House Of Promises

The first season of House of Promises, a bright and atmospheric German-language period piece which takes place in Berlin from the late 1920s until the Nazi takeover in the 1930s, is now available on the ChaiFlicks streaming platform.

The opening scene is captivating and original, hinting of much more to come. Arthur Grunberg (Alexander Scheer), a Jewish entrepreneur, sits in a boardroom with a steely group of bankers and investors. He needs to raise funds to open Jonass, which will be the only department store in Europe where customers can buy on credit.

It’s a novel idea with real potential, but his interlocutors seem uneasy and perhaps even bored with his daring proposal.

Desperate to impress them, Grunberg, a former pilot who served in the German Air Force during World War I, resorts to a wild and improbable stunt.

From that point onward, he pours all his imagination and energy into building his dream business in Scheunenviertel, the working-class Jewish neighborhood where he was born and raised. He does so with the encouragement of his wife, Alice, whose wealthy father has provided the required funding.

The second major figure in this six-part series is Vicky Maler (Naemi Florez), a poor and ambitious young woman from the rural province of Pomerania. She travels to Berlin to acquire a job, only to find herself in Scheunenviertel, a vibrant but impoverished district partially populated by ultra-Orthodox Jews in traditional garb.

As she pauses on a sidewalk, a thief steals her suitcase, leaving her utterly destitute. Fortunately enough, she meets two kind strangers, Harry (Ludwig Simon) and Elsie (Amy Bankenstein). Harry, a pianist, works in a sleazy nightclub, where Elise toils as a waitress.

The two plots merge when Vicky and Elsie apply for positions as shopgirls in Jonass.

Grunberg, in the meantime, continues his quest for a loan. In an unpleasant encounter, his rich war buddy tosses off a casual antisemitic jibe, in an intimation of the deep-seated animus that even assimilated and patriotic Jews like Grunberg face in Weimar German society.

Grunberg, at last, obtains the cash he desperately needs to proceed any further. Carl Goldmann (Samuel Finzi), a prosperous businessman, advances him a loan in exchange for a partnership in Jonass, which is gradually taking shape as an elegant department store.

Much to their amazement and joy, Vicky and Elsie are selected to work there. They are hired by Grunberg’s exacting administrative assistant, Ilsa Schnabel (Valery Tscheplanowa), who doubles as his lover.

As the two strands in the story connect, Harry and Vicky form a mercurial romantic relationship. When she learns she is pregnant, she considers an abortion, but Harry opposes it.

The series lands in new terrain when an African American nightclub owner offers Harry a chance to join his jazz band on a European tour. Harry must decide whether to take advantage of this opportunity, or to remain behind in Berlin to be with Vicky.

The narrative thickens when Vicky learns Harry’s real identity, Jonass runs into difficulties, and Goldmann offers Grunberg a financial helping hand if Harry agrees to marry his daughter, Helene, who aspires to be a doctor.

House of Promises weaves together these disparate elements in seamless and entertaining fashion. The cast is accomplished, though two of the actors who portray Jews look jarringly far more Germanic than Jewish.

Season one ends on a very uncertain note, bringing viewers to the next set of six episodes in season two. It mostly unfolds during the Nazi era, when Jews, including the Grunbergs, were persecuted and hounded out of Germany.