One Day Crossing is a 2001 short film (25 minutes) directed by Joan Stein.
It is set in Hungary on October 15, 1944. For the Germans, defeat in World War II looms, and their Hungarian allies know it, which is why the radio broadcasts that Hungary is quitting the war and surrendering to the oncoming Russians. While this is going on, a woman named Teresa is living in an apartment with her little son Peter. She is hiding Peter and telling him not to go outside, because her name is actually Sarah and Peter's name is actually Benjamin. They are Jews who have assumed false identities as Christians.
Teresa/Sarah's husband Samuel tries to save a group of Jewish children being carted off to death camps, by dressing up as a member of the Arrow Cross (Hungarian fascists) and taking the children away. They're soon discovered, and most of the kids are gunned down by real Arrow Cross goons, but Samuel gets away with one boy, also named Benjamin. An out-of-breath Samuel brings the second Benjamin to his and Teresa's apartment. Teresa is horrified at this threat to their safety. Will Samuel's rash action expose the whole family?
Tropes:
- Death of a Child: Most of the children that Samuel was trying to sneak away are killed when they're caught in an alley by the Arrow Cross. The child trailing behind Samuel is shot in the back.
- Deliberately Monochrome: Shot in black and white, giving the movie a low-fidelity World War II look.
- Downer Ending: The ending is ambiguous. But the fact that Teresa is packing a suitcase at the end, and her admission to Peter and Benjamin that she doesn't know where they're going, certainly seems to indicate that the Christian neighbor lady did in fact turn them in, and that they're being deported to their deaths.
- Dramatic Irony: The neighbor lady that "Teresa" goes to church with carps about how one of her other friends was a Jew in disguise, while having no idea that Teresa is too.
- Extremely Short Timespan: It's a little vague, but the story seems to take place over no more than a day at most.
- Face Framed in Shadow: There's only a single candle in Samuel and Teresa's apartment, as they have a hushed and stressful conversation about whether or not to hide another boy.
- Final Solution: Under way in Hungary, as the Arrow Cross is coordinating in sending Jews away in carts, while simply massacring others by taking them to the river and shooting them.
- Jitter Cam: The camera jitters and bounces as Teresa goes running out into the streets, frantically looking for her son.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Teresa sees the other Benjamin in a crowd of Jews about to be shot. She intervenes, claims Benjamin 2 is her son, shows the fake Catholic baptism papers that she has for her son, and rescues Benjamin. Just as soon as she gets home with Benjamin 2, the Christian neighbor lady delivers Benjamin 1 aka "Peter". The neighbor lady instantly figures out what's going on and, apparently, turns them in.
- Stock Footage: The film opens with stock footage clips of World War II combat, as the opening titles exclaim that the Red Army was at this time bearing down on Hungary.
