"STROMBOLI LAND OF GOD" ""I am sought of them that asked not for me;" "I am found of them that sought me not." Isaiah 65.1" "Spring 1948." "In one of the foreign refugee camps" "Refugees have arrived in Italy fleeing the war." "Will you give me your blue shirt?" "Ever since they moved the soldiers to the other side of the camp they act like school children." "Poor things." "They have been prisoners..." "Now that they've returned they have a right to enjoy themselves." "What the hell is she saying?" "She says our situation is worse because we know nothing about our families and we have no place to go." "They haven't come here for a good time either." "Well, my soldier is still looking for his father and mother." "They were in Casino, but had to leave;" "who knows where they are now?" "The poor thing has gone many times to Rome for news..." "Poor boy!" "He's really so handsome and strong." "How I love the soldiers!" "Karin..." "Don't you hear your boyfriend?" "See you later." "Good luck." "I hope so." "Hello." "Good evening." "What's new?" "Its cold tonight." "Cold?" "Yes." "Cold." "Instead of a warm greeting you're complaining of the cold?" "What do you want me to say?" "Anything but that." "Move it!" "You can't stay here." "Leave me alone." "Don't you know the rules?" "Its obvious you all weren't at the front..." "OK, I'm going." "You too, out of here." "OK, Sergeant, I'm coming in a moment." "Come on girls, out of here." "You can't stay here." "Come on, out of here." ""Though they are the masters in this hell..." ""and they act like tyrants..."" "You know how much I like you?" "Make up your mind, yes or no." "I don't know." "What are you trying to say?" "Will you marry me or not?" "Why do you laugh?" "I'm serious." "You're crazy!" "You don't even know me!" "We talk a few times through the barbed wire..." "...and now you want to marry me?" "Sure." "And if you're wrong?" "I like you, you drive me crazy." "And if later you discover I'm not how you imagined me?" "Women need a strong hand, I'll lock you up." "What does that mean?" "I know this, and this, and this..." "Its the hand that gives." "Ah, you want to slap me around." "Damn fence." "Come on, make up your mind." "I can't go on wasting my time here." "If you want an answer, come tomorrow night." "He is simple and loving." "He lives on a Mediterranean island." "He says I am very pretty." "Do you like him?" "I can't even understand what he says." "He seems nice but he is only a boy." "What will you do?" " I don't know." "What can I do?" "He wants to marry." "He's crazy." "Tomorrow we'll see." "Everything depends on the visa to go to Argentina." "If they don't give it to me I know what I am going to do." "Good day." "Have this one come in." "OK, let her in." "Prepare her report: name, nationality, age, parents' names and her profession." "We have good information about her." "She speaks Italian, was born in Lithuania." "Well then, have her come in." "What's your name?" "Karin Bjorsen." "Born in..." " Kaunas, Lithuania." "Birth date." " May 8, 1920." "Father's name." "Karl Bjorsen." "Mother's name." "Maria Pasqualis." "Profession." "None." "The consul needs more information." "He would like to know how and why you came to be interred here." "I lived in Czechoslovakia before the war." "I was married to an architect who died during the German occupation." "Afterward I went to Yugoslavia." "And when it too was invaded I escaped to Italy because... the Gestapo were looking for me." "I entered Italy illegally and obtained residency... with forged documents." "After the 8th of September I managed to escape from the German police." "But then I was sent here by the Italian authorities." "Do you have a letter of recommendation in order to emigrate to Argentina?" "Here you are." "The consul says that the documents you've presented are not sufficient for your transfer to Argentina." "I thought so." "By the mutual accord presented before me..." "I declare you married according to the rites of the Holy Church, a marriage under the Sacrament of our Lord Jesus Christ." "This Sacrament, in addition to the teachings of the Holy Gospel, includes the promise to offer mutual support, religious, moral and physical education, and also includes the civil duties in conformance with the laws of this country, which you are obliged" "... to respect and fulfill." "Amen." "How will you get there?" " First we go to Rome, then by train until Mesina." "From there some ship will take us on." "Look, here she comes." "Give me a hand." "Congratulations." "Until next time." "Goodbye." "I'm cold." "Let's go below." "Come on." "Would you like to sit here?" "Yes, thank you." "I'll put on the raincoat." "I was a prisoner too." "In Australia." "It was South Africa for me." "Going to Stromboli?" "Yes, I'm the lighthouse guard." "You can see it clearly now, the volcano." "Come here." "Look at the crater." "Do you see the lava?" "It can't be seen as well from the other side." "Is it always erupting?" "Yes, always." "Look, sometimes the lava flows until it reaches the sea." "Wait." "My suitcases." "Yes, I'll get them." "Wait, I'll get them." "There's only two more." "How are you?" "Quite well." "Help me unload." "You, take that suitcase." "Come here, Vincenzo." "Go on ahead, I'll bring them." "Antonio, what do we do with this?" "Bring it along?" "Yes." "I'll see you when I come down from the lighthouse." "Yes, see you then." "I am Antonio Mastrostefano." "You know my Aunt Rosario?" "Yes." "Run on and let her know we're here." "Welcome, Antonio." " Thank you, Father." "This is my wife." "A pleasure, my congratulations." "Thank you, Father." "Welcome." "I see you two were married just after receiving the letter" "I sent, eh?" "That's good." "I'm so pleased." "And I'm pleased to be here." "I'm happy to see someone return to the island with a wife, to start a family." "I've seen so many people from here leave, and many others just waiting to leave for Argentina, Australia... the United States, France, England." "Wherever they have a relative able to pay for their voyage." "Life here..." "is very hard." "And the land..." "is also hard." "Yes, Father, but..." " Saint Bartholomew, our patron saint, will protect you." "He stopped the volcano's lava during the great eruption of '41." "And saved our homes." "I am sure you will be happy." "This is your house now." "Thank you, Father." "Good day." "Its a baby boy." "Why did you kiss the priest's hand?" "It is the custom here." "This island is a desert." "It seems deserted." "If it were deserted there wouldn't be any children, right?" "Aunt Rosario." "Thanks be to God, at last they've let you come home." "How are you?" "The Virgin was good to me, Aunt Rosario." "This is Karin, my wife." "This is my aunt from America." "Welcome." "You were in America?" "Yes, many years ago." "Many of us here have lived in America." "And you returned?" "This is my home..." "Is any of the family still here?" "No." "They've all gone." "Things go alright?" "We can't complain." "And Vincenzo Bernaudo?" "He hasn't returned?" "Yes, but then he left straightaway for Australia." "You have no one to send you money but he does, they paid for his voyage." "Look, even Guido's family went to the mainland when Anzio died." "In the war." "They all leave." "This is our house." "Where are the keys?" "The door is open." "Aren't you coming?" "Come on, move it." "Soon we'll have it as good as before." "How was it?" "We have a lot of furniture." "Come here." "This is our bedroom." "Its marvelous, the sea." "Karin, come here." "Where is my furniture?" "In my house." "Help me bring the furniture." "If you don't break anything, I'll give you a gift." "All that is lava that the volcano spewed forth." "I see." "There's nothing else." "Naturally." "Houses, fields..." "The lava covered it all." "But the people of Stromboli we're very strong, you know?" "We rebuilt everything." "Even the land.." "Like..." "Look, this earth is new, they brought it from outside, its new." "We replanted everything." "Fields, vineyards..." "Leave me alone." "What do I care about... vineyards?" "Or that your land is good?" "I want to go far away from this damned island." "Even those born here look for somewhere else to live." "What's gotten into you?" "What's going on?" "Listen, this is my home and you are my wife, and you are here because I am." "19,677 liras." "That's all?" "Yes." "What will you do?" " Nothing." "I am your wife, and this is your home, I know." "You slept very well last night." "But not me." "I am different." "Very different." "I belong to another race." "This is no life for civilized people." "Count it, count your 19,000 liras." "A woman like me needs something else." "Relax!" "What do you mean?" "You call this money?" "This is nothing for a woman like me." "I am a civilized person and I'm used to a different way of life." "What are you going to do with that money?" "Everything here must change." "Of course it will." "But when?" "It has to be now." "I am your wife, this is your home." "I have to live here, and I am no animal." "Everything will work out, you'll see." "Yes, I'll see.." "Was it you who was crying?" "What's wrong?" "Are you crying?" "No." "It's not you." "What's your name, boy?" "Say something, anything." "No." "No, please." "Speak to me." "What are you doing here?" "Your husband sent us." "And who are you?" "We are the Americans." "We returned from America several months ago." "Your husband asked us to fix up the house." "We worked a long time in New York." "My son stayed." "I was a shopkeeper in Brooklyn and made quite a bit of money." "We even had the luxury of going fishing on Sundays with the car." "Imagine it, going by car even to collect the subsidy." "In America, everyone travels by car." "Yes, but we've come back to Stromboli..." "Have you seen that hole?" "That volcano demands respect." "Many times it erupts and throws out stones with such force it destroys our poor houses, and devours all it finds." "Like in '44." "And why did you come back?" "Because America is for the young." "I'm old now, and" "..." "I want to die on Stromboli." "My friend is old, but also half-crazy." "I don't want to die here." "I want to go back to Brooklyn, with my son." "My son is saving up to pay for my voyage." "I will be able to return to Brooklyn in ten years." "How old are you now?" "Seventy-three." "Miss!" "Father, here is Missus...!" "Good day, how are you?" "Good day, Father." "I was wondering how you were doing." "You've noticed I'm always outside." "My house is full of old men who pass the time" "... talking about America." "Sit down." "Don't you worry, with time and patience everything will be alright." "Do you think so?" "The island and the volcano too?" "I was speaking of the house, and of you." "Perhaps I can help." "I have told your husband that he can use the bricks from the Moletta's house." "They left the island 26 years ago." "I don't think they will return now." "Here, I'm like some kind of repository of the goods of the families who've left." "Those bricks will have more use in your house and no one will complain of the small garden." "That way, those who left help those who stay." "And I am the go-between." "Then please help us." "I can't live this way." "Antonio is just a boy." "I love him, but he can't understand a woman like me." "I think he can.." "I know all he has done to find work." "The fishing season had already begun when you arrived." "The fishermen were already hired." "Did you know there are only four boats on Stromboli?" "The others come from nearby islands." "But Antonio has found a job." "He swallowed his pride." "He once had his own boat." "He changed and he did it for you." "I know because I spoke with him." "I know he does what he can, but don't you understand that..." "I cannot live here, that we must go?" "To emigrate you need a lot of money and a place to go." "Even those born here want to escape." "Imagine me, a foreigner." "These horrible rocks, this desolation... that terror..." "This island is driving me crazy." "Please help me, I beg you." "You are both so young..." "Convince Antonio to save money and not spend it." "Help him and perhaps you both may get away." "But while you are here, make a good home and be patient." "The wait will be easier on you." ""Help yourself and God will help you."" "God has never helped me." "Look, we've caught thousands like this one." "All the boats have returned full." "We are rich." "It's been many years since anything like this happened." "What are you saying?" "Don't you understand?" "Its incredible, I'm going to change, I'm soaked." "I wanted work so badly." "We will sell them ourselves." "Right away." "See you later." "Miss." "Yes?" "We've finished." "Would you like to see?" "Yes." "I'm coming." "Do you like it?" "Yes, its very good." "What do you think?" "Magnificent, beautiful." "Thank you very much." "Have you finished painting that bench?" "I would like you to put it here, on this side." "Do you like how it came out?" "What did you do?" "I told you to cut down the legs, remember?" "Yes, of course, I cut them all..." "No, listen..." "I want all the chairs the same way." "So they have the same height." "Yes, Miss." "Of course." "Good day." "Would you like to come and see my house?" "Its very nice of you to come and see me." "Please come in." "Don't stay there." "Dear Lord, do come in." "Listen, please ask them if they'd like to come in." "The lady invites you to see her home." "Why are they leaving?" "How should I know?" "What's wrong with them?" "Good day, Aunt Rosario." "Come in and see the house." "No." "What's wrong?" "Everyone is against me." "I have done nothing." "Why do they treat me so?" "You are behaving badly." "You are a brazen woman." "I did nothing wrong." "I can't help being different." "I feel, I act, I think in another way." "I am trying to make a good home for my husband," "Tell me, what's wrong with that?" "You lack modesty, my child." "So?" "Is the weather improving?" "No, its blowing too strongly from there." "My husband won't be able to make it home early." "No, I don't think so." "Could you do me a favor?" "Take me to the house of the woman with the sewing machine?" "The one who did my curtains?" "I want to make a new dress." "To pass the time." "That woman is no good, she has a so-so reputation... a "so-so" reputation doesn't matter to me." "I'm old enough to take care of myself." "Does she live far from here?" "No, behind the church." "I'll gab the material and we'll go." "How could she do that to me?" "I'm sure it was by accident." "This is the house." "Aren't you coming?" "No." "You could introduce me..." "No." "But why?" "My wife is very jealous, you know?" "Thanks, see you later." "Good night." "Good night.." "Could you sew this for me on the machine?" "Here, and here." "Oh, are you..." "Are you sick?" "A little malaria." "Oh, malaria..." "And who is taking care of the lighthouse in the meanwhile?" "My partner." "Poor thing, he has to stay there alone until you return." "Yes." "Miss." "Yes." "Thanks." "Two more stitches, here." "Would you like to try it on?" "Come with me." "It would be better if I tried it on..." "¡Oh, its night already!" "Angelina, come on, offer us a drink." "Don't be tight-fisted." "Now you have contempt for us?" "Where did you get that beauty?" "The lighthouse guard is inside, no?" "They say he's sick." "Yeah, I wish I was..." "What's going on?" "There's a woman in there that'd take your breath away." "Where are you going?" "He's the blonde's husband." "You're back." "Get out of here right now." "I have to change." "You want to embarrass me?" "Let's go home, hurry up." "What's going on?" "Walk!" "You shameless woman, if I catch you around here, I'll break your face." "Why are you being like this?" "I did nothing wrong" "I came to have this dress sown." "And you had to go to the house of a whore..." "We'll settle this at home." "Oh, I'm so frightened..." "Walk." "You make a few lira and you think you're rich." "The money has gone to your head... and you act so pretentious." "How much did the fish bring?" "This much." "How much is it?" "30,000 liras." "30,000 liras..." "I am being robbed, not paid." "Why?" "They take advantage of me, because you are a proper lady." "They know I must keep you happy," "And so I'm obliged to suffer their taunting." "They pay me less than the others, although I work more." "I will work for you." "Don't bother." "You have a match?" "Yes." "Look." "You've changed everything." "And the paintings?" "The family portraits..." "I removed them." "The Virgin?" "The Virgin too." "My mother hung her up, the Virgin." "I know, I didn't throw her out, just took her off the wall." "A cactus inside the house" "Yes." "You don't like it?" "Yes." "I guess so..." "I did what you told me to." "I prettied up the house for him, for me." "To make the wait easier." "Bu when he saw it yesterday, he was angry." "He didn't have the courage to tell me to my face, but he was offended." "This morning he took out of the closet all his old things, that horrible junk." "As he held those family portraits in his arms, I realized that he was furious with me." "I understand." "Antonio is so innocent, a good and simple man." "His only experience of life is having been a soldier." "I want to understand also, but who is there to understand me?" "You are the only one who perhaps can understand me." "Please, help me, advise me." "I will go crazy, I have no luck." "How I suffer, please believe me." "Be brave." "You are both very young." "And must I waste my youth?" "I can't stand anymore." "Its inhuman." "What else would you do?" "I told you, I don't know." "You could help me somehow, I beg you." "You know Antonio is a basic man." "If you don't speak to him like a child, he doesn't understand." "One little remark and he gets scared." "Explain yourself." "There's nothing to explain." "He is as unlucky as you, perhaps more." "So there is no way out, no hope?" "Be brave, and patient." "Perhaps we could write to one of those who went to America or to Australia, to see if they could find him some work." "Please try." "Is it possible?" "Who knows?" "They never forget their own." "They are good people." "Francesco Di Martino, he emigrated to America and died a short while ago." "he was a widower with no children." "He has left 3,000 dollars, all his wealth, to Stromboli." "For the old folks, to repair the cemetery..." "They have entrusted the money to me." "I knew you were the one who could help us." "I am only a priest but I understand" "... about human suffering." "The dead rest in peace in that desolate cemetery under the burning sun, ...but not the living." "I know, I know." "The best way to honor your friend's memory is to give that money to two young people who wish to live." "Perhaps, but I cannot." "Please listen to me." "You know nothing about me, or my past." "I'm lost, I have sinned." "I have lived on dreams, on adventures, as if compelled by some evil force." "Now I know I was wrong and I would like to change my life, but this is too much..." "One cannot go from one extreme to the other." "I knew all that." "I had compassion for you from the first day I saw you." "I tried to give you all the spiritual aid that I could." "You are so compassionate..." "Thank you." "This will raise your spirits." "Drink." "I am ashamed, Father." "Perhaps I lost the way, but all I want is some happiness." "I am from a comfortable family but we lost everything in the war." "Then I met a man, an officer in the German army." "He seemed kinder than the rest, he was young, happy..." "I lost my head, I lost myself." "I sinned, but I have paid for it..." "You are so understanding," "... so experienced..." "I am just a simple priest." "I can be honest with you, but not with Antonio." "You are the only man who can console me." "I say again, I am only a town priest of a town of fishermen." "But you are also human..." "I am a priest." "And I can only help you in confession or prayer." "You..are as pious as your God." "You...!" "Say what you wish." "I only feel... an immense pity for you." "May the Lord guide you." "Control yourself, be humble, pray..." "You came back." "Yes." "I didn't expect you so early." "What happened?" "Where were you?" " I went out for a walk." "I went to the church..." "What is that?" "I just bought it, it's a ferret." "How much did it cost you?" "Very little, the fishing season ...finishes in the fall." "So?" "Fishing tackle." "Why did you buy the ferret?" "To catch rabbits?" "To catch what?" "You'll see." "Watch." "What are you doing?" "Are you crazy?" "Give it to me." "No, stop, no." "What are you going to do?" "Watch this." "That's horrible, stop it." "Please, enough." "He'll kill it, separate them." "Fool!" "You are cruel." "What are you looking for?" "Clams." "There are more over here." "Wait for me, I'm coming too." "Find anything?" "No, not yet." "Hello." "How are you?" "Are you better?" "Yes, thank you." "It got away." "What was that?" "An octopus." "An octopus?" "Look around here." "There it is." "You see it?" "I got it." "Cuckolded!" "You are cuckolded!" "¡Cuckold!" "Don't get involved, its your wife's fault." "Why, what has she done?" "Nothing, what a saint she is!" "dinner is on the table, I'm not hungry." "But, what are you doing?" "Antonio!" "What's wrong?" "Why are you hitting me?" "Let's go." "Walk, Mass is starting now." "Let's go." "Stop, don't move." "What's going on?" "I wanted to surprise you." "Come closer." "A little more." "She likes attracting attention." "He will suffer a lot." "You're not upset I came, are you?" "I wanted to see you." "I want to be with you." "But you have to change also." "Come on, smile." "If you want me to go, say so, I don't want to embarrass you with the others." "Its ok." "We've got them!" "There's work to do, I have to go." "Come on, quickly." "Come on." "How are you?" "Better." "Did you like the fishing?" "No, it was horrible." "What's wrong?" "I don't feel well." "Why?" "Are you dizzy?" "Maybe...?" "Its been three months now I'm sure we'll have a child." "Karin, what joy." "I'm so happy." "And you?" "Yes, I'm happy too." "A motorboat." "Coming to help us." "No, its a boat from Ginostra." "What is Ginostra?" "A town on the other side of the island." "Our house was saved!" "Listen, we have to talk." "I don't want to stay here." "And what will you do?" "I'm leaving." "I don't want to have the baby here." "Are you serious?" "Yes, I'm leaving." "Oh, really?" "Yes!" "I'm leaving, ...or I'll go mad." "Before I'd have a baby here, I'd..." "Listen." "During the eruption of ..." "The one yesterday was enough." "I don't care about this island's past." "I am going." "Nothing keeps me here." "But woman, listen..." "Give me the money you've saved, you can't deny me that," "..." "I am asking so little." "Yes, so little..." "I am not afraid to face life, but I must be free ...to fight, defend myself." "Oh, really, do you?" "I hope you won't try to stop me." "Looking at me like that is useless." "This time it won't work." "Antonio!" "Bring me some water, I want to wash up!" "Did you hear me?" "Antonio!" "What are you doing?" "Open up!" "What are you doing?" "Are you crazy?" "Open the door!" "Help!" "Hey you, with the boat!" "Please, help me!" "Please, come!" "Listen.." "You have to help me." "I can't get out of the house, My husband locked me in." "Help me, please." "Why did he lock you in?" "First help me." "Come around." "The stairs are on the other side." "Thank you." "What happened?" "We'd better not stay here, it's dangerous." "Let's go." "Over there." "This is so beautiful.." "and so peaceful." "Sit down." "My husband is jealous." "He's a brute." "He's jealous of you." "You remember that afternoon you were sick and I went to have my dress sown?" "He made such a scene." "And the time when we saw each other on the beach and you caught the octopus... remember?" "He hit me, like an animal." "I can't stand any more." "I wanted to leave, but I can't do it alone." "Escape is impossible, but if I can get to the other side of the island, perhaps..." "I need money." "I can try to help you." "Really?" "He is capable of anything," "... aren't you afraid?" "I'm not afraid." "I'll ask for leave and go with you." "I never want to see him again, I should have left before." "I'll take you to Ginostra in the boat." "No, the townspeople see everything." "I'll go alone." "You can't row five miles." "I will walk." "You'll have to cross the volcano's peak." "I don't care, I must get there." "And then?" "There are boats in Ginostra motorboats, large ones." "I will find someone to take me to Mesina." "I will go with you, I won't leave you." "I appreciate it." "But you can't leave the lighthouse." "It would be best if you left now." "As soon as I get the leave I'll catch up with you." "What do I do?" "I have nothing." "I will give you the money." "Enough!" "Better to die." "I am not brave." "I'm afraid!" "God..." "If you exist..." "Allow me a little peace." "Give me, give me a little peace." "God..." "What mystery..." "What beauty..." "I cannot return..." "I don't want to..." "They are horrible..." "Everything is horrible." "They don't know what they are doing." "But I am worse..." "I will save you, my son." "God!" "..." "Help me, God!" "Give me strength, understanding..." "Give me the will." "Merciful God..."