"Life as a Fatal Sexually-Transmitted Disease" "Starring" "Music" "Director of Photography" "Written and Directed by" "Watch out!" "He's got a knife!" "I'm holding his hands." "Father, we've caught a thief." "He broke his leg." "They'll hang him." "Father" "We're going to hang a thief." "Hear his confession so that his soul won't go to hell." " What did he do?" " He's a horse thief." "He got away once but not this time." "Untie him." "Else he won't cross himself." "Confess your sins." "Are you contrite?" "Ask God for forgiveness." "He's in no condition to be punished now." "Deserves to be hanged." "Help me." "Just deserts on earth?" "Yes." "But not eternal damnation." "None of you would burden your conscience with that." " What then, Father?" " I've been thinking..." "I'll take care of him in the monastery... and deliver him to you when he is ready." "We respect your wisdom, Father." "Still, what if he bolts again?" "I wouldn't worry." "He is ready as I promised you." "You may hang him now." "Cut!" "Away from the horses!" "Call the doctor." "Quick!" "And the ambulance!" "Let me help you." "May I?" " No, you may not." " Where is it?" " Here." "Scissors or a knife?" "I have to cut the trouser leg." "Wait a minute." "May I be of help?" "Too early for the last rites, Father." "To stanch the blood." "It hurts?" "As softly as I can." "Leave your costume, please, before you go to the hospital." "Get back, please!" "Don't cut it." "I told her to do it." "None of your business." "I'm a student of medicine." "So much the worse." "Better use your brains before you act." "Doesn't bleed much, indeed." "So cut it and we'll take them off." " Want me at the X-ray?" " No, I won't faint, doc." "I'd better stay here." "It never rains but it pours, you know." "You OK?" "Good luck." "I wonder how they solved it in the script." "St. Bernard's chronicle doesn't say whether they hanged him." "I couldn't care less, Father." "He'd have been dead by now, anyway." "Does it say what Bernard did to make him surrender himself?" "Nothing that I know of." "That's the most important thing!" " He may've converted him." " What d'you mean?" "Lt'd take a long time to explain." "Please." "I'm in no hurry." "You really want me to?" "Yes." "Please tell me." "Come round to our monastery." "Call any time." "I got a mobile phone." " To hear confessions too?" " Oh, nonsense." "Come over and we'll talk." "You're most welcome." "You may be sure I will." "Any idea how they tackled it in the script?" "Not a clue." "They're shooting it in France." "I'm here to check the way Bernard hears the confession." "Now that they've finished with him, I'm off." "Thank you." "Can't you wait a spell?" "Extras eat later." "It's not about grub." " Sir, I want to apologize." " For the cutting?" "Why, I told her to do it too." "What is it, then?" "Well, nothing really." "Is there a problem?" "Be seated, please." " Anything bothering you?" "Like everybody." "Everybody has problems." "I study medicine." "In which year?" " Sophomore." "Since you're a doctor, I have a question, sir." "But I'm just an ordinary GP." "Well, what is it?" "When you were a student, didn't it bother you to deal with death every day?" " You mean autopsy?" " No... not only." "A doctor must always be ready to witness death, like a priest." "And I won't stand it." "It's too depressing." "I seem to be hypersensitive or abnormal." "I can't admit it in college." "Hence my question." "Hard to talk about myself." "I'm of the WW II generation." "A totally different experience." "The way you put it, this is not so simple." "You must be hypersensitive." "Else you wouldn't be here." "That's what this movie is about." "No." "I have no idea what it's all about." "Neither do I." "As I got a friend here, I've hooked up with the crew." "Excuse me, please." "This food's bland." "I'll go and read for a spell." "This is where you've holed up." "Me?" "What's up?" "I wouldn't let anybody leave the location in costume." "And you sent the stuntman away in the ambulance." "We wrap tonight, pack up the costumes and go." "How am I going to find him?" "His leather jacket, you see?" "If you ask me I'll call and lean where he is." "Pretty please." "Not enough." "Quid pro quo." "So unexpectedly?" " Life's short, so why wait?" "I'd hurt my boyfriend." "Things are looking down?" "How do you know?" "I've been around." "This a serious relationship?" "Very." "That's why I worry if we'll make it." " Do you have to?" " We'd like to." "How did you find out?" "I sense it." "I have other questions." "Give me a call in Warsaw." "I will." "Got a wife?" "Yes." "Why?" " Something wrong with her?" " Of course." "Why d'you ask?" "Scared that you'd make us split up?" "Or that you wouldn't be able to?" "I would if I wanted to." "But I don't." "My marriage is history." "But you have nice breasts." " I know." " That's a lot." " Not enough yet." " Why don't you study?" "Like you, huh?" "Want to heal others better?" "Not others, myself." "Your test results are not good, dear colleague." "So I won't tell you things may look up." "Like we both tell the patients." "Rather than bother about it, bite the bullet and hang in there." "Or take a sick leave and live it up while you can." "And then be sure we'll do the best we can to help you." "Just asking." "Is there anything that can be done here?" "They do some experiments in France, but it costs, you know." "An active physician, you may count on the ministry to reimburse the expenses." "Yet, it takes a miracle for them to shell out for anything." "Speaking of miracles..." "Are there records of healing by unconventional methods?" "I sound more like a patient than a doctor, right?" "But I find it hard to be both." "Take it from me, our helplessness, mortifies me." "As a matter of fact... are you staying on with us?" "I think so." "We'll sec." "I promise, sir, to go on as long as I can." "Yes?" " Is Ms. Ann in?" " Who are you?" "Her ex." " You made an appointment?" " Yes, I did." "When was that?" "Is she away?" " She must've forgotten." " When was that again?" "At our wedding." "For today?" "For better or worse, mister." "When is she back?" "Now in London, she wouldn't know herself." " Want me to call her?" " Sure." "Your ex is here about the appointment." "The one we made at our wedding and divorce." "I have a problem." "Why don't you press the speaker phone?" " No, it was to him." " Name's Karol." "She knows but I could care less." " Stop fighting!" "What is it?" " As always." "I bought you an apartment and shared your car payments." "I don't have a gold mine." " What a pity." " Stop kidding." " When are you back?" "I don't know." "It's important." " In a week or a month?" " Is it urgent?" "Yes." "It's a matter of days." " Good." "I'm back in a week." " So a week from now." "I'll leave Karol my Paris number just in case." "Will you be there?" "I may." "If it's a ticket to a congress, Karol may buy it for you." "A ticket would be enough." "And something else later." " Yes?" "Good." "You have conjunctivitis." "Better go to the doctor." "I do." "And your ticket?" "When?" "I want it yesterday." "When was that checkup?" "I get it." "About a month ago." "Can we trust your laboratory?" "Our therapy depends on such diagnoses and some survive." "Will you operate?" "Would you?" "No." "I have neither your experience nor equipment." "Suppose you did." "I don't know." "We may operate and then realise that it was a mistake." "We may be able to but as soon as possible." "And we'd give a checkup first and operate right away." "Would you like to take the risk of operation?" " Me?" " Yes." "If we had new test results, and more optimistic at that," "I'd take a chance." "The process may accelerate, or slow down, or even disappear." "I'd rather trust nature... and spare the patient additional suffering." "Usually, in 50% of cases there is a relapse." "Yet, each case is different." "How's your patient?" "As you see." "It's me." "Could you say" "How much does it cost?" "Hospitalization about F 75000." "The operation, dear colleague, would be free of charge." " Thank you." " You welcome." "I hope to get the money." "You shouldn't put it off." "It was diagnosed rather late." "You've been taking little care of yourself." "I've had more interesting cases." "She isn't back yet." "You got her phone number?" "She's on a trip and sometimes calls me." "And her mobile phone?" "But she's in Russia now... where you can't get through everywhere." "If she calls, tell her to give me ring." "Each day counts." "Interest?" "There're more important things than money." "But it was about money." "Get me in touch with her... as soon as possible." "You can see it clearly here." "Can you submit your research results in your condition?" "I'd like to present them at the congress." "By 'my condition' you mean cancer, sir?" "You've been to Paris, they tell me." "And you'll have surgery." "Count on me if you apply to the ministry." "But they're unlikely to shell out anything." "Yet you should try." "What for?" "Unless you get other options." "Looking about for some." "Hope for the best, then." "Yes, it's hope or clout." "I can still hook up with the mob." "They need doctors." "Or help the junkies for dough." "No kidding, please." "I mean it, sir." "My life's on the line." " I'll see what I can do." " Nothing, sir." "You might have in the commie times." "Now it's the almighty dollar." "You could use part of my research." "It's important." "Or else we don't get grants." "I could use one too, sir." "How's your arm?" "I take your pills but my arm still hurts." "The pills and dope don't mix." "What can I take with them?" "That's why I called you, as you'd asked me about it." "I'm hard up, you see." "Wonderful, doc!" "When I'm back from the road, call me and we'll cut a deal." "But I can't wait." "We're supplied for now." "I won't risk taking any more." "May I take your pill when I do a line?" "Why, coke's an anesthetic." "A weak one." "So you don't recommend mixing." "A mix really has a kick." "Go ahead, then." "You sure love life, doc." "I wish you understood your babble." "Look!" "A rerun of my concert." "I didn't think they'd bother." "It's proof how good it is." "When will they run it?" "In two weeks." "I may be away by that time." "I may be gone too." " Where?" "Home feet first." "Oh, come on." "Stop it, sonny." "I'll be right back." "As you leave for treatment, I'll be frank with you." "In your plight, you'll understand me." "What if he gets worse and they don't give him painkillers?" "Can you leave me some morphine, doctor?" "I'm a responsible person." "When it happens, I'll solve my problems too." "Do I mix it with that?" "Yes." "You're so understanding." "As the English say:" "We're in the same boat." "But I still try to paddle upstream." "You've met, right?" "Would you mind if he stays?" "I'm sorry I would." "Do we still have intimate topics between us?" "I think we do." "You kidding?" "No." "If you mind listening to disgusting things, why don't you sit over there?" "What disgusting things do you mean?" "Well, if you both want to listen, be my guest." "Ann, darling..." "I have a problem." "I'm rotting inside." "I don't get it." "Didn't I tell you it's disgusting?" "We seem to think that one rots after death." "Sometimes one does when still alive." "From birth on, in fact." "Though nobody notices or feels it." "Sometimes the process accelerates as in my case." "I have cancer." "Excuse me." "You don't have to worry." "Sit down." "As if you learned... that someone is HIV positive." "Disgusting." "But cancer is not contagious." "It's terrible." "So is death." "But I want to talk about a more disgusting thing." "Money." "Can you pay for my surgery in Paris?" "It would be about $ 15,000." "At the moment... about a thousand dollars" "and a check." "How do I do it?" "For tax deduction, write it out to the hospital." "You know its name?" "Thank you." "Else the IRS would be after you." "I could care less." "There have been changes since your last visit." "You could see yourself..." "Unfortunately, we can't intervene now." "It'd only make things worse." "Sad to say, it's impossible to operate now." "Have you noticed any symptoms?" "I feel weak." "That's all." "It's most important not to make things worse." "Primum non nocere." "Let nature take its course." "Nature evolves toward death, dear colleague." "Yet it defends itself." "Exactly." "But finally loses." "Do I tear the check?" "I don't know what to do with it now." "Yes, you can tear it." "No charge for the tests." "Try to take care." "The process is quite slow." "Come in, please." "You gave a patient's mother painkillers before you left." "Only administered on doctors orders." "You're an accomplice to a suicide." "She gave her son a lethal dose of morphine." "He must've been in pain." "But the dose was lethal." "And then she took it herself." "You're guilty of two deaths." "Why are you so shocked?" "Why, you took the Hippocratic oath." "And I speak as a Catholic." "How come?" "Didn't you use to be a Party member?" "That's my business." "You're guilty of two deaths." "If you think so... why don't you call the D.A.?" "I'd be the first Polish Dr. Death." "A dying Dr. Death?" " What a scoop?" " Out of the question!" "I'll keep it a secret." "Only if you quit right now." "You may return here only as a patient." "Deal." " Are you leaving, doc?" " You might say so." "Let me walk you to the car." "I'll drop in the morgue to look on two I helped depart." " You kidding?" " No." "You made a mistake?" "Me?" "It's God who did when He created us." "The Bible says man was created immortal." "Since Adam sinned, he died." "I wish I could've got at that Adam." "You believe in resurrection of the body?" "Don't worry if you do." "The soul is far away already." ""Live as if God existed", says Pascal." ""And you'll lose nothing even if it turns out He doesn't."" "Why, man loses all he could do with impunity." "Nice things are forbidden." "So in return God offers himself to us." "If one believes in Him." "And you claim that faith is love." "As He doesn't seem to love me, what should I do?" "Ask for His love." "I'm quite happy He does not love me, though." "God makes people do things they are least inclined to do." "Like what?" "To take care of others." "And I'm through with that." "Wouldn't you like others to take care of you?" "I'd detest it." "God tells me to suffer when I don't want to." "By suffering one may redeem oneself from all sins." "I haven't sinned against anyone." "Unless my helping others avoid suffering is a sin." "You may suffer in order to save this world." "And you really think this world is worth saving?" "St. Bernard appeared to one of our late friars in his dream." "And now he appears in person." "Why?" " We don't know." "To different friars, not to me." "He doesn't speak, though." "We checked if any special intentions had been neglected..." "None." "We wait for his sign to understand what he means." "Special intentions?" "Is that sufficient reason to appear after death?" "Very much so." "A soul tormented in Purgatory is no small matter." "How saintly was he while still alive?" "He must've been, as his body fails to decay" "It's no proof whatsoever." "It may be the microclimate." "Or maybe a miracle..." "Why 'maybe'?" "A miracle or nature's laws?" "Does one exclude the other?" "On the contrary." "It's God who lays down the laws of nature, exercises or breaches them." "Some take it for a sign, others, for pure coincidence." "You were to inquire about St. Bernard." "What did he tell the horse thief, to make him accept death?" "Something that helped him believe that rather than end everything death starts eternal life," "communion with love, illimitable and infinite." "The cost of a trip around the world for one, right?" "A Hollywood actor rented a jumbo jet once for a solo flight from Paris to LA." "I wonder how much it cost him?" "The point was he had AIDS as far as I remember." "AIDS?" "So what?" "Including all three-star hotels and economy class plane seats it all adds up to $ 10,000." "Since I'll get twice as much for my apartment, make it business class." "Are you moving out?" "You might say so." "I plan... to move to a graveyard." " We all will sooner or later." " How right you are." "The problem is how soon, not how late." "Yet..." "Please leave the message after the beep." "I don't care for any massages you'd like to leave." "I wonder whether to leave the wall fern outside." "Inside, it may wilt." "In the wood, it withers come winter." "Yet it sprouts again in spring." "Potted plants fare best inside in winter." "That's it." "So I'll..." "I can take keep your fern over the winter." "This is Dr. Berg." "Send the ambulance to my house." "It has started..." "I'll be grateful, professor... if you stop bothering about me." "I got everything I need." "A sister-in-charge is enough." "But this may abate." "We'd like to help you... to control the pain." "That's what I mean." "And I'll do it, not you." "Good bye, sir." "In the true sense of the word." "You don't get it?" "Good bye for ever and ever." "Amen." "A new convert, you should know this formula:" "Nunc etsemper et insecula seculorum." "Good bye." "No, no, no good bye." "Good day." "Out with you, moron!" "How goes it?" "All in order." "How about you?" "No order here, chaos rather." "You see, kid, order fights chaos all the time." "Order means life." "The rest is chaos." "Just babbling." "Could you do me a favour?" "See these prescriptions?" "They'll fill them in the drugstore downstairs." "What else?" "Come over when you feel like it." "I can manage here." "How's your boyfriend?" "Things are looking up." "Why don't you start loving each other... while you may?" " Where did you get them?" " They're yours, doc." "If I knew how you torment that girl..." "I torment myself." "You've been very helpful." "Me?" "You showed me a sign." "Nobody wants to show me one, though." "I'm really grateful, doc." "This is blackmail, my friend." "Why?" "Now that you're grateful," "I'll have to try to be even better to you... not to lose your gratitude." " How can I help you?" " You can't." "How about a private clinic?" "To ruin you?" "I'll leave this." "What for?" "Who should I call?" "They won't get me heaven on the line." "Too far away." "How do you know?" "You know the area code?" "OK." "Give me." "If I ask them, they'll put it in the coffin, so that you can call me during the funeral." "Stop kidding." "Sorry." "I promise to do without a funeral." "Let me say good bye." "Forgive me." "I won't be coming any more." "Nothing to forgive." "We've been through this lots of times." "I haven't been very good to you." "This code activates the phone." "The battery will last a week." "What a lot of time." "Goodbye." " Someone been here?" " Where?" "At night." "You didn't see a monk?" "I never left my room." "May visitors come unannounced?" "Who?" "A cleric." "Could they have let him in?" "Sometimes they come for the last rites." "Could you check it at the reception?" "It's very important." "The 6 a.m. Shift doesn't register visitors." "I called the monastery to check if it was Father Mark." "But he was away." "They didn't know where." "Impossible to know... if he went to Warsaw." "He knew I was here." "He might've come over, but wouldn't wake me." "He couldn't have come here." "He has no business in Warsaw." "They could've invited him to the premiere of the film." "The distributors care about the Church's support." " When was it?" " Yesterday." "Will you go see the film?" "You want us to tell you about the scenes in France?" "No need." "How about you two?" "Nothing to speak of." "How come?" "Wouldn't you like to water flowers in my apartment?" "You can keep the keys." "After it's sold, the new owner will change the locks." "Live it up while you may." "Pass me the briefcase." "Go now." "You still alive?" "Excuse me." "Has anything happened to the doctor?" "He' s still in the same condition." "I got so scared." "Close the window, please." "I don Y care for any messages you 'd like to leave." "Kids, you don't have to answer now." "Come over in the afternoon." "I'm a little better now and would like to talk." "Pour it away." "What was it?" "Fuel for a space trip." "From here to eternity." "We owe you something important, doc." "It's serious?" "You better believe it." "I won't sell that apartment, I think." "I've written a letter to that effect." "You can stay there." "Sell my car to have money for the taxes." "This is my donation." "And how about you?" "My next home... is six feet deep." "I've made up my mind... to get rid of this problem." "But you feel much better now." "That's why I'll tell you how it was with Chekhov." "On his deathbed," "he asked for a glass of Champagne, drank it," "said, "Ich sterbe"" "as it was in Germany, turned to the wall," "and died." "Sorry to bother you, but I believe it's important." "Would you like to make your peace with God?" "I have already." "Should I send for someone to hear your confession?" "He was here." "I don't know whether for real or in my dream." "But he was here for sure." "Makes no difference." "It's God who sends those dreams." "My friends, now is the time." "Our colleague Dr. Berg has left his body in the service of science." "I don't have to remind you that man's body should be dealt with all due respect." "Let us begin." "Who volunteers to make the first cut?" "Maybe you?" "It's only flesh, so why hesitate?" "Subtitles:" "Jerzy Siemasz"