"You're the only guy among us women." "You look like an actor." "Just like Tom Cruise." "What a lot of work!" "Has your son passed his exams?" "Yes, thanks." "Has your daughter passed her exams?" "I'm working!" "How incredibly slow." "Papers." "Here are mine, my grandmother's, and the authorisation." "I'll be right back, Dad." "Ada, dear!" "Wait!" "You're working?" "How come?" "I'm helping my dad." "I thought so." "How about tonight?" "I can't, I have work to do." "It's too much." ""Dear Mum," ""Sorry for writing so late," "I haven't had a moment to myself." ""You said there are three things when looking for a flat:" ""The area, the area, and the area." ""Well, I've found a two-room flat near Montmartre." ""From my window I see the streets you dreamt of walking in with Dad." ""Now I'm looking for steadier work than construction work." ""There's a job I might be able to share with Niko." ""Don't worry about me." ""How are things?" "I hope you and Marina don't quarrel too much." ""I know Ada can be relied on to smooth things over." ""Here's a little money." "It's the best I can do for now." ""Lots of kisses." "Your adoring son." "Otar."" "There's his new address." "Thank you." "Hello, my darlings!" "I'm home." "Where are you?" "Ada, darling, look what I've brought you." "You're going to like it!" "It's very pretty, I liked it very much." "Go on, try it on." "It looks good on you, look!" "You're very pretty." "Thanks, Mum." "It isn't my style." "Why?" "I think it's very feminine." "Mum!" "Interested in news from your brother?" "At last, he remembered us!" "We've written back to him, do you want to add something?" "No, I don't." "If you're so worried, darling, you're welcome to take my place." "I bet he hasn't sent any money." "Pick up your coat!" "Ada, bring me the carrots." "What a mess!" "Can you help me?" "No, Mum, I have work to do." "The Ministry of Energy signed a contract with the EU today to fund the reconstruction of the Engouri dam, which was completely destroyed in the accident in 1994." "To improve people's lives..." "Look at that liar!" "You can see he doesn't mean a word of it!" "Help me please, Zouri." "Thanks." "How are you?" "Your stall's here now?" "There you are, love." "How are you?" "That's your lowest price?" "Yes, my lowest price." "Look at what I brought, Tenguiz." "It's my neighbour's." "I don't know what it's worth but it's ancient." "A wedding present maybe." "It's factory made." "It's worth nothing." "Really?" "They taught you to lie in the army?" "You learnt business at engineering school?" ""Princess des Laumes said," ""Really, if Swann were thirty years older with a weak bladder" ""he might be excused for running off like this." ""He thought the charm of spring he could not enjoy in Combray" ""he would find in the Ile des Cygnes or in Saint Cloud." ""He was welcomed by the short phrase of the sonata" ""played in the garden on the restaurant piano..."" "Hello, Uncle Otar, how are you?" "Yes, I'm glad..." "No, not yet, I was giving her evening massage." "Well..." "Otar, I knew it was you." "No, I'm not asleep yet." "You got my letter?" "You tell me, what can I tell you?" "My life isn't very exciting." "What?" "I can hardly hear you." "Yes, I'm leaving on Friday with Mzia." "Just a week to stock up on fruit." "Without you, the dacha isn't the same." "Otar, darling... thanks again for the money you sent us." "I don't want you to go wanting." "I'm taking care of it, you must be joking!" "Last winter she was grateful for the potatoes." "Look, she's telling on me!" "Mum..." "Don't "Mum" me, then he tells me off!" "Marina, your brother wants to talk to you." "Don't tell me I'm paranoid!" "What does he want?" "I don't know, let me talk to him afterwards." "I got cut off." "Stalinist!" "If being a Stalinist means being honest, patriotic, altruistic..." "then I'm a Stalinist!" "And proud of it too!" "Stalin was a great man." "A great man!" "He was a murderer your Stalin was." "Stop it, we don't give a damn about Stalin!" "Stalin never ordered anyone's death!" "I can prove it." "Damn, where are the matches?" "Stalin would have sorted this mess out!" "Go to bed." "No, he'll call to say goodbye." "I'm sure he won't." "I'm sure he will." "She always has to change everything around!" "I'll miss my little treasure." "Studies come first." "Of course." "A hard worker, she'll go far!" "Yes, she's marvellous." "We're lucky." "We have good sons." "Thoughtful, always ready to help." "That's our joy!" "Thanks a lot, goodbye." "Don't touch Otar's room." "You'll sleep here!" "All right." "Why don't you ever invite Tenguiz to dinner?" "He's more fun in bed." "You're awful!" "It's true, he can be a real bore at table." "You work together, you've nothing to say in the evening." "I suppose so." "No, I'm her daughter," "Otar's sister and Eka's daughter." "No, she's in the country." "What's happened?" "What?" "It's not possible." "What's the matter?" "Who was it?" "Your uncle's friend." "I've forgotten his name." "Niko?" "He said Otar had an accident." "He said it was very serious." "He was crying." "Excuse me, where's office 228?" "This is the floor of the 3s." "228 is on the floor of the 2s." "Even since the Independence they're just as stupid!" "Excuse me, we've come about my brother." "He's been living in Paris for two years." "Your name?" "I mean, his name?" "Otar Goguebachvili." "We'd made an appointment." "Sit" "I prefer to tell you straight away," "I have very unpleasant news." "On the 11th of this month, your relative was admitted to hospital." "What does he have?" "I'm afraid he's dead." "I'm terribly sorry." "Are you going to bring the body home?" "How can we tell her?" "We don't even know how he died." "You look a little pale." "Ada, you know what I'd like to do?" "I'd like us to write to Otar." "Get some rest first, then we'll write the letter." "I have many things to tell him!" "Ada, how are you?" "Eka's back, isn't she?" "Yes, she has jam for you." ""Our Consulate in Paris has sent the following details." ""On June 11th, 2002," ""Otar Goguebachvili was found" ""at the foot of a scaffold." ""The French police say he fell from the fifth floor." ""He died from his wounds on the way to hospital." ""The foreman is facing charges" ""because your brother did not have a work visa." ""The building company denies having hired him." ""We confirm that your brother's body" ""has been provisionally buried free of charge" ""in the concession for the poor in the Thiais cemetery in Paris."" "We must tell her everything now." "Why?" "What's the point?" "I don't know." "What do other people do?" "I don't give a damn about others!" "I can't hurt my mother." "I think Ada's right." "Have you been here long?" "Give it." "You've already opened it?" "You want me to read it?" "Don't take it badly, Marina, but you read without any feeling and your accent is awful!" "I prefer Ada." ""Dear Mum," ""This short letter is to give you news of me." ""Last time I told you I was looking for work." ""Niko and I have a new job in a Russian restaurant," ""in the kitchen." ""Don't laugh, cooking and medicine have a lot in common." ""My visa problems are being sorted out." ""I'm expecting an appointment soon." ""Forgive me if I don't call any more but I work very late" ""and I don't want to wake you in the middle of the night." ""And I can't have the phone put in at home," "Imperialists!" "They tempt you but it's "hands off"!" "How can I contact him?" "The phone never works anyway!" ""Take care of yourself." "Kiss my sister and my niece." ""Fond kisses." "Your son, Otar."" "Things can't be all that easy for him." "This time he hasn't sent a bean." "I don't feel well." "Ada isn't at all well." "It isn't serious." "She needs to shake out of it." "She doesn't eat anything." "Mum, she's never eaten much!" "You've never loved your daughter properly." "Neither have you." "She seems fed up with her studies." "She should stop." "You're mad!" "You always lacked ambition." "She's my daughter, she'll do what I want!" "Not too hot!" "Shut your eyes." "Cold water, quick!" "Coming, stop shouting." "It's over..." "Why are you shouting?" "I didn't do it on purpose." "You never do anything on purpose!" "Come here straight away!" "I tested the water, it was fine." "You're playing up!" "I have too many debts," "I daren't ask Tenguiz any more." "Get your uncle to write that he can't send any more money." "That'll make him pass off for a bastard." "Then we won't celebrate your grandma's birthday." "What if we sold this?" "No, I'm fond of it." "And the French books?" "Mum would kill me, they belonged to my grandfather." "All his life, he had them sent from France." "We hid them from the Bolsheviks in tarred cases." "If it were only up to me," "I'm fed up with France!" "Just a few, no one will notice." "No, it's impossible." "You invent a dead man's life, you imitate his handwriting," "it's sick." "I can't look your grandmother in the eye." "Otar is between us." "At night I dream of Otar." "How long will this go on?" "Five, ten years?" "Look, a man." "At last, we need a man on this floor!" "Who do you think he is?" "If he's a plumber, send him to me." "Wait." "It could be Alexi." "Alexi isn't for me." "Don't despise men like your mother." "I can't stand them at the moment!" "I'm off." "Bye!" "You need to fuck!" "I don't believe it." "Stop your gossiping!" "Mum!" "Come on, let's go for a stroll." "See how people change." "When he was young he wouldn't write a line." "But he was the king of the telephone." "But now he writes more." "At medical school in Moscow he used to call at night to tell us about his dissections." "It was awful, I couldn't get back to sleep." "He never called at night." "Yes, he did." "We'd chat a long time." "That's how I knew about his love affairs." "When your dad was in Afghanistan he called only twice in two years!" "He didn't ask for news of me?" "He had news." "I wrote to him every week." "I even went to see a fortune teller." "I wanted news of your father." "She was very good." "He'd been dead 3 weeks and she kept telling me stories about him." "Shit, no!" "Life's impossible in this fucking country!" "Ada" "Ada" "For years we've had to convert to making toilets but it's stopped for now because there's no gas." "Your French is perfect." "Thank you." "I've been speaking since I was young." "I learnt with my grandmother." "Our family's always loved France." "You often go to France?" "Regularly, I have family there." "Don't hesitate to call me next time." "Thank you." "After you." "We were the first exporters of the former USSR, of Europe too." "And we are the most skilled in Georgia." "Five laris?" "Not bad for a first try." "I know many who wouldn't complain." "Once they invest you'll get a lot more." "It won't be long now." "I have a plan." "Really?" "My friend Yuri met a friend of his who works on a cargo." "Apparently once a month..." "Are you listening?" "The cargo stops off at Istanbul." "Then it's straight to Switzerland." "What's funny?" "One day, I'll blow the horn of my BMW under your window, and I'll be loaded with cash." "I won't even lean out of my window." "I have plans too." "With your uncle?" "Tell me." "No way." "It's all for one and Capitalism for all!" "Tell me about it." "No, I have no plans." "I've even found a job." "The intellectual gives in!" "Shut up!" ""Crazy..." ""And after that crazy Saturday," ""I strolled in St-Germain-des-Prs on Sunday." ""It was like being in one of the films we used to see" ""at the French cultural center." ""I entered the Cafe Flore, and before I knew it" ""I ended up at another table" ""deep in conversation with people I'd never met before." ""People were talking about film, poetry, music..." ""I wish you could see it too." ""I left with an invitation" ""to see Boris Godunov at the Opera." ""He suddenly felt..." ""I suddenly felt great affection for them." "Grandmother..." "Goodnight, darling." "I love you." "Don't worry, Mum, everything will be all right." "Excuse me, I'm looking for cardiology." "Cardiology, that's me." "I'll be right there." "I'll wait for you." "She's in a state of cardiac shock." "She'll be better in a few days." "Okay, thank you." "I'm sorry, I don't have any money on me." "I'm waiting for a friend." "You can pay when he gets here." "Don't forget the drip and the Heparin." "Two a day." "Do you know at which pharmacy to buy it?" "You were difficult to find." "Can you give the man 100 laris?" "If something happens to her" "I will have been right not to have told her." "I'm not sure." "She's isn't dead yet." "I'm sure she'll be all right." "She won't die before seeing her son." "Old people are like that." "Ada, what are you waiting for?" "I'm not coming." "What do you mean?" "Why not?" "I can't any more." "I can't spend the day here." "Stop it, the worst is over." "No!" "Stop it!" "That moustache doesn't suit him!" "I like it very much." "What do you think?" "Does it suit him?" "I don't know." "A moustache is virile." "My husband had one like Stalin." "I've already seen it." "I vote for the moustache." "Where's the money from?" "I won the lottery." "It's my Otar calling." "Hello!" "Ada, bring me a chair!" "It's me!" "Is there anything for me?" "Not today." "Sorry to bother you." "I'm Niko, from Paris." "A friend of Otar's." "It was me who called about Otar." "My condolences." "Who is it?" "Pretty flowers!" "Grandma, it's Niko from Paris." "Otar's friend." "The Niko in the letters?" "You're alone?" "Yes." "Otar didn't even warn us." "He could have phoned." "Come in." "Take off your coat." "Let me kiss you." "How's my son?" "Did you have a pleasant trip?" "Do you mind if we speak French?" "No." "How's my son?" "How is he?" "Well, he's fine." "How's his morale?" "His health?" "In his letters, he's always very well but I haven't spoken to him for seven months." "He didn't give you anything for me?" "He meant to, but we had so many hassles." "Hassles?" "How are you?" "Are you on holiday?" "What hassles?" "It's nothing." "Otar's doing great." "He didn't say if he was coming?" "I don't know." "He doesn't tell me everything, but of course he intends to." "He talks about you so often." "I must go." "I just dropped by to bring news." "Please stay a while." "Wait a minute, I'll prepare something for him." "When are you going back?" "I don't know, very soon." "Ada, prepare a note." "But he's in a hurry." "Go on, write." ""Just a few goodies" ""for those difficult evenings." ""I miss you so." ""Your mother who will always love you."" "Thank you, give him a big kiss from me." "I will." "I'll accompany you." "Goodbye." "Tell me, does he have a girlfriend?" "Sometimes." "But no steady girlfriend." "No, keep it." "You aren't asleep?" "That's good." "I look terrible." "Don't forget the plums." "A day late is too late." "No, I won't." "Take your time." "Don't worry about me." "Don't worry." "If there's a problem..." "You've already told me." "Leaving her alone..." "I'm leaving tomorrow." "Sure?" "One hundred percent." "It's one of Yuri's schemes." "I'll send postcards." "Go on!" "If you need anything call me." "I don't like deserters!" "What a layabout he is!" "And you're as tactful as ever!" "I lack tact?" "Not at all." "I wish I were in love with you." "The wishing tree!" "Please stop." "No." "Why, we've always stopped?" "I'm fed up with such foolishness." "As usual it'll take two to three weeks." "Believe me, it was much better before!" "How can I be sure my letter will get there?" "There's a church nearby, go and light a candle." "Two." "10 tetris." "Mum, what's going on?" "We just talked of making a list." "Darling, I've been thinking." "Mum said she wouldn't come back here without Otar." "So?" "She'll never come here again." "We need to sell something." "It's going to be a hard winter." "We have to find something." "I hate living with the dead but I hate plundering them even more." "It's over, that's enough." "I won't do it any more." "I'm fed up with lying." "You'll do anything to please your mum." "For her to look at you differently." "For her to love you a little more than Otar." "That's why you refuse his death, to continue competing." "Because if he dies she'll make a saint of him and you'll cease to exist." "But it has nothing to do with me." "It isn't my problem, it's yours." "Your fears, worries, whims... sort them out yourself!" "It's over." "It's no longer my concern." "You're fed up and I'm even more so." "Everyone around you is fed up." "Do you realize how you're speaking to Tenguiz?" "Ada, calm down." "What have I done to deserve this?" "Sit down, let's talk about it." "Why talk about it?" "It's no use." "She won't listen." "She's always right, cleverer..." "As for us... we're just idiots!" "We'll never be as clever as her!" "What did I say to make her so cross?" "Don't blame your mother." "Our whole generation's like that." "We failed at everything." "We've lived a lie all our lives, without questioning it," "since we were children, without realising it, believing it was happiness." "And when they said, "The recreation's over", it was too late." "My advice is, try not to follow her example." "Already back?" "Or haven't you left yet?" "We went to the border." "The Turkish customs officers are bastards!" "Of course, one of Yuri's schemes!" "Everything OK?" "Not quite." "What's the matter?" "Your mother's fine, but..." "But what?" "Don't worry, it isn't serious." "What are you making?" "A cake?" "What have you done?" "Isn't it obvious?" "It was your idea, wasn't it?" "Didn't you sell my Jean Jacques Rousseau volumes?" "Why did you do that?" "What a question!" "To go and see my son!" "Have you gone mad?" "It broke my heart to see the truck full of those treasures." "What could I do?" "You haven't warned him." "I wrote to him." "He answered?" "No." "What if he isn't there?" "Where could he be?" "I've taken a ticket for you in case you want to come." "For Ada too, of course." "It's not just a question of tickets." "Getting the visas is the real problem." "The French embassy said the same thing." "They swore I hadn't a chance." "But they finally understood" "I was only a harmless old lady who wants to see her son before dying in her own country." "You got the visas?" "They'll give them to me." "How are you?" "What's the matter?" "Why the glum faces?" "Your grandmother's decided to go to Paris." "I don't know." "I want to know." "I want to know where I'm going and why!" "No idea, Mum." "You don't know what problems we'll encounter." "In a strange city, where we know no one." "And all the money wasted." "Let's try to prepare her." "Count me out!" "We're in the same boat." "No." "I think it's better for her to go to Paris, even if it's her last journey." "I couldn't take it if anything should happen to her." "Let's tell her." "Go ahead." "Tell her!" "All right." "I'll tell her." "Mother!" "Yes, darling." "I know what you want to tell me." "In his letters, he's probably lying." "I know him." "I feel he'll be embarrassed when he sees me." "I'm afraid of his reaction." "He probably won't be pleased by our impromptu visit." "Ada, are you mad?" "You'll catch cold, come in!" "When I think she sold everything to come here." "Those two are leading me on!" "What is it?" "Excuse me, I'm looking for my son." "He lives in the building." "Can you help me?" "I know no one here." "Ask next door." "I don't know him." "I've never seen him." "Sorry." "Hello." "I'd just like some information." "I'm looking for Otar." "A Georgian." "A tall dark man with a moustache." "That's him." "I know him." "The Doctor." "I'm afraid the Doctor's dead." "You must be wrong." "Several months ago." "Are you sure?" "Otar Goguebachvili." "I'm sorry, he lived there." "I have a letter that arrived for him recently." "Wait, please come in." "No, thank you." "Don't go away, I'll fetch it." "Here." "Sometimes his friend Niko drops by to say hello." "Is there a message?" "No, thank you." "Goodbye." "Mum, where were you?" "You didn't find him, did you?" "I went too." "Where?" "I knew he was hiding something." "It was because..." "His neighbour explained everything." "Otar couldn't wait for his papers." "He went without telling us..." "Without thinking how he'd hurt us." "I wanted..." "He always dreamt... of going to America." "I'm sure he's doing well, as usual." "They say it's a paradise for the entrepreneurial spirit." "Everything's possible there." "It must be better for him." "As I know him, he decided suddenly." "He won't forget us." "He's bound to write to us some day." "And now I want to see Paris." "Over here." "I forgot to buy magazines." "It's too late now." "I won't leave without French magazines." "Hurry then." "We'll wait here." "I'd rather go through." "My feet are killing me." "Go ahead, I'll join you." "Why can't we wait here?" "I'm going to collapse." "Don't you feel well?" "Not very well." "Let's go." "See you in a bit." "Georgian Airlines flight number 314 to Tbilissi is now boarding at gate 13, hall B." "What's your granddaughter doing?" "What are you doing?" "Are you mad?" "Come here, right now."