The Book Thief video transcript

Text on Screen: The Book Thief, MarcusZusak

[stop motion train moves across open book pages]

Voice over: My name is LieselMeminger. Due to danger in my area I’ve been forced to leave my home. My mother is dropping my brother and I off to a house in Munich and then leaving. Only my brother didn’t make it all the way there.

[Page of book turns]

[Pop up of grave from pages of book]

Voice over: My brother way my best friend. Buried on the side of the train track, just 6 years old. This was one of the hardest parts of my life but it also changed it for the better. Because sitting in the snow was a novel which became my first novel.

[Page turns to pop up of exterior of house]

Voice over: I moved into a house with a new Mama and Papa. They were kind and I made friends with the people on my street. But not all was easy.

[Page turns to pop up of classroom]

Voice over: I was fortunate enough to attend a regular school, although I hated it. I could not read or write, my classmates ridiculed me and my teacher kept punishing me. Luckily though, my family could help me.

[Page turns to pop up of basement with words written on the wall]

Voice over: I would sit in the basement for hours pouring over the grave diggers handbook and studying discarded newspapers. Each new word that I learned was written on the wall and before long I knew them all.

[Page turns to pop up of pile of burning books]

Voice over: Being German we were expected to attend certain events. During the celebration for our leaders birthday I committed another punishable offence: the stealing of my second book.

[Page turns back to pop up of basement with words written on the wall and suitcase marked ‘Max’ with Star of David]

Voice over: The book was excellent to read although I could not get my crimes off my mind. Little did I know a much more dramatic even would be undertaken.

[Page turns to handwriting in book]

Voice over: I have hated the words and I have loved them and I hope that I’ve made them right. See, the thing is when life robs you, sometimes you must rob it back and this is my story.

Credits.