Original subtitles

"Why won't you gentlemen such tales recall?"

Adam Mickiewicz "Forefather's Eve"

present a film co-funded by the Polish Film Institute

Subtitle by Aldi Arman

LITTLE ROSE

Starring

Written by

Makeup

Costume Designer

Art Director

Sound

Editor

Music

Production Manager

Director of Photography

Co-producers

Producer

Directed by

Warsaw, Summer of 1 967

- Another pint and same chaser. - Oh, no, Roman. I can't any more.

A jigger for me and lemonade for the lady.

Beautiful...

There's no occasion...?

How do you know?

So I'll finally find out...?

I'm waiting.

I feel so happy with you....

The snack and jigger amount to...

Wedding and baptism photos, huh?

Funerals.

Reporting, Comrade Secretary...

The investigation is in progress...

A difficult circle to penetrate... We'll certainly double our efforts...

Yes, Sir.

Yes, Sir, I understand.

A month...

A summer retreat away Warsaw

... Days of tension and anxiety.

A violent escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.

On Monday, June 5, Israel started aggression.

Israeli fighter planes in combat with Egyptian planes,

defending airports and strategic targets on the Sinai Peninsula.

Other Arabic countries have given full support to Egypt...

The Israeli aggression toward Arabic countries

has met the applause of the Zionist...

I hate to listen to that clown.

Each and every Polish citizen should have

only one homeland - Polish People's Republic.

May Book Fairs

As every year, the crowds at the Palace of Culture

besiege book stands...

I've just arrived. What did you say?

When are you coming here?

There's a line waiting... I'll tell you later.

Yes... I miss you bad.

Kamila?

Yes, Sir. Coming.

It's you, Professor?

And it's you? Let me introduce... Miss...

Kamila Sakowicz.

Ms. Zarska - my acquaintance.

Miss Kamila plays a responsible role in our faculty...

I'm only a typist in the dean's office.

You often meet, I understand.

Excuse me, I have to go.

- You were to make a call. - Be seeing you.

Comrade colonel, Captain Roman Rozek...

Forget it.

I didn't know you were such a dancer...

May I know who your date is?

- An acquaintance. - Close?

No, not very.

Do you know this here?

- Certainly, it's... - I know who!.

I don't want this Zionist shit to pour out unchecked.

You know where it will trickle first?

Down on my head.

Sit down.

A cigarette?

Stop it!

Stop it, you hear?!

Something wrong?

Sorry.

Dorota, come back!

Sir... My fianc� I told you about.

- Pleased to meet you. Warczewski. - Rozek.

- Professor lectures at my faculty. - I've heard a lot about you.

Let's sit in with you.

Where's Ms. Roma? I haven't seen her lately.

Daddy quarreled with her.

- You have a rose for me too? - Dorota...

- With Donald Duck! - What do you say?

- Thank you. - Come back right away.

And your fianc�s trade? Sorry, I missed the name.

Roman is in foreign trade. Has a managerial post.

- What's your line? - Leather.

- Trading leather goods? - That's correct.

- So you go abroad? - Often.

I'm happy to have met you at long last.

For four years I can't go abroad because I am denied my passport.

I keep hearing someone goes there on my behalf.

Finally, I've met that someone. I see him with my own eyes.

What a lovely weather today. Shall we go to the riverside, Roman?

Does he go to church?

Who?

That professor of yours.

I don't know.

It's Sunday. Don't you know if he's been to Mass?

How would I know? I don't go to church.

Find out, then.

What's your beef?

Nothing. He seems... fake.

- A very nice man and witty at that. - A hypocritical smart ass asshole.

Aren't you jealous of him?

Are you? A little?

He fancies you, right?

I don't know if he does. He's nice to me.

That's enough.

You can get close to him without raising suspicion,

talk to, pump him...?

I guess I can. But what is it you want?

Dorota, come back!

You have a gum with Mickey Mouse?

Dorota!

I see that you're awake.

Daddy!!!

How many times do I tell you not to accost strangers?

Strangers... Fuck it! A nice guy...

Let's leave this place, please. All right? Please.

That wit of yours, Warczewski. His true name Janusz Wajner.

A Jew. A clever,

camouflaged Zionist, an enemy of People's Poland.

We have such intelligent, witty and nice a dime a dozen

in the ministries, on editorial boards, at universities.

Who pretend they want to do something for the country.

But in reality are ready to betray her at any moment!

They must be exposed and removed.

You understand what I want from you?

- Let go of me! - Kamila!

Please.

What's the matter?

They pressure me terribly at work...

I could go abroad, earn more...

Why, it's for us. Please.

Warsaw, Bookseller's Club

Augustine used to say that the Creator

had given man free will and an opportunity

to continuously choose between good and evil.

That's the choice the main characters of my novel make.

Isn't writing about history escaping from the reality?

- Maybe you simply lack courage? - Ladies and gentlemen.

I don't think I'm a man of exceptional courage.

There're certainly some here braver than me.

Maybe you?

My past is well known to those who root around

in someone else's biographies. I, of course, mean historians.

So it's no secret what I did during the Nazi occupation

than after the war, and why for some time,

eight years and three months to be exact,

I couldn't join in the building of the new reality.

Not of my own will.

You judge for yourself if that took courage.

Why don't you write about love?

In this matter, I'm afraid I lack courage.

Thank you.

- To whom? - To me, sir.

So many people here... What're you doing here?

I've come out of curiosity. I'm interested. Shouldn't l?

Well, why? I just thought

that girls like you have more interesting things to do.

- I studied Polish lit for two years... - And you dropped out?

It worked out that way. Next I finished a typing course...

Hence the dean's office.

I try to scribble something.

Very modest attempts.

Interesting. Why don't you show them to me?

I have an appointment. I hardly expected to meet you tonight.

All right. I understand.

We'll have an opportunity... to talk about literature.

Say hello to your fianc�. Good bye.

Report... on September 26, 1967, I took part in...

Why so late?

Here.

That's what you asked for.

Won't you even peek?

What's this?

- What've you given me? - You told me, asked me...

Exactly. I asked you for something, yes?

You said yes. And what have you given me?

"During his soir�e Adam Warczewski talked about

his literary inspirations..." Some fucking crap!

Did I tell you to go to some stupid soir�es?

Don't you know a sharp operator like him

could camouflage himself, blather about inspirations

and obligations to take everyone for a ride?!

- I was supposed to get close. - To get close, fuck it!

To get close, you fucking get it?!

I'm not interested in what he says in public.

but when alone with pals, gets drunk!

That's why you really get close to him!

To twist him around your little finger.

You must get into his house, his sack,

be with him day and night till he spills something!

You can't carry out the task otherwise...

- Leave, please. - Calm down.

Leave. Don't you touch me, please. Leave!

Get out! Take your fucking things and get out!!!

I'll explain everything. Just give me a chance.

- Yes? - Not here.

- I'm not going anywhere. - Let's drive to my place.

Your place?

- Trust me. - You think I'm that stupid?

Just trust me one more time, Little Rose.

"Policemen and Security Service Championship"

Do you have... a gun?

I do.

Show me, then.

What for?

I've never seen one. I'd like to...

- Have you killed someone? - Come on....

Do you love me?

- I'm outta here. Bye. - Kamila!

Wait.

Sit down for a sec.

Write.

Hereby l, Kamila Sakowicz, pledge to cooperate

with the Security Service of People's Poland,

as a secret collaborator. To stay undercover...

I assume the code name...

Choose a code name.

Come on.

"Little Rose"

All right. Sign it.

Be seated.

I'm back from the Central Committee...

where I heard the question:

"lf all of yours are so smart and loyal,

where the fuck are results? "

Who needs your smarts and loyalty,

if we can't handle a handful of Zionists,

as every smart ass, writer, professor,

for Judas silver coins from Munich,

can do what he pleases and laugh in our faces?

That's the question I heard.

I heard there from very serious comrades

that there are no results in this Department,

which the Party expects of us,

because there are those who take hard pains...

... not to obtain any results! Malkiewicz!

- How many years in the firm? - Eighteen.

And People's Poland

has been trusting you all the time, yes or no?

But you haven't had the time to inform us

that your sister lives in a kibbutz. Yes or no?

So I don't have to tell you

where those who've betrayed our trust belong.

Who have been feigning being loyal,

whereas their loyalty has been somewhere else!

Rozek!

In my office! End of briefing.

Excuse me.

May l?

You gave me a scare, engrossed in...

Please. Certainly.

- Why reading that drivel? - It's a very interesting book.

Besides, I have to catch up...

When I met you, I decided to enhance my knowledge,

especially of our modern literature...

I may help you.

Really... you could?

Excuse me. Must be outta here. I've stayed too late.

While a drama is unfolding in the Middle East,

we have the feeling to be participating in a farce.

It reminds me of a familiar joke:

Then a Swiss soldier stormed in and stole a Russian watch.

- Or the other way round? - A joker, he.

We're led to believe that a Polish citizen of Jewish origin,

what he didn't even realize, is a dangerous "Zionist".

I'd like to fucking know who writes this?

I have the last analysis from reconnaissance.

The Mark comes from Warsaw intellectual circles

with contacts in academic ones.

Get the hang of it.

And have her work on it...

- What's her name? - Little Rose.

Exactly. Little Rose.

A good piece of advice, Rozek:

Our passions get the better of us

and your Little Rose is not a bad chick...

But they dish dirt that she's turned your head.

In our trade the head and cock

should be where they belong each.

Get my drift...

Yes, sir.

Comrade Colonel...

Come let's dance.

Sit down.

Won't you dance with your Mata Hari?

- You're drunk. - Let go of me!

Look, Kamila, it's been nice. but let's go home, OK?

Is this an order?

Stay put. I'll pay.

Don't worry.

- Be right back. - I'll wait.

Let's pull up our socks and grab our cocks.

- I'll sing you a song about love. - Beat it!

- Shall we have a good time? - Lay off.

- I'll lick your clit. - Beat it!

Let go of me! Leave me alone!

- She's a whore. - Roman!

You'll kill him!

Why, she's a whore!

A whore!

Leave him, or you'll kill him, Roman!

- Mr. Rozek! - All right.

Whore!

- You'll kill him Roman! - Mr. Rozek!

Let's go home, Roman, please.

Roman, please.

Hit it! Have a good time!

"50th Anniversary of the October Revolution"

I'm awfully sorry. My bus was late...

Never mind. Since the nation has waited 50 years

for this anniversary, what's these five minutes?

Here. This is what you lost.

- Thank you for taking the trouble... - My pleasure.

"Premiere of The Forefathers' Eve"

I hope you haven't peeked into the notebook.

- The temptation was strong. - Just scribbling...

You said you could advise

and nudge me in the right direction.

- But on one condition. - What?

I'll tell you what to read, or not to read rather,

and you'll show me your literary efforts.

- They're still so half-baked... - Let me be the judge.

If you want to read such exercises... A deal, then.

I'm very happy.

Oh, Adam! We weren't sure you'd come.

Why? I'm not dead yet.

Quite the opposite. I'd say you're starting over.

I've listened to the radio lately...

You don't say! What were they airing?

A Central Committee plenary session or a literary cabaret?

- They say you write skits for them. - No kidding, Adam. Not that radio...

The Seen from Warsaw. Don't tell me you don't know.

I don't know who it is,

but the guy cuts to the quick with a sharp razor.

If he's from here, congratulations on his courage.

Seen from Warsaw but aired from Munich.

That's courage for you. Excuse me.

They say whom God wishes to destroy,

he first makes him mad?

... Our young are in jail. They tell us to go to the ball.

I want to put my penknife in his belly. Or punch him in the kisser.

... They'll find a reason universities to crush

Cause the students - Jacobins. And to... eat your young.

He'll pay for the torment, So much blood and tears.

The czar has a kennel here. So what if this dog dies?

Let me kill him! The last warning!

- Let us cut off his crest. - To destroy all of us?

No wonder they curse us here, as a century has passed

of sending from Moscow to Poland a pack of bastards...

- Rascals, thugs, criminals. - I must deport you...

- Nobody will avenge us! - God!

After the show the Mark opined:

So they got the anniversary they wanted.

They've brought the matters

to such a pretty pass that a classic written

a 1 00 years ago sounds like a topical comment and political attire...

No wonder the audience...

- Please, I beg you... - No wonder the audience,

the young especially,

respond in that manner...

He wondered how the authorities

would drink this beer they've brewed.

About the young. Can we conclude

that the spontaneous reactions were controlled?

- What do you mean? - That the young were organized,

that someone motioned to them when to applaud,

- what slogans to shout... - I didn't notice.

You lead me to believe that those ovations,

at such moments, were spontaneous?

I don't know. Maybe not.

Subtitle by Aldi Arman

Rose thinks that those unrestrained

reactions could've been...

an organized action,

controlled by individuals like the mark..."

Sign it.

Roman!

Your coat...

Come on in, please.

- Daddy... - Aren't you asleep? Hello.

- You remember the lady? - Hi.

Forgive her. She's a bit wild.

I understand. She has it hard without mom.

Sorry.

How many books... Have you read all of these?

Of course not. What for?

Books are not there to be read at once.

First, they are beautiful objects.

Second, they are like friends:

it's good if they come in handy,

as you never know when they can be of use...

How beautifully you talk.

I was to show you what to read. Are you still interested?

Certainly. That's why I've come here.

Great. I guess you should

start with Milosz,

Herling,

and Cat Mackiewicz...

You've heard about those writers...?

- Yes, but have never read them. - I understand.

They have been banned. The authorities do everything

to erase their names from your generation's memory...

That's all for starters.

Thank you very much.

A glass of wine? I have something special.

With pleasure. Why not?

Please sit down.

Stop showing off! Off to bed! Quick!

I have this proposition. I'm older than you after all,

The first name basis? I'd feel younger.

Not that I don't want to. All right. It'll be very nice.

- How do you find it? - Funny somewhat...

- Funny? - But good.

No, it's all right. I was worried...

This is Haut-Medoc 1959,

which I brought from my fellowship...

- A pity we opened it... - Come on...

I was so poor in Paris then,

but spent my weekly allowance on wine.

So expensive but... sour somewhat.

- You really don't like it? - I like my wine sweet.

Wine is something more than a drink.

It's the fruit of the sun.

It's culture, civilization that brought forth

the greatest works of human spirit...

Excuse me.

This is the Polish Section of Radio Free Europe.

Here's another broadcast of Seen from Warsaw.

Throughout several weeks The Forefathers' Eve

at the National Theater has become something more

than just an interpretation of the national classic.

This is not about the director's ideas, the acting,

or even Mickiewicz's play.

It's not about what's happening on stage,

but about the scenes played in the audience,

which are the hardest nut to crack for the authorities

nagged by Soviet comrades.

This is the Polish Section of Radio Free Europe.

Roman?

- What's that on your head? - Curl-papers.

I've brought you a typewriter. You're a writer, no?

Here are your 'literary efforts', not to tire yourself...

What's this?

What're you reading?

I must bring myself up to speed. I must know about such matters.

You don't need to read this shit, nor drink this piss.

I'm very happy you've been awarded this prize.

Congratulations.

So you've finally bagged the old man.

Excuse me?

Watch out, my dear. First, our Adam is emotionally unstable.

- And second... you write? - How do you know?

- What do you think? - I've barely started...

Have no illusions that he'll help you.

I've seen many a young talent he took under his wing.

Nothing doing. I might be of great help,

or damage your interests if you stand in my way.

- Oh, Ms. Roma! - Excuse me.

- Welcome. - Excuse me, please.

This is Miss Kamila Sakowicz from the university...

The geezer has gone crazy.

Are all Polish women as beautiful as you?

... the mark, who has an excellent command of French...

Pro... provocation... communist...

"Communist provocation", "Jews. "

He used many times the phrase "The West must help us..."

- You've translated it yourself? - With the help of a dictionary.

Us...? He meant a specific group? Did he say anything else?

I don't know. In school they taught me Russian!

"After the evening wrapped up,

the cultural attach proposed the mark to work at the Sorbonne.

The mark turned down the proposal, as impossible to accept. "

How do you know?

He told me himself later.

All right.

Find out why he doesn't want to leave.

- I know. - You do, huh?

He said: "Why should I leave? They should first. "

- They? Who, then? - I don't know.

Maybe such as you.

Sure.

Roman, what is this?

Thank you.

Sign for it.

The people's homeland can be grateful.

You're good at it, you know?

Don't be so down in the dumps, OK?

- A bagel? - No.

- How about feeding the swan? - No.

Please... Let's sit down.

- Why here? - We'll rest awhile.

I didn't know you read that Party paper.

This is a priceless source of information.

- Daddy, he ate out of my hand. - Thank you.

Has anybody told you how much alike you are?

- Why, Dad is old. - I meant the character...

Tell me a fairy story.

I don't know any. Nobody has ever told me any.

You're deceiving me just like Dad. He doesn't know any either.

- Because he writes fairy stories. - They're no fairy stories.

How do you know? Ever read any?

- No. He won't let me. - Won't let you read his books?

He does, but they are very boring.

When I wanted to see what he was typing once,

he wouldn't let me.

And when some men come to him, I'm forbidden to enter the room.

The grownups must sometimes talk about their things...

- Dad says that they plot. - He told you?

Yes. But I wasn't to tell it to anyone.

You can to me. I won't tell anybody.

Good night.

I must be off.

I understand...

Your fianc�...

Oh, I'm sorry.

- Have I hurt you? - I prefer not to talk about it.

Certainly. You never talk about yourself.

There's nothing interesting.

Everyone has something interesting.

You know many interesting people.

- Everybody has his... secret. - What secret?

I must go. I've stayed too late.

'The Jews in Polish Culture' To Adam Warczewski

'Man Among Scorpions'

'What the Stones Speak About' by Adam Warczewski

To Ms. Kamila

- Hi! - Hi.

Dad's not in. Will you come in?

I just wanted to return books to Daddy.

When will you come to us? It's been a long time.

When is Daddy's back? I have something important.

- Who's come, Dorota? - Kamila.

- Who? - Kamila.