All language subtitles for Reveillon.2023.SLOVAK.NF.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-FLUX.en

I hereby resign as President

of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic.

It was born from the ashes
of the First World War...

Two separate countries...

We walked together for 74 years,
two months, and two days.

We will go on alone, but we believe

that Czechs and Slovaks
will always remain brotherly nations.

12/31/1992 BANSKA BYSTRICA
LAST DAY OF CZECHOSLOVAK FEDERATION

It was sweltering hot in there.

What an ambiance in that church...

You insist on staying outside?
It's nice and warm inside.

We'll go in together when Peter returns.

Suit yourselves. I'll wait with Grandma.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Forever and ever, Mrs. Dolinova.

Excuse me, Mrs. Horakova.
I didn't recognize you.

You're having an outdoor baptism?

What a disgrace.

It won't be a disgrace.

It will be a shame.

I hope he's okay.

He'll explain it when he comes back.

And at least now we can baptize her
as a citizen of Slovakia.

I just heard, "The Varchals
are having an outdoor baptism."

Darling, I hope you'll make
a nice drawing of all of us,

freezing our butts off,
so we can show it to your daddy.

Let's have cake.

It's not a crime to wait inside.

We're not baptizing without Peter.

I didn't want to disturb you
before the baptism, but...

You wanted me to let you know
as soon as I got it.

I was told it's everything there was.

There should be no other records.

How did you get it?

It's in God's and your hands now.

"Bear with each other
and forgive one another,

if any of you has a grievance
against someone.

Forgive, as the Lord forgave you."

- Colossians.
- 3:13.

Who won?

It's a quote from the New Testament.

It's my first time as a godfather.
I prepared...

Okay. Since we're not baptizing,
we're free to wait at home.

So Zuzka doesn't catch cold here.

- Let's go, it's cold.
- Go look for the first lady.

What is that?

Unbelievable! A bug.

It almost crawled up my leg.

Hello!

Wake up. Hello?

There is a bug in your bathroom.
It crawled up my leg.

Girl, I don't understand
a word you're saying.

- Three, two, one... Go!
- Need any help?

No need, we can handle it.

Three, two, one...!

Release the handbrake!
Press the clutch!

Come on!

Will this Oldrich guy
ever marry our Bozena?

Why wouldn't he?

Viliam and I were also
a Czechoslovak couple.

It's not about the nationality.

What is it about, then?

It's about love, a relationship...

Well... we were a Czechoslovak love.

Jesus!

It's 12 p.m., and we are
less than 12 hours

from the last New Year's Eve
in the history of Czechoslovakia.

Be cautious with fireworks tonight,

to avoid hand injuries.

I'm sure that no one wants
to end up in the hospital.

This is the last night
for Made in Czechoslovakia fans.

Thank you.

I'm wondering,
where might Peter be all this time?

Missing his child's baptism
might even be a sin, right?

Don't you worry, it's not a sin.

Get undressed yourself. You're a big girl.

And if they split you up?

When you're put in heaven
and he goes to hell.

- Mrs. Amelia?
- Yes?

My mother sends her regards
and this bilberry jam.

Thank you so much! Blueberries!

Viola will make a blueberry cake
for the New Year.

Violka! Look at this. Blueberries.

My love, I'm not 20 anymore.

I'm not even 25.

But those were the years.

I wouldn't go back for the world.

You know that I would, if I could.

- If the soup is as good as last year...
- Better. Much better.

Don't bug me here.
Do I sniff around your clinic?

Go find a place to sit.

But I don't have a clinic anymore.
I'm retired.

But you can come to my place
for a routine check anytime.

You shouldn't neglect that.

Like a naughty little boy...

And watch the crumbs.

Go sit down.

Here's our little angel.

She'll be a proper angel
after we have her baptized.

Where the heck is Peter? And Michal?

If he doesn't miss the bus,
he'll be here in no time.

He'd better be.

He's got a black mark in my book
for missing Christmas.

Peter wasn't at home either.

But they were giving birth.

But Michal was just running around,
God knows where.

- He was doing a survey.
- Of what?

Whether people are excited or dismayed
by the dissolution of the republic.

I told him we should
all be together for Christmas.

How about we warm up a bit?

We're drinking already?

Good idea.

Don't worry. He'll show up.

I know.

But it's not just that.

I'd hoped she'd be baptized by now.

I'd hoped...

that they'd finally make peace.

So far, we're zero for two.

Well...

Varchal men have a hard head...

but a soft heart.

One has to watch them.

I'm breastfeeding.

And it's not for you but on your behalf.

Cheers.

And now for myself.

We instantly feel better, don't we?

Daddy?

He's your son.
You don't have to be afraid of him.

Exactly.

You two meeting tonight
is a good step forward.

I just... don't know where to start.

You used to play chess together
at Christmas.

You could be alone for a while.
I'm sure everyone would understand.

- We haven't had a match for a long time.
- Because he hasn't been around.

I'll play the winner afterward.

Help me set the table, would you?

I love you.

Hello!

Who died?

Michal brought his girlfriend.

Tana! Tonight's going to be fun!

Mikey!

- Hi, Mom.
- Hello.

Oh, the young man visiting family.

You missed the baptism, you know.

I got on the first bus home.

Wasn't there an earlier bus?

No.

Amalka, come on.

Come here.

I've missed you at Christmas.

This is Charlie, my girlfriend.

Amalie.

Good evening. Happy New Year.

She is frozen through and through.

She can't even talk.

Granny, she's from Canada.

- And?
- She doesn't understand.

- I see.
- She doesn't understand.

I'm Mikey's mom.

You should have told us
you'd be bringing company.

Her feet are completely bare.

It's colder over there.
She isn't cold here, right?

Thanks for the explanation.

I'm going to the kitchen.

- May I?
- Of course.

Hold her head.

Jesus, you are beautiful.

No, no. She wasn't.

- She wasn't?
- She wasn't.

Why?

Peter decided to play out
the old Houdini trick. He disappeared.

- Hello, Mikey.
- Oldo, hi.

Good evening.

Don't bother with the Slovak.
I'm no good at it either.

You speak French?

I learned a bit in high school.
I just wasn't sure you'd understand.

Do I hear a multi-national conversation?

The entire world came to witness
the divorce of our two nations.

With a smile, gently. In a civilized way.

Pleasure.

I'm a gynecologist.

You speak French?

When love appears, reason remains silent.

When love appears, reason remains silent.

I know, Karel.

- You speak French?
- No, but you're always saying it.

You've found yourself a beautiful woman.

A promise for the future.

How come you and Karel never got married?
Clearly there's chemistry.

We are a modern couple.

I couldn't marry a man who's been staring
between women's legs for 50 years.

The thanks a man gets
after 50 years of service.

Bringing new life into this world.

And now, I'm persona non grata.

You're supposed to fold the napkins
into a triangle.

- Since when?
- Since always.

But now we are at our place,
and we do it this way.

Does it really matter?
You can fold them into triangles.

But, why?

Because their three corners
represent the Holy Trinity.

Wouldn't a cross be a better choice then?

You want to fold a napkin into a cross?

I've seen a rhino folded out of a napkin.
A cross shouldn't be too hard.

Everyone could have two napkins.

Look. That's a star.

Pete...

what happened?

Where's Father?

Hey, bro! Hello!

Is Pete here?

Where have you been?

The women are really upset.

Did you read it?

Yes.

All of it?

The first pages were enough.

If you want to understand,
you have to listen to me.

I don't have to do anything.

I beg you.

Read it.

- You've got full right to be angry. But...
- But what?

But... you collaborated
with the secret police. STB.

But... in high school,
you forbade me from going to church.

But... Helena and I had to hide
from both the police and you.

But... I couldn't even utter
the word "God" at home.

- And I thought you were afraid.
- I was afraid for your sake.

You were afraid my faith
would ruin your career.

Father, you informed on my friends,
because they were religious.

Do you know what happened to them?

That's what they wanted from you, and
you willingly signed it. You served them.

- That's not true.
- It is true!

You've betrayed Mom,
your children, all of us.

What happened? Pete, what happened?

Daddy!

What's going on, for goodness sake?

- What's going on?
- I don't know!

Please, breathe, it will be all right.

Breathe...

Dr. Meier speaking.

Yes, I used to work in the hospital.
Is Doctor Simon there? No...

We need an ambulance
as soon as possible. It's serious.

Congratulations, you're our first case
tonight with all five fingers.

- We'll take two cars.
- But I want to be with him!

- Where can I sit?
- Calm down, he's in good hands.

But I'm his wife!

And I'm telling you, he's in our hands.

We're not getting into the ambulance.
We'll drive behind you.

The hospital's already full.
It's New Year's Eve.

You'll help your father the most
if you stay at home.

- At home?
- Are you serious?

Our republic is falling apart.

He's right. Stay calm.

And you, hurry up!

I can't sit at home.
What will happen to Daniel?

I'll call the hospital.
I know many doctors there.

Go now!

Doctor, when can I go home?

We'll examine you first, Mister...

Daniel Varchal. Born 1941.

Doctor, we've been sitting here
with Robbie for over an hour.

- Did your Robbie have a heart attack?
- No.

Then you'll have to wait,
because Mr. Varchal sure did.

He's been poisoned. Do you want
to have a child on your conscience?

Exhale.

Just take him home.
He'll be fine tomorrow.

I beg your pardon?
You tend to him right now!

Stand up.

Let your mother smell your breath.

Make sure to lock your egg nog!

Now we can take care of your heart attack.

You'll regret this!

Excuse me.

If I tell Dad, he'll kill you.

Okay, let's go.

Pete, you were with him.

What happened there?

Did you two argue?

Chess is a calm game. Unless you played
some action-packed version.

I knew right away it wasn't funny.

He's in shock. We all are.

Don't worry, Daniel will be fine.
The good Lord will take care of him.

Where there is doubt, faith emerges.

Tana, come here!

Look at her.

It's fine. It's pretty.

Let me see, sweetheart. Let me see.

I thought you two
would talk things through.

That everything would be fine.

During the holidays.

Fuck!

Sorry. I didn't know it was so loud.

You have the Soviet anthem here?

Yes. And the American anthem
is on the other side.

That's nice.

It was a gift from our Danish friends.

Their attempt at humor
during the Cold War.

One never knows
which one will come in handy.

Exactly.

Pete will tell us what happened in there.

Nothing happened. He just dropped.

- Just like that...?
- Yes. Just like that!

No one is blaming you.

- We just want to know...
- What do you want to know?

What happened?

Every detail is important.

Did he have any difficulty breathing?

Peter! Come back!

Wait. Let him be.

I'll talk to him.

Pete...

What happened between you two?

Between you and your father.

Nothing.

I've known you since you were born.

I know any of you Varchals
like the palm of my hand.

I know you better
than you know yourselves.

You can't lie to me.

None of you can.

Are you sure?

It looks like you're not going home
anytime soon.

Your results don't look good.

But I have to go back tonight.

A family matter.

I understand.

But your health comes first.

Family comes first.

You sound like my father.

The republic isn't even born yet.
It has already claimed its first victim.

Are you that eager
to join the celebrations?

Please. My mom is Czech, my father Slovak.

There's nothing for me to celebrate.
I'm a Czechoslovak.

Many people are happy
to be "finally on their own,"

as if it is a guarantee
for a better life...

Time will tell.

The same goes for you, Mr. Varchal.

In the end...

I promised Dr. Meier
that I would take care of you.

Sometimes I feel like Karel
is our family's guardian angel.

I don't believe he could keep it secret
for 20 years.

Without any of us noticing.

I have his file.

What file?

The file they kept on him.

Agent Daniel Varchal, codename: Postman.

Records. The transcripts. Everything.

He has been snitching all these years.

Explains the heart attack...

Where's the file?

You don't believe me?

As a matter of fact, I do.

What do you intend to do with it?

Pete...

think this over with great care.

You could ruin
the whole family, everything.

Do you understand?

Ruin? How? By telling the truth?

That's the easiest way to do it.

So what am I supposed to do?

If it was my choice... I would destroy it.

Burn it.

It had to be an argument...

But, why? What happened?

We don't know.

Enough! I don't wish to hear
a single word about it!

All right?

So, what?
We stay silent the rest of the night?

Silence it is.

- What did he say?
- At a party.

What party?

That we met at a dorm party.

Tana, do you want to draw?

Go to grandpa's study.
There's paper in there.

Paper only.

And what is Charlie studying?

Economics.

Is that all you'll say?

Finally, you bring a girl,

and all you tell us
is you met her at a party?

A little bit of mystery doesn't hurt.

Michal...

you know I don't like secrets
in this family!

Remember that!

Is it clear to everyone?

Here you are, my sweetheart.

Aren't you hungry?

Not even for a piece of cake?

That's better, right?

It's very good.

All right.

Come, darling, let's take off
that sweater, it's so warm in here.

A train is going through a tunnel.

What do you have there?

Show me.

Come on.

You won't show it to me?

If you don't show me,
there will be no cake.

Oh, you, little...!

Come with me.

I know what the soup looks like.

We must check the kapustnica.

I've found something.

My pills?

Oh, please.

Have a look.

But... that's an engagement ring!

Congratulations, finally!

- Have you gone mad?
- Karol finally made his move.

- Oh, come on.
- No?

So, what is it then?

Tana found it somewhere.
But she won't tell.

- Tana doesn't speak.
- I know that.

She could draw it for us.

Never mind Tana.

You have other matters to attend to.

Who gave it to you?

Varcovsky?

A friend of mine works at the office.

He told me he had something
about my family.

So I came here to clarify it
with my father.

Everyone here is going crazy.

I'm going to check it out.

What are you two doing here?

We're tasting kapustnica.

Telepathically?

Are you speaking Czech now?

It switches on and off.

You haven't answered my question.

We could just tell her.

And what if it's about her?

It's definitely not about her.

What's not about me?

Amalia found an engagement ring.

No. Tana found an engagement ring.

Sure thing. An engagement ring
in the Varchal family.

How do you like them apples now?

Karol?

What's that?

Our father's file.

Medical?

No. As an agent. Of the STB.

His codename was "Postman."

Well, Michal?

What kind of messages
do you think he was delivering?

How one deals with this situation
will be determined by time.

Karel Gott has dealt with it
the best so far. He sings.

Daniel Varchal, 1941!

And just where are you going?

Home.

How about you turn around?

I'm ready to sign anything.

There is no release form
that would allow you to leave today.

Let's go.

Easy, easy.

It's like at home.

My mother's family
are French speakers from Quebec.

And my father's family is from Toronto.

Completely different worlds.

The debates about the Quebec question
can get really heated.

I see.

And then...

Since my father passed away,
I have been the interpreter.

When there is a fight,
which means all the time...

I'm in the middle.

Everybody keeps asking me,
what am I doing here?

Why Slovakia? Why did I leave?

I often make up excuses,

like wanting to see the world,
explore, travel.

But, honestly, I just needed to run away.

Run away from home.

I just want to have

at least one peaceful Christmas
with my family.

Without all the fighting and screaming.

- Where are you taking them?
- To burn them.

By the time we let you go,
these will be out of style.

You'd better get used to the idea
of you staying with us for a while.

But I have to go back home.

I might never get another chance.

Come with me.

Read it.

I don't need to read it.

Are you scared?

I'm not.

I trust him.

You're in for a disappointment.

He collaborated with the worst filth
that ever hit our country.

Burn it.

It's the only solution.

No one else has to know.

Only the three of us know about it.

Or have you already told Helena?

You have.

That's half of our family

that will think that our father
was a dirty STBastard!

But he was an STBastard.

What if they forced him?

He has family!

He has you! Bozena! Me!

Perhaps he was blackmailed.

Imagine if it were your daughters
with no future unless you cooperate.

No school for them.

Or you'd all be sent to a labor camp.

Oh, cut the crap!

You cut the crap!

Calm down!

I don't think Daniel was an informer.

Of course he wasn't!

Have a look.

What's this?

One guess who took these.

He wanted to smuggle them abroad.

He showed them to me
when we talked about the 1968.

It really got to him.

He said it was a grave mistake.

That he should have kept his head low.

So what?

Are you crazy, bro?

Are you really so blinded?

Do you think an STB agent
would take these?

With the plan of smuggling them?

And did he smuggle them?

You're a dick.

Father chased me out of the house!

Not you!

He told me never to return! Not to you.

For years, I tried to understand
what I did wrong!

Why he was bothered so much by my faith.

- Peter...
- I just want to know the truth.

And I want them to know it too.

Tana, bring the volume down.

Come here!

Now! It's important!

- Let's go then.
- He's crazy too.

Mom!

Mom...

- Is this about Daniel?
- Yes, it's about Dad.

Did you call the hospital?

No, Mom, this is not about
Dad's medical condition.

What's up?

Come here.

Communists wrote that.

It's dates, times, names...

And you believe it?

There were only two kinds of communists.

Idiots and assholes.

The idiots had no idea
what they were doing,

but the assholes knew it damn well!

How can you believe them?

These are official files.

And you believe it?

You don't remember the bullshit, the lies?

They were liars! Murderers! Damn it!

Give it to me.

Peter...

I was hoping to take this secret with me
to my grave.

Have it die with me.

You almost succeeded.

But it's out now.

And I have one last chance
to explain everything.

How?

How many kids do you have?

Three.

And all those years...

No one knew?

Only now.

I have failed.

Catastrophically.

Here's to catastrophic failures.

This won't hurt you.

It's good to start with a clean slate
and a glass of milk.

Thank you.

May I, Doctor?

Dr. Feldbauer needs to consult with you.

What's in that file?

Everything. The entire truth.

Our father! The granddad of my daughters.

Worked for the STB! For years!

- What's going on?
- It's New Year's Eve.

And the Slovaks always reveled in tragedy.

It's like their national sport.

During the last interview,
the Postman provided information...

What Postman?

Our father. The Postman.

The Postman provided information

on the activities of his neighbor K.M.,

who had nightly visits

on March 14th, 15th, and 16th, 1973.

Two hundred pages of betrayal!

These are very sensitive matters

and should be perceived
in a specific context.

So, the Bald Singer.

You still want to burn it?

Yes.

The Bald Singer was my patient.

She had breast cancer.

She lost her hair during chemo.

This is a wig.

Sometimes she came to my place...

and sang for me.

Those were different times.

Dad is not here to defend himself.
It's not fair!

What are you waiting for?

What could he possibly say
to convince you of his innocence?

I can't believe Daniel would...

It won't help anyone
if we start digging up the past.

The past is a bottomless pit...

And the future is infinite.

I assume you have no idea
to whom you confessed...

Dr. Ivanic's father was a surgeon.

A great surgeon and a wonderful man.

In 1984, a boy from East Germany

was brought to the operating room.

Barely 18 years old.

He tried to cross the border
to the West at Devin castle.

But he didn't manage to climb
the fence and swim across Morava river.

He was attacked by the patrol dogs.

By the time they took them off the boy...

The doctor fought for the boy's life
for hours.

And he lost.

The STB pressured him to sign
a statement saying the boy drowned.

Dr. Ivanic refused to sign.

He was trying to save the boy's life,
and he died in his hands.

Those who were at the O.R.
were scattered all over Slovakia.

He continued operating for a while,

but they were waiting for him
to make the smallest mistake

so they would have a reason
to dismiss him.

They had to divorce so his son
could be allowed to finish medical school.

The doctor remained alone.

But he never signed anything.

Never.

I guess I just wanted you to know.

The whole file could be a fake.

Oldo! It's an original.

In the days following the revolution,
most of the archives were shredded.

Others were edited,
and some were written new.

I forgot, the past is a bottomless pit.

Maybe he's right.

The entire story
could have been different.

Exactly! I don't believe Daniel could...

Daniel is infallible.

Even when he chased me
away from home, you still sided with him!

Peter...

Is that all you can say?

Peter?

You left of your own free will!

Nobody chased you!

That's the truth!

And if all this is true, I'll be
the first one to take it up with him.

What do you mean, "if"?!

Here is the file! What more do you need?

Dad was an agent!

And you're a historian, a judge,
and executioner in one!

Where did you get the file anyway?

Our brother in faith
has contacts in the archives...

That's not entirely legal, right?

The regime caused severe damage
to the Catholics.

That needs to be fixed.

One more good reason to split up.

Don't exaggerate!

The Czechs are delaying that.

Helenka, please, put her to bed.

So, this is you being a good Christian?

What's wrong with the truth?

At any price?

I tried to sort it out quietly.

Helenka, please, put her to bed.

I tried to sort it out
between the two of us.

So, all you needed was a few dusty pages
to condemn our father straight to hell?

It's not just about the file.

No. This is about you.

Are you crazy?

Our father worked with the STB,
and you're turning this against me?

It doesn't bother you? At all?

I came to terms with this ages ago.

You knew...

Bozena, is that true?

This is exactly why I never told anyone.

How...? When?

When I drove him home
from your seventieth birthday.

He was drunk as hell... he cried...

He cracked. I don't think he remembers it.

I don't want to interfere, but I have to.

According to these files,

your father never took any money
from the STB.

That's a crucial piece of information.

I'll just pass it around.

What difference does it make
if he took money or not?

He was doing it behind our backs.

And you've never done anything
behind our backs?

- Me?
- You...

Your cult meetings!

Those were normal meetings.

Meetings?

I won't talk about it with you.

- Excuse me, but...
- Wait, Helenka.

My own father betrayed me.

You can't compare our faith with this!

In the beginning,
your faith was on the edge.

- Excuse me?
- Excuse me? How dare you?

Daniel chased Peter out of this house,

and if it weren't for God,
he'd have no father at all!

Helena, please, put her to bed!

- Stop screaming.
- I'm sorry, Granny.

I don't feel well.

She's sick.

Happy now?

For once, I bring along a girlfriend
to show her my home.

Introduce her to my family.

One time!

What? One last time.

Did we really have to go
through this on New Year's Eve?

And without Dad?

She doesn't understand anything anyway.

Yeah. Why are you translating for her?

It think it was more about the ambiance.

All right, then.

Sleep, sleep

My little angel

Lean on me

I'm right here with you

Sleep, little baby

A nice dream will come

About peace in the hearts

Of our loved ones

Dream, my angel

I will be by your side

When your head hurts

I'll give you
A little kiss to make it better

Here he reports about having
finally bought a baby stroller.

We had to wait months to get it.

And here...
He describes how we went for a stroll.

To the city square, to get ice cream.

He called it "the most beautiful day."

This one...

about how Bozenka
almost choked on a bottle cap.

"I grabbed her by the legs

and turned her upside down.

I slapped her on her back.

I thought I'd injured her, but...

when the cap dropped out of her mouth,

I cried tears of joy."

I remember that.

Here, it says he's unreliable
and his reports have zero value.

He derided them.

"My mother has made
the best cherry pie ever."

He proposed to bring some over
for the whole department.

He gave my cherry pie to the communists.

Should something clear Daniel
of guilt, it will be in these pages.

Looks like our little Tana
was also working with the STB.

March 1976 has been thoroughly censored.

It seems she reported
on every single one of us.

She's family-oriented.

It's beautiful. May I?

It's all in there.

The strange business trips. Phone calls.

Leaving the house for hours.

Everything.

And the whole time, I've been thinking...

- What?
- Nothing.

Wait, hang on, Helenka.

"Due to a personal conflict with his son,

Agent Postman is not capable
of performing his tasks related...

to the meetings... of the Christian group
around the priest A.F."

That's why he chased me away.

To protect me.

It appears so.

Why... why did he sign?

Not all agents were alike.

People didn't always get a choice.

Sometimes they were only given
two equally horrible alternatives.

Hard choice.

That's how it used to be.

Let's find it.

I don't know. It's a mess.

It's not chronological.

What are you doing?

Why are you out of bed?

I'm looking for Dr. Ivanic.

Where have you seen patients running
around hospitals looking for doctors?

I don't know.

- Doctor!
- What is it?

Are you all right?

I want to apologize.

For myself. And for others
who weren't as brave as your father.

But I'm not signing a release form.

His father took his own life.

Allegedly...

He did not live to witness the revolution.

The bravery you spoke of cost him dearly.

Now, off to your room!

Or else you'll start weeping here.

We'll find it.

I have something from 1968.

Let me see.

Initial interrogation.

Could be it. May I see?

You planned to emigrate?

Dad would never leave.

Mom?

Yes.

He wanted to leave.

For your sake!

But I couldn't handle it.

We reached the border
in these long queues.

We've waited for several hours.

And the closer we got...

It was tearing me apart,

I got sick. I said I was staying.

That we were staying!

That he could go alone.

We had a fight. I yelled at him.

In the end, we came back.

I couldn't handle it.

A panic attack.

Well, you found out
what you wanted to find out.

So, it seems we should put an end to it.

You should put an end to it.

Please, give it to me.

Fuck!

There it is.

Well, it's good that it stayed
just between us.

But if they didn't catch us
at the border, how did they know?

Somebody must have ratted you out.

But I suppose we'll never know.

There were more than
100,000 paid informers in the country.

And clearly many more
who didn't take any payment.

That's crazy.

Their network was so dense,
people often snitched on each other

without knowing the other worked
for the STB as well.

In Prague, they had
three separate surveillance centers.

Several hundred rooms

set aside for intercepting phone calls.

And they watched all the correspondence.

In the '50s and '60s,

they even made mood surveys
of the population based on the letters.

It was a monstrous, paranoid,
totalitarian, fucked-up era.

How do you know all this?

I teach it at the university.

That's how we met, actually.

She wanted to know more
about her father, and totalitarianism.

About the STB.

So, you had your meetings too.

We had indeed.

Cheers.

To freedom!

I think it's time for kapustnica.

Helenka can't. She is breastfeeding.

Helenka can't, but I'm not breastfeeding.

Well, well...

These look like the party mushrooms.

Pardon?

Psilocybe bohemica.

Known for its hallucinogenic properties.

It's an old family recipe.

- So, you don't deny it?
- I'm neither confirming nor denying it.

- To your health.
- To yours.

- Good, right?
- Excellent!

Mom, don't put me on speakerphone.

Hello, everyone.

No, there's no war.
It's New Year's here already.

No! That doesn't mean Quebec
should separate from the rest of Canada.

Mom. Listen.

I just wanted to wish you
a Happy New Year.

And to say that... all is fine, wonderful.

And it's peaceful here.

Kisses.

What do you have there?

That's beautiful.

Can I have a look?

Show me!

Give it to me!

What is the kitty doing here?

How big you are. Let me see.

That's beautiful. That's Daddy?

Pete?

This must be from the file.

- What?
- This.

- Wait.
- Let me see.

What is it?

It's Daniel's goodbye letter.

You said you burned it.

- You told me you burned it.
- So I didn't.

I didn't burn it.

You left me here. Alone.

You abandoned me without saying goodbye.

Do you have any idea how I felt?

Losing my only child. My whole family.

Can you even imagine it?

Did you care about
what would happen to me?

No!

You betrayed me.

Leave me alone now.

What did you do with the letter?

I don't remember.

Granny...

I don't know.

That was more than 20 years ago.

Granny, try to remember.

I needed comforting.

In that pain.

You went to Karel?

Yes.

Where is Karel?

Karel?

Hi, Daniel.

I... betrayed you.

I reported you to the police back then.

For Amalka.

I would do anything to make it up to you.

Take off your clothes.

Excuse me?

Take off your clothes!

Now!

The pants!

Come on!

Don't eat it. Please, take it from her.

Cheers!

Who would want some?

I collaborated with the STB.

Why didn't you tell me?

I thought you had a lover.

And you only had the STB.

A republic falling apart is a sad thing.

But, then again...

The most important thing is
that people are happy.

We should probably toast it
with something exceptional.

I apologize.

There you go.

We should start with a clean slate
and a glass of milk.

To family.

- Can I serve you, Amalka?
- Yes, please.

Gross!

Our anthem is lyrical, gentle, philosophical.

And then, today, for the last time...

you Slovaks come in
with your thunder and lightning.

You Slovaks will surely be missed.

- I'm hungry.
- Let's eat.

- Have some.
- It smells nice.

I hope it didn't get cold.

Bon appétit!

- Right from the bottle?
- Get milk!

Oldo, come have a drink!

Finally, we have a republic.

Dear parents.

You are requesting a baptism
for your child.

You are taking on the responsibility
to raise her in the faith,

so that she may then observe
God's Commandments

and to love the Lord God
and one's neighbor,

as Christ has taught us.

Are you aware of this responsibility?

- Yes.
- Yes.

Godparents, you are to assist
in fulfilling this responsibility.

Are you willing to help with that?

- Yes.
- Yes.

Zuzana, the Holy Mother Church
receives you with great joy.

I mark you with the sign of the cross.

All of us now profess the faith
of the Church with you.

Do you then want Zuzana
to be baptized in this faith?

We do.

Zuzana...

I baptize you in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Like a naughty little boy.

Open your arms, Holy Church,
and embrace the child

who is reborn in the water
by the Holy Spirit of God.

Let us pray.

Subtitles: Dominika Borsukova Girao