Ronald Harwood

During a family dinner in the Warsaw Ghetto, Henryk attempts to lighten the mood with a dark joke about a surgeon, but his family is horrified. The conversation quickly devolves into an argument about their dire circumstances and the futility of their individual efforts.

In the ruins of Warsaw, a starving Jewish pianist is discovered by a German officer while trying to open a tin of food. Instead of turning him in, the Captain is moved by the man's talent and decides to secretly provide him with food and supplies as the war nears its end.

A family is visited by a former acquaintance who is now a Jewish policeman in the Warsaw Ghetto. He attempts to recruit the two sons into the Jewish police force, promising them a better life, but they are resistant to his offer.

A starving Jewish pianist hiding in the ruins of Warsaw is discovered by a German Captain while trying to open a tin of food. After being forced to prove his identity by playing a grand piano, the Captain decides to help him rather than turn him in.

A Jewish family is visited by a former acquaintance, Heller, who is now a Jewish policeman in the ghetto. Heller attempts to recruit the family's sons, Henryk and Wladek, into the Jewish police force, promising them a better life amidst the escalating Nazi occupation.

During a family dinner, Henryk attempts to lighten the mood with a dark joke about a doctor in the ghetto, which is met with silence and disapproval. The conversation quickly devolves into an argument about their current circumstances and the futility of their individual efforts.