks.

We thought you had forgotten.

No, how could I?

No.

Come in!

Go in, watch the stairs, please.

Thanks.

-Watch out!

-That's why I said it.

Emiliano inherited

his father's musical talent

and his love for tango.

And he still lives in the house

he was born in.

He attempts to keep it

just the way it was,

but economic need pushed him

to turn the ground floor

into a tango club for tourists.

-Guys, on the floor, please.

-Guys!

Watch out!

No problem.

-May I take a look over there?

-Of course.

Excuse me.

Yes.

-It's just to decide where...

-Take your time.

The piano would be very nice, that...

-Alright.

-Nevermind, I won't butt in.

It's just a bit noisy.

-That is your mother, right?

-Indeed.

What a beautiful woman.

-And that's your father.

-Dad, Pichuco, Pugliese...

-Their wedding...

-Yes!

That's you as a baby!

-What a beautiful portrait!

-That's right.

Are you a football fan?

I'm a tango player, I have to be

a peronist and a football fan.

-May I come in?

-Yes, of course!

What a special place.

I moved into this room

when my dad passed away,

I felt very lonely in my room.

-This was your parent's room?

-Yes.

Alright.

This book was written by two journalists.

It is the first book written

about my mom,

it's a feminist text that aims

to bring to light

the forgotten women

in Jewish Latin American history.

I paid for the Spanish edition

that was published a month ago.

-Is it good?

-Very good!

This will be useful to you,

it's the flyer for Purim '34.

The year of the ambush.

Take it.

Well, look...

And this one I found

hidden in one of my mom's recipe books.

Do you know who it is?

-It's her!

-No, that's Rosa Rosenthal.

This was the girl who got

Queen Esther's crown.

And I think mom was a bit torn

about that.

I can't believe it,

they really looked alike.

Yes.

-Did you know Rosa?

-No.

Nati, would you bring me my notebook?

And the other stuff too.

Thanks.

Alright.

I found this at my grandfather's house.

"The Red Star".

The tango my dad wrote for my mom.

-Can I look at you in the interview?

-Yes.

-Of course.

-Thank you.

Alright, how did your parents meet?

It was in 1947, in Bariloche.

Dad was playing

at the hotel for some guests.

Mom went by the name

"Silvia Céspedes" at the time,

and worked as a tour guide

for Europeans, Germans mostly.

One day, she decided

to take them dancing to that hotel.

And...

They fell in love.

How did you find out

that your mother was a spy?

-On TV.

-How?

A TV show.

I was 20 years old.

I was watching a documentary

about the Nazis in Argentina,

but it actually centered on Mengele

and Eichmann's capture.

Well, there I saw that the camera

focused on a photograph,

this one, which came from a meeting

at the German Society in Bariloche.

And I felt I saw my mother there.

-That's her.

-Yes.

I went to my father

and asked him if it was really her.

He gave me a scornful look,

he was a serious guy, he didn't talk.

I think that was

what she found attractive in him.

Nothing could be better for a spy

than having a husband who wouldn't talk.

I'm sorry.

I'll go on.

I'll carry on telling you.

I kept insisting but he said nothing.

Until one day he looked at me

and said "Yes".

And he could tell me her real name:

"Laila Salama".

And nothing else.

Everything I know, I found out by myself.

What did you find out?

That after the war,

she worked as a tour guide

for a hotel in Bariloche,

that she followed Mengele's tracks,

and that she then came

to Buenos Aires with my dad,

and then chased Eichmann.

There's a character on the film

Wakolda by Lucía Puenzo,

who's based on my mom and Nurit Eldot.

She was another Mossad agent

who worked on identifying

the Nazi commanders,

who were hiding in Argentina.

It's the Israeli spy

who worked undercover

as a photographer at the German school.

I had several interviews

with the director

to talk about my mom.

But she only took the character's

hair color from those interviews.

At that time, she would dye her hair red.

In 1961 she died in a terrorist attack

on the plane on which

the UN Secretary General was traveling.

This is just for the camera,

I know it by heart.

How many daisies can you pluck...

For that red star

that lights everything up

Yes, only the character's hair color

remained from the interviews

between Lucía and Emiliano Canale.

In the first draft, she had included

a story he had told her.

At the time Laila was spying on Mengele,

she thought she had seen

Hitler and Eva Braun's silhouettes

in a house with a watchtower

on the outskirts of Villa La Angostura.

But she couldn't approach

to confirm if it was them,

due to some wild boars

that had drawn the guards' attention.

Laila Salama seems

to have been everywhere.

She's one of those characters

that challenges the limits

between fiction and reality.

But she did exist.

What if her life is the compilation

of other women's lives?

Laila had a child, Emiliano Canale.

Of course, Emiliano Canale,

the son of José Canale,

the husband of Silvia Céspedes.

A housewife, Communist Party member,

who one day...

disappeared.

The father could have made

the spy story up

so that the son would not grow up

hating his mother.

You believe she could be a myth?

Maybe.

I was confused.

I didn't know how to go on.

I had more questions than answers.

-I'm sorry. Go back.

-Beginning or end?

Left or right?

-I don't know. End, right.

-Right then.

-Alright.

-Yes, a bit more.

-There?

-Stop there!

I started reviewing the footage,

but that made it worse.

In several shots, I saw a woman

that looked just like Laila to me.

No!

Let me see!

No, I'll save first,

I can't trust you with this.

But it couldn't be her.

-Alright.

-Is it done?

She looks similar,

but she's wearing shades.

Alright. What about this?

I was obsessed.

I was going crazy.

What about this right here?

-She's alive and still 20?

-This is no joke, Martín!

Could it be her granddaughter?

Emiliano Canale has no children.

It's neither her nor her grandchild.

And I'm not crazy, you're seeing her too.

Nobody said you were crazy, relax!

-You're just a bit--

-Paranoid?

-Hello?

-It's Gabriel Lichtmann.

Come on in.

I called again the retirement home

where Rosa Rosenthal was,

I insisted until they grew tired of me.

Rosa never told me she was Queen Esther.

Yes, she was.

She's very quiet.

She doesn't talk much.

She does sometimes tell me

about the time she lived in Europe.

-Does she?

-Yes.

-Did you know she lived in Europe?

-No, I didn't.

She did.

-She was a model.

-I did know that.

Who is it?

Rosa, you've got a visitor.

-Who?

-What was your name?

Nevermind. How are you, Rosa?

I'm a film director,

and I'm looking for women

who were Purim beauty queens,

I'm making a documentary...

I was allowed to see her,

but she didn't want to talk.

I wanted to talk to you

about the Purim celebration in '34.

I don't remember anything.

-Can't we convince her somehow?

-She already said no.

But...

-Could we insist a bit?

-No.

To my surprise, I got another message

from Percy Foster that night.

"Dear Mr. Lichtmann,

I have something that may interest you:

A recording of Laila Salama's training

in London,

before traveling to Africa

to spy on Erwin Rommel.

I've made a copy for myself,

I could give another one to you

in exchange for the book."

LAILA IN LONDON

What is your name?

My name is Julie Weiss.

How old are you?

I'm 20.

Where are you from?

I was born in Strasbourg

but have always lived in Paris.

-You speak German then.

-Yes, I do speak German.

The State of Israel

has a population of two million people.

Half a million survivors

started their new lives here.

The Nazi murderer Adolf Eichmann

was captured and submitted

to trial facing an Israeli jury.

Eichmann in his glass cage.

The Israeli judges

occupy their seats.

Judges of Israel, I am not alone.

Six million attorneys are with me,

but their voices will not be heard.

Thus, I'll be their spokesman.

The defendant rejects any responsibility.

But he is faced

with the accusations of former combatants,

survivors among the millions

that are no longer here.

Adolf Eichmann organized

the extermination of six million Jews

in the Nazi concentration camps.

After the war,

he hid in Argentina under a fake identity.

For years he was Ricardo Klement.

He worked at the Mercedes Benz factory

and lived with his wife in San Fernando.

ADOLF EICHMANN: ALLEGEDLY CAPTURED

In May 1960,

Eichmann was kidnapped

at his home in Argentina

by an Israeli secret service

special brigade,

led by Isser Harel.

The maneuver became known

as "Operation Garibaldi".

It headlined every big newspaper

around the world,

and almost caused a conflict

between the Israeli

and Argentinian governments.

Laila was part of the operation,

but her name does not appear

on the official records.

Their car had run out of battery.

And they asked for my help.

They drove a '52 Buick.

It was a man and a woman.

They spoke a strange language

with each other.

Turkish or Arabic.

He did not speak a word to me.

She was a beautiful woman,

with deep, dark eyes...

He was tall and thin.

THE SILENCED HEROINE

I asked the authors

of the book on Laila for an interview.

Anahí Cohen Cohen and Naama Arari.

She's coming!

Hello.

-Hello.

-Hello.

You didn't tell us you would come

with this many people.

-It's my team.

-Alright.

-They come with me everywhere.

-What a nuisance!

I can ask them to leave us alone.

You should just have let us know.

I'm sorry.

I thought it would be obvious.

Naama and Anahí met in 2003,

when Naama traveled to Argentina

to research the Eichmann case.

Come in.

Anahí!

Naama is a bit blunt.

Anahí is the opposite, she's kind

and likes to talk about her work.

-Nice to meet you

-How are you?

I'm sorry.

-Hello!

-Hello.

-She is Tania?

-Yes.

The book is a narration

of the missions Laila was involved in.

Yes, that's it.

Thanks, Uri.

For example, Eichmann's kidnapping,

where, according to them,

Laila was a key participant.

Bring me the pictures...

-Should I sit here?

-Yes, you'll start there.

-An email...

-We're starting.

-A minute, please.

-Yes.

Yes?

-Should I talk to the camera?

-No, look at me.

I discovered Laila while studying

Tamara Bunke's life,

or Tania, "la guerrillera",

she was the only woman who fought

alongside el Che in Bolivia.

I started noticing that several sources

mentioned another woman,

"Comrade Esther",

who had met Tania at the end

of the '50s in East Germany.

-And was Laila this Comrade Esther?

-Excuse me.

Why are we talking about this?

Didn't you want to talk about Eichmann?

Yes, of course.

-Should we start?

-I'm sorry.

In 1959, Laila heard the rumor

that Eichmann was hiding in Argentina.

She contacted Simon Wiesenthal,

the Nazi hunter,

and offered to collaborate

on gathering information.

The report on Eichmann's whereabouts

was made by Lothar Harmann,

a San Fernando neighbor

who had been in Auschwitz and was blind.

However,

the State of Israel was not concerned

with hunting Nazis at that time.

They were busier dealing

with its problem with its neighbors.

-Those were urgent problems.

-Yes.

They were.

But Laila kept investigating on her own,

she kept watch on the San Fernando house,

and managed to take a picture

of Eichmann and his wife too.

And she followed him

to work several times.

That was Eichmann's house in the '60s.

It was demolished, of course,

it's an empty lot now.

That is Eichmann.

And that is Veronika Liebl, his wife.

Are these the pictures Laila took?

Yes, exactly.

It was Simon Wiesenthal

who insisted that the State of Israel

should get involved in the case.

From then on, Laila was a part of Mossad.

Halfway through the afternoon,

they put on the recording

of a coded conversation

between Isser Harel and Laila.

Harel called two agents

to find more clues,

because the pictures were not enough.

On 21st May 1960 they noticed

an irregular situation.

Eichmann's wife left the house early

and went to get her nails and hair done.

Eichmann returned in the afternoon

with a bouquet of flowers.

In the evening they had guests.

This was atypical

because they never had people over.

On May 21st was

their silver wedding anniversary.

Mossad was about to confirm

their prey's identity,

but they still needed evidence.

His left ear finally gave him away.

The ear's contour is

like a fingerprint, it's unique.

Some experts compared

the photos Laila had taken

to the ones in Mossad's files,

and concluded that Ricardo Klement

and Adolf Eichmann were the same person.

But Laila was not there

on the night of the abduction.

-Why?

-To protect her family.

Laila was the only Argentinian

in the group,

and she feared that the Nazis

living in Argentina

would find her identity out

and hurt Emiliano or José

to take revenge on her.

Is that why Mossad concealed

her involvement

in Operation Garibaldi?

On May 26th 1960,

the day Mossad took Eichmann,

Silvia Céspedes disappeared forever

from José and Emiliano Canale's lives.

In 1961, Dag Hammerskjöld,

the UN Secretary General,

traveled to the Congo

to mediate in the Katanga war.

He was escorted by an entourage

of 15 people.

The plane crashed in North Rhodesia.

All passengers died.

It is still unclear whether it was

an accident or an attack.

Emiliano Canale had told me

that Laila died on that flight.

However, only one woman

was reported among the victims.

Alice Lalande, aged 59.

Laila was aged 41 at that time.

It was impossible for them

to be the same person.

The UN might have hidden Laila's death.

Or Canale might have been wrong.

In 1961 she died in a terrorist attack

on the plane on which

the UN Secretary General was traveling.

Did you sleep well last night?

-Hey!

-What?

-I asked you something.

-What?

-If you slept well last night.

-Yes, I did.

One night, while editing,

I got an unexpected message

from Ezequiel Salama.

Gabi, I accompanied my grandfather

yesterday to visit a friend of his

who's living in a nursing home.

My grandfather had many girlfriends!

This one's called Rosa Rosenthal

and she seems to have known

my grandfather's cousin,

Laila.

I could arrange for you

to interview her, if you want.

Cheers.

QUEEN ESTHER

-Whenever you want.

-That week was the Purim celebration.

Seventy four, one, third!

Ezequiel got us allowed

to film at the nursing home.

-Am I alright like this?

-Yes, don't worry!

I arrived early and got

to do some interviews.

Are we set?

I started working here

in August last year,

but I've already grown fond of the kids.

I call them "the kids"

because they are like my kids to me.

Even if they get on my nerves, like Ruth,

who gets upset

and doesn't take her pills,

and makes fun of me when I scold her.

And some others

are really funny, like Saul,

who says he wants to be my boyfriend

and wants to ask me out.

Is the TV here?

-No, they are shooting a film!

-A film about what?

It's about Purim.

-Are you coming to the party?

-Yes, I am.

-Will you vote for me?

-The vote is secret!

That's it!

How does it go?

How does it go?

Thanks a lot!

We're approaching our farewell,

but would you like

to listen to another song?

Yes, "Hava Nagila Hava".

But we just played that one.

Alright, we'll go back to Rosa now,

more precisely about her.

You may begin with "Rosa..."

and take it from there.

-Whatever you want.

-Alright, Rosa...

Rosa is very serious and quiet.

She seems to have had a very tough life.

She's very tidy.

She writes everything in a red notebook,

when she woke up, or went to sleep,

with whom she spoke, films she watched,

she loves films,

especially films about Nazis.

She's quite a character,

she gets so involved in them

that she talks to the actors,

gives them advice, berates them.

It's really funny.

Jag Sameaj to you all!

The moment we've been expecting

has arrived!

We'll choose the Queen Esther

for the year of 5780.

I want a round of applause

for all the contestants!

"Tonight I can write

the saddest lines..."

Does she get visitors?

Not very often. Just him and his father.

-It's my grandfather, Elías.

-Right!

Oh, and a very good looking man.

Do you remember that man's name?

I think it's Emanuel or Emilio...

Could you be confusing it...

for Emiliano?

Yes, Emiliano is his name.

-Do you know Emiliano Canale?

-No.

-Are you sure you don't?

-I don't.

Emiliano Canale told me

that he had never met Rosa Rosenthal.

Rosa also wanted to participate,

let's give her an applause.

I spent the afternoon wondering why.

Slowly...

Until I found the answer.

The woman staying at the nursing home

was not Rosa Rosenthal.

-What will you be playing?

-"The Red Star".

I'll leave you with Rosa

who will play "The Red Star".

She was Laila Salama.

How many daisies can you pluck?

For that red star

that lights everything up.

And behind the veil of her dark eyes.

Are the tree, the fruit and the serpent.

Why did you leave like that?

Nothing of you was left.

Only a faded memory makes me feel.

A sadness that won't let loose

You surly red star.

I feel you're never coming back.

My name is Julie Weiss.

Bravo!

How many daisies can you pluck...

For that red star

that lights everything up...

We're having a good time!

It's time to vote.

We'll choose this year's Queen Esther.

Let's raise our hands to vote.

First, we'll raise it for Violeta.

Very well, Violeta!

Blanca?

Very well!

What about Sarah's tap dance?

Nobody? Well! One for Sarah, very well!

What about Rosa and her violin?

It seems unanimous

that this year's winner,

Queen Esther for the year 5780,

is Rosa Rosenthal!

-A round of applause for her!

-Bravo!

How are you doing? I'm the director...

I wanted to talk to her after the contest,

but it was impossible.

-It was very moving.

-They put a lot into it.

I got very good footage.

Listen, could I interview Rosa Rosenthal?

-No.

-Not even five minutes?

-It was a long day, she's got a routine...

-I get it.

-But it wouldn't take long.

-I don't think so.

The week following my visit

to the nursing home,

Ezequiel Salama called me

to let me know Rosa had died.

He didn't know it,

but he was letting me know

that Laila finally rested in peace.

Lishnam...

Hello.

Hello.

ROSA ROSENTHAL DIED ALONE IN 2003

AT A NURSING HOME IN MIAMI.

SHE NO LONGER HAD RELATIVES IN ARGENTINA.

LAILA SALAMA TOOK HER IDENTITY

AND WAS THUS ABLE TO STAY CLOSE

TO HER SON EMILIANO

DURING THE LAST YEARS OF HER LIFE.