"THE TIME OF THE BEGINNING" "Well, Mr Lamda?" "Where do you want to go at this hour?" "You don't feel well." "You know that." " You don't feel well." "Good." "Very good." "I don't see people." "No one." "Ruin." "Ruin..." "And then..." "How low they're flying." "Come in!" "This is the file." "And your magazines, professor." "Thank you." "David Lamda." "Age 45." "Irregular studies." "Various jobs." "Insurer." "Employee." "Bookseller." "Not married." "It seems he wasn't able to hold down a consistent job." "Nor start a family." "That's right, Director." "As a matter of fact, so far, no one has come to ask about him." "Caught while giving a senseless speech, on the cornice of a church threatening to jump into space." "Suffering from paranoia and manic depression." "Socially..." "Who wrote up this report?" "Actually, I dealt with this case." "At first, Director." " Well..." "We must not exaggerate in situations like these." "However much I, in substance, sometimes agree with you." "Anyhow, we must have faith in our system." "A greater optimism, for heaven's sake!" "How can you say "socially irretrievable"?" "No one is socially irretrievable." "But, we must take into account the moment and situations too." "Sometimes even the straitjacket can be justified." "What matters is order and collective safety." "It's obvious." "We must take into account many things." "Virtue stands in the middle." "Every man... must carry out his own function." "But, at times, it is necessary to isolate the dangerous element." "And if this means his end?" "Anything else?" "What's that?" "I don't know." "He had it on him, Director." "So?" "How's it going?" "Did you have a nice rest?" "What's your name?" "David Lamda." " How old are you?" "Why did you want to flee?" "Aren't you happy here?" "Maybe someone treated you badly?" "You're scared?" "We live in a civilized country." "Our institute is neither a mental hospital... nor a prison." "It's something more." "Something different." "Many people would like to be accommodated here." "You're lucky." "Our building is very old." "But our institutions are modern." "Very modern." "Good." "You can update the file." "No." "Go on, go on, please." "Good girls." "You can stay seated." "Sit down." "Good man." "That's interesting." "Let's see..." "So?" "Is everything all right?" "Calmer now?" "Try to stay calm." "And remember: no flights." "You get on well with us?" "Cheer up!" "...have been... destroyed by a heavy gunnery fire." "The last resistance has been crushed." "Extensive deployment of armoured vehicles." "Loss of life:" "only 2,300 dead." "The number of dead has risen to..." "It's worthless." "I can't buy it." "20." "A lot." "No." "Put five." "Too much." "Mine." "Three." " I can't buy it." "I'm giving you 35." "No." "Too much." "35." "It's worthless." "Three." "More." "No." " I can't buy it." "20?" " No." "25?" "Mine." "Listen." "Silence!" "Our mission..." "Our mission is to organise." "To give a meaning, a purpose, to everything." "I'm not personally interested in these things." "But the person whom I represent is an experienced man." "Tested." "Important who can do all that." "He might be a guide!" "And, in the end..." "Everything will be put in its place." "Everything will have a meaning." "Like everything that is here." "Like... all the things that are here and that belong to you." "Justly!" "Who's there?" "What are you doing here?" " Spy!" "Just a moment!" "What's your name?" "David Lamda." "You're bringing something." "Let me see." "Well?" "Do you really know where you are?" "He doesn't know." " He doesn't know." "After all..." "Even silence can fulfil its social function." "You'll have your position." "Like everyone else." "And now?" "You can go." "Go." "Go!" "Listen!" "Listen!" "Listen to the programme decreed by our Leader." "Our Leader as a sign of his unbounded benevolence has decided as follows:" "A public kitchen has to be opened for the subjects where they can eat..." "Eat every day!" "Furthermore, a large house of recreation will be opened." "The House of Pleasure!" "But the thing which might interest you most is this:" "Everyone will have their own position and will make a contribution through their own industry." "These are the works of reconstruction and peace." "And woe..." "Woe to him who dares threaten them." "From now on..." "I will be your Leader." "The Leader..." "You're listening to the voice... of the Leader." "Free speech..." "Free speech..." "For everyone." "It's very important..." "Important for you... to obey." "To be..." "To be... on the designated path." "To be... on the right line." "Acquire a sense." "A sense." "Not..." "Not asking too much." "A function." "A..." "A function... for everyone." "Important, isn't it?" "Important, yes." "The Leader..." "You are my Leader." "You'll have to please me now and then." "Won't you?" "The repose of the beast..." "Pacified beast." "Pacified?" "It's never clear the role a woman might assume in a story like this." "They say you've chosen her?" "For decoration, one object is as good as another." "One woman as another." "You see..." "You're surrounded by treacherous people." "You know?" "Instead, you can rely on me." "I can be useful to you." "Even though this might bother someone." "I can really watch your back." "You know?" "How beautiful you are!" "Your advice is precious." "Disorder is in the air." "And we must intervene." "But, I must wait for the right moment." "Of course, I speak as a technician." "To impose order, there aren't too many systems." "And we may not always delay." "But setting deadlines, it's beyond my scope." "Exactly." "Perhaps, the hour of technicians..." "is near." "Certainly." "Given the precariousness of means the most elementary methods are preferable." "Besides, elementary methods are always the most effective." "Terror needs to be spread simply and clearly." "Slowly." "With precision." "And with patience." "Almost with humility." "And this... within the context of a wider programme." "My programme!" "This terror must stay imprinted in the mind of man." "Constituting a warning." "A warning which is permanent." "I wanted to show you..." "Sure, sure, we agree on that." "But I'm less interested in the details." "The details..." "I'll leave them to you... and to the appropriate department." "So, are you man or woman?" "Man." "Good." "Young or old?" "Neither young nor old." "All right." "Better." "Better this way." "They told me about your activity." "I don't know much." "But it's something that interests me." "It really does." "I'm always happy when someone cares about me." "Look." "The dancer." "Oh, it's you." "I've brought..." " Let me see." "Well then?" "All these things are of little use." "However..." "The past... and the future." "Mind you, it's a future already present." "I don't want to go into technical details which, in this case, I consider absolutely superfluous." "However, it's necessary to distinguish." "Appearances can be deceptive." "There are also voluntary victims." "I would say they are part of my private human farm." "For example." "As you can see." "For us it's a continuous invention." "It's a pity that we move within very tight limits." "Few means..." "Few opportunities..." "Too tight." "I'm uninitiated in this field." "But, I understand that it takes inspiration other than technical competence." "I would say..." "A sense of entertainment!" "Our activity is..." " Above all, it's not a bureaucratic activity." "And, after all, it justifies itself." "Unfortunately, sometimes..." "Some people, grey and discoloured subordinate everything" "to the programme." "Too many general views." "Too many" "I'd say, to withstand for long." "Wouldn't you like to hope for something better?" "To hope... is always possible." "That man is watching us." "Strange." "It's mine!" "It's mine!" "Hands off!" "Give it to me!" "Silence!" "Attention!" "My friends..." "Please, be seated." "My dear friends." "This is a great day." "For you... and especially for me." "Ours is a meeting that, I promise you will repeat itself." "And will repeat itself often." "Dear friends..." "Mine is not an official speech." "It is simply a greeting, and at the same time a token of my joy at being here, among you." "At an important moment in your life." "Though an everyday occurence." "So, I turn to you with a simple question." "What is the most important thing for a human being?" "The most important thing for a human being is certainty!" "And what's the most important certainty for a human being?" "The most important certainty for a human being... is the certainty of a daily meal." "And it's exactly the certainty of this fundamental act of this ritual which is guaranteed by our Leader." "And by our laws." "By the same laws... that we respect." "That we hold dear." "And to which, we... we all... are firmly and sturdily devoted." "The confirmation of all that is having you assembled here." "Everyone with their position." "Everyone... with their everyday certainty." "Enough now!" "You can resume eating." "Is it good, the soup?" "Good, very good." "The soup is good?" "It's very good." "It's excellent!" "What's your name?" "David." "And how are you placed?" "I mean, what's your job?" "I roam around in the morning." "At the crack of dawn and I collect useful items." "And then..." "And then?" " Then, he cleans the floor." "He's a servant." "There, at the house..." "At our large house of recreation." "Good, very good." "Wonderful!" "What a mess!" "See?" "A greater concentration on your duties is needed." "It's no use... wasting one's time." "However..." "Your neckline is very nice." "I..." "I..." "Sometimes..." "I'm covered in shivers." "What are they doing?" "What's going on down there?" "Welcome." " No, dear." "There's no need." "Welcome between us." "Please, this way." "Come here, girls." "Everyone here." "Come, come forward." "Thank you, dear." "Well done." "What are you doing here?" "Go back to your place!" "Useless man!" "He's not, poor thing." "You aren't happy here?" "You don't like this place?" "You don't like me either?" "This is a servant with particular duties." "He's in charge of the upper storeys exclusively." "I see." "Good." "So, let's visit then the upper storeys." "You're extraordinary!" "You could be very... very high up." "Indeed." "But, for starters" "I don't dislike being here." "And, most of all... you can have important... encounters." "You can be of use to me." "I... think so." "High up, there's always a problem of rivalry for the one who moves things." "And I can't stand it." "And, most of all, I can't do with programmes and long-term people." "END OF PART ONE" "PART TWO" "A little more." "Like that." "Like a good boy." "Come on, dear." "But you have to get dressed." "You have to put on a nice suit." "People need to see you." "You're right." "If I hadn't many, good friends... how would I do it?" "Friends." "Yes." "They were saying..." "You'll see how nice it is!" "It's a thing... the most important thing." "Everyone is with you." "They are... good, but..." "But, I..." "I'm so tired." "They?" "Who's this "they"?" "What about me?" "Carcass!" "Look!" "Do you like my watchpost?" "Watching from high up is important." "Come on, wipe it!" "With that!" "Enough now." "It's getting late." "Go to bed." "Enough now!" "Hey, you!" "Just this once it worked out well for you." "Just this once." "Go!" "Halt!" "Not that way." "This way." "Compulsory road." "Destruction is indispensable." "The return to chaos is the beginning of a new creation." "The salvation of one is the salvation of everyone." "An old curse is looming!" "It's necessary to destroy." "Fire destroys..." "Frees... everything." "The whole country... to its foundations." "And then?" "Where?" "Elsewhere." "This is left up to you." "In the end... everything will seem clear." "Hey, shoeshine!" "How's life going?" "Good?" "Do they thrash the living daylights out of you?" "So..." "Now you don't even reply?" "Do you want me to kick you?" " Let him go, come on!" "I want to see this gentleman's house." "Eh?" "Will you show it to me?" "What's this?" "Where did you find it?" "Tell me." "Did you steal it by any chance?" "You want to get into trouble?" "No." "I found it." "It's lovely." "You see..." "To me, it's an important thing." "Who knows." "If you would listen to me... you might be able to help me." "He makes love with little statues." "Closing now!" "Attention!" "Attention!" "Our beloved deputy leader supporter and proponent of our Leader's directives has died." "Died under mysterious circumstances." "An inquiry will be opened and the truth ascertained." "I repeat:" "the truth will be ascertained." "And if culprits are found they will be severely punished!" "However, we needn't fear for our country's future and our rightful achievements." "New forces are ready to take the place of the noble deceased and consolidate and revivify the works." "Attention!" "Attention!" "The body of the deputy leader... thanks to special studies and difficult experiments carried out in our laboratories under the creative impulse of the technicians will be preserved in a special crystal urn." "In a crystal urn!" "As though he were alive!" "Visible to all!" "I repeat:" "Visible to all!" "At certain and special hours to be announced at a later time." "May I?" "They hurt you" "I heard." "Where?" "Here?" "Poor thing." "I'm sorry." "But things have changed, you know." "You'll see, it won't happen again." "And that one?" "What is this?" "Well?" "I found it." "And you didn't hand it over." "Anyway, it mustn't be worth much." "Yes, yes." "I found it." "Or, perhaps, they gave it to me." "Who... gave it to you?" "I don't know." "I don't know him." "One must destroy." "Destroy everything." "Set the country on fire." "And, then, it will change." "It'll change... in the end." "He said that." "That's what he said." "What about you?" "What do you think?" "Do you think it's right?" "It is." "Interesting, the idea of the tribunal, isn't it?" " Indeed." "You see..." "The great deceased didn't have a great imagination." "Sure." "Most of all, his friends weren't that important." "Among women." "And I... in my capacity as a humble servant" "may I take part in the tribunal?" "I know very well... the venue... and the rest." "And then..." "Then..." "We'll see." "This Commission convened here today in extraordinary session has been apprised of a project." "The proposer, or rather, the informant is, the here present, David..." "David..." "Lamda." "It follows that he is the proponent of and vouches for the ideas of an individual or individuals not clearly identified." "And whom, nevertheless, the here present, David Lamda maintains not to know." "The plan is to destroy." "To set the country on fire." "The proposer confirms?" "Yes." "It can't be denied." "There's something old-fashioned." "Despite everything perhaps even here." "Some walls are crumbling." "The sewage systems are inadequate." "Indeed." "Therefore, it's necessary to rebuild the country." "After having destroyed it." "How?" "I don't know." "Where?" "Here?" "Or elsewhere?" "I don't know." "Maybe elsewhere." "This is a cursed place!" "I think these clarifications are secondary, given the case." "We know that you, among other things, are taking care... of the garbage." "So..." "This little statue... is yours?" "Do you like it much?" "Take it." "Take it." "A love of objects." "But this little statue..." "Did you find it or was it given to you?" "I found it." "But, I don't know for sure." "A chair!" "A chair for David Lamda!" "It's not fair for him to be standing." "You can think better sitting in a more comfortable position." "It's a contribution to the collective work." "This Commission considers it to be a very interesting project." "Without doubt, a thing worthy of importance." "And it is connected obviously, generally speaking." "However, this Commission of ours has no strictly deliberative powers." "Rather, we could say, it acts in an advisory capacity." "And at the same time... and at the same time stimulating." "I repeat:" "stimulanting." "And if necessary, stimulating for everyone." "The flame will pass through the country." "It will pass before dawn." "A great blaze will greet the light of day." "At this point, it is necessary to make things clear." "This is not to be understood as an order." "But an encouragement." "The first one who will have to light this flame and choose a place from where the fire should spread... is you." "A high treason has been perpetrated against each one of you!" "An individual of ours, a madman has plotted in secret and schemed with abominable plans." "And this happened while a rightful peace was reigning over the country accompanied by a willingness to consolidate and by a youthful and innovative impetus." "This man, whose name it is unnecessary to mention because his name will not make history had planned to destroy your homes and thus your lives." "The subversive spark flared up in the night." "But it was snuffed out due to watchful eyes and by a prompt intervention." "Now, this man will be condemned to an exemplary punishment!" "And he'll burn!" "Burn!" "By the same fire." "By the same flame he wanted to bring against you." "And at the same dawn that would have greeted the conflagration and collapse of the whole country." "Halt!" "Attention!" "Listen!" "After a careful assessment of the facts and acting in accordance with the new directives we have arrived at the following conclusions:" "We cannot and don't want to be the ones to decide the fate of that man." "We wanted to give you only the indications." "Suggestions." "You know that one who's speaking now is particularly close to you!" "And it's to you we hand over this man." "I repeat:" "Only you are the judges of his fate." "Set the man free." "English subtitles:" "marooned2  corvusalbus, KG"