"PRODUCTION" "DIRECTED BY" "NORTH OF PORTUGAL, 1949" "He must be waiting for us already." "We'll cross over beyond the reservoir." "He's a smuggler, with a record." "Disorderly behaviour, stabbings, violence, whenever he gets drunk, apparently." "He's called Lambaça." "Lambaça?" "What a name..." "A bad option, but the only one." "It's your decision." "When I was 19 I had to emigrate." "I was given some money, an address in Oporto, and was told that here" "I'd find a way to cross over into Spain." "This is him." "What's wrong with him?" "So young and as you say, wanted..." "Is all this coming and going because of him, then?" "Even the police are around." "They're after him, too." "Five of them got away." "He's got to go soon." "I've never seen one so young." "A revolutionary!" "Do you think he's up to it?" "This is not for children." "You tell him that... if you dare." "What's your name, if I may ask?" "André, call me André." "I don't know you." "This is man's stuff.." "I'll take you over, if you've got the balls." "Can you walk?" "It's quite a way." "Don't worry." "When can we go?" " When can we go?" " Yes, when?" "In three days." "At dawn." "I was told it'd be tomorrow." "I've been told lots of things." "This won't work." "He won't come." "Yes, he will." "I suddenly realized it would be harder than I had thought." "Wait for the train to go." "You should take that jacket off." "Right." "We'll take that bus." "Then, this is how it'll be..." "As we near the border, they'll stop us... further ahead, just before a village." "Sometimes they'll ask for your papers." "Wait." "Looks like we've got company." "Let's go now." "What do you want?" "A picture?" "How much is it?" "Don't worry about that." "Money isn't everything." "Put your head there." "Leave the rest to me." "What about him?" "We've no choice my friend!" "When I say, "watch the birdie", look here at the star." "Ready!" "Smile!" "Watch the birdie!" "Done." "Better tear it up." "I'm keeping this one." "You will draw attention if you tear it up." "Pay attention." "Stop the bus before the checkpoint." "Get off and walk on casually." "Walk past the checkpoint." "On foot the police will think you're going to the village." "Follow the road, walk as quickly as you can, but don't run." "The bus will stop for a search, and when we catch up with you, I'll stop the bus and you get on." "Won't the passengers or the driver be suspicious?" " Leave that to me." "A bit of bread and sausage?" " No, thank you." " You're very welcome." "Sit with us." "Take this pear." "See how good it looks." "You're young and thin, you need to eat." "Here, you take it..." "Where are you going?" "Not far." "It's my holiday." "You can tell you're not from up here." "We're going home." "To our village near the border." "It's St. Bartholomew's Day." "He's our patron saint." "We're also going to find her a husband." "Someone from here." "Isn't she lovely, my niece?" "She's so pretty." "Now..." "Get up and ring the bell." "Have a good trip then." "Was this the way?" "Did the bus really come this way?" "Or had he tricked me?" "Could that business at the checkpoint have been an attempt to turn me in, without a fuss?" "Had the girl really been signalling me to follow her?" "Had Lambaça put her up to it?" "Did someone really throw out that peel?" "Or were they merely testing the strength of the wind?" "Easy, easy..." "Things are not always what they seem." "The police got on the bus." "It was impossible to get it to stop." "Then why didn't you meet me on the road?" "How can I trust you?" "You saw, it was a feast-day." "All the big-wigs were there." "How could I go back?" "What's your plan then?" "Are you having second thoughts?" "Are you afraid?" "Do you want more money?" "Say something!" "Are you afraid or do you want more money?" "Easy now." "You'd better put something on, it's getting cold." "Let's have a bite." "We've a long way to go." "I remember what you said." "This is what I think, a thousand is not much." "Is two thousand OK?" "You'll get two thousand." " Have you got them on you?" " Who do you think I am?" "Has the wine got to you?" "Do you have it or not?" "Two thousand then." "Aren't you drinking?" " This is not just a stroll." " Smells good." "Sure." "Smells of bread." "I said it was tough." "Don't lose sight of me." "Are we over?" "Will we cross over tonight?" "It's not that easy." "Where will we sleep?" "Here?" "Leave that to me." "No, my friend." "That's not the way to go about it." "I need to know what's what." " What's the plan?" " Not so loud, not so loud." "What's your plan." "There's still time to turn back." "We made a deal." "You keep your part." "Even if you don't know why I can't go back." "My friend, I've known everything you think I don't, for twenty years." "Let's go!" "Quick!" "Oh, it's you, Lambaça." "Come on up." "He'll see who he's been messing with." "Who does he think he's playing with?" "Why this mess?" "Why all this?" "Tell me." "Why this?" "He's gone too far." "He'll pay for it!" "Senhora Conceição, what's got into her?" "How should I know?" "She's been going on for half an hour." "He'll pay for it." "I'll cut him off when he's least expecting it." "It's always the same nastiness." "He's been mocking!" "He's wicked!" "Look at this!" "Just look at this!" "I'll throw it in his face!" "You bet I will!" "Really..." "He could have said no." "Better that." "But no, siree!" "My darling this, my darling that." "I'll be the worst of whores, if he doesn't pay for it." "He'll pay!" "You want to dance?" "You'll dance, alright!" "You've seen nothing yet!" "Darling?" "!" "Darling indeed!" "Here's darling for you!" "Here!" " She's like a witch." " Here, here." "Take that, darling." "Oh, so you saw?" "Sit down." "It's free." "Sit down yourself." "Well then?" " Do you want some coffee?" " Later." "Later." " How are things?" " So-so." "It's cold." "Here's your stuff." "Count to five." "One..." "Two, three..." "Four, five..." "I don't like fireworks." " He's so young." " Yes." "As if I cared." "One..." "Two..." "In two days." "Two days..." "We'll spend the night here." "Think we can spend the night here?" "If you like." "But they were around the day before yesterday." "Know what I say, Acácio?" "If cats had wings, there'd be no blue-tits." "We don't get blue-tits here." "That's true." "But cats don't have wings." "That's true." "We must get some sleep." "This way." " Are you staying?" " Yes." "Come." "I felt restless remembering how I had been stared at, and felt naked before the looks that had set on me." "I was a stranger in a world heavy with silence and unspoken words." "Sleep well." "I was relieved when, at dawn, I found the envelope and money were still in my pockets." "There's a man downstairs washing." "Did you see him arrive?" "Do you know who he is?" "He came with Lambaça last night." "Men's business." "Where's my comrade?" "Good morning." "Morning." "Where's my comrade?" "He's coming." "The town's a long way." "Tired?" "I slept well." "Sit down, I'll get coffee." "He's so young!" "You're still young." "You don't know what life is." "If someone is caught smuggling tobacco... what could happen?" "Get fined, get a week in jail, in Montalegre." "Smuggling people is much worse." "But don't worry." "Lambaça won't be caught." "He never has been." "Since childhood, he's been up and down those mountains." "There isn't a nook he doesn't know." "See these hands?" "They taught him all he knows." "For years, we walked these paths." "Without a word, because you can hear everything, the silence is such." "That was my life too, up hill and down dale, till you could say," ""There!" "We're over."" "I'll never forget my first crossing." "Nor my second..." "That bloody rifle!" "Saddest day of my life." "I was getting ready to clean the gun." "My eldest girl was seven at the time." "She wanted to play and wouldn't let go." "She came up softly and bang!" "She'd hit me on the shoulder or arm and run off laughing." ""Naughty girl!" "I'll kill you if I catch you"," "I'd say as I reached for the gun." "She'd stop and calm down," "Then she'd come back quietly, all innocent-looking and bang!" "She'd hit me again." "Three, four, five times..." "Then it happened." "A misfortune!" "A misfortune!" "Believe me, the gun wasn't loaded." "Someone tampered with it!" "It still makes me tremble from head to foot." "I hardly touched the rifle and..." "She was standing there, three steps from me, stunned, her face covered in blood." "She screamed and screamed." "I grabbed her and ran into town." "My son, Armando, said, "It's nothing, father, nothing"." "The child was fine, wouldn't stop talking." "How can a child that age, covered in blood, carry on talking like that?" "She was comforting me." ""It's not your fault, daddy, I know it's not."" "I ran as fast as I could, with her in my arms, but I was very tired and she noticed." "So I paused for breath." ""Rest a while longer, daddy", she insisted, and when I said no," ""l don't want you to die, my child", do you know what she replied?" "Seven years old, only seven she was!" "This is what she said," ""Don't worry, daddy, don't worry"" ""if I die, no-one will miss me"." "Then, I cried." "I cried so much," "I couldn't stop." "And even today, thinking about it," "I feel such sadness." "And did she die?" "No." "It's not that one!" "It's the other one!" "The other one?" "You're young." "You need to eat." "You need to eat." "Lambaça." "Lambaça." "Time to go." "That's life." "Ah, Lambaça, you scoundrel." "They brought this for you." "You must be on your way." "Yes." "It's late." "It's only a question of walking." "We slept in a cave in the olive groves at the bottom of a hill." "Well?" "We'll see." "Are we going over soon?" "Or never?" "Tomorrow..." "Maybe tomorrow." "Don't joke about serious matters." "We're spending the night here." "I thought he wanted to rob me and hand me over to the police." "I fell asleep and dreamt of the horses and guards shouting and asking my name." "They won't come in as long as we're here." "If someone sees them they'll know someone's here." "Don't move." "We have to get out of here." "Why are we retracing our steps?" "Aren't we eating today?" "We haven't eaten anything since lunch yesterday." "If it was such a long walk, why didn't we bring anything?" "And, if we could have spent the night here and had to come back, why spend so many hours going to the goats' cave?" "What have we been doing in this valley for 24 hours?" "Do you at least know what you're doing?" "What were you doing in that house?" "Nothing good, I'm sure." "It's your job to get me over, and I haven't seen anything yet." "I'm sick of asking." "I want an answer." "Now!" "When are we going over?" "Do you hear?" "Answer me!" "That's what I'm paying you for." "Are you crazy or what?" "Keep you voice down." "Eat this." "It's all there is." "Keep quiet, keep quiet." "That's all you can say." "You're wrong about me." "You're barking up the wrong tree if you think you can trick me." "I've killed one man, I couldn't care less if I killed another." " I've got a gun here." " A gun?" "Not so loud." "Are you deaf?" "When you get hungry, never turn down an offer of food." "When are we going over?" "Tell me: when are we going over?" "I'll tell you at the time." "Zulmira!" "Oh, it's you." "Come on up." "Darling, can we have some food?" " Yes. you can come up." " Listen..." " Go get Rosa." " I don't know if she can come." "Come up." "Is this an inn?" "Easy, my friend." "It won't cost much, don't worry." "What's the idea?" "I'm not staying here." " Don't, then." " Nor are you." "Well..." "Zulmira, Zulmira!" " Who is it?" " I don't know!" "Go and see." "How lovely to see you!" "Can't I come up?" "Can't you see I've got company?" "Give me that." "Come back later, before nightfall." "All right." "Who was that?" "I don't know the voice." "Old José's son, back from Africa." " Why isn't your friend coming?" " How should I know?" "You take care of him." "I have to go out." "Won't you come up?" "Come on up." "That's my boy." "You must be starving..." "I'll get you some soup." "Let's get out of here." "We have to go." "I saw what you did." "Thank you." "Let's go!" "We walked all afternoon without haste as if Lambaça was intent on circling some obstacle which I could not see." "Sometimes he's stop and examine the landscape as if none of the dangers he'd told me about mattered, as if we were treading safe ground." "Where's Acácio?" "Silk?" "That would make some dress for a dance!" "Silk, isn't it?" "It's the very best." "Silk is always the same." "You know, we've done nothing that wasn't discussed." "We're poor, and so are the others, on the other side." "What about this?" "Was this discussed too?" "Bullets?" "Why bullets?" "Do you hear?" "Do you know this man?" "Have you seen him around?" "Of course you know!" "Where is he?" "We know he's around, with a guide." "I'm sure you know who he is." "Where is he?" "Leave him alone!" "He was hiding in the barn." "Where is he?" "Either you talk now, or I'm taking you in." "Which do you prefer?" "You're wasting your time, sergeant." "I've never seen him." "So I'm wasting my time, am I?" "I'm wasting my time?" "I told you, I know nothing." "And Lambaça?" "You know nothing about him either?" "I wonder where he is..." "it's a long time since I saw him." "She's coming with us." "Imagine what can happen to you if your brother doesn't talk..." "Have you thought of that?" "Are we going over today?" "Maybe... if they don't pump us full of lead." "Didn't you say you had a pistol?" "Let's have a look..." "A revolver's well worth two pistols." "Pistols get jammed." "A revolver never misfires." "That's how the old man nearly did his daughter in." "Acácio?" "Nearly!" "She lost an eye." " What's so funny?" " Show me the pistol." "I don't play with guns." "They're not toys." "I put them to good use." " Aren't we eating?" " My friend, when you miss one chance, you have to wait for the next." "Are we sleeping rough again?" "Here?" "Don't worry, you'll get a good meal today and sleep in a nice warm bed." "What we need is patience." "We're close now." "If you go over to those trees you'll be able to see what you can't from here..." "It focuses the mind." "Close the door." "Sit down!" " Rosa's not coming." " Get us some food." " This is nice!" " Wait." "In a bad mood, or what?" "Drink and don't look so cross." "Come and eat, you must be starving." "This is delicious, Zulmira." "I knew you could cook, but this is amazing." " The father... where is he?" " The father?" "The father..." "My little angel, my baby!" "You brute!" " How old is he?" " Nearly three months." "Don't you want any more?" "You can go with him first but then you're spending the night with me." "I don't want her." "Zulmira!" "Clear the table!" "Are you spending the night there?" "If he doesn't want you, let's go!" "You can sleep here, if you like." "Good morning." "I put the tobacco there." "Zulmirica, make us some coffee." "Good morning." "Zulmira, let's settle up." "The food?" "How much for the rest, woman?" "Whatever..." "Put it there." "It's time!" "Get ready to walk." "Let's go, man." "Take this knife." "You might need it." "The old man said he taught you everything, that you've never been caught," "and never will be." "You were struck with Zulmira." "Why didn't you go with her?" " Did you hear what I said?" " Can I?" "I know what it's like." "When you're young, you think you can change the world." "But nothing ever changes, whatever else might happen." "Everything's got to change." "It's up to people to make it happen." "Whatever else happens." "All I want to is to live my life, as best I can." "Take Zulmira." "I only went with her because you didn't." "Think I didn't know what she wanted?" "That's life, my friend." "Why did you hide what was left?" "Where are we eating tonight?" "Don't worry about that." "Tonight, we're not eating together." " We'll have crossed over." " What?" "We'll be over?" "Why are you so surprised?" "We are over." " Don't joke, this is serious." " You don't have to believe me." "I couldn't care less." "What did you expect?" "This wall to mark the border?" "Or some kind of sign somewhere?" "It's better to take off your cap here in Spain, and wear a jacket." "You know how much this trip matters to me." "Why are you behaving like this?" "We're over my friend." "It is the boat." "This is where you wait." "On the other side of the river follow the road." "Further ahead you'll see a town, and the station on the left." "There's no need to ask anyone." "You can't go wrong." "Ask for a ticket to Madrid or wherever." "It's time we settled up." "Two thousand for bringing me." "How much more for the expenses?" "You need to cross the river, but there's no need to worry." "The border is way off, and the guards rarely come here." "Wait there." " Buenas tardes." " Buenas tardes." " "Como va todo por acá?"" " Todo va bueno." "Come!" "Tell me how much you've spent on the way." " Whatever." " Hop on." "Tell me how much!" "I'd nearly forgotten." "You'll need this now." "Lambaça!" "Lambaça!" "Only now did I feel an urge to talk to him." "I wish I had taken him in my arms."