Fog drapes the silent zoo. Shadows cling to the iron bars of
empty cages. An eerie quiet—no birdsong, no lion’s roar. Only
the wind through skeletal trees.
SUPER: “Warsaw, Poland – Days after the Nazi invasion”
In the distance, the guttural rumble of tanks. A dull boom.
Glass windows rattle in their frames.
INT. ZOO ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – BEDROOM – SAME
ANTONINA ŻABIŃSKA (early 40s, gentle but resilient) stirs
awake. A horse neighs outside—panicked.
Beside her, JAN ŻABIŃSKI (40s, stoic, pragmatic), pulls back
the curtain. Fire glows on the horizon.
ANTONINA
It’s getting closer.
JAN
It already is here.
A sudden CRACK—distant gunfire. Then another. Then silence
again.
INT. ZOO STABLES – MOMENTS LATER
Jan rushes through straw-strewn aisles. He unchains a
terrified Arabian horse. Its flanks tremble.
He runs his hand down its neck—calming it—not with words, but
touch.
Outside, muffled boots tramp down the cobblestone street.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
2 -
A Tense Refuge
INT. ZOO ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – BASEMENT – SAME
Antonina descends into the cellar, past canned peaches and
rusting tools. She pulls open a false wall behind the
shelves.
Inside: Two young Jewish children, barely teens, huddle in
silence.
ANTONINA (SOFTLY, IN POLISH)
Don’t speak. Don’t move.
She hands them a blanket, a small tin of food. One girl
silently takes her hand.
Then—
BOOM. A thunderous impact shakes the walls. Plaster rains
down.
EXT. ZOO GROUNDS – MINUTES LATER
German soldiers march in through the main gates. Their boots
echo off cobblestone. A feldwebel barks orders.
Behind them—a Nazi officer in pristine leather: LIEUTENANT
KELLER (late 30s, cold charm). He surveys the enclosures,
unimpressed.
KELLER
A pity. Such beauty wasted on
Poles.
INT. LION ENCLOSURE – LATER
A lioness lies dying, a wound in her side. Jan kneels beside
her.
JAN (TO HIMSELF)
They didn’t even ask if she was
dangerous.
KELLER (O.S.)
We’re not interested in animal
safety, Herr Zookeeper.
Jan looks up to find Keller watching him.
KELLER (CONT’D)
You’re an educated man. Perhaps you
and your wife can make yourselves
useful.
JAN
We’re zoologists. Not
collaborators.
Keller smiles—tight, cruel.
KELLER
No one stays neutral anymore.
He walks off. Two soldiers shoot a zebra just beyond the
bars. Jan flinches.
FADE IN:
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
3 -
Whispers of Fear
EXT. WARSAW ZOO – PRE-DAWN – FALL 1939
Mist clings to the bars of empty enclosures. A low fog
blankets the walking paths. The zoo is silent.
SUPER: “Warsaw, Poland – Days after the Nazi invasion”
In the distance, the faint rumble of tanks.
EXT. CITY SKYLINE – CONTINUOUS
Beyond the treetops: fires flicker on the horizon. Distant
shelling flashes in the clouds.
EXT. ZOO ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – MOMENTS LATER
A quaint two-story house nestled among the trees. One of its
windows is lit from within.
INT. BEDROOM – CONTINUOUS
A candle flickers on a small nightstand.
ANTONINA ŻABIŃSKA (40s), refined, maternal, sits upright in
bed, eyes wide open. She listens.
BOOM. A dull explosion in the distance.
She turns to her husband—
JAN ŻABIŃSKI (40s), still in his undershirt, standing at the
window. His eyes are fixed on the horizon.
ANTONINA
Is it close?
JAN
Not close enough to stop them.
He pulls the curtain closed.
ANTONINA
We should send them deeper. Farther
down.
JAN
We can’t. If they hear movement—
Another BOOM. Louder. The window rattles.
They exchange a glance—fear, tightly held.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","War"]
Ratings
Scene
4 -
Dawn of Danger
INT. ZOO STABLES – PRE-DAWN
Jan unlatches the door to the stables. Inside: horses snort
nervously in their stalls.
He moves quickly, quietly.
JAN
Easy now. No screaming today.
He strokes the flank of a dappled Arabian mare.
CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.
Footsteps on cobblestones outside. Boots.
Jan freezes.
He blows out the lantern.
EXT. ZOO GATES – SAME
The heavy gates groan open.
A column of German soldiers marches in under cover of fog.
Helmets, rifles, dogs.
Their breath steams in the cold.
Behind them rolls a command car. A polished Nazi officer
steps out—
Antonina crouches beside them. Offers a piece of bread and a
small cup of water.
ANTONINA (SOFTLY)
Only speak when I speak first. And
if someone comes—
She places her hand over the boy’s mouth gently.
ANTONINA (CONT’D)
Like this.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
5 -
Survival Amidst Chaos
EXT. ZOO ENCLOSURES – LATER THAT MORNING
Soldiers fan out.
A shot rings out—a young zebra drops in its pen.
Jan flinches from a distance.
JAN (MUTTERING)
God forgive them.
KELLER (O.S.)
Tell me, Herr Żabiński—do all your
animals make for easy targets?
Jan turns. Keller stands beside him.
JAN
You didn’t come to see animals.
KELLER
No. I came to see if they’re worth
preserving. Or repurposing.
JAN
They’re endangered. Some are the
last of their kind.
KELLER
As are we all.
Keller smiles. Cold. Controlled.
KELLER (CONT’D)
Berlin will determine the zoo’s
future. But in the meantime...
(smiling slightly)
I’d like to see full cooperation.
Surely you and your wife would
rather care for creatures than
become them.
EXT. ZOO GROUNDS – LATE MORNING
Cages. Empty. Quiet.
A rhinoceros paces behind bars, unsettled by the echo of
shouted German.
Beyond the trees, a flaming rooftop crumbles in the city
skyline.
INT. ZOO ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – KITCHEN – LATER
A pot of water simmers on the stove.
Antonina moves through the kitchen in silence, watching steam
rise.
Behind her, SABINA (20s), a young Jewish woman in tattered
shoes, stands trembling, clutching a satchel.
SABINA
You shouldn’t have let me in.
They’ll find me.
ANTONINA
Not if you stay quiet. And not if
you act like you're meant to be
here.
She walks over, gently adjusting Sabina’s coat.
ANTONINA (CONT’D)
You’re our new maid. You speak
little Polish. You smile. You
sweep.
SABINA
I can’t sweep.
ANTONINA
Then we’ll teach you. But you’ll
live.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
6 -
Echoes of the Zoo
EXT. ZOO MAIN PATH – SAME
Keller walks with MAJOR GRÜN (50s), a thick-necked Wehrmacht
officer with a clipboard.
They pass cages that now stand as graves.
KELLER
Most of the specimens are useless
now. The bear died last night.
GRÜN
All property of the Reich.
KELLER
Of course. But some of these
enclosures are sturdy. Steel bars.
Trenches. Reinforced brick.
GRÜN
You want to house people here?
KELLER
Not people. But enemies.
He smiles faintly.
INT. LION ENCLOSURE – DUSK
Jan kneels beside the lioness corpse, now stiff. He covers
her with a tarp, piece by piece.
A knock behind him.
ANTONINA (O.S.)
More are coming tonight.
Jan doesn’t look up.
JAN
Where?
ANTONINA
The old monkey house. I’ve already
started clearing it.
JAN
It won’t hold in winter.
ANTONINA
They won’t survive winter outside.
He stands.
JAN
We should be burying animals. Not
hiding people. It’s backwards.
ANTONINA
No. It’s exactly right.
He meets her gaze. Her eyes burn with conviction.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
7 -
A Risky Refuge
EXT. ZOO PERIMETER FENCE – NIGHT
A boy of fifteen, bruised and bleeding, ducks through a gap
in the outer wall.
He limps toward the zoo, clutching a folded note.
From the trees—a spotlight sweeps. A dog barks. A shot cracks
the night.
The boy freezes.
Then—Antonina’s voice, low and steady:
ANTONINA (O.S.)
Come. Now.
She pulls him down into the brush. Guards march just beyond.
She covers his mouth.
ANTONINA (CONT’D)
You’re safe. You made it.
He stares at her, eyes wide with terror.
INT. ZOO BASEMENT – LATER THAT NIGHT
Lit by candlelight.
Jan unfolds the note from the boy. Reads silently.
Antonina watches from the corner.
JAN
They’re asking for passage for six
more. One of them is pregnant.
ANTONINA
We’ll find a way.
JAN
It’s not a shelter anymore. It’s a
network.
ANTONINA
Then we act like it.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
8 -
A Moment of Innocence Lost
EXT. WARSAW TRAM – MOVING – MORNING
A rickety electric tram clatters through a quiet
neighborhood. Antonina, seated near the rear, clutches a
woven basket filled with turnips and bread. Her face is
calm—but her fingers tremble.
Outside, the streets bear the scars of bombardment. Rubble
piles beside crumbled row houses. Windows boarded or
shattered. A woman sweeps glass in silence.
The tram slows to a stop.
EXT. WARSAW STREET – CONTINUOUS
A small crowd has gathered at a makeshift German checkpoint
ahead. Uniformed Wehrmacht soldiers shout in clipped, brutal
Polish.
Antonina peers through the tram window. A tense hush hangs in
the air.
At the center of the square: a boy, no older than 13, kneels
in the mud. Blood stains his cheek. His hands are bound with
wire.
A German officer addresses the crowd, barking in accented
Polish.
GERMAN OFFICER
Caught carrying forged travel papers. A courier for the
Judenrat. Let this be your warning.
Antonina stiffens. She knows what’s coming.
The boy raises his eyes. He sees the crowd — not pleading,
not crying. Just watching.
BOY (IN POLISH)
Tell my sister I tried.
Antonina’s breath catches.
A gunshot cracks.
The boy slumps forward. Blood pools in the dirt.
Gasps ripple through the tram.
TRAM RIDER (QUIETLY)
Just a child...
Antonina stares out the window, unmoving, haunted.
The tram jerks forward.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
9 -
Shadows of Innocence
INT. WARSAW TRAM – CONTINUOUS
Antonina blinks slowly. Clutches the basket tighter.
ANTONINA (WHISPERS)
He was the same age as Ryszard...
INT. ZOO STABLE – LATER THAT DAY
Jan splits firewood with swift, angry blows. One log after
another.
Antonina enters. Her face pale. Her hands still shaking.
JAN
No flour again?
ANTONINA
No. And—
She can’t say it. She just looks at him.
JAN (SOFTER)
What did you see?
Antonina finally meets his eyes.
ANTONINA
A boy. Kneeling. Hands bound. They
didn’t wait.
(beat)
He said: Tell my sister I tried.
Jan lowers the axe. Silence falls.
ANTONINA (CONT’D)
We have to move the children. The
cellar isn’t safe anymore.
JAN
We’re already pushing our luck.
ANTONINA
Luck is gone, Jan.
She turns and walks out, leaving the barn door ajar.
INT. ZOO BASEMENT – NIGHT
Antonina opens the secret panel behind the shelves. The two
children inside flinch at the sound.
She kneels, smiles gently.
ANTONINA
How would you like to sleep with
the monkeys?
The girl smiles — a flicker of innocence returning.
EXT. WARSAW TRAM – MOVING – MORNING
The city glides by in broken pieces. Cratered walls. Blown-
out windows. A dog trots alone across a ruined sidewalk.
Inside the tram, ANTONINA sits near the rear. She clutches a
wicker basket filled with bread, roots, and a tin of oil.
She stares out the window, jaw tight.
The tram slows.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
10 -
A Moment of Horror
EXT. WARSAW STREET – SAME
A checkpoint ahead. Uniformed Wehrmacht soldiers halt all
movement. One raises a hand — the tram squeals to a stop.
Passengers shift uneasily in their seats.
Antonina leans slightly forward, peering through the window.
On the street, a teenage boy, no older than thirteen, kneels
in the mud. His face is bloodied. Hands bound in wire.
Crowd gathered. Silent. Unblinking.
A GERMAN OFFICER steps forward. He holds a pistol, polished
and casual.
GERMAN OFFICER
(forced Polish)
Caught with forged travel papers.
Smuggling messages from the ghetto.
Antonina’s breath hitches.
GERMAN OFFICER (CONT’D)
Justice... is immediate.
The boy lifts his head. A swollen eye. Split lip.
BOY
Tell my sister I tried.
A moment.
Then—
CRACK.
The gunshot echoes like a door slamming shut.
The boy drops forward. Still.
A puddle of blood spreads into the dirt.
A murmur through the tram. One woman gasps, hand over mouth.
Another begins to weep softly.
Antonina stares.
Frozen.
TRAM RIDER (O.S.)
He was just a child...
TRAM DRIVER (O.S.)
Move!
The tram lurches forward. Metal grinding metal.
Antonina closes her eyes.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
11 -
A Safe Haven Amidst Danger
INT. ZOO KITCHEN – LATER
A kettle whistles.
Antonina doesn’t move.
She sits at the table, basket untouched.
Her hands rest, palm down, on the wood. Steadying herself.
JAN (O.S.)
They were checking the street
behind the hospital. Again.
Antonina looks up as Jan enters, brushing dirt from his coat.
JAN (CONT’D)
Grün’s men nearly caught a man
carrying sugar. Shot him in the
hip.
No response.
JAN (SOFTLY) (CONT’D)
What happened?
ANTONINA
A boy.
JAN
Inside the city?
She nods.
ANTONINA
He had papers. That’s all.
(beat)
He said... “Tell my sister I
tried.”
Jan exhales. Deep. He moves to the kettle and shuts it off.
ANTONINA (CONT’D)
They want us to see it. To learn.
JAN
Then we’ll pretend we haven’t.
ANTONINA
No.
She stands.
ANTONINA (CONT’D)
The cellar isn’t safe anymore. I’m
moving the children.
JAN
To where?
ANTONINA
The monkey house. I’ve started
cleaning it.
JAN
It’s exposed.
ANTONINA
So is this whole country.
Jan says nothing.
INT. MONKEY HOUSE – DUSK
Dust clings to empty enclosures. Broken wood slats. Torn
netting.
Antonina sweeps. Her sleeves rolled. Determined.
She opens a hatch beneath one of the cages — a maintenance
space barely three feet tall.
She crawls inside. Measures the dark.
It will do.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
12 -
Sanctuary in the Shadows
EXT. ZOO PERIMETER FENCE – NIGHT
From the trees, a boy stumbles forward — bleeding, limping.
His coat torn.
He reaches the outer wall of the zoo.
A spotlight flashes across the trees.
The boy ducks. Heart pounding. He presses a folded note to
his chest.
A DOG BARKS in the distance.
Footsteps approach.
The boy tenses — ready to run.
Then—
A hand grabs his shoulder and pulls him into the brush.
ANTONINA (O.S.)
Shh. Stay low.
Antonina covers his mouth gently. She waits.
A squad of soldiers passes just feet away, rifles slung.
Marching in rhythm.
Antonina doesn’t breathe.
Neither does the boy.
INT. ZOO BASEMENT – LATER THAT NIGHT
Candlelight flickers across Jan’s face as he reads a crumpled
note.
Antonina watches from across the room.
JAN
They’re asking for six more. One’s
pregnant. Another is a nurse.
(beat)
They want sanctuary.
ANTONINA
Then they’ve come to the right
place.
JAN
It’s not a hiding place anymore.
It’s a passageway. A network.
ANTONINA
Then we make it work.
He looks at her. The weight of what they’re becoming settles
in the space between them.
She doesn't blink.
INT. MONKEY HOUSE HATCH – NIGHT
Antonina pulls back the hatch. The two Jewish children peek
out, blinking.
ANTONINA
How would you like to sleep with
the monkeys?
The girl smiles — small, tired, genuine.
Antonina offers her hand.
INT. MONKEY HOUSE – NIGHT
Antonina helps the children settle under a heap of hay and
tattered cloth.
A candle flickers nearby.
The boy lays his head down.
BOY (SOFTLY)
Will the lions eat us?
Antonina pauses.
ANTONINA
Not while I’m here.
The girl reaches out, gripping Antonina’s hand tightly. A
tear slips down her cheek.
Antonina gently wipes it away.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
13 -
A Refuge in the Fog
EXT. WARSAW STREETS – EARLY MORNING
Grey fog hangs over the road.
JAN walks with a worn satchel over his shoulder, passing
boarded shops and military checkpoints. He holds a
requisition slip for animal feed.
Ahead—a train platform.
Smoke hisses from the engine. Cars rattle. Armed German
guards bark orders in German and Polish.
Jan stops.
A group of Jewish families — pale, hollow-eyed — are herded
toward a cattle car.
Children cling to mothers. Elderly men stumble. No luggage.
No coats.
Jan tucks his slip into his pocket and tries to move past.
Then—he hears a scream.
A woman wails as a dead infant is thrown from the car onto
the snow-covered platform.
Jan freezes.
A guard kicks the body aside like trash. The train door slams
shut.
The mother is still screaming.
Jan stares. Stunned. A young soldier catches him watching.
GUARD
Move along!
Jan nods, quickly turns, keeps walking.
But his hands are shaking.
INT. ZOO VETERINARY ROOM – LATER
Jan scrubs his hands at the sink. Over and over.
Soap. Water. Scrub. Again.
Antonina watches from the doorway.
ANTONINA
What did you see?
He doesn’t answer.
ANTONINA (CONT’D)
Jan.
He looks up. Eyes hollow.
JAN
I didn’t help. I just walked.
ANTONINA
There was nothing you could do.
JAN
There has to be. Or I can’t live
here. In this place. With lions and
fences while they—
He stops himself.
Antonina approaches him. Quiet.
ANTONINA
Then we do more.
JAN
How?
ANTONINA
We turn the cages into gates.
EXT. ZOO GATES – AFTERNOON
A rickety cart approaches.
A woman wrapped in a shawl, face gaunt, clutches a crying
toddler. Her name is REBECCA LANDAU (30s), a schoolteacher
from the ghetto — eyes once sharp, now exhausted.
Jan opens the side gate. She hesitates.
REBECCA
You’re... the ones they said?
He nods.
REBECCA (CONT’D)
They burned my papers. Took my
husband. They shot my father.
(beat)
I walked all night.
Jan helps her off the cart.
Antonina emerges from the house. Rebecca sees her — and
breaks down.
She stumbles forward, collapsing into Antonina’s arms.
REBECCA (WHISPERING) (CONT’D)
I can’t keep running. Please.
Antonina holds her. Firm. Protective.
ANTONINA
You don’t have to anymore.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
14 -
An Ominous Visit
INT. KITCHEN – EVENING
Antonina boils water. Rebecca sits nearby, clutching her
child, trembling.
Jan watches from the corner.
Then—a knock at the door.
Three short taps. Then silence.
Jan stiffens.
Antonina moves to the door, slowly unlatches it.
Lieutenant Keller stands outside, gloves tucked under one
arm. His eyes sweep the room immediately.
KELLER
Ah. Supper time.
ANTONINA
We weren’t expecting visitors.
KELLER
Forgive me. Curiosity — not hunger.
The Reich is considering how best
to utilize these grounds.
(pause)
I thought it wise to inspect the
home as well.
Jan steps forward.
JAN
We’ve nothing to hide.
Keller smiles. He steps inside without waiting.
KELLER
Of course not.
His eyes land briefly on Rebecca and her child.
KELLER (CONT’D)
Family?
ANTONINA
Distant cousins. From Kraków. Lost
their home in the shelling.
A long pause.
Keller watches Rebecca. She lowers her gaze. Tightens her
hold on the child.
KELLER
Sad times.
(beat)
Still, one must be careful. Even in
places like this.
(beat)
Danger doesn’t always wear a
uniform.
He smiles again.
Antonina doesn’t blink.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","War"]
Ratings
Scene
15 -
Tension in the Zoo Kitchen
INT. ZOO KITCHEN – CONTINUOUS
Keller circles slowly.
He runs a hand along the edge of the table. Fingers brush a
bowl of peeled potatoes.
He stops at a bookshelf — lifts a small framed photo.
Antonina and Jan. Happier days.
KELLER
Strange, isn’t it? The way war
redraws people. Turns scientists
into suspects. Mothers into
smugglers.
Antonina steps closer.
ANTONINA
We’re only caretakers. Of
animals... and of each other.
Keller replaces the photo.
KELLER
Let’s hope that’s all you are.
He lingers at the door.
KELLER (CONT’D)
We’ll be expanding patrols through
this district. You’ll see more men.
More questions.
A smile.
KELLER (CONT’D)
Best to keep your papers in order.
He exits.
The door closes with a soft click.
Jan exhales.
Rebecca clutches her child, trembling.
Antonina turns away, hides her shaking hands in the
dishwater.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
16 -
Escape to Safety
INT. ZOO MAINTENANCE TUNNEL – NIGHT
A narrow, stone-walled passage beneath the monkey house.
Roots dangle from the ceiling. The smell of damp earth.
Jan holds a flashlight. Rebecca and her child crouch behind
him.
JAN
When you reach the canal wall, wait
for three knocks. Then crawl.
Quietly. One at a time.
Rebecca nods. Her child sniffles.
JAN (CONT’D)
Do not speak to anyone on the other
side until you hear my wife’s
voice.
REBECCA
How will I know?
JAN
She sings.
(beat)
JAN (CONT’D)
She always sings.
EXT. ZOO BACK PERIMETER – SAME
Antonina crouches near the drainage culvert. She hums softly
— a Polish lullaby.
A rustle in the reeds.
Then — a hand emerges from the shadows.
Rebecca crawls out, clutching her child.
Antonina pulls them into the brush.
ANTONINA
Good. You're safe.
Behind them, the water flows black and silent.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","War"]
Ratings
Scene
17 -
Shadows of Survival
INT. BEDROOM – LATER THAT NIGHT
Antonina sits on the edge of the bed, removing her boots.
Jan enters, silent. He closes the door behind him.
JAN
That tunnel was for waste. It’s not
safe. If it collapses—
ANTONINA
They’ll be dead anyway. Here or
there.
She pulls off her scarf. Her hair is damp with sweat.
JAN
What happens when Keller finds the
hatch? What happens when he asks
for papers?
ANTONINA
Then I lie. Again. Like I did
tonight.
JAN
And when he stops believing?
ANTONINA
Then I smile harder.
Jan paces.
JAN
We’re not trained for this. We’re
scientists. We raise animals, we—
ANTONINA
We adapt.
She turns to him. Calm. Fierce.
ANTONINA (CONT’D)
The animals aren’t the only ones
being hunted.
Jan sits. Exhausted.
JAN
I saw a child die on a train
platform. His mother screaming
after him.
(beat)
JAN (CONT’D)
It won’t leave me.
Antonina rests her hand over his.
ANTONINA
Then let it stay. Let it drive you.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
18 -
Whispers of Danger
INT. GESTAPO OFFICE – NIGHT
Keller lights a cigarette.
Across the desk, FRAULEIN MERTZ (30s), plain-clothed, crisp,
and careful — a civilian clerk with sharp eyes — places a
folder down.
MERTZ
The Żabińskis are respected.
Formerly connected to the
university. No Jewish ties on
paper.
KELLER
“On paper” is where all lies begin.
He opens the folder. Pauses.
KELLER (CONT’D)
Their maid — where did she come
from?
MERTZ
No registry match. No ration card.
We’re still checking.
He taps the photo of Rebecca with her child — snapped
silently from a distance.
KELLER
Do so quickly. Quietly.
MERTZ
Of course.
He stares at the photo a moment longer.
Then slowly — smiles.
INT. ZOO BASEMENT – NIGHT
A storm rumbles outside.
Candles flicker along the stone walls. The children sleep in
a corner, curled beneath blankets.
Rebecca tends to a wound on her leg — scraped during the
tunnel escape. She bites her lip, trying not to cry out.
Antonina enters quietly, carrying a warm cloth.
ANTONINA
Let me help.
Rebecca nods, eyes brimming.
REBECCA
My daughter… she asked if the lions
would eat her.
Antonina kneels, gently pressing the cloth to her leg.
Men climb down — SS, Gestapo, and one civilian officer.
No insignia. No shouts.
Just quiet efficiency.
Keller steps from the lead truck.
He nods once.
The men fan out.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","War"]
Ratings
Scene
42 -
A Lullaby Amidst the Flames
INT. ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – PARLOR – SAME TIME
Antonina lights a single candle.
Sits at the piano.
Hands hover over the keys.
She begins to play.
The lullaby.
Slow. Steady. Defiant.
INT. ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – PARLOR – EARLY MORNING
Antonina plays the lullaby — slower this time, hands
trembling. The soft notes echo like whispers in a crypt.
Suddenly — a distant BOOM. The house vibrates.
She stops.
Another, closer now — a rumble like thunder.
Antonina rises and walks to the window.
EXT. WARSAW SKYLINE – CONTINUOUS
Across the rooftops — plumes of smoke rise.
Faint flickers of fire dance behind buildings.
The Warsaw Ghetto is burning.
INT. STABLE LOFT – SAME
Jerzy watches it too — face pale, eyes wide.
He hears faint cracks of gunfire, like distant popping corn.
A scream — far off, but unmistakable.
JERZY (TO HIMSELF)
It’s all ending. All of it.
He paces. Then stops. Then shouts—
JERZY (CONT’D)
I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t ask
for any of this!
No one hears him. Or if they do, they’re silent.
EXT. ZOO PATH – MORNING LIGHT
Boots crunch on gravel.
SS soldiers fan out across the grounds. Quiet. Efficient.
Mechanical.
No orders shouted — just nods and hand signals.
A few officers head toward the main house. Others toward the
stables.
Keller remains in the shadows, smoking.
INT. BASEMENT – SAME
Antonina rushes down.
ANTONINA
They’re coming.
Two men, a mother, and a teenage girl wait behind crates.
Faces pale.
MOTHER
Where?
ANTONINA
Down. Stay low. Don’t speak.
She opens a trap door beneath the old coal bin. They slip in.
Antonina hesitates — then places the boy’s stuffed lion just
outside the hatch.
Closes it.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
43 -
A Roar of Relief
INT. ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – MOMENTS LATER
Jan meets her at the base of the stairs. Rifle slung over
shoulder — more bluff than defense.
JAN
How many?
ANTONINA
All of them.
A long silence.
JAN (SOFTLY)
Then let’s greet our guests.
INT. ZOO STABLE – SAME
Soldiers enter.
Jerzy stands stiff.
SS COMMANDER
All clear?
Jerzy nods.
But one soldier lingers — spots a broken hay bale stacked
oddly against a wall.
Moves toward it...
Suddenly — a lion roar echoes across the grounds.
Everyone freezes.
COMMANDER
A lion?
JERZY
An old recording. For the tourists.
COMMANDER
Play it again.
Jerzy hesitates — then dashes to the office and presses a
phonograph needle down.
A scratchy lion’s roar fills the stable again.
The soldiers laugh.
COMMANDER (CONT’D)
Sentimental pigs.
They exit.
Jerzy exhales — crumples against the wall.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
44 -
Bravery Amidst Despair
INT. BASEMENT – LATER
Antonina whispers to the boy through the grate.
ANTONINA
You’re brave. Just like the lion.
He nods, clutching the stuffed animal.
BOY
The sky is on fire.
ANTONINA
Yes. But you're safe in the earth.
She closes the grate.
EXT. WARSAW – VARIOUS LOCATIONS – INTERCUT
— Jews leap from windows as buildings burn around them.
— German soldiers fire without aim, methodical.
— Smoke chokes alleys where children hide in barrels.
— The skyline flickers like a wound.
INT. ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – KITCHEN – DAY
Keller enters, flanked by two SS men.
Antonina stands by the stove, boiling water.
KELLER
Still playing hostess?
ANTONINA
Someone has to.
KELLER
You hear the music outside?
ANTONINA
I hear people dying.
KELLER (FLATLY)
No, Frau Żabińska. You hear the
future.
He approaches the piano — presses a key.
KELLER (CONT’D)
This country will be remembered by
what it silenced.
Jan steps into the room.
JAN
She asked you to stay out of our
home.
A beat.
Keller smiles.
KELLER
You should pack light. There won’t
be much left.
He walks out.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","War"]
Ratings
Scene
45 -
Whispers in the Dark
INT. BASEMENT – LATE AFTERNOON
The boy wakes in the dark.
Someone breathing near him — a soft sob.
He crawls toward the sound.
Finds the teenage girl.
He reaches into his coat — hands her the stuffed lion.
BOY
He keeps secrets.
She hugs him.
EXT. ZOO GATES – NIGHT
The SS begin withdrawing.
Trucks reverse.
Keller lingers at the gate, watching the house one last time.
MERTZ
Nothing found. No official record.
KELLER
Yet they play lullabies while
Warsaw burns.
He drops his cigarette. Crushes it.
KELLER (CONT’D)
Next time, we don’t knock.
INT. ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – PARLOR – LATE NIGHT
Antonina sits at the piano. Silent.
She lays her hands on the keys, but doesn’t play.
A knock at the door.
She freezes.
Another knock — softer.
Jan appears in the hallway, rifle in hand. He gives her a
look — be ready.
He opens the door.
Genres:
["Drama","War","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
46 -
Echoes of Lullabies
EXT. ZOO HOUSE – CONTINUOUS
Keller stands alone, in civilian coat, hat in hand. No
soldiers. No car in sight.
He offers a polite nod.
KELLER
I was nearby. Thought I’d stop in.
Jan doesn’t move.
JAN
We’re not open for visitors.
KELLER
It’s a private visit.
Antonina appears behind Jan.
Keller sees her — his expression softens, just a shade.
KELLER (CONT’D)
I won’t stay long.
He steps inside, uninvited.
INT. PARLOR – MOMENTS LATER
Keller studies the piano.
KELLER
It’s quiet tonight. The lullaby
must’ve run out.
ANTONINA
The keys still work.
KELLER
Then play.
She doesn’t move.
KELLER (CONT’D)
No? Pity. You played it better than
most.
He steps toward the piano, places his hand on it. Feels the
wood.
KELLER (CONT’D)
When I was a boy, my mother sang to
me. Before the Great War took my
father.
(beat)
Do you think lullabies can stop
wars?
ANTONINA
No. But they help children sleep
through them.
They stare at each other.
KELLER
I’ll be transferred soon. Berlin
wants...new people.
He doesn’t explain.
KELLER (CONT’D)
I won’t be back.
He turns, walks to the door. Pauses.
KELLER (CONT’D)
I don’t believe in ghosts.
(beat)
But this place is full of them.
And he’s gone.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
47 -
Whispers of Innocence
INT. BASEMENT – LATER
The boy lies curled up beside the teenage girl and the
mother. He stirs.
Outside the wall — a faint CRACK of gunfire.
He sits up, eyes wide.
Another shot — closer.
BOY (WHISPERS)
They’re back...
The teenage girl grips his hand.
Footsteps above. Then nothing.
INT. STABLE LOFT – SAME
Jerzy crouches in the hay, rifle in hand.
He peers through the window — sees flashes of gunfire from a
few streets over.
A nearby house is ablaze — screams audible on the wind.
He clutches the ration slip Keller gave him long ago — still
in his pocket.
He sets it down in the hay.
Then lights it on fire.
INT. ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – BEDROOM – NEXT MORNING
Antonina wakes to the sound of birds.
She rises, pulls back the curtain.
Sunlight streams in — but the sky is smudged with smoke.
MONTAGE – FLASHBACK – PRE-WAR ZOO (BLACK AND WHITE OR MUTED
COLOR):
— Lions sunning themselves lazily — Children running between
enclosures, ice cream in hand — Antonina and Jan laughing,
holding hands — A newborn giraffe wobbling in its pen — The
boy, years younger, feeding a goat
Then—
CRASH — back to present.
INT. BASEMENT – THAT DAY
Antonina descends the stairs slowly, exhausted.
She finds the boy awake, drawing on the wall with chalk.
A lion, big and strong.
Next to it, a tiny mouse.
ANTONINA
What’s that?
BOY
A friend.
She kneels beside him.
BOY (CONT’D)
When the lion’s too tired... the
mouse tells the story.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
48 -
A Dangerous Escape
INT. ZOO STABLE – LATER THAT DAY
Jerzy prepares a wooden cart. Silent.
He places a folded coat inside. A stuffed lion. A slip of
paper.
He doesn’t say where he’s going.
But he’s going.
INT. PARLOR – NIGHT
Antonina plays the lullaby — slower now.
The notes aren’t quite right.
JAN (O.S.)
You’re changing it.
ANTONINA
It’s time.
She adds a few new chords.
A different ending.
EXT. ZOO WALLS – PRE-DAWN
Thick fog clings to the earth.
Jerzy pushes a wooden cart along the inner path. Inside: two
children curled beneath blankets. The teenage girl walks
beside him, eyes wide with fear.
They reach a stone wall covered in ivy. He knocks twice.
A moment — then a hand appears, pulling ivy aside.
A narrow tunnel mouth is revealed — no bigger than a coal
chute.
Jerzy helps the girl and children into it, one by one.
JERZY
Ten paces forward, then left. It opens into the cellar. Wait
there ‘til the sun’s up.
He pulls the ivy back over.
As he turns — a voice.
GESTAPO OFFICER (O.S.)
Where does that path lead?
Jerzy freezes.
Two Gestapo men stand near the trees, half-shrouded by mist.
Jerzy shrugs.
JERZY
Just hay storage. Empty.
They don’t respond. One lights a cigarette. Watches him.
He pushes the cart forward — back toward the stables — slow
and deliberate.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
49 -
Whispers of Fear
INT. ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – KITCHEN – SAME
Antonina wipes soot from the stove tiles. Exhausted.
Jan enters, rifle in hand.
JAN
Gestapo were inside the fence
again. Two of them.
ANTONINA
Looking?
JAN
No one asks questions anymore. They
just... look.
ANTONINA
What do we do?
JAN (BEAT)
We pray they don’t find anything.
A long silence.
JAN (CONT’D)
Or anyone.
INT. BASEMENT – SAME
The boy lies beside the teenage girl, listening.
Above them, a soft creaking of floorboards.
He whispers:
BOY
He’s not coming back, is he?
The girl doesn’t answer.
INT. STABLES – NIGHT
Jerzy paces, shaken.
He peers through the slats in the barn door.
The Gestapo are gone.
But one of them dropped something — a matchbook from the
Eldorado cabaret.
He picks it up. Opens it.
Inside, a phone number. No name.
He pockets it.
EXT. ZOO – BACK LOT – NEXT NIGHT
Jan meets a man in a black overcoat — quick exchange of bread
for ration stamps.
No words.
The man disappears into the trees.
Jan returns, eyes darting.
JAN (TO HIMSELF)
One more night.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
50 -
A Lullaby's Echo
INT. PARLOR – NIGHT
Antonina plays the piano. The lullaby returns — but with an
extra note at the end.
The boy, from the top of the stairs, repeats the note on a
toy xylophone.
She hears it — and smiles for the first time in days.
ANTONINA
That’s yours now.
INT. GESTAPO OFFICE – CITY CENTER – NIGHT
Keller’s old office. Now occupied by a younger, more brutal
officer.
On his desk — a file marked “Zoologischer Garten”.
Inside: photos. Surveillance notes. A list of names.
He underlines two:
Żabiński, Antonina
Żabiński, Jan
Then circles:
ZYCHSKI, Jerzy
He closes the file.
EXT. ZOO STABLES – TWO DAYS LATER – NIGHT
Jerzy sits outside the stables. Rain falls gently.
A child’s drawing — the lion and the mouse — sits in his lap.
Footsteps.
He turns — too late.
A Gestapo officer stands behind him.
OFFICER
Come with me.
Jerzy doesn't resist.
EXT. GESTAPO INTERROGATION BUILDING – NIGHT
A low bunker lit by bare bulbs and fear.
Inside, Jerzy screams — muffled, distant.
INT. HOLDING CELL – NIGHT
Jerzy lies on a cot, bloodied, barely conscious.
A younger SS lieutenant stands outside the bars, watching
silently.
He holds a notepad — sketches of zoo blueprints from memory.
SS LIEUTENANT
So many animals. So few cages.
Jerzy turns away.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","War"]
Ratings
Scene
51 -
Midnight Terror at the Zoo
INT. GESTAPO OFFICE – LATER THAT NIGHT
The same SS lieutenant sits at a desk. A new file marked:
OPERATION: ZOOFALL
Inside:
— Map of Warsaw Zoo
— Suspected hide points
— Names: Żabiński, Zychski, and others
SS LIEUTENANT (TO AIDE)
Midnight. No sirens.
AIDE
What about civilians?
SS LIEUTENANT
Shoot anything that moves.
EXT. ZOO – NIGHT
Boots hit the gravel.
A platoon of SS soldiers storms through the front gates,
rifles ready.
Inside enclosures, lions ROAR.
A tiger slams its body against a cage door.
Antonina wakes in bed, hearing metal creak.
INT. ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – MOMENTS LATER
Antonina stumbles to the window — her breath catches.
SS soldiers march through the paths.
She sees one stop at the flamingo pond and raise his weapon.
BLAM! A splash of feathers and blood.
ANTONINA
No...
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
52 -
Echoes of Fear
INT. BASEMENT – SAME
The boy flinches at the shot. The teenage girl pulls him
close.
More BOOMS upstairs. Wood cracking. Glass shattering.
A lion ROARS — then a long, horrible silence.
EXT. ZOO STABLES – CONTINUOUS
Jan runs across the yard, ducking into the stables.
He finds a family huddled in the loft.
JAN
Go now. The canal. Take the east
trench — stay below the treeline.
They run. He watches — then grabs a shovel.
INT. PARLOR – NIGHT
Antonina stands frozen as an SS OFFICER enters.
Not Keller. This one’s younger. Crueler.
He surveys the piano, then Antonina.
SS OFFICER
This is where the lullaby lives.
ANTONINA
There are no Jews here.
SS OFFICER
No. But there were.
(beat)
And ghosts make poor alibis.
He places a bullet on the piano.
SS OFFICER (CONT’D)
For the next one we find.
He leaves.
Antonina doesn’t move.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","War"]
Ratings
Scene
53 -
Echoes of Grief
INT. LION ENCLOSURE – NEXT MORNING
Antonina finds the lion’s cage open.
Inside: blood. Fur. A single bullet casing.
She stares.
Then kneels.
INT. BASEMENT – THAT NIGHT
The boy draws on the wall again — this time, a lion with a
hole in its chest.
The teenage girl watches, tears in her eyes.
She covers the hole with her hand.
EXT. WARSAW STREET – DAYS LATER
Antonina walks with a basket — silent, numb.
She turns a corner.
Three bodies hang from a lamppost.
A sign tied to one: FOR HARBORING RATS
The boy’s coat — too familiar — hangs from one of the bodies.
Antonina stumbles back — gasps.
Then — a closer look — not him. Another child. Another
victim.
Still, it crushes her.
INT. PARLOR – THAT NIGHT
Antonina plays the lullaby again.
This time, she stops halfway through.
The silence is deafening.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
54 -
Echoes of Loss
EXT. GESTAPO COURTYARD – PRE-DAWN
Jerzy, pale and trembling, is dragged between two SS guards.
The younger SS lieutenant stands nearby, sipping coffee.
A shovel waits beside a shallow trench.
Jerzy looks up — sees a single caged bird hanging from a hook
above the door.
JERZY (SOFT)
Don’t sing.
The guards push him to his knees.
CUT TO:
INT. BASEMENT – SAME
The boy wakes with a start. Silent. Alert.
He hears a strange bird call. Familiar. Off.
He climbs to the narrow window.
EXT. GESTAPO COURTYARD – CONTINUOUS
The bird flaps wildly in its cage — sensing what’s coming.
Jerzy smiles at it.
A shot rings out.
We don't see it — just the bird’s feathers scattering, then
silence.
INT. BASEMENT – CONTINUOUS
The boy watches feathers drift past the window.
He backs away. Draws something.
We don’t see it yet.
INT. ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – THAT NIGHT
Antonina stands before the mirror. Her reflection barely
recognizable.
Jan enters, quietly.
JAN
They executed Jerzy.
ANTONINA (SOFT)
I know.
JAN
Do we stop?
She doesn’t answer. Just turns to the piano. Sits.
Instead of playing, she opens the top — pulls out a note
hidden beneath the strings.
On it: a name, a date, a safe house.
ANTONINA
We go again.
Genres:
["Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
55 -
A Night of Shadows and Hope
EXT. WARSAW ZOO – NIGHT
A young mother and her child wait in the shadows.
Antonina opens a gate — motions them through.
She leads them into the lion enclosure.
MOTHER
There’s nothing here.
Antonina pulls aside an old feeding trough — revealing a
trapdoor.
ANTONINA
There is now.
INT. LION ENCLOSURE – MOMENTS LATER
The mother and child descend into the cellar, where the boy
waits.
He hands the little girl a toy lion made of rags.
She smiles.
INT. ADMINISTRATION HOUSE – LATER THAT NIGHT
Antonina and Jan sit at the kitchen table in silence.
A knock at the door.
They freeze.
Another knock.
Jan rises — rifle in hand — opens the door.
No one.
Just a small wooden crate.
Inside: a live rabbit and a note:
“Some animals still need saving.
— H.”
Antonina reads it. Her hand trembles.
ANTONINA (QUIETLY)
Keller.
JAN
A warning?
ANTONINA
No. A goodbye.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","War"]
Ratings
Scene
56 -
Reunion in the Ruins
EXT. WARSAW – SPRING 1945 – DAY
The city is dust and bone.
Rebecca, aged and tired, walks toward the zoo gates.
She passes hollow cages, scorched earth.
Inside the house — silence.
She reaches the basement steps... descends.
INT. BASEMENT – CONTINUOUS
The boy, now older, stands at the far wall.
He turns — sees her.
They stare at one another.
She falls to her knees.
He runs into her arms.
INT. PARLOR – LATER
The piano sits untouched.
Rebecca walks to it. Opens the lid.
Inside: the toy xylophone.
She presses a note.
BOY (O.S.)
That one’s mine now.
She turns — he smiles faintly.
EXT. ZOO COURTYARD – DAY
Antonina stands where the lion once roared.
New sounds: crates of animals arriving from other
sanctuaries.
A fox. A stork. A tortoise.
Rebirth.
She closes her eyes.
In the distance — a child plays the lullaby on the xylophone.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
57 -
Whispers of Hope in the Shadows
INT. BASEMENT – NIGHT
The boy finishes his drawing on the wall:
A lion.
A mother.
A child.
And a cage—open.
The teenage girl watches. He hands her the chalk.
She doesn’t take it.
GIRL
You finish it.
EXT. WARSAW STREETS – NIGHT
Antonina rides her rusted bicycle, a crate of food on the
back.
She turns down a ruined side road — rubble piled high — when
a truck headlights sweep across her.
She freezes. The truck slows.
SS soldiers inside glance her way.
The driver keeps going.
She breathes again.
INT. LION ENCLOSURE – LATE NIGHT
Jan helps the last family down into the crawlspace beneath
the feeding pit.
He reaches to close the trapdoor—
CHILD (O.S.)
Will there be more lions?
JAN (SOFT)
Someday.
He locks the door behind him.
INT. PARLOR – HOURS LATER
Antonina, alone, plays the lullaby.
Her fingers hesitate… then finish the melody — the full
version.
Outside, a lion ROARS.
She freezes — then smiles faintly.
It was just thunder.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical","War"]
Ratings
Scene
58 -
Echoes of Survival
EXT. ZOO – DAWN
Smoke rises in the distance — the Ghetto burns.
Antonina watches from a rooftop.
She turns and sees a red fox slink between rubble.
ANTONINA (SOFT)
Still here.
INT. BASEMENT – SAME
The boy wraps the toy lion in cloth. Hugs it tight.
He lies beside the girl. They don’t sleep.
Just wait.
EXT. ZOO – SPRING 1945 – DAY
Time has passed.
Allied tanks roll through Warsaw. Children chase them.
EXT. ZOO GATES – CONTINUOUS
Rebecca, now aged, enters the cracked gates. Her coat is torn
but her eyes are bright.
Inside, silence.
She approaches the lion enclosure.
No lion.
She kneels, places her hand on the stone.
REBECCA
You kept him safe.
INT. BASEMENT – MOMENTS LATER
The boy stands in the shadows.
She turns. Sees him.
He holds the toy lion out to her.
She drops to her knees. Embraces him, sobbing.
INT. PARLOR – LATER THAT DAY
Antonina sits at the piano. Jan at her side.
She plays the lullaby, slower now.
A child’s hand joins in — a xylophone note.
Then another.
Outside: animal crates arrive.
Life returns.
Genres:
["Drama","Historical"]
Ratings
Scene
59 -
Legacy of the Righteous
EXT. ZOO – WEEKS LATER
The zoo reopens to children.
A new sign:
Zoologiczny Ogród Warszawski
Reopened May 1945
FINAL SCENE
INT. BASEMENT – DUSK
The boy’s drawing remains on the wall.
But now there’s more.
A lion with wings.
The Warsaw skyline behind it.
And at the bottom:
"He who saves one life..." "...saves the world entire."
A light breeze stirs through the basement.
A final, faint xylophone note.
FADE TO BLACK
EXT. JERUSALEM – YAD VASHEM MEMORIAL GARDEN – DAY – 1965
A grove of trees. Still. Sacred.
A long row of plaques — each name carved into stone.
We PAN SLOWLY past them…
Then land on one:
ANTONINA ŻABIŃSKA
JAN ŻABIŃSKI
Righteous Among the Nations
INT. CEREMONY TENT – SAME
A modest crowd.
Elderly Antonina, now gray-haired but proud, sits beside Jan,
his hand resting on hers.
A rabbi steps to the podium.
RABBI
In a world that burned, they became
shelter.
Where there were cages, they made sanctuary.
Applause swells.
Genres:
["Historical Drama","War"]
Ratings
Scene
60 -
Roots of Hope
EXT. TREE GROVE – MOMENTS LATER
A small sapling is planted in the earth.
Antonina kneels. Brushes soil over the roots.
Behind her, survivors and descendants watch silently — some
holding children.
Jan wipes his eye.
MONTAGE – “AFTERLIVES”
— Rebecca, now middle-aged, teaching a class of children in
Tel Aviv. A toy lion on her desk.
— The teenage girl, now a nurse, bandaging a child’s arm in a
postwar clinic.
— The boy, now grown, visiting the reopened zoo — holding his
son’s hand.
EXT. WARSAW ZOO – PRESENT DAY – MORNING
Visitors stroll under fresh banners. Laughter echoes.
A new generation passes beneath the stone archway.
INT. BASEMENT – PRESENT DAY
The boy’s mural still faintly clings to the wall — weathered
but intact.
A small placard nearby:
During WWII, over 300 Jews were hidden in this basement.
Many survived thanks to the courage of Antonina and Jan
Żabiński.
EXT. YAD VASHEM – TREE GROVE – SUNSET
The tree planted earlier now stands tall.
Wind rustles the leaves.
At its base, a child places a folded drawing:
A lion.
A woman.
A child.
And a gate — open.
FADE TO BLACK
SUPER:
Based on true events.
Between 1939 and 1945, Antonina and Jan Żabiński hid over 300
Jews inside the Warsaw Zoo.
Many survived.
Jerzy Zychski was never seen again.
The zoo reopened in 1945. It remains open today.
SUPER #2:
In 1965, Antonina and Jan were recognized as Righteous Among
the Nations by Yad Vashem.
A tree bearing their names still grows in Jerusalem.