"Tastes good, this brandy." "It wasnt so before." "After my third drink everything is just fine and looks nicer." "I have a violin." "It wasnt buried with Misa." "To open his coffin now wouldnt be good." "Such fine things dont belong in a grave." "PETRIAS WREATH" "Based on a novel by D. Mihajlovic" "Director of photography:" "Written and directed by:" "Slnce 1938. a fine photographer lived here." "You give him two pictures and he makes one out of them." "And he always adds something." "A nice blouse, curly hear." "Or, he takes separated pictures, and makes one that's much better." "He enlarged this one before my wedding." "I loved Dobrlvoje..." "Immensely." "Maybe he doesn't look like this, but the picture Is really nice." "Cheers!" "Here is who it goes:" "The first drink is for God help us, the second for in good health." "The third for St. Trinity, and the fourth one for four evangelists." "And then?" " You start all over again." "Why here?" "Photographer knew his job." "If It weren't for him I'd have no pictures." "And my life wouldn't look so nice." "Whats that?" "Sugar, for sweet life." "An apple, for healthy children." "What is it?" " A cat." "I know what cat just went by." "I was poor." "Mother-in-law hoped for a girl with dowry." "Whatever I did, she didn't approve." "That wouldn't have been that bad," "If only Dobrlvoje had not listened to her." "What do you use to cast spells?" "Onions, coal, basil leaves, broom handle, hawthorn, bats wings, rabbit tail, it all depends..." "No need to cast spells here." "Did you pee on an ax?" " I did." "Three nights in a row and left it overnight?" " Yes." "And it rusted each time?" " Completely." "Youre pregnant." "No need for me to cast a spell." "Go home!" "I practice sorcery only when someones miserable or ill." "Thanks, aunt Ana." " Nothing to it." "You are going to tell my mother I wont!" "Get out, you bitch!" "You can bark outside as much as you like!" "I dont want to see you any more!" "I'll improve, Dobrivoje!" "I'll do whatever you say!" "I dont need this!" "I dont want to see you!" "Lm pregnant." "Itll be a son, Dobrivoje." "Are you feeling sick?" "She's fine!" "Why shouldn't she be!" " No, I'm fine!" "Dont lag behind then." "It must be it, mother." "Shall I go home?" "Go!" "Youre of little use anyway." "Will you come with me?" " I'll come when it's time." "That's the way It used to be on a farm." "You can't deliver where you want." "Expeclally not In the house." "You must hide, like a dog, like a cat." "That's how you must hide." "Your mother-in-law gets to you first." "Wlth a sickle she separates the child." "That was the proprer way, the custom." "A son!" "Hes cold." "Why didnt you cut the cord?" "I couldnt get here sooner." "I was waiting for you!" "May you rot in hell!" "Didnt your mother teach you?" " She didnt!" "Tell me what kind of a mother are you?" "!" "Youre a sick bitches mother and thats how youll die." "In greater pain than this child that youve killed." "Gods will..." "God gave, God took." "Not God!" "You wanted it to be that way!" "For his eternal trip!" "He may get hungry." "There will be others!" "It's been a long time since I've scrubbed the kitchen." "Its dirty." "I thought Dobrlvoje would chase me out, but he didn't." "Gullty conscience." "When the first grief passed, we made love again, and a year later Mllana was born." "Its not that I dont like it, but this isnt her hair." "She has weak hair, just like me." "How can she have braids?" " Thats how I make pictures." "Youll thank me one day for this beautiful daughter." "Understand?" " No, but let it be your way." "Misa, whats the hurry?" " Youll hear!" "How do you feel?" " It hurts." "Cant stand it!" "Not for long, darling." "When I die, will it hurt too?" " No, darling, it wont." "Where are you going?" " Is there a doctor around?" "In the shaft, theres a Rusian doctor." "The girl has meningitis." "Theres no cure." "What does she say?" " Bad disease." "No cure." "Look around you!" "This is like in a madhouse!" "Women must be brave in these hard times." "You must endure." "When I die, Mom, will you, too, go with me there?" "I will go everywhere with you, dont worry." "I wont leave you." "How can Mllana disappear all of a sudden?" "She lived here with you, ate bread with you and talked, and now- she Is to be no more?" "I figured the worst wouldn't come." "Go away spells, roll down the rivers, hide under coal, spread thin like a fog." "Leave this child Milana alone!" "You came late." "So that our third wouldnt die!" "Well, Petria, we cant live together any more." "Theres something wrong with you." "Maybe you had an accident as a child." "Maybe you were born defective." "You have ill luck, bad fortune pursues you." "In a peasant house, you know, the woman must bear and keep children." "Whatever you brought or got, you may take with you." "Nobodys going to give you a hard time." "Goodbye, Dobrivoje." "Goodbye, Petria." "Long live the Peoples Front!" "Why did your husband throw you out?" "He wants a woman to bear children, and somethings wrong with me, he says." "For I lost two." "Why didnt you go back to your own folks?" "I couldnt look at those houses, those fields." "Id die there." "Want to work in my restaurant?" "You do, right?" "How does it go?" " Okay..." "Knock!" "Thats better!" "Youll change your life." "Wait..." "Thats it." "Im feeling kind of cold." "Cannot get used to it." "My head feels strange." " Youll get used to it." "And look straight into my eyes." "Understood?" "You are now a free human being!" "I know, but I'm not used to it." " You'll get used." "Youll learn everything." "No problem..." "Is she the one?" " Cut her hair." "I want to see a modern hairdo." "Youll know what to do." "Burn this up!" "Well rearrange this storeroom for you." "Youll sleep here." "Thats right." "Ill make her some curls." "A permanent, perhaps?" "Very permanent." "Man Is an animal." "He forgets everything." "The biggest grief he'll overcome and forget." "And he'll go on living, as nothing has happened." "That's human nature for you." "Everyone likes to live." "Early fall is here vineyards are ripe but theres no one to harvest them." "Hear me out!" "Sing not Milorad, but Milosav." "Milosav, you drunkard, youve spent all your money on drinks!" "Have we met?" " Yes and no." "I heard your story, I'm truly sorry." " I'm sorry too." "Pass me the glasses." "Ive got something to tell you." "Lets go out to talk." " I know what youll say." "Let me work!" "Shes avoiding you." " They always run away." "Its really important..." "I wont leave you alone until you hear me out." "Talk then." " I cant talk here." "No use!" "Youre not the first to use that trick." "How much longer will it be like this?" "Milosav, you drunkard..." "Enough!" "Quiet down!" "Is he going to pay?" " Hell pay." "Hes gotten restless." "Happens from time to time." "Buy your potatoes, folks!" "How much is this?" " Seven kilos!" "I'll take it all!" "Good cabbage, ripe!" "Lts a bit salty." " Your white cheese is salty." "Give me one kilogram." "Hello, Petria." "Hello, Dobrivoje." "I didnt recognize you at once!" "You sacked up with Ljubisha?" "In his joint all kinds come!" "If you dont sleep with one of them, youll have to sleep with all of them." "Come along, Dobrivoje." "Goodbye, Petria." " Bye, Dobrivoje." "Down with the capitalists, down with private ownership!" "I was drunk the other night, but I still want us to talk." "Get away from me!" "Youre drinking, eh?" "Youre not the only one with troubles." "I have my share, too..." "How will you work tomorrow?" "Me and my life went each to his own side." "Me here - my life, there." "My wife died, my children scattered after school." "Life just keeps bypassing me." "I didnt just happen to you!" "Many lost their wives and their children went away, yet they didnt start drinking." "What did Dobrvoje tell you?" "Wondered about my looks." "He couldnt recognize me." "And what did you say to him?" "That a stranger looks after me better than he did." "Who is it?" " Its me." "Looking for me?" " Some lover boy you are!" "What girl will want you?" " Dont underestimate me." "Come with me!" "See for yourself am I worthy!" "With who did you say I should go?" " With me." "Good day." " Greetings." "This will represent us at the Belgrade parade." "I work in the mine." "Here I am again!" "Lts a small world." "Dont you play games with me, you little frog!" "I suffered enough and dont feel like playing..." "If you are serious, then we can talk." "But, if you only want to have a good time, then you better leave." "I dont need that kind." "To our new engineer, Mr. Markovic." "Cheers!" "Thank you." "Our people need something more than just this pub." "A hospital is needed, as well as a library." "And a house of culture." "And with our coal, which is the best in the country, these people can and must have it all." "Ill drink to that!" "Brandy!" "Take that cheese to them." "Fifty!" "Ljubisha, come here." "Go away!" "I thought about what youve told me." "And I'm telling you that you got me all wrong." "I like to laugh, but I'm no dummy." "I think that were made for each other." "You grew under my skin, so, if you like me too, and are agreeable," "Id marry you." "Theres nothing more to be said." "Why didnt you say so before?" "Lm off to the pub." "Going to that capitalist swindler?" "He wont last long." " Ljubisha is no swindler." "And about him being a capitalist I know nothing about it." "Did you sleep with him?" " Who do you think I am?" "Enough!" "Lets go on!" "Down with the swindlers!" "Down with the capitalists!" "What is it?" "Get lost!" "I'll clean up this mess." " No use." "Ill clean it up, just the same." " Theres nothing to clean up." "Sit down." "Im not staying here." "Im sure that youre not coming with me." "I respect you, you know that, only..." "Thats what I thought." "Youre a young woman, you have your own life." "If youre not staying, then III go back home." "I dont know..." "I wouldnt want to stay here without you." "Im a lost man." "If you joined me, youd be lost, too." "Thats how it is." "Good morning." " Now what?" "A decree." "About closing down the pub." "In good time, indeed..." "Long live the bride and groom!" "Good luck, Misa." "Heres your gift." "Hurray for the bride and groom!" "Hip-hip-hurray!" "I have only words of praise for Ljublsha." "Those three years spent with him were the nicest In my life." "I had a good life with Mlsa, too, but whenever I thlnk about this time of my life, a feel a warmth around my heart." "No one knows from where the good and the bad will come." "Llfe separates you from those that you are fond of, never to see them again." "You can only hope that you'll meet again In another life and that you wlll then tell them what you once meant to say." "In thls world It's hard to utter a nice word." "Ive heared that they have opened a new pub." "Now youll have were to go." "Mind your own business, and let me be." "Whats the rush?" " The new school is opening." "Bravo, engineer!" "You kept your promise!" "Dont stay illiterate, like me!" "Come along!" " First I have to attend to my cabbages." "What are you doing?" " Planting cabbages." "They are going to be just fine this year." "Dont you know what day it is?" " No, what?" "Lts Saint Pauls day." "Have you forgotten?" "Wretched me!" "I forgot." "How foolish of me!" "St. Mary and St. Elias may forgive something, but St. Paul never forgives anything!" "I know." "He is mean." " Go buy a big candle, and go straight to the monastery." " Youre right!" "St. Paul cant be that cruel." "Hell show mercy..." "Petria!" "Get dressed and come with me." "Chief engineer wants to see you." "Do you hear me?" "Is Misa dead?" " No!" "I dont know." "They took him to the hospital." "Come on, lets go!" "Oh, my God, he lost his life!" "Youre lying to me, Kamence." "Im telling you that he isnt dead!" "Eng." "Markovic will tell you everything." "Put on your shoes." " It brings bad luck." "Get lost!" "Dont bode ill!" "When a dog howls, someone will die." "Your husband had an accident." "Hes in the hospital now." "Is he alive, sir?" " Dont Sir me." "Hes alive." "The cable broke, and the wagon brushed a little against his legs." " Little?" "How can a wagon injure you a little?" "Stamen!" "Give that to Petria." "Where are his pants?" "These arent his pants!" "Will someone tell me something!" "Has he lost his leg?" "Was it cut off?" "!" "Go to the hospital with Kamence." "And take some things to him." "Will you?" " I will, if you say so." "Everything will be just fine." "Home, I said!" "Shall we wait for the train?" " Who can wait till morning?" "These shoes are too tight." " My feet burn." "Have you any other shoes?" " No." "Give me that bag!" "Youll walk without shoes?" " I sure will." "Im used to walking barefooted." "Youll freeze." " I wont." "Ill watch where I step." "Inconvenient for you, but good for him." "Hell be treated better in Belgrade." "How is he?" " He lost a lot of blood, and is in a lot of pain, but I gave him something to ease the pain until the operation." "The operation is over by now." "Dont you worry." " That leg of his..." "He still has it?" " He had it when he came here." "Lets not fool ourselves!" "Hes badly wounded." "Lord, why didnt you kill me on the spot when you saw me plant that cabbage!" "Why did you have to punish him?" "I sinned, and my Misa payed for it." "Dont talk rubbish!" "Misa liked to drink." "Thats probably the cause of this accident." "Off you go!" "I dont know when is the next train for Belgrade." "Which hospital?" " Orthopedic." "Ask anybody!" "They all know where it is." "One should have nothing to do with doctors." "Live while you live, die when you get sick." "What you suffer and endure, he says you deserve." "Such men are inhuman." "Theyll wait for you at home." " Dont worry." "I hope that all this will end well." "Damned animals!" "Go home!" "What did I tell you?" "!" "From the coal mine?" " Yes." "Hes here." "You can only talk to the doctor when hes call is over." "I came from far, on foot and by train." "Dont drive me away!" " I must." "Regulations." "Next!" "I dont want to see no doctors!" "I want to see my man!" "If hes going to die, its better for him to die at home!" "Just turn your head the other way while I pass." "Is miner Misa Djordjevic here?" "Here I am, Petria." "Thank God youre alive!" "I asked for you!" "Where have you been?" "Since last night I've been looking for you." "Thank God I found you at last!" "People helped me!" "Engineer sent Kamence with me." "He also sends his regards." "They all send their regards." "My regards to them all." "And say thanks to Kamence." "They didnt cut if off?" " No." "Get out, youll infect the entire hospital!" "Let me see my man." "I have no infection!" "Come along!" "How do you know if youre infected or not?" "Quiet!" "Shell leave alone." "You saw hes alive, now go." "Ill explain everything to you." "Dont let them cut off your leg!" "I'll hang around!" "Bones only, or the entire leg?" " Only bones." "You wanted to cut off his leg?" "!" "We are thinking about it." "He has three fractures." "Over here... and here..." "Oh, doctor!" "He is only thirty four years old." "Must he lose his leg?" "If you decide to do that, III take him home." "Sit down!" "Youre a smart woman." "You must understand one thing!" "His head is at stake." "We will talk about his leg later." "May I hope?" "You may hope that he will stay alive, and afterwards well see about that leg." "Youre reasonable enough to know that he will never be the same." "Thanks for not lying to me." "Thank you, Kamence." "I hope that everything will be all right." "God alone knows!" "Well, goodbye." "Will you be my blood brother?" "We have to make an oath in a monastery?" "No, well skip that." "Just call me blood sister." " Sure, why not." "See you, blood brother." " See you, blood sister." "Send my regards to your folks." "My Mlsa survived and ten months later, after Christmas 1956." "He came home." "At the same time rumors have been going around that the mine Is closing sown." "Why close it when there was still enough coal in it." "And the best In Serbla!" "Hardly leaves any ashes." "Are you crying?" "Whats the matter?" "I would have been better off dead than crippled." "You havent changed a bit to me." "Youre handsome as ever." "You talk to me like I was a child." "Im not blind." "Nobody can tell." "Only your pants dont fit well." "Ill sew you new ones and nobody will notice." "You think so?" " I do." "Wheres Misa?" "Do you know where Misa is?" "Down there!" "Hes hooking one wagon to another." "With that leg?" " Dont worry, he wont do it much longer." "Misa, your wife brought you lunch!" "Hello." "How much longer will you be sacking us?" "Who asks?" " Answer us!" "If you have something to ask me, come to the main building." "Otherwise I will say nothing more." "Nobody buys coal any more and oil we dont have here!" "Dont get drunk, Misa." " Mind your own business!" "Your female mind wouldnt understand." "Ill tell him that I broke the mirror while cleaning it, and that you then made two small ones." "I hear youre leaving too." " No way!" "What would you do without me?" "Misa is not well." "Not at all." "Has veins on his healthy leg." "Thick as my finger." "Cant stand on that leg, either." "Will you enlarge a picture of mine?" "Why not?" "Just tell me which one." "Murdza!" "Kalina!" "Where have you been roaming?" "I thought that you have gone God knows were." "Lets go home." "Ill give you something to eat, you tramps!" "Mom, everything's going to be just fine." "Am I going crazy?" "Maybe I'm insane?" "Maybe it wasnt Milana!" "Why would you go insane?" "Youre still young." "God will send you a daughter when you least expect it." "Either in your dreams, or for real." "A daughter or somebody else." "Dont lose faith." "He only fainted." "The worst is over." "Youll stay in bed now." "Take a sick leave." "He drinks, thats not good for the veins." "Hes restless." "Who retires at my age?" "Who?" "!" "I better hang myself!" "Dont, Misa!" "I should bring my life to an end, insteed of dragging myself through it." "Then I can hang myself, too." "The mine is finished." "If I retire, how shall we live on my pension?" "Well manage." "If you skip the pub, you wont be needing no rope." "Stay at home and eat your supper." "Dont be my personal spy this time!" "Mind your own business!" " Arent you my business?" "Youre a fool!" "You dont understand..." "Dont interfere with my life!" "Youre so stupid!" "You picked the worst way to kill yourself!" "If I'm stupid, you're even more!" "How do you know what I want?" " But, I do!" "If you think that someone will feel sorry for you, then youre mistaken!" "They already laught at you!" "Damn you!" "Thanks for having nothing else to say to me." "God, for now you have sent me only my Milana, but thanks anyway." "Be gracious and let her come and visit my home, and III give her something to eat." "Send along and all the others, so that I can tell them all the nice things that I meant to say." "If it must be, then may your head leave this house." "They took him to the hospital for an operation." "They took out his veins, but they didn't tell us that his heart was weak, too." "He had a heart attack." "They also diagnosed cirrhosis of the liver." "I heard that your Mlsa Is dying." "If that is so, I better bring him back home and prepare him." "If only he would come." "He could die in my arms, and then Id light a candle so that his soul wont get lost." "Hell go straight to the angles were he shall find his everlasting peace." "I heard that they will close this station, too." "They can take your lives away, too." "They cant afford anymore to keep the mine open." "Thats the rumor." "Theres to many rumors." "I dont belive in them." "What did you bring me?" " Home made cookies." "And some apple pie." "I know you like it." " Where did you find apples?" "I found them." "Want to try some?" " Yes." "Its not my best." " Its delicious." "Ill eat later." "How do you feel?" "You look yellowish." " I have a jaundice." "Id say so, too." "And you, how are you?" " Im fine." "Im waiting for you to come home." " Thats hardly possible." "Did you bring the papers?" " ldld." "Tell me, do you feel anything unusual?" "Like what?" " I dont know." "Maybe something appeared to you?" "Just to know where we stand." "I feel it coming!" "I want to read now." "If you dont want to talk, III go." "We are talking." "Why dont you come home, III nurse you." "In this condition?" "Yellow as I am?" "They have to cure me first." "Shall I come on Sunday?" " Id like you to." "If its convenient for you." "If anything happens to me, youll be taken care of." "Youll be given my pension." "Cant think of that now." "Goodbye, Misa." " Goodbye, Petria." "Whos there?" " Its me!" "Stojan!" "Whats the matter?" " No good comes at night!" "Petria!" "Open up!" "Youve got to sign!" "Petria!" "How shall I justify it?" "They were about to close down our railway station." "I thought they were joking." "It's been operating for seventy years." "But, that was no joke!" "In 1967." "It was discontinued." "I won't hide It from you." "Half a month after his death Mlsa began appearing to me." "Every 3-4 days, a week at most, and here he Is." "How's life here?" " We manage somehow." "I pick and sell mushrooms." "They say that tourism will prosper in these parts, and that there will be many new buildings." "Murdza and Kalina left." " I know." "They wanted to come with me, but I chased them away." "They thought that they could roam where ever they want to." "Are you all right there?" " I am." "It's fine." "I have an easy job In the shaft." "All automatic." "Buttons, only." "You only have to press them." " Thats nice." "Youve always enjoyed working in the shaft." "It's a bit boring there." "If only you have sent me my vlollne." "I didnt think of it." " Oh, yes you did, but you didn't want to send It to me." "You've always been such a miser." "How could you say such a thing!" "I've payed for your coffin 7OO dinars!" "I didnt miss one funeral feast." "Seven days after your death, 4O days, half a year, a year." "I havent missed one." "My great grandfather used to ride on this train." "We cant live here anymore." " What did you say?" "No train, no life!" " Dont talk rubbish!" "Now we have a bus station." "Everything will be just fine." "Mlsa appears to me from time to time, but he still hasn't called me to join him." "I know that It will happen one day." "And I wlll join him." "What else could I do?" "When will It be?" "I don't know." "For the time being, he Is In no rush, and neither am I." "Death awaits all of us, there is no escaping from it." "But there is no need to run towards it." "It will come to me when the time comes." "Untll then, I'll live my life."