Original subtitles

ON THE CAUSES AND MOTIVES THAT LED TO THE END,

ENTIRE CHAPTERS OF HISTORY BOOKS COULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN.

BUT AFTER THE END NO MORE BOOKS WERE EVER WRITTEN.

LAND OF THE SONS

Look what I caught.

Where did you find it?

I didn't find it, I killed it.

Did you go beyond the sluice?

You don't go to the sluice. The Witch is there.

And you killed it?

Yes.

- Did it hurt you? - No.

- How did you kill it? - With this...

Why didn't you disembowel it?

What do you do when you kill a beast?

You remove the guts, so the flies can't nest there.

I didn't hear you.

You remove the guts, so the flies can't nest there.

And you didn't do that. Now it's no use for anything.

Skin it.

We'll take it to Aringo.

Aringo!

We have a skin!

Aringo!

A dog skin!

And what's this dog like?

It's a dog.

What colour is it?

Brown.

Do you want to barter?

I'll barter.

But no son.

Give me the dog.

Stay here. Don't move.

How's it going, Aringo?

Shit.

I'm sorry.

How about your eyes?

Did you come here to talk about my eyes?

- No. - No...!

So don't talk about my eyes.

Walk.

I had a dog.

A dog?

I didn't know. It's been two days since it left.

A dog?

The dog, yes.

I never saw it here. How long have you had it?

I don't know.

Were you raising it to eat?

For company.

Like you did with your son.

Where did you get this skin?

In the fields.

It was already dead this dog?

Yes.

Are you sure it was already dead?

Yes, it was dead. It was in a ditch.

This isn't a barter.

This skin is mine.

It's from my dog.

Do you have anything to eat?

I haven't caught a fish for three days.

The cages are always empty.

I have two grenades.

You throw them in the lake and the fish come up.

Do you want them?

I would like something to eat.

I can give you a fish.

Give me two, please.

Tell me the truth...

was it your son who killed the dog?

No, I found it. It was already dead.

He was born after the poisons.

Those born after the poisons have no respect.

He has respect.

Come, go there.

Today you'll get the fish.

What did I tell you?

- I told you to stay here, yes or no? - Yes.

So why did you go away?

The dog wasn't Aringo's. You only believe him cos he has a gun.

Shut up. We can't start a war with Aringo, you know that, don't you?

Let's go.

What are you doing?

- Are you missing the stick? - No.

So don't spy.

That stuff is mine. Go to sleep.

- What were you doing? - Again?

Go to sleep.

Where's your father?

You used my grenades!

Aringo, we didn't do anything.

Oi, Aringo! What's going on?

You don't know anything?

What am I supposed to know?

You dirty thieves!

First the dog and then the grenades.

Lower the rifle, let's talk, wait...

Like fuck will I wait.

Kneel!

Kneel down!

Open your mouth.

Open your mouth!

If you don't give me back my grenades, I swear I'll kill you.

I took them!

I took them. I used them, but I didn't catch anything.

Look at me, Aringo.

It's a top, it's good. You want it?

If I ever see you again in my area, I'll kill you and your son.

I'll kill you like dogs.

I swear on everything that's gone.

Tell me yes.

You're no use to me for anything!

While you were beyond the sluice?

Yes...

How long did it last?

Quarter of an hour.

It takes my breath away, every time it's worse.

You need a CAT scan.

I'll phone and book it.

No, thanks, the waiting list's too long.

Did you get this from the well?

It's good, you can trust me.

How long is it since you trusted anyone?

- I've been drinking it for years. - I wasn't thinking about that.

What were you thinking about?

The words you use.

What words?

"You can trust me", you said.

They're dead words.

They're not dead words.

Yes, they are.

You only have dead things here.

Glasses, the jug...

biscuit tins.

Everyone misses it, don't they?

What?

Life the way it was before...

No, the past is pointless now.

That's not true, you know that.

I erased everything.

But you kept your son.

You know he calls you the Witch?

Yes.

When you treat him too badly, he comes here.

What are you doing?

Nothing.

Thank you.

He killed a dog.

He brought it home, I ordered him to skin it and he skinned it.

For him it's normal.

A dog, a mouse... He kills them and eats them.

So what? We all do.

You and I know what dogs are.

We know that one time they lived on rugs, next to sofas...

and instead of eating them, we caressed them.

- But he doesn't know anything. - You don't want him to!

And what should I do?

Tell him what a rug is, what a sofa is, a house with heating?

What a caress is, you should tell him that.

Caresses are no use for anything now.

It would be better if he were dead.

We've caught a fish!

We've caught a fish...

Now it has to rain!

This is my house. You're not meant to be here.

How are your eyes, Aringo?

You as well?

What the fuck d'you care about my eyes? Get lost!

Can you read now?

No, I can't read, you little shit. Well, then?

Well, then, you're no fucking use to me.

Damn you!

You wanna kill me, you little shit?

Where's your dad?

He's dead. Now you talk to me.

Why did you tell him the dog was yours?

What dog? What the fuck are you talking about? What dog?

You want the dog? Take the shitty dog!

I don't want the dog!

So what the fuck d'you want? You want the fish?

Take my fish, it's there in the fridge.

Take it!

I should have shot you!

You and your father.

He'd have done better not to let you be born.

But I was born! Which isn't so great for you!

He should've drowned you the minute you were born,

like everyone else did!

What is it? Come on! You not got the guts?

You're a piece of shit!

Kill me and take this shitty land!

You made him die!

Witch! You there?

I have something to barter!

What have you got to barter?

A jacket and a long rope. But I want something to eat.

I've got something, come.

I need the jacket.

What colour is it?

It's blue.

Does your father know you're here?

He doesn't know anything anymore. He's dead.

Don't joke about things like that.

I'm not joking.

I waited a day and he didn't wake up. He's dead.

What are you doing, crying?

He said we mustn't cry.

If you cry, someone will take advantage.

Where is he now?

In the water. Where the dead are thrown.

Is there any more?

I gave you all that was left.

Give me your hands.

Give me your hands.

What's this?

You tell me. It was his, but he never let me have it.

It's a notebook.

What's it for?

It can be for many things.

To draw. Or to write words.

Memories.

Memories?

Things you don't want to forget.

Can you read?

Yes.

I could read.

Before.

I can't. If I took the notebook, he'd beat me.

Give me your hands.

Can you feel them?

Are these words?

Yes. They're words.

Can you tell me what words they are?

- No. - Why not?

You touch things and understand.

Sometimes, but to read you need healthy eyes.

I'm sorry.

Witch, what do you think?

Beyond the sluice will there be someone who can read?

There's nothing beyond the sluice.

How do you know? You've never been outside.

Come here.

Even he said we can't go out, but he made things up.

Your father didn't make things up.

Here at the lake we're safe, we don't know what's outside.

There's nothing for me to do here.

I'm here.

You can stay as long as you want, not just today.

Is that you?

I want to know what the notebook says.

It doesn't say anything.

Notebooks don't have mouths.

Open the sluice.

I'm not opening anything for you.

He's dead, only you know how to open it.

You won't find anyone who'll read you the notebook.

They'll tear you to pieces out there.

Open the sluice!

You want to kill me?

Kill me!

I'm not sending you out there.

Every night he put his thoughts in that notebook and I couldn't look.

Now that he's dead will you tell me his memories?

I know he...

Can you tell me his memories?

Come here.

Be careful.

Trust nobody out there.

Don't trust them.

Hey, Matteo!

A boy!

Hello, lovely child! Welcome.

- Keep back! - You want to kill me?

Lorenzo, did you see? There's a boy with a rifle.

We don't have any weapons. You mustn't be afraid.

Are you hungry?

I'm starving.

You mustn't starve.

If you put the gun down, we'll give you something to eat.

That's better, isn't it?

He's tired.

Pick him up.

- Can I pick you up? - No!

Shame.

But if you come we'll still give you something to eat.

Come.

Come, come...

Come.

Come.

Don't eat with your hands.

- You use your spoon. - And chew slowly.

Where are you from?

The lagoon.

A long journey.

Are you alone?

- Yes. - Don't you have a mum?

- No. - And a dad?

I don't have him anymore.

Poor child! He came all this way on foot.

I had a boat.

But someone took it.

You're really lucky.

We've got your boat.

It's moored to the wharf, next to ours. It's safe.

I'd tied it up. Why did you take it?

We shouted and shouted to see if it belonged to anyone.

- Why didn't you answer? - I didn't hear you.

It was a mistake to leave a boat unattended.

There are bad people about.

But they won't touch us because we have these.

During the war when the poisons came,

we didn't go to the shelters.

We stayed here to work and cultivate the land.

And now look... The land has paid us back.

Can you read?

Why do you ask?

I have this.

I want to know the words that are written there.

So, can you read?

Of course I can read.

Will you read it to me?

- No. - Why not?

- Because you can't. - Says who?

The notebook.

Notebooks don't say anything. Notebooks don't have mouths.

- Who wrote it? - My father.

If your dad didn't read it to you, maybe it's not meant to be read.

Yes, but my father's dead. It's mine now.

And I say that you can read it.

He's right.

The notebook is his.

But it's late now.

So you'll read it to me tomorrow?

Tomorrow.

But we have rules here and there are no weapons in this house.

So if you want to spend the night here, give me the gun.

Otherwise, take it and leave.

You decide.

Matteo...

The bitch.

Come, come!

I've got a surprise for you!

Give me some light.

It stinks in here, but you get used to it after a while.

Right...do you wanna see her, then?

She eats just once a day.

But only greens that are off.

The good stuff is for us.

Look carefully.

That way you can learn what to do.

Fill your fist properly, like that...

and give it to her.

Bitch!

Feeding time.

If she doesn't eat, get the stick.

She's afraid of the stick.

If she sees it, she knows she has to eat.

Sometimes she doesn't understand, though.

So then you push it slowly into her ribs.

Without hurting her.

Do you like her?

Do you like her?

Why do you keep her in here?

She's well here, she's out of the rain.

She has to be healthy, because if they come, we give her to them.

We had another two like her.

And who are "they"?

Friends we do business with.

When you have to clean the cage, you bring her out and chain her up.

Instead, with her, you do this...

Now she's cleaner.

That's enough looking at her. Let's go to bed.

Wake up, honey.

You've slept for so long.

Well?

Have you decided to stay with us or not?

Stay here. Nobody will hurt you here. Everyone respects us.

If I stay, will you read me the notebook?

I told you already...yes.

When?

Tonight.

First you have to work, though.

And you have to learn the rules.

There are lots of beautiful rules you still don't know.

I'll stay, but you have to read for me.

I told you already.

We'll read tonight.

That's it, go! Now come here, good boy.

What are you doing?

Did you like the cabbage?

How do you think we managed to get it to grow?

Go! If you're good, Lorenzo will read to you tonight.

It's not hard, you just need to go up and down.

That's it. Go!

On you go!

Go, go!

Go!

To reap you have to sow.

Go!

Up you get, go!

Go, go!

Go, boy!

Pull, pull, pull!

Go!

You see? It's not hard.

That's it!

Good boy! Go!

Come out.

Get out.

I said get out! I have to clean.

Why are you here?

Will you tell me why you're here?

Be quiet, I can't talk to you.

Don't trust them, they're evil.

They were kind to me as well, before they locked me in here.

Hey!

Will you tell me your name?

Dinner's ready!

Please, let me go.

Get back in.

I don't want to die, please.

You're not like them. You're normal. You're like me.

Look at me!

Please, let me go.

My name's Maria.

Please...

Let me go, please...

Is that all right?

Hold it like that.

Are you sure you want to hear?

Yes.

All right.

He earned it.

You really made your dad suffer.

Are you reading or not?

Calm down.

I said I'd read it to you.

"He was born with his feet in front...

and split her open completely.

Now she's dead...

and he's crying.

He cries all the time...

and I don't know what to do with him."

You understand?

He's talking about you.

He says when you were born, you killed your mother.

It's a terrible story.

It's all right, keep going.

Tomorrow.

But I worked.

And I read.

Tomorrow you work again and I'll read to you again.

There are rules.

Please, if you read some more, tomorrow I'll move all the earth.

Tomorrow.

Here.

It's mine.

It's clean.

I'll give it to you.

Feel how soft it is.

Hey!

Maria!

Maria, wake up.

You came back.

I'm here because they promised to read this.

My father knows how to read.

If you let me out, we'll go to him.

But what if he doesn't read it?

He's my father. If I ask him something, he does it.

Come on.

Get a move on. If they see me taking you away, they'll be unhappy.

What are you doing with the bitch?

She was cold.

Yeah?

- Yes. - Why's she not in her cage?

- Because we're leaving. - You're going?

After all the love we gave you?

Matteo!

Come here.

Keep your distance.

What do you want?

For me to read the notebook? Eh?

That's why I stayed, but you read nothing for me.

Give it to me, we'll sit here all together and I'll read it all.

Give me it.

Good boy.

"Once upon a time there was a father who had a notebook

and lived alone with his son in a lagoon

and he had a boat, but then he died."

You see? I know it by heart.

- No, you don't! Read it properly! - Read it properly! Read it properly!

Do you really think you can tell us what to do in our own house?

Give me that back! It's mine.

- Give me it back, I said! - Catch it!

Give me it, I said!

Give me it back!

Help me!

Lorenzo!

Lorenzo...!

Lorenzo!

You horrid little shit, you killed him!

You wanna know what it says in the notebook?

It says he hated your guts!

It says that you disgusted him, that he didn't want you!

And that you shouldn't have been born!

You little shit...!

And that he'd rather you'd died!

Now I'll send you to him and you can tell him in person...

Come on.

Get up.

Listen, I need to tell you something.

I don't know if my father can read.

What...?

I don't know if my father can read. I've never seen him reading.

So why did you say he can read?

Because I wanted to get out of there.

You make me sick. You lied to me.

I saved your life.

They lied to you. They made up those things they said.

Shut up!

I know what it says anyway.

I knew before as well.

I might as well chuck it in the river.

There it is!

Look, that's it!

Is that your house?

Yes.

Wait for me!

Dad!

I'm back, Dad!

Dad!

Dad!

Dad, I'm back!

Dad...?

Dad...

Dad!

Dad...

I'm leaving now.

I have to find someone who can read.

Goodbye.

Can you tell me your name, please?

I don't know what my name is.

My father called me Son.

I don't want to stay here anymore.

You can come with me if you want.

And where will we go?

I don't know... straight on, along the river.

Like before.

Looking for someone who can read?

Yes.

Why are you looking at me?

Just because.

He hanged himself because he thought I was dead.

He could still have lived alone.

I don't want to be alone.

It's scary, being alone.

Do you think we could have children?

Children aren't born anymore.

Who told you that?

Have you ever seen a baby?

No.

Me neither.

My father told me that, sooner or later, I'd have met a man.

And that I'd have had a child.

Hey!

Are you there?

Yes!

Have you found anything?

Not yet!

Speak to me, otherwise we'll lose each other.

You speak!

Eyes that speak, mouth that looks...

Row your boat and keep going

Nose that touches, hand that smells

Darkness colours the colours dark...

Watch out for the crocodiles!

There's nothing here. The water's too muddy.

What's a crocodile?

Did you hear me?

Maria!

Maria!

Maria!

Maria?

Where did you find them?

I found these.

They're small.

They're good.

You did well.

Are you thirsty?

I can't believe you don't want to drink.

No...!

You don't want to drink either?

Leave her here. Take him to the cages.

No!

No...

Where's the other one?

Hangman, give him to me.

Wait.

What is it?

Can you read?

Why?

Because you're the age of those who can read.

Why do you ask?

I need to know what this says.

It was my father's.

His memories are in it.

If you can read, can you tell me what it says?

I want to know if I disgusted him.

I can't stand seeing you like this.

Put the mask on.

Did you hear me?

Put the mask on.

What are you reading?

The boy...

don't make me kill him.

Is this why you're sad?

Because of these photos?

We can keep him as a slave.

We don't need slaves.

We need to eat.

I don't want to kill him.

Why not?

He's different.

- He reminds me of things. - Why? Do you still have memories?

You're wrong... you don't remember anything.

What's your name?

You don't remember what your name is.

The street where you lived, what was it called?

You can't remember it.

Who was your neighbour?

What was your job?

Were you married?

What was your wife's name?

What colour was her hair?

Did you sleep together?

What side of the bed did you sleep on?

Nothing...

You don't remember anything.

I remember my son.

Liar!

I remember him!

You killed him. Do you remember that?

Nobody forced you.

If I hadn't done it, he'd be about the same age as that boy.

You have to forgive yourself... as we've all forgiven ourselves.

There was no alternative.

For the children, dying immediately was the best thing.

Why are you alive?

Because I met you.

Why do we help each other?

Because seven is better than one.

Are we dead?

We're alive.

Well done.

Come here.

Get down now.

Close your eyes.

Quiet. Don't think.

Breathe.

What do memories bring?

Fear.

Fear, and then?

Pain.

What cures pain?

More pain.

Again.

More pain!

Again!

More pain...

Again.

More pain...

Now rest.

Tomorrow you'll kill the boy.

"Tonight as well I spat blood.

I feel my chest burning.

I manage to stay on my feet by a miracle...

I don't have long left.

He's asleep now, he knows nothing, he doesn't understand.

I don't know if he's clever.

I know he's afraid of me.

He's scared when I raise my voice and he's afraid when I look at him.

But he's not afraid of Aringo.

That was what I wanted.

I taught him that he shouldn't love me...

he shouldn't love anyone...

because love makes us weak.

These are things that I cannot explain to you.

I have to keep everything inside.

Maybe that way you'll make it...

Maybe that way you'll make it even without me.

But I'll take the smell of your skin with me till the end.

And the memories of things you've forgotten.

One day...

you laughed so hard, you cried,

because I fell into the water while we were fishing.

I remember it.

And I remember the last time you hugged me...

you were four years old,

we found a horse writhing in pain, it had poison in its body.

We killed it to put it out its misery.

As the blood gushed from its neck, you cried uncontrollably.

So I hugged you...

and I'll always carry that embrace in my memory.

Of all the memories, that's the most precious.

It torments me, the thought of not looking at you anymore...

of not being able to protect you...

of not seeing your beard grow on your face.

But if you're reading now, it means you made it.

Perhaps you're my age, you've learned to read,

you've found good people, food, a woman, maybe you have children.

I took all your love, but I couldn't tell you.

It was a torment for both of us...

but if you're alive I wasn't wrong...

and you can understand that now.

Now you know that I loved you more than myself...

and that my love has made you strong.

It made you invincible."

What is it?

I've stopped forgiving myself.

I don't understand you. What d'you want?

I've stopped forgiving myself.

Stop it.

I've already forgiven you.

Maria, are you alive? Maria, wake up.

Get up!

Get up...

Come on.

That's it... Come on.

Maria...

Maria...

Maria, I'm here.

Maria, wake up...

wake up...

Please...

I beg you, wake up...