The Germans
Upstairs
A film about love and humanity in a world turned upside down
Synopsis
Inspired by true events, The Germans Upstairs is a film about a forbidden love during the Occupation of Paris in WWII when two German officers are billeted at the home of a wealthy Jewish woman and her daughter on the outskirts of Paris.
One of the officers and the woman of the house are drawn to each other. The woman's rebellious teenage daughter feels threatened and outraged at the developing relationship between her mother and the officer, which creates enormous family tension.
This timeless love story weaves its way through the war, challenging the boundaries set by politics and war, showing that in the end feelings are stronger than any attempt to control them.
Occupied Paris During WWII
1940-41 The German Riviera?
For more about life under German Occupation see "Digging Deeper"
During the first months of the Occupation of Paris, the occupiers were under strict orders to behave in a polite and respectful manner with the French. Although the underlying feeling among the French was of course sadness and resentfulness at being taken over, the Germans pushed the idea of how complementary their two cultures were. The Germans made it a point to admire the French—their culture, the exquisite Paris monuments, sidewalk cafes, oh-so-beautiful and well-dressed women. The idea was to win over Paris by flattery, not repression. This almost worked—for awhile. . Under the pro-German Vichy government, many shops and cafes prospered by catering to the German Soldiers and their friends.
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1941-44 The Hammer Comes Down
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By late 1940-things were not so 'gay' in Paris. Especially for the Jews. A Jewish census registered 150,000 Jews. Many who had previously left Paris had returned after the June armistice with Germany. Soon the roundups began. In 1941 the first big one was the Green Ticket roundup, carried out by French police. The most hideous occurred in July 1942--Vel d"Hiv, where 13,152 people were held for as long as five days with a shortage of water, food, and sanitation before being herded into trains bound for concentration camps.
For more about life under German Occupation see "Digging Deeper"
THE PLAY
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"Madame Politzer, I am Hauptmann Viktor Schuler. I trust you were informed that I would arrive today."
"I keep telling you it's not for us to understand.
They tell us where to go, we go. They tell us what to do, we do it."
"All right.We can talk. But just a few minutes. And do not sit too close. Also, do not touch--.
"Lots of good things we can get our hands on here if we play our cards right. Cigarettes are better than marks in some places."
"The Tiergarten! I went horseback riding there almost everyday!
"And to the end of the war."
"When this war is finished, and you and
your fat Nazi friend are finally out of here,
I’ll still hate you."
"How could you let yourself fall for her?
Don't you know all she was doing was trying to save her skin?"
"You need to leave Paris, Anna. Now, while there's still time."
"Meet me at the Gare St. Lazare on Tuesday. I'll take care of everything."
'I can't believe you're here.
I didn't know if. . .'
"I had to see you."
"Stay alive, Viktor. That is the most important thing."
"How long will you blame us? Forever?"
Reviews, and Interviews
By Harry Duke
...a solid evening
of original theater.
“This was honestly one of the best plays I ever saw in my whole life.”
- Gig Hitao, videographer
Interview with Playwright Francine Schwartz and Director Steven David Martin
"...Kudos to the Raven Players for mounting an original work, and kudos to the community members willing to take a chance on an unknown play."
The real life inspiration for characters in Francine Schwartz’s new play, ‘The Germans Upstairs,’include her mother and grandmother, center and right.
“It was so moving to watch audiences respond to this portrayal of people behaving much like normal humans in any situation—while the world around them was so abnormally cruel.” Kathy Johnson, theater-goer
Cast and Crew
Steven Martin David
Director
Currently Artistic Director of the Raven Players in Healdsburg, Steven has enjoyed a long theatrical career, working professionally at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, California Shakespeare Festival, and the Edinburgh International Theatre Festival, among other theatrical haunts. Raven directing credits include The Laramie Project, The Comedy of Errors, If I Don’t Make it, I Love You, Deathtrap, Clybourne Park, and The Germans Upstairs. Movie credits include the role of Will Hadeon, Jr. in War of the Wills, written and directed by The German Upstairs Director of Photography, George Dondero.
Francine Schwartz
Playwright
Francine is an author, poet and playwright. Several of her plays have been presented at the Raven Theater in Healdsburg, CA, most notably The Germans Upstairs. Her play, He and She was presented as part of the 2023 Mendocino Short Play Festival in Ukiah, CA Racist was first presented as part of the Raven’s Scriptease series, and later selected for the 2024 Sactown Short Play Festival. The Germans Upstairs is her first film. She is thrilled to be working with such an amazing cast and crew.
Bohn Connor
Viktor Schuler
A film and theatre actor, Bohn Connor received the Best Actor award at the Sactown Movie Buffs Film Fest 2025 for his role of the father in the film The Metamorphosis. His most recent stage role was that of Moe in the Roustabout Theatre's production of Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing. Bohn played the role of Viktor in the original stage version of The Germans Upstairs and is thrilled to reprise the role in the film version of what he considers to be a beautifully written script and timeless love story. He is delighted to be working with such an amazing cast and crew.
IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm13670937/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bohnconnor?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Represented by: https://www.starsagency.com
Rickie Farah
Anna Politzer
Rickie Farah is a California born Peruvian actress, singer and dancer who will again appear in her role of Anna Politzer in the film version of The Germans Upstairs.
Her stage credits include Trojan Woman (Hecuba), Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles (Armida) at UC San Diego Twelth Night the Musical (Olivia), Julius Caesar (Portia) and The Cherry Orchard at Mendocino College, and many other productions, Rickie is a member of the film company Hardly Artists Productions based in Ukiah, and teaches acting at the School of Performing and Cultural Arts (SPACE) in Ukiah.
Dan Stryker
Helmut Bauer
Dan, who will reprise his role as Lt. Helmut Bauer has previously appeared as Oberon in Cloverdale Performing Arts Center's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sir Toby Belch in the Raven's Twelfth Night (With a Twist), Eddie in Lost in Yonkers, and Lenny in Rumors. Dan's script Sulu's Gum was selected for CPAC's 2024 One-Act Play Festival. He lives in Cloverdale with his wife, son, and Ludo, the World's Hungriest Puppy.
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Support The Germans Upstairs
Be Part of the Journey
The Germans Upstairs is a story about love, duty, and conscience — a film that asks deep questions without offering easy answers. It's about connection in the face of division, and we believe it will resonate widely.
Now, we're inviting you to help bring this story to the screen.
Why This Film Matters
This is an independent film, produced outside the studio system. While it's not intended for wide theatrical release, we believe it belongs in intimate theaters, festivals, and online platforms — where thoughtful, character-driven stories thrive.
Our cast and crew are so committed to this vision, they’ve agreed to work for minimal pay to keep production costs low. But we still need to raise $60,000 to make it happen — and we’re already a third of the way there with $20,000 committed. With your support, we can raise the remaining $40,000.
How You Can Contribute
We’re setting up funding channels through:
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Indiegogo
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Kickstarter
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Seed&Spark
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GoFundMe
We’ll also accept direct donations through this website or in person at private fundraising events (details coming soon).
Contributor Rewards
We’re offering unique perks to our supporters — both as a thank-you and as a way to bring you deeper into the process. Tentative reward tiers (ranging from $50–$5,000) may include:
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Official film T-shirt
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A case of wine
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Signed memorabilia
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Public thank-you on our site and social media
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Invitations to virtual screenings and live events
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Private behind-the-scenes access or screenings
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Non-speaking background role in the film
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On-set visit during filming
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Wrap party invitation
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Credit in the film’s end titles
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Profit sharing (for higher-level supporters)
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And of course: our sincere gratitude for helping make this film a reality.
Direct Donations ( In Progress)
Donation form
Digging Deeper
More information and historical context on events portrayed or mentioned in the film,
1940-41
How France Was Lulled During The Occupation
An excerpt from the British newspaper The Observer of 7 September, 1941:
"The German campaign was carried out for the most part through the medium of the new Paris daily, Pariser Zeitung, which first appeared on 15 January last. It is written in German and contains eight to 12 pages, with an occasional single-sheet supplement in French summarizing the news contained in the German part.
"This paper is the only source of information for the French people and the German army of occupation in northern France. The policy of the paper, of course, was an anti-British, anti-Communist, and anti-Semitic, and there was a daily anti-British cartoon.
"But the most interesting thing about it is the immense care that is taken to please the French people and to show that German and French culture are not only essentially harmonious, but are complementary to each other. “Collaboration” is the daily theme, profuse flattery being addressed to the French businesses represented at the Leipzig fair, to the France Européenne exhibition, to the French banking system, to the particular French political and economic gifts that could play their part in the new Europe. There are glowing articles about Paris, its monuments, places of historic interest, its cafes, gaiety, charm, its bread, its women.
“The beauty of Paris is that she is really like an impressionist painting,” ran one typical sentence in a recent article. Nightclubs are praised and advertised. The suggestion is implied that Paris, with its historical, cultural and entertainment value, is to become the chief centre of recreation and relaxation for the German overlords of the future, and that France will thereby be contributing a valuable part in the future working of the New Order in Europe. The emphasis that is laid on the life of Paris during the period of military occupation is designed to show that French cultural life is flourishing as impressively as before the occupation.
"The surprising feature of this German campaign is the persistent emphasis placed upon the future role of German-France as the holiday resort for the Nazi Herrenvolk, and the new attempt to win Paris by flattery instead of by repression."
Eventually Paris did resist, but the efforts were limited—the most to be said is that the Resistance did keep the Reich and their Vichy allies on the alert and did send a message to the world that Paris was not being benignly held prisoner.
The tales of French Resistance served to postpone for a quarter of a century a deeper analysis of how easily France had been beaten and how feckless had been the nation’s reaction to German authority.
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...The most interesting thing about it is the immense care that is taken to please the French people and to show that German and French culture are not only essentially harmonious, but are complementary to each other.
1941-44
The Hammer Comes Down
By September 1940, food shortages as well as fuel had become a harsh reality. Ration cards were issued and waiting in line for hours often resulted in ‘nothing left.’ The black market had already begun by late 1940. Prices became more and more exorbitant. And engaging in the market was often risky--potential arrest, prosecution, and penalties from both German authorities and the Vichy government.
So by late 1940, things were looking bleak for everyone in Paris, but especially the Jews. “Whispers” of what was happening elsewhere consumed the Jewish population, and fear was mounting. And then in late September Paris Jews were hit with a German census which registered 150,000 Jews, including 64,000 foreigners. Many Jews had left Paris after the German invasion in May 1940, but had returned after the armistice was signed in June. Many of those Parisians ended up regretting that choice.
The first big roundup of Jews in Paris was the Green Ticket Roundup-- carried out by the French police, in collaboration with Nazi Germany in 1941. The focus was foreign and stateless Jews. By July 1942 the hammer came down even harder. The Vel d’Hiv [a velodrome] roundup was massive and hideous. 13,152 people, including 4,115 children were held in hideous conditions for days, enduring lack of sanitation, food or water before being pushed and shoved into trains headed for concentration camps.
By 1942, the persecution of Jews in Paris had intensified. Businesses were seized and handed over to non-Jews, Jews were forced to wear the Star of David patches on their clothing so they could be easily identified. They were barred from many public places, which posted signs that read “Forbidden to Jews.” 1942 marked the beginning of systematic deportations of Jews from Paris to transit camps –a convenient way station enroute to Auschwitz.
More Links
An even deeper look at events reflected in the film - the era, daily life in Paris, the historical backdrop.
The Civilian Experience in German Occupied France, 1940-1944.
A close look at how the Occupation affected the everyday life of the French--from food and fuel shortages to German/French collaboration.
Child Memories from the Occupation and Liberation of Paris (The National World War II Museum, New Orleans)
Interestingly enough, one of the memories is from a girl called Josette.
Music and Films
German version of Falling In Love Again from the movie The Blue Angel
Germany's fist full-length talkie, The Blue Angel was directed by Josef von Sternberg and released in 1930. The character Lola Lola was Marlene Dietrich's "breakthrough" role.
The most popular song of World War II was Dietrich's version of Lili Marlene
Originally recorded by by a German cabaret singer the song was already popular with German solders when German/American Dietrich recorded it for the OSS (CIA) as a propaganda tool, and her release crossed enemy lines and became a hit on both sides in both German and English.
Popular French movie stars and Films mentioned in our film
Roger Ebert's review of the original Beauty And The Beast
Port of Shadows with Michelle Morgan
(Le Quai des Brumes)
by Ronald C Rosbottom
In depth look at life in Paris under occupation, and the brave people who fought against the darkness. A wealth of material collected from diaries, letters, personal histories, flyers and posters, film, and more
Life in Paris Under German Occupation
Factual and vivid, with amazing and candid photos--from German soldiers meandering the streets and cafes of Paris to Jews lining up on a sidewalk in front of a German soldier who sits at a table registering them as Jews.
British Attack on the French Fleet in North Africa
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's radio broadcast about the British attack
The horrific loss of innocent lives, a difficult decision made to prevent the loss of countless more lives.
After only 54 days in office, Churchill ordered his Navy to take control of French ships, or destroy them if the French refused to relinquish control.
After the 1940 fall of France, Britain’s erstwhile ally was now under Axis control. The mighty French fleet suddenly had to be neutralized—by any means possible.
How France Uncovered the Mystery Of the Forbidden Photos of Nazi-Occupied Paris
The discovery of an old photo album at a flea market in the south of France leads to a four-year search for the 'mystery photographer of Paris'. During the German Occupation of France, the Nazis strictly prohibited outdoor photography; taking pictures without an official permit was punishable by imprisonment or death. But someone had taken more than 350 black and white photos of civilians and Nazi soldiers going about their business in Paris. Not only were the date, time, and exact location noted on the photos, but often also snarky captions about the German soldiers. Eventually the Nazis caught him.
One of the most important and infamous of measures to segregate the Jews from the rest of the population and ultimately to wipe them off the face of the earth was the “Jewish Star” (Judenstern)
The Deportation of Jews from France
Thousands of Frenchmen tried to help the Jews hidden from the deportations. Many of them paid for this with their lives. Since 1962 a total of 3,925 French men and women have been recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among The Nations
A chronological look at what led to the murder of more than 6 million Jews during the Holocaust
". . . the Holocaust was the product not of a conspiracy of extraordinarily cruel individuals, but rather the ordinary actions of ordinary people. They remind us that this genocide would never have taken place without these lowly foot soldiers. Things can go wrong in a hurry in countries, and when they do, it is shocking how willing people are to go along with it."
'Three Minutes: A Lengthening' Review: Ghost Story
A haunting meditation on the memory of the Holocaust - A three-minute amateur movie shot in 1938
The Tip-off From A Nazi That Saved My Parents
Good and evil. Both sides of the world. Exactly what Viktor talks about with Anna in our story:
A high-ranking German official warns a tailor that a roundup is coming and that he and his family need to get out fast. The leak saves a Danish family. But what is most astonishing is that "the official was none other than Dr Karl Rudolph Werner Best - the very man who, as Germany's plenipotentiary in Denmark (and, moreover, deputy head of the SS) was in charge of ensuring that Denmark's Jews were sent to their death."
An Ugly Carnival
Revenge on women represented a form of expiation for the frustrations and sense of impotence among males humiliated by their country's occupation. One could almost say that it was the equivalent of rape by the victor." - Antony Beevor, "D-Day-The Battle for Normandy."
About Us
Our team came together at the Raven Theater in Healdsburg, CA., located in beautiful Sonoma County. Some of us already knew one another from prior productions presented by the Raven Players. For others it was the first time meeting and working together. The feeling was electric, magical. Things just clicked. From the beginning it seemed the play had an energy of its own.
The last night of the premiere run of The Germans Upstairs at the Raven, the actors, director, and playwright sat together in the lobby of the Raven Theater telling stories over pizza and beer. We laughed and cried. We’d experienced two weeks of performances with audiences glued to their seats, riveted by the events on stage. Was it really over? It couldn’t be. Audiences were asking us, “What’s next?” They said it should be a movie, that more people need to see it.
We agree. More people need to see it. And that’s why we’re making this film. But we need you to make it happen. Please join us on this amazing journey.
Contact Us
We will add a contact app here that people can fill out and email or text us and/or post public comments, social media links etc. Could incude a phone number if we want to field public calls.
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