Original subtitles

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In 2009, Václav Havel asked the director of this film

to document the rest of his life...

Spread your fingers.

Now pull your hand out with your fingers apart.

- Pull it out? - Yes.

Great.

If you could...

First I'll make a plaster cast.

We'll pour glass into it at the factory.

It'll show all the lines on your palm.

Then we'll remove it,

grind it,

use some chemicals to polish it,

then attach it to the base and that's it.

See the lifelines here?

Yes.

I'll probably be contacted by all kinds of experts now...

who will tell me the exact time of my death.

It's a man's true imprint.

Can you hear me?

Okay?

I'll start speaking when the red light comes on.

Tomorrow marks one month

since the special units brutally suppressed

peaceful protests.

It was the beginning of a process that is yet to be named.

Our peaceful revolution

arose from the resistance of students

and later the entire nation

against violence, mafia state, privilege and persecution.

Truth and love must triumph over lies and hatred.

I'm an author who's always felt the need

to get involved in public life as a citizen.

I've never sought a public office.

But I'm also a person

who's always placed the public's interests above my own.

If I had chosen otherwise,

I wouldn't have spent several years in prison

and I could've had a theater career abroad.

Upon my honor and conscience,

I pledge allegiance to the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.

I'll have a hard time getting used to being called president.

But friends can still call me Vašek, right?

Sometimes when I reflect on my time as president,

on this curious stage of my life,

I wonder whether I might've been just a fluke of history.

I often hear the question:

How can the United States of America help us today?

My reply is as paradoxical as the whole of my life has been.

You can help us most of all

if you help the Soviet Union

on its irreversible

but immensely complicated road to democracy.

It's just a series of extraordinary circumstances

that this office fell to a man

who wouldn't have gotten there in regular conditions.

You pulled through thanks to a guardian angel.

And we're really happy.

- I had two angels. One up there... - And your wife.

Starting midnight, the Czech Republic will no longer have a president.

Václav Havel who was in office for over 12 years leaves tonight.

Dear friends,

I will no longer be your president,

but I'm staying with you as your fellow citizen.

HAVEL SPEAKING, CAN YOU HEAR ME?

A film by Petr Jančárek

Okay. Anything else to sign?

This one from Ms. Havlová.

We've agreed to cancel the dinner, Mr. President.

All right, you'll have to change the schedule, then.

Of course, I'll make the changes.

- I'd like to get both. - I'll edit the whole thing.

The long-term and the current agenda.

I gave her the photo when she dropped by.

This one's for Monday.

That one isn't finished. It only says Václav.

Being a former president

is worse than being a president because it's for life.

You become a president for five or ten years,

but you're a former president forever.

I thought that...

I'd be free as a bird

and I'd be able to do whatever I wanted,

go to the theater, catch up on reading.

Far from it!

- Nice meeting you. - Thanks. Goodbye.

Stay healthy and see you in Troja.

We've done it.

It was good for a president.

I'm around people all day long,

but I admit I'm a bit lonely in a way.

People constantly want some kind of hope

and as a travel the world,

they have huge expectations

that I can offer some kind of a plan

to rescue our civilization.

I certainly don't believe there's one single plan out there

that could be adopted and solve all of our problems.

Allow me to announce the winner

of the 2009 Golden Hen Award, Václav Havel.

I don't really have time to draw wisdom

from people around me, from books or friends.

But in the end...

I always have to deal with it somehow

and I do offer some hope.

But more importantly,

one must repeatedly give voice to certain ideals

and bring up certain values,

promote them and fight for them.

Like Don Quixote, one must always be reaching for something.

But the worst thing one could say is:

"I can't change anything anyway."

"Why should I care?"

I think that's the worst kind of existential demise.

Could I see the newspaper?

It turned out great.

- Have you read it? - Yes, it's good.

You look a bit fragile but firm.

At the same time.

- Seventy-three years old. - Sure, I'm old.

They say you look younger...

And healthy.

Here it says that you spent over four years in Communist prison.

You're still interested in politics,

but you were never a regular politician.

Hi, Vašek.

For the first and hopefully the last time,

I'm going to read some of my early poems.

I already promised to do it six months ago

and now I have to make it through to the bitter end.

This poem is entitled "One Sunday Afternoon."

It could probably be used...

To explain why I didn't really stick to writing poetry.

A dusty ray of sunlight

Ever more slowly cutting through

The Art Nouveau grey paint

Of the Wilson Station terminal in Prague

And in the shadow of its fast-blunting knife

Thousands of tanned faces are saying their goodbyes.

Shaking hands

Whose fingers have shrunk into buds of hops

Buying melons

That are measured in viertels

Hopefully in 365 days

We'll see trains golden with hops again

Hopefully, we'll again see viertels of poetic ecstasy

I have a lot of such viertels in store for you tonight.

You're still busy writing?

I'm essentially a shy person.

And a poet must have the courage

to share his feelings

with the world.

I soon found out

that I wasn't able to do that

so I switched to other genres that allow me to hide

behind the characters

and where I don't speak as myself, much less about my feelings.

Why won't you release the damn personnel files?

I can release them to anyone who hasn't received the memo

and to those who submit translation.

Masat can translate them!

Translation must be authorized by Kunc.

Kunc must issue authorizations.

I can't. Nobody has files from Helena.

See, Helena? You must release the files.

I can't translate them.

Masat can translate them!

Translation must be authorized by Kunc.

In all of my plays,

I create a specific world

that has its own rules,

it is a bit artificial,

only exists for two hours,

not before or after.

And this world is a peculiar mechanism

that works according to its own rules

and that hopefully implies something

about the workings of the world at large.

You have no idea

how happy it would make me

to do what you want me to.

It makes me feel all the more awful

that I can't really do anything for you

because I'm completely alienated from myself.

Right now he really believes

that he's unable to help Marie

because he feels alienated,

the world is absurd

and we're all like Sisyphus.

He'll never admit it's actually his own weakness.

It should be here.

Where is it? Right there.

- I'd like to show... - Take it down, please.

This is me as a young man.

Is this a real apple from the Dalai Lama?

- It's real. - Or just a decoration?

Here you go, then...

And this Tibetan bowl...

Should I take it home?

Medication? What is this?

No... No! Get it away from me.

A request for a speech.

Are they serious?

Sneaking this kind of thing on my desk.

- Sorry to disturb you. - Come on in.

You've smuggled in a request

for a 10-minute speech

from the Flemish Children's Choir.

I've no idea.

It must have been a joke, then.

It's on my desk.

Really? I have no idea...

...how that happened.

Finally, a non-alcoholic beer

that tastes as good as the real stuff.

That's great.

I've had my...

...driver's license for 55 years.

I used to drive across all of Europe.

But I've been driving less now,

so every time I do drive,

it feels like an adventure for me.

This is a play

that I started writing

roughly... seventeen years ago.

It's about a politician

who has lost his job,

has been forced to step down,

after a long time in office.

He simply can't accept it.

The end of his power means the end of his whole world.

And...

Its structure is...

...based on King Lear.

And...

I was quite surprised

that back when I really didn't know any politicians,

I had anticipated a lot of the things...

that I later started noticing and observing...

...in real life.

I've seen a lot of people who have lost power

and couldn't come to terms with it.

And...

There are things...

...things that have surprised me

and it made me happy.

Leaving, a play Václav Havel started writing in 1989,

and left unfinished after the post-1989 developments,

certainly has a lot of potential.

This Havel-style reflection on basic human values

directed by David Radok

will open after the summer again.

Several shows are scheduled for September.

From now on, I'll only live in my past,

constantly remembering it,

always going back to it.

I must keep analyzing, explaining and defending it.

Again and again, I must keep comparing it

to the present, trying to prove

how much better everything used to be.

I must fully focus on my own imprint in history,

my former achievements,

my own legacy

and its monument along our life's path.

Thanks to the actors for not overacting.

The theater would like to thank the audience

for turning off their cell phones.

Truth and love must triumph over lies and hatred.

Turn on your cell phones. Good night and sweet dreams.

I started doing theater as a substitute for film.

I came from a social class

that was deemed undesirable by the regime.

I couldn't enroll in a film school.

Back then, if you didn't have a film degree,

you couldn't really make films.

My father was a businessman,

which meant we had a comfortable life.

We had a nanny and a gardener.

Uncle Miloš was the free spirit in our family.

He was a true bon vivant,

a pioneer of the Czech film industry,

a founder of Barrandov Studios

and the owner of Lucernafilm.

As a little boy, I knew the film celebrities,

but I also got familiar

with my uncle's professional world.

I was somewhat of a rich kid

who lived a life of privilege

compared to other children.

I found it annoying and had a hard time dealing with it.

And since then...

I've developed some sense of justice,

or social justice,

hatred of undeserved privileges

and various forms of injustice.

OFFICE

I have this...

slightly utopian idea.

I've always wanted to be a filmmaker.

I feel it would be quite fitting

to finish my career

by fulfilling my childhood dream

of directing a film, an adaptation of my play Leaving.

And...

I'd like to ask if you think it's nonsense.

So far I've only shared the idea with my wife...

and Miloš Forman,

who told me that the most important thing

is to make it the way I want to and not listen to others.

To be in charge of the process.

Well...

I might be naive,

but I already have a specific vision for the film.

The setting is crucial,

which is the table with chairs...

And...

This villa, with people going in and out.

This is already planned out.

To your film!

To our film!

To your film debut!

I'm going to upload for you

the script that's printed out here.

Oh, my!

That's nice. Nice and thick.

It's 150 pages.

How many shots are there?

- How many? - I believe it's 447.

Good.

I was told it's usually around 500.

Here it is...

It's still...

It's labeled "Leaving, shooting script."

This is how I'll do it.

I'll try to enter all of my edits

- in the hard copy. - Yes.

It's not working.

This one won't work either.

No.

What's this one about?

Look, this one works just fine!

Sure. Just in case we arrange the meeting,

I need to roughly know the timeframe.

And one more thing.

Once we get there, is there any chance

that we could be picked up by a car right on the tarmac?

You've just arrived so you haven't read it yet.

On the Paris trip, you'd attend just one day of Mr. President's program.

That won't work. I need to...

I need to see the play I'll start rehearsing Monday.

I've promised I'd take pictures.

Oh, well...

We could say you're not feeling well.

I wanted to see Montmartre.

I need you to help me pick my suit.

I don't have the energy. I need to be by myself,

or take a walk with you,

sit in a pub...

I can't meet all the obligations anymore.

I thought I'd live as a regular person.

My wife should accompany me on most occasions,

but for a creative person,

this can be difficult and unpleasant.

It is true that she's saved my life several times.

These are well-known stories.

But it bears repeating

that I've survived some difficult moments thanks to her.

And...

She has wielded her energy

to mobilize doctors even at times

when they claimed everything was fine.

But she was able to sense

it could actually be something life-threatening.

- Hello. - Hello.

We're parked just outside.

Not sure.

It seems a bit too long.

It really is...

I don't really mind the length.

As long as they can let out the waist,

I'll get it.

I'm trying to hide the price tag from myself and my wife.

I don't want to know.

I've managed to sign it without seeing the price tag.

Look here, please.

I'm a somewhat odd combination

of a loner, a lone wolf,

but I'm also a very outgoing person

who comes across as a happy-go-lucky guy,

a breath of fresh air

to energize any conversation.

How can it co-exist in a single person?

So many paradoxes...

- Are we going to the banquet now? - Yes, just a short car ride.

On behalf of Czech students, we'd like to thank you

for everything you've done for our country.

We admire you.

- Hello. - Thank you.

Thank you.

Where do we stop?

- Mr. President will step out here. - Okay.

- Should I stop? - Could you stop right here?

- Wow, hello. - Hello.

The great chief, Mr. Václav Havel,

a guest of honor of the most famous underground band

Hever & Vazelína!

Join us here, Václav.

You can drum...

...with our iconic band.

Work makes man better.

No work, no food.

Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

No pain, no gain.

I see.

That's it.

I used to be more capable.

...lost to Viktoria Plzeň 2:3.

Hello.

I'm glad to see you all here.

Costume preparations are in full swing.

We actually need to start sewing.

We'll discuss the colors for each character.

Here's an idea for how to approach Monika.

She's wearing a skirt

that can be pulled up with a strap.

As far as specific costumes,

I feel a bit hesitant because I don't really understand it.

I can say what I like...

...Like a lot and like even better.

That's what we want.

The whole film is a kind of...

...Multicultural, postmodern mash-up of various influences.

Some things will resemble

the beginning of the 20th century,

others might reference the 1920s...

Okay.

- We'll have the third... - Did you take them out?

This is...

The Dalai Lama.

- But we wouldn't cut this one. - Of course not.

It isn't so sacred.

It's a ceremonial scarf.

Whenever he meets somebody after a long time,

he gives them the scarf.

We can use it, even cut it up.

I don't think the Dalai Lama would mind or get offended.

I think he would start laughing,

in that typical style of his.

That's his typical reaction?

I believe he'd be happy to see

how it's being used.

Ladies and gentlemen,

it is our honor to welcome a man

who has managed to reclaim

the meaning of words in our country.

We're grateful for that and more.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President, Václav Havel!

Dear friends...

The guitar in my hand

doesn't mean I'm going to play it, don't worry.

Please welcome on stage

my boss whom I serve as a guitar handler.

Please welcome Joan Baez!

In the bygone Communist era,

there was a concert in Bratislava.

I came to see the concert,

the secret police had me followed

and I knew they'd try to prevent my meeting with Joan.

We were walking from the hotel, arm in arm.

The agents felt awkward

or they didn't want to draw unnecessary attention

by apprehending me...

with Joan Baez.

Just as I'm carrying a guitar for her.

Acting as her guitar handler allowed me

to see the concert where she publicly greeted me.

I'd like to dedicate...

the following song

to the Charter 77.

I'd also like to welcome

all friends of the Charter 77,

including Václav Havel.

We shall overcome

We shall overcome

We shall overcome

We shall overcome

Someday

That was incredible, right?

You're amazing, you're the best, a true mensch

- I really believe in you. - Thank you for believing in me.

May you stay healthy!

Mr. President, flight captain, Major Bartošek.

The crew is ready for our flight to Brussels. Hello.

If you could sign three more of these...

No dedication, just your signature.

One of the flight attendants

has been here since I became president.

- You remember her? - Yes.

And...

She still looks the same.

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen,

it is my belief that the European Union has an opportunity

to inspire the rest of the world

with something still more profound

than its model of cooperation between nations.

Of course, all of this is possible only on the assumption

that a change will begin to take place

in the soul of the contemporary European.

He should be just a little more humble,

he should think about what will happen when he dies,

he should bow down before the mystery of the universe

and before existence itself.

In brief, he should once again

relate more to eternity and the infinite

just as he did in the early stages of European development.

Why do I keep doing this?

There's probably some force inside of me

that keeps egging me on.

I don't even really know

the answer to the question

as to why I keep diving under

like a water beetle

only to surface somewhere else again.

Why I can't just let go.

It seems that my mysterious little demon

won't let go of me until I die.

I've checked the house.

It's ideal for technical support.

It can house makeup, costumes and production.

Catering can be in the hallway.

In that small bistro, that's completely fine.

They could leave for two months?

Yes, it'd be available for two months.

People could be come in this way

or they could come through here

- and cross the staircase. - Yes.

As they leave, it isn't so important

whether these characters have their own door

and the others have another one

as long as they pass each other on the staircase.

This should be...

Oswald should be right here.

He'd always stand here.

He'd walk across from there

and stand right here.

Here he'd have to stumble on the stone every time.

The staircase leads all the way here.

They're like path markers.

Either the stone could be here

so that he would hit it every time.

- Or it could also be placed here. - Okay.

Why don't you grab my hand.

Offering your services and help.

On the third day of our trip,

Václav had trouble with his hand

and with mobility.

He was a bit unsteady

and we found out he'd had a minor stroke

or a cerebrovascular accident.

Here's the number, but they don't want it.

They want the hard copy. Nobody will talk to you without it.

Pass me my wallet.

I have the insurance policy number.

Sabina gave us the number.

But we don't have the card.

Give me this paper and the number.

We have this one.

And do you have a phone number?

- Could you... - Hang on, Václav.

I have my glasses in my pocket.

I can't do anything without my glasses.

I'm in hospital because...

one half of my body was semi-paralyzed.

Interestingly, it didn't feel depressing

or unpleasant, it wasn't even terrifying.

It felt...

It felt almost funny.

That's because I started talking,

but I couldn't understand what I was saying.

Dagmar obviously couldn't understand me at all.

It was a glitch in the language center and in the entire hemisphere.

And whenever I wanted my left hand to do something,

although it did what it was supposed to,

it didn't feel like my own hand.

It seemed funny to me to be able to control a foreign hand.

- Okay? - Yes.

Sorry.

Did you hear that? Did you get that?

I didn't catch everything, but I got the gist of it.

They said it was a miracle...

They said I was a rare case... a nature's oddity.

He's only seen it in other parts of the body.

It must be all the wine and beer I've been drinking in secret.

Come on, that's negligible.

I've come to realize that...

after all the operations, illnesses and life experiences,

I now feel a much stronger need

to be ready for my passing.

I know that it could take another 20 years

and that I could end up in hell, heaven or purgatory...

but as much as I possibly can,

I'd like to keep my affairs in order once and for all.

- What disc? - Kaplický.

It should be here somewhere.

Did you put it in this pile of stuff?

Hang on, we have to...

I could give you another copy. I might have another one.

Damn it. Sorry.

- Can you see anything? - Nope.

Nothing.

I don't think so.

Here maybe?

It could've fallen under this one.

Possibly.

Nope.

Can't see anything.

Couldn't have lost it.

Oh, well...

- Never mind. - Damn.

Is this it?

- It was right here. Yeah, that's it. - That's it.

Hi.

You've set up a movie theater here.

Sure.

Hi, I thought you went to pick up your mother.

They've brought Mom already.

Here you are.

- Hi. - Hi.

Hi, what are you watching?

The film about Kaplický.

That's just amazing.

If one based everything on immediate success,

one wouldn't achieve anything.

Our dissident activities were seemingly doomed to failure.

It's important to know that you're right

and that you support a good cause.

I'd like to ask Miloš...

...for one more beer.

- Oh, no, Václav. - Sure.

- What? - No.

I only had a small one.

- Why couldn't I have another one? - You can't drink.

You'll drink again at dinner and yesterday you had too much.

Maybe there was some interaction, but I also had to take two pills.

Two different pills.

One's supposed to be taken in the evening

and the other one is a sleeping pill.

So perhaps they're both sleeping pills.

So can I have another beer?

Here's some water. I'll get you more water.

What should I do?

Not sure, should I or should I not?

It's no laughing matter, gentlemen.

But these are...

This is somebody else's luggage. All of these can't be ours.

These bags are yours, Mr. President.

- Really? - Yes.

I should probably tip him. One dollar?

Are you excited?

For tonight?

You need a different shade.

Are you looking forward to tonight?

Very much so.

You like me better with red lips.

Which Leaving show did you like the best? Which one was successful?

- All of them were... - In Poland, Prague...

All of them were either great,

which means interesting,

or they were interesting, which translates as bad.

Thank you for the interview.

I have to be in New York tomorrow, so I'll stay overnight.

Everything will work out fine.

Oh, my God, how do you manage?

When you said you wanted to write at the table,

that was just crazy.

Then he went...

Just don't fall, please...

I'll take this off and put it on later.

You're really something.

They liked the dancing.

Hello, Mr. President.

Not sure if I'm asleep or awake, if it's a headache...

or a heart attack.

If I'm in Philadelphia or back in Prague.

- Hello. - Hello.

- Hello. - Hello.

Hello, Mr. President.

Glad to meet you!

YUCK DAILY

We'll take the pictures during the shoot.

I see.

I really like that.

"Cheated on her lover with her husband"

- That was my idea, right? - Yes.

My only suggestion would be to highlight the title.

Not sure if it needs a bolder font, a different background or an outline.

That's completely up to you.

HE ONLY HAD WOMEN ON HIS MIND

That's a good one.

- Hello. - Hello.

Sorry I'm late.

I think you're just on time

because we're ready to start.

- Hello. - Hi.

- Hello. - Hello. Nice to see you.

It's a strange task.

I'm learning so many new things at 73!

Actresses arrive 30 minutes late.

That's great.

Please.

I'm sorry, Dad.

Albín and I have discussed it again.

We have considered it carefully

and in the end, we decided it wouldn't be a good solution

either for you or for us.

We've considered it.

It wouldn't be a good solution.

Either for you or for us.

It would be too cramped.

It would be too cramped.

We'd soon be getting on each other's nerves.

Zuzana could stay on a rollaway bed for a few days,

but what about Grandma?

What about her?

It'll be peaceful there.

Very good. Very good.

What did you do today?

We had screen tests for a film

I'm going to direct.

And...

At my old age,

I took on a completely different job.

It made me really anxious because everybody had some questions

and at times I didn't even understand what they were asking.

Using terms I don't know.

There are no Czech terms, actor selection is simply "casting."

I thought it was a tiny bit longer.

Right there.

Could Mr. President come out alone?

Hello.

I'm a really strange case.

There aren't many people

who were the last president of one country,

the first president of another country

and a first-time director at 75.

And all of this can...

It can generate some hostility.

I can easily imagine somebody writing,

"He's famous, a bit insane

and got millions for his movie."

I'm ready for all kinds of reactions.

What kind of film is it going to be?

We're trying not to share too much about it.

Nobody would go see it

if they knew too much in advance.

I could at least say that the movie should be...

...Unusual.

Thank you.

Move aside, please.

- Sound. Come on, guys! - Right away!

One thing I don't understand about making movies...

If I wanted to say something to the actors, for example,

to speak louder...

- An easy solution... - I'd have to run...

You could use a microphone.

A microphone for Mr. President.

Why doesn't he have one?

- He can talk to the actors. - You mean a loud speaker?

Hello.

From the side, just like that.

Hello.

Hello.

You have to speak louder.

If you whisper, it won't work.

It's important to speak loudly.

Hello.

Can you hear me?

You can be louder.

I can shout even without a loud speaker.

I can hear you fine.

The point is that I don't have to raise my voice.

I don't have to shout.

Try it again.

Havel speaking, can you hear me?

Did they nod or not?

- Did you hear it? - Yes.

It would be great to see them walking across the puddle.

Shouldn't he be in the back? They're behind each other.

Could Karel move a half-step back, please?

It still looks like you're standing behind each other.

Yes.

Silence.

Ready.

Camera.

Action.

That's terrible.

What is it? Am I under arrest?

You must come with us.

Where?

Why?

To give a statement.

I have nothing to say.

I want to be treated with decency.

Ransom will be paid!

Kisses on your bumblebee, my piglet.

Cut!

One more time with the right greeting.

Tell him right away. Let's go one more time.

With the right greeting.

- Adrian, please. - Yes?

- Sorry to bother you again. - Not at all.

- It should be like this. - And stop.

Just that.

That's it.

- The thumbs go like so? - Yes.

Yes. Just like that.

Okay.

Another test shot, Mr. President.

Camera.

Yes. This was close to how I envisioned it.

Thank you.

For a long time, I'd talked about directing the film myself.

Now that it's come true, it has snowballed into this huge operation.

It's a greater adventure than I thought and a lot of hard work.

Filmmaking requires full focus, especially if one is responsible.

- Bring all actors next door, okay? - Yes.

It would be great to have my schedule as soon as possible.

- Certainly. - Until the end of the year.

But it won't be done by tomorrow.

- I'll try to get here... - We can send it to the spa.

Can you send it by fax?

Sure.

At least you'll be able to rest the first couple of days.

You'll get some rest and check the schedule on Monday to see what...

- Sorry to disturb you. - Do I need to go?

Whenever you can.

- We've already calibrated the camera. - Okay.

Thank you.

Action.

Journalists!

Yes, great.

And one more wave.

Cut!

We're almost there and the movie's going to be a success!

I have no ambitions for Cannes, Venice or the Oscars.

My only ambition is to disprove

a claim made by one commentator

who wrote that my plan to make a film at such an advanced age

was a symptom of dementia.

I'd like the movie to be...

It should instead be viewed as...

...one of the ways of fighting dementia.

We're with you! Be with us!

I'll rest above Olga,

Ivan will be below me, then Olga,

then Dagmar and the other Dagmar.

Like that, at the front...

That's how I've planned it. I hope everybody sticks to it.

Politics is service!

We want families with solid education.

Growth above all!

Our future's at stake!

Blow, wind, blow, till your cheeks burst open!

The world is a big stage... of fools.

My pants are falling.

My pants are falling...

Not sure about the intonation.

I'm thinking about the pants.

It could be a complaint aimed at the world.

How could the world let your pants fall?

It could also be...

It could be a dry statement.

He stops acting crazy for a moment

and says a mundane fact about his environment and himself.

We could try both options and run the ending a few times.

- Ready? - Yes.

Let's do it.

What matters is that I want to serve this country

right here and right now, exactly where this country

needs it the most right now

and where I can help our country the most right now.

Politics is service!

We want families with solid education.

Growth above all!

Our future's at stake!

Blow, wind, blow, till your cheeks burst open!

My pants are falling.

Hello, could you call the landline?

The landline.

Landline to the office?

Okay, thank you.

Hello, Doctor. How are you doing?

Passing the phone to Mr. President. Just a second.

Hello, yes, it's better.

Yes, all right.

Let's agree to meet in the underpass at 12 sharp.

Okay, thank you. Thank you.

God be with us. Goodbye.

- 12 o'clock at... - IKEM hospital.

Ends at 7 p.m.

That's because...

They'd like to keep me there overnight, but I don't want to.

- So we'll have a time limit. - Till the evening.

And it will continue the following day.

I'll hide back here.

Thank you for turning off your cell phones.

Truth and love must triumph over lies and hatred.

Turn your cell phones back on.

- Maybe we should go in. - Should we go in?

Should we go in?

Let us also welcome

the film's author, screenwriter and director, Václav Havel.

Thank you for such a warm welcome.

I can assure you that my fall was genuine, not an act.

And...

Thank you for...

Thank you for having your phones turned off.

One of the main issues that's been raised

is that Leaving isn't really a film.

What was your intention

and what do you have to say on this point?

I simply tried my best to make a film as it should be made.

As I felt it should be.

As for the classification, let the critics worry about that.

Let them sort it out.

Partly film, partly theater.

According to film critics, Havel's Leaving is too slavish

to the play and its stylization.

I'd say it's an interesting idea

from an old man, a small indulgence at the end of his career.

But he treated himself to something quite pompous.

Leaving cannot be judged

using any standard criteria.

This film simply doesn't conform to any standards.

It is so singular and so out there

that it's quite difficult to form any kind of opinion.

You can beat against me if you like!

I'm a man who's been wronged more

than I've ever wronged others.

You have no cover from the rain.

Just burst open, nature, and pour yourself unto me

who gives birth to ingrates.

Where are you, sir?

Your dinner's getting cold.

Promote a dog, he instantly wants to lead.

There is some sense in this nonsense.

We enter this world crying.

As soon as we take our first breath,

there's nothing but tears and crying.

- Hello, how are you? - Hello.

- I'm too early. - It's okay.

Sit down.

How are you doing?

I'm doing fine.

It's still the same.

Of course, I have to rest after climbing ten steps.

But that won't get any better.

So... what we're doing today.

A couple of nurses will come here

to give you the IV

and take you for a CT scan.

How come we can have hope even at a time

when there's no external, objective, observable cause

to justify feeling any kind of hope.

Either we have it or we don't, no matter the circumstance.

Where does it come from, then?

It seems that the true source of hope

lies somewhere beyond.

Beyond this world.

It has a transcendental orientation,

whether we consciously realize it

or whether we try denying it.

- Happy birthday! - What a sweet surprise!

I'm happy to be here.

You look great.

Unlike the real Oscar statue,

this one's gilded in gold leaf.

Wow!

It isn't ideal...

I'll get a couple of chairs for the well-wishers.

It was supposed to be a surprise.

Here's a special oak vodka to make you strong as an oak tree.

Let me join the other well-wishers.

Happy birthday!

I have noticed...

Over the course of 75 years, I've noticed one thing.

The older I get,

the more shy I am.

You'd think it would be the other way around.

That you start out shy

and boldly face the world at 75.

It's the opposite in my case.

I feel anxious whenever I have to speak.

Even right now, I feel self-conscious about having a party,

about speaking and being listened to.

- Hello. - Hello.

I'm glad I can greet you in person.

- Wish you a happy birthday. - Thanks for the card.

I didn't know what to write.

I wanted to keep it simple.

The basic phrases are the most important anyway.

The most important of all.

Health is a current concern in my case.

I think all of us feel we're well past our prime.

Where should I go now?

Attention, guards of honor!

Happy birthday, Mr. President!

- How are you feeling on your birthday? - Thank you.

I'm Blažková, the sculptor's mother.

Here's a small gift

from the Albín Polášek Foundation.

A statue by Polášek from 1907.

Mr. President...

Make room here, please.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

There's still a lot of room.

Yes. Here's a pair of jeans.

Here's some...

Some...

We could add a few more T-shirts.

Three sweaters.

That should be fine.

Here's one more pair...

Pants...

These go in the suitcase, please.

And here's the magazines I haven't finished reading.

We can easily fit them in.

- Sure. - Okay.

- These books go in as well? - Yes, please.

Gentlemen.

Goodbye, Mr. President.

I like an empty stage.

The question is, how long can it remain empty?

As I have observed,

nothing remarkable happens at first.

The audience keeps waiting.

After a while, they get anxious,

they don't know what's going on.

Next, they start mumbling

and, finally, they start leaving or laughing.

The point is,

an empty stage has its own meaning, its own message.

It's the emptiness of the world condensed into a few minutes.

An emptiness so empty it keeps quiet about itself.

Were you waving at me?

Okay. I'll say it again.

It shouldn't be just another run-of-the-mill show

with all the usual lights, bells and whistles.

The world, being and life cannot be expressed in words,

and the most appropriate attitude is silence.

It needs to be shorter.

I'll mark it "Confidential"

with an exclamation mark.

Should I start reading?

The bolder one's actions and words,

the less seriously one should take himself.

Since morning, I've been dealing with messy situations,

one mixed up with the other.

I don't know my way around.

I get lost here all the time.

Not sure if there's a question or an exclamation mark.

It would be nice to have another go

if you could forget everything you have learned.

Hang on. Somebody's at the door.

Havel speaking...

Resuming our call...

We live in very strange times.

Our civilization keeps changing at a rate

that cannot be grasped

by any of the familiar speedometers of political science.

I can't keep up.

Just can't.

It's all quite curious.

My primary approach to the world

is a kind of permanent sense of awe.

I've always believed that things don't just happen.

This is probably really the end for now.

If I have any more ideas, I'll call later. Okay, bye.