"April 7th: 1939" "Italian troops disembark on the other side of the Adriatic and the political union between Italy and Albania is made in the name of Fascism." "The history of those days is very significant." "April 12th: the Albanian assembly decides to offer the King of Italy the Albanian Crown." "April 14th: the government sanction the new title." "april 15th: the Fascist council approve the union." "April 23rd:" "Albanese Fascist Party is founded at Tirana." "april 29th: the AIbanese Council decides union of both Armies." "After the union of Armed Forces, other joint initiatives follow." "Courts are organised, schools and hospitals founded." "rural health centres are created to help peasants fight malaria." "There is Iand-drainage and roads, housing for the peasants, and at last, thanks to Italy among the robust Albanians civilization takes its place." "The landing at Durazzo and the arrival of the Duce's men who find throughout Albania a most cordial and enthusiastic welcome from the people, awe-struck by the martial presence of the Duce's guards." "Setting off immediately for Tirana" "Ciano, the Foreign Secretary is greeted with enthusiasm as representative of the great nation which ended the misgovernment of King Zog and the poverty of the people." "An account which was waiting to be settled." "Italy, Italy, you are the world!" "Hello, Mr. Fiore!" "Hello, how are you?" " What a lovely car." " How much does it cost?" "A Iot..." "Let's hurry, they're expecting us at the Ministry." "You'Il get hurt!" "When Albania was communist, was like prison, no one came in or went out for fifty years." "Now foreigners can enter but Albanians cannot go out." "Where would you go anyway?" "You think they're waiting for you in Germany or Italy?" "Too much freedom all at once is not good." " Who's in power now?" " Same as before." "They just change name, they get rid of the older ones, the more corrupt but people are hungry and desperate." "You've been spoilt, the State has always taken care of everything." "The truth is that the time has come to roll your sleeves up and get busy." "Don't get me wrong, I don't mean you must do it all yourselves..." "But do you know what Albanian salary is?" "Ten dollars!" "A doctor gets fifteen!" " There's no capital." " The capital's coming..." "Hope so..." "These people come down from the mountains and from borders with Yugoslavia." "They walk for miles and miles to get to port." "The police try to stop them, but it's no use." "What do you need all these bunkers for?" "Our dictator Hoxha feared Italian invasion, so he bought 600 thousand from communist China." "Know how many houses that cement would make?" "Yes, but Hoxha was mad, he was dictator." "Dictator my arse!" "It's brains you're lacking!" "How the hell can you be starving?" "With all this land, all the oil and water you have... the sea!" "all this farmland, with intensive farming you can harvest..." "At least three tons per hectare!" "Will our friend see us today?" "Yes, he's ready to sign contract." "Others will come if not..." "Soldiers, eh?" "Movement of troops?" " But the situation is under control?" " Sort of." "Easy kids, easy, easy..." "The best room." "Everything clean..." "New curtains..." "AI Bano and Romina slept here." " They big success in Albania." " Good for them." "I chose these people specially for you, all reliable." " Are they okay politically?" " Yes, anti-communist heroes." "How do you say "good morning"?" " Did you explain why we need them?" " Not yet." " How come there's a woman too?" " She's very popular in Albania." " She was first to push breast..." " Bust." "Our dictator's bust off the pedestal." "Tell them we'll see them later..." "I'm going to take a shower." "I'm afraid no water today, holiday today, maybe tomorrow." "They've got ltalian TV!" "Do you like Italian shoes?" "Soft leather, modern manufacturing, feet wrapped in velvet." "She say Italian shoes best in world, she see on television." "We must give every Albanian a pair of shoes." "We'll use local manpower in the factory, and choice Albanian skins:" "lamb, kid, calf..." "And you will be the chairman of our company, Alba Calzature." "You're sure she isn't married?" "Husband dead, she widow, no children, no relatives, sisters, brothers..." "No mother and father, she better than all." "You'Il work with us as from tomorrow, happy?" " Thank you, sir." " Now give me a big smile." "Look, her name's Selimi, Iike him." " Are you related?" " No." "Cousins of third degree." "Cousin of third degree." "I mustn't get angry." "I mustn't get angry." "I mustn't get angry." "So, we're trying to be smart, are we?" "Albania's got smart asses too!" " Send her away." " First people with a degree!" "Now your cousin!" "Are you trying to pull one over on me?" "If she goes, I go too, because I'm honest man." "She is my cousin, but distant cousin, very distant." "No one's forcing us to invest in this country, we can just pack up and go home." "If you think I am dishonest man, find someone else." "If it can't be done, it can't be done, don't insist." "In my village there was an old lady who begged in the streets." "And this man, to avoid taxes, registered two hotels in her name." "Hotels... old woman..." "Would you give money to people with relatives who would cheat you the day after?" "Now do you understand what we need?" "What do you call them?" "We need a man of straw..." "Someone who'll do as we say." "That's not difficult with all the poor people you have here." "Don't you have old people's homes?" "Where do you keep old people?" "The director asks why we need this man we look for." "To shake western public opinion." "The man could be the symbol of a new Albania." "He ask if he go on Italian TV." "Of course!" "Six months ago here work only political prisoners." "They heroes because they fight against communist dictator." "Here they are." "Now you see only disaster but before, when prison worked well, it was different." "It was model labour camp." "The previous director was very strict on hygiene." "The prisoners made their beds and cleaned the room every day." "He's sick with arthrosis, stomach, heart, everything." "Once they de-ratted every month." "It wasn't like this, conditions much better." " What's he saying?" " You have nice shoes." "Prisoners had to take shower every day, it was compulsory." "In evening there was inspection, prisoners not clean were punished." "Because old director say:" ""Men not clean have lice, men with lice don't sleep well." "Men who don't sleep well, don'twork well."" " What's he saying?" " Nothing important." "He say this place is dangerous." "He wants to clear everyone out and set fire to it, because there is danger of disease and infection." "An epidemic even." "What kind of fucking place is this?" "Please, don't touch me." "What do you want?" "Please, don't touch me!" "Please, let me through!" "Let me through!" "Get me out of here!" "Get me out!" "Every evening he take his stuff, he say goodbye to his friends:" ""I'm going home, I'm going home."" "He goes to the gate, stays there until it's dark then comes back inside and say: "Tomorrow I leave"." "What's his name?" "He frightened, he used to interrogation of political police." "Tell him we're not from the police!" "Translate... friends!" "He's soft in the head, he could be illiterate." "Give me a pen." "Tell him to write his name." "Go on, write your name!" "You see, he can sign his name." " Spiro." " Spiro Tozai." "What if he has family?" "He has no one." "They wouldn't have left him here." "How old is he?" "He's twenty." "He says he's twenty." " What's this official's name?" " Mr. Croce." "Kruja!" "Please, at least don't get name wrong." "Mr. Kruja very pleased democratic hero will be chairman of your company." "Hero." "Chairman." "Congratulations." "He say you Italians are very good to choosing chairman." "Everything okay, they take him." "Hear that, Mr. Chairman?" "We've arrived, get out." "Do you Iike it here?" "What have you done?" "Get out!" "Have you peed yourself?" "I'll teach you!" "Come here!" " He's peed in the car!" " Doesn't matter, he old." " Take him away!" " He suffered enough." "Just look at that!" "Come here." "Clean the seat." "And clean it properly." "He's orphan..." "How do you say that in English?" "Your home." "Go on, go on..." "Go on." "I told them it's a temporary solution until we find him a home." "But if we give them a Iittle extra, they'Il keep him here forever." "I liked him from the start." "He reminds me of my poor dead father, he's just like him." "The communists told you we were all the same." "And I say we are not." "We are all different." "Different like the parts of our body." "What do we all have?" "We have eyes to see and ears to hear." "What do we need feet for?" "We need them for walking." "Then we have a brain to think with." "AII the parts are different but all necessary." "Well, that is how I'd like this factory to be." "An organism of separate parts, but everyone essential." "Keep still." "Try this pecorino, it tastes like ricotta, but it's good." "Not one piece of machinery works here, not one." "Two years ago your father and I went to Nigeria." "We bought an empty warehouse, and formed a company." "Then we sent for some second-hand electronic equipment, and we set up a nice television factory." "Called Niger Electronics and we got a grant from the Italian government." " Did you make any televisions?" " Not one." "It's not our fault if Africans have no knack for electronics." "Yes, but it's more likely they'll check up on us here." "I'll be at the Ministry in Rome tomorrow, you stay here and register the contracts." "Get the old man and take him to see a doctor, for a tonic or some vitamins." "You never know." "Do the Albanians believe this story about investments?" "The Albanians are like children." "If an Italian said: "The sea is made of wine", they'd go and drink it." "Good evening." "Sorry I disturb, I look in room for you." " What's the matter?" " Nothing serious." "Little bureaucratic problem." "Our bureaucracy is the same as it was with communism." "What is it now?" "The State commission wants to meet the company chairman." " Why?" " Small formality, more signatures." "We must take old man to Ministry, to our friend Kruja." "He does everything, you just bring old man." "Be here tomorrow morning at nine." "Sorry, I cannot, tomorrow I busy with German company." "They buy villa in Velona near sea to convert to luxury residence." "Very clever." "Albania is poor, we have to do what we can." "Our music is good, also the singer." "Have fun." " How long has he been missing?" " I'm sure he had dinner last night." " After that I don't know." " What?" "We left him in your care." "He can hardly walk, you were supposed to look after him." "Please, keep your voice down, people are praying." "Yes, praying..." "How can he have disappeared?" " I'Il report you if he's hurt." " This is not prison." "Mr. Tozai is not a child, he go out if he wish." "That's not what we agreed, he was supposed to stay here day and night." "We gave you a lot of money, now find him or I'll get this place closed." "Our janitor is friend of Mr. Tozai, maybe he know where he go." "Hey you!" " Where did you get that suit?" " Old man give me." "Where is he now?" "He cry, he say:" ""I want go home"." "So I take him to train station." "When?" "Not long, about half hour." "He take train for Scutari." "Where is the station?" " The station!" " Near here." "Behind building." "He crazy." "He want to go Italy with train!" "Stop!" "Take your hands off!" "Stop!" "Get your hands off!" "Tell him Mr. Tozai's the chairman of an Italo-Albanian company backed by the Ministry of Industry." "Tell him also that Mr. Tozai is a personal friend of the Minister." "Chief say: too few policemen, too many criminals." "It is difficult to find your friend, very difficult." "He's right..." "I know it's difficult." "Perhaps we can come to an agreement..." "I'm prepared to pay you for your help." "Understand?" "I'll pay for your help..." "Chief say one hand wash other." " He say he found old Italian..." " No, I'm looking for an Albanian!" "Your friend is in that room down there." "He say he saved old man's life, he bring to hospital." "Is it serious?" " I don't understand, speak Italian." " Ah, Italian." "How do you say...?" "Asphyxia but not serious, better now." " You family?" " No, of course not..." "I'm ltalian." "He speaks Italian with me." "So?" "Everyone here speaks Italian." "He say to me that he has nice Italian name." "Talarico." "Talarico Michele." "Spiro Tozai." "His name is Spiro Tozai." "He spent fifty years in jail for political reasons." "These are his papers." "This does not prove," "Albania was colony of Mussolini before war." "What's Mussolini got to do with it?" "Before war, many Italians here." "Italians rule in Albania with Fascism." "After war, communism." "So Italians in prison or..." " Executed?" " Executed." "So, many Italians make false papers." "Maybe he was Italian before, but he's AIbanian now." "What is he for Albanian law?" "I not know law, I am doctor, excuse me." "Can I take him with me?" "Can he walk?" "He's worked in a mine, he's strong..." " How much do I owe you?" " Nothing, this is public hospital." "Thank God, at Ieast that..." "Where are his shoes?" "He had no shoes." "How am I supposed to take him away?" "Could you get me some shoes?" "I'll pay." "I am sorry, I cannot help." "I am sorry." "Italian, cigarette?" "Italian, friend." "Keep an eye on the car." "Good morning." "Have you got any coffee?" "Is there a telephone?" "A bathroom... a toilet...?" "Get away from there!" "Get out of the car." "Get your rags." "Police, watch the car..." "Schiperi Socialiste..." "Were they socialist or communist?" "Who put you in jail, the socialists or communists?" "Did you meddle in politics?" "Have you finished?" "If you pee in my car again, I'Il kill you." "Wait, take it easy!" "I'm friend, understand?" "Easy, I help you and you be good." "If you do as I say nothing will happen to you." "We're friends..." "Do you understand?" "Perhaps it's best you don't understand." "Wait..." "Now you're chairman do you think you can do whatever you want?" "We bought you a new suit and here you are in these rags." "What are you doing?" "Wait!" " Leave me alone." " What did you say?" "Did you say "leave me alone"?" "How come you speak Italian?" "Perhaps the doctor was right." "She said you weren't Albanian." "She said your name was Michele." "Michele!" "What the hell are you?" "Are you Albanian or Italian?" "Tell me who the fuck you are!" "If your papers say you're Albanian, that's all right by me." "You're not scared, are you, Mr. Chairman?" "You could fire me if you wanted to, just relax..." "Let's go." "What the..." "Where's the policeman?" "What happened to the policeman?" "Where the fucking hell is that policeman?" "Who took my tyres?" "You saw who did it, you were right here." "You'd better come up with those tyres or I'll report you!" "I'm not leaving here until I get my tyres back." "I'll have you all thrown in jail." "Do you understand me?" "You'Il pay for this!" "You miserable sods!" "You tramps!" "Bloody peasants!" "Wretches!" "Fucking Albanians!" "Police!" "I need to find the police station!" "Understand?" "Tyres are gone." "Car don't move!" "Police, understand?" "Car without tyres don't move!" " Police, where?" " Police, there..." "I can't go there, I haven't got any tyres!" "Fucking hell!" "Wait!" "Get off!" "Wait!" "Get off, come here!" "Don't leave yet!" "Stop, I want to get off, shit-head!" "You no say shit-head!" "Take it easy..." "What's your name?" "My name is Ismail." "Please meet you." "I like Italy, I like Italians." "I friend of Italians:" "Pippo Baudo, Frizzi, Adriano celentano." "I always see Italian TV, even if communism not permit before." "You only sing Italian song and you go prison." "Communism say:" ""You sing Italian song?" "Then you see Italian television." "If you see Italian television, you spy."" " And you, no prison?" " No." "I am clever, I am crafty." "War is ugly, eh?" "You must leave your family..." "When I Ieft" "Rosa she cried." "She was expecting a baby." "I said to her: "Don't cry, I don't want to go to war"." "I'll run away." "I'll come back to you, Rosa." "Who is more important in Italy, the Pope or the President?" " What do you think?" " I think Pope." "On television always see Pope, President not so much." "Our dictator say:" ""Religion is bad for people"." "First he outlaw religion here, but now I go Italy I become Christian." "Christians can find work in Italy, right?" "Of course!" "Where do you live?" "Milan, Rome, Bari?" "Police stop bus, they don't want us go port and take ship." "Police!" "Police!" "I'm ltaIian!" "The tyres of my car was stolen!" " Listen!" " Where is your car?" " Somewhere over the hills." " Go there, we can't do anything." "What do you mean?" "You're the police, aren't you?" "I'm a foreigner, you must help!" " How far is it to Tirana?" " What?" "On foot, one day." "Why on foot?" "What's this?" "Bus don't leave any more, it's sequestered." "Government order that Albanians not escape to Italy anymore." "How can I get to Tirana?" "That's your business!" "Come on, let's go!" " Poor people..." " Come on, stop that!" " They'II kill me." " Who'Il kill you?" " What are you talking about?" " They'll kill me." "What?" "Who's going to kill you?" "The militia." "What militia?" "Come on out!" " Come on!" " Poor people." "If you stay here, they'Il kill you." "I'm going." "If you come with me nothing will happen to you." "Come on." "Let go, we're Italians!" "Poor people, poor people..." "Keep walking!" "Paisa', thanks, you saved my Iife." "If the militia had found me, they'd have shot me." "Can I tell you something?" "I haven't been discharged, I ran away from the war." "I'm a deserter." "Paisa', I'm from Sicily." "My name's Talarico Michele." "Fraud..." "I have a wife and child." "I must get back to Sicily, but I don't know the way." "I'lI follow you, that way I won't get lost." "Where are we now?" "Is it very far to sicily?" "Keep walking!" "Do you want to eat?" "What's that written on the mountain?" "Can't you read either?" ""Duce, Mussolini", that's what's written on it." "We must be somewhere in Abruzzo or maybe not," "we're near Rome." "Where are we?" "In naples." "In Naples?" "Do you think I'm stupid?" "Naples is on the coast." "Where's the sea?" "They've bombed..." "Maybe they've bombed Sicily too." "No, the Lord can't do this to me." "I want to see my son." "He was born the day I left for the war." "I left in the morning and the rascal was born that evening." "They wouldn't even let me see him." "He'II have grown, he'lI be walking, maybe he's asking about me." "He must be about three." "No, I'm wrong, he's four." "Do you think he'lI recognise me?" "Have you finished?" "You old fool!" "Do you know how old you are?" "Haven't you looked in the mirror?" "The war ended fifty years ago." "You haven't got a baby son." "Your wife's probably dead!" "Idiot." "What have you got to drink?" "Mineral water, coffee?" "No coffee, no water." "Water tomorrow morning." "Ok, 265,000 lire, the price is right, Signor CIaudio wins!" "Something to eat?" "Bread, cheese..." "No food, drink, Raki Fernet..." "Here, you want eat?" " Take it, very good cheese." " No." "You don't like Albanian food?" " How much do you want?" " I don't want anything." "1,000 lire, friend." "Friend, 1,000 lire." "Hey, Italian, 1,000 lire." "1,000 lire, Italian." "Friend, 1,000 lire." "1,000 lire, Italian." "Friend, 1,000 lire." "Bread and cheese." "Eat it, it's fresh." "I'll leave it here, maybe you'll eat it later." "What are you doing?" "Are you trying to piss me off again?" "What are you crying about now?" "Eat this bread." "Look, if you carry on like this, I'm not taking you to Sicily." "I'll leave you here." "How will you get there without me?" "How will you get home?" "Come on, eat up." "Take it easy." "A big man like you crying like a baby, you should be ashamed." "It's good, eat it up." "See?" "You were hungry." "If you don't eat you're bound to feel bad." "Everything all right?" "The lorry's due, we'Il be in Reggio calabria in a few hours." "Then we board the ferry and we're home." "I'm from Sicily too." "Mr. Chairman, what's your son called?" "His name's Giovanni." "And how old is he now?" "Three?" "He's almost four." "He's a big boy then." "Think how happy he'll be to see you." "There'lI be another along soon." "Let's wait." "Let me try these." " Where are you from, Italian?" " Sicily." "Is Sicily near Bari?" "Have I slept long?" "Where are we?" "Have we passed Naples yet?" "Is it true that everyone has water and a telephone at home?" "They give us house when we come to Italy?" "I see on TV that you have roads where only cars go, no bicycles, only cars that go very fast." "Motorways!" " You pay for roads?" " Yes, in Italy you pay everything." " Also women if you want." " I know the women you pay." "They all whores." "Italian whores are beautiful, eh?" "Pleased to meet you, Talarico Michele." "I'm going home to Sicily, where are you going?" "Don't you understand dialect?" " Where are you going?" " To the port, to take the ship." "To Naples... you're going to America?" "You need money to go to America." "No money, we board ships." "You wish!" "You have to have permit to go to America, otherwise they don't let you off the ship." "Before the war, when my parents left they had a permit." "They settled down there." "They went to New York, to Patterson, to Argentina." "They began to work." "They started to earn money and even built a house." "It's a different story over there." "Which team is best, Juventus or Milan?" "Neither of them." "You wrong, Juventus much, much better, they have Schillaci." " Where you live, Torino?" " No." " Torino is near Bari?" " Yes." "He is good footballer, he go to Juventus." "If Juventus not take me, I go Milan." "I train every day, also at night, I am never tired." "Football is best job in Italy." "Make more money than everyone!" "Yes, footballers..." "If you're lucky you'll get jobs as dish-washers." "There are enough Moroccans, Poles and black people..." "Come to Italy..." "No problem, we do anything." "Better dish-washer in Italy than starve in albania." "What's the matter with you?" "Don't you feel well?" "Are you travel sick?" "Hang on, we're almost there." "Let me sing with my guitar in my hand" "let me sing a song, softly, softly." "Let me sing because I'm proud" "I'm an Italian, a true Italian!" "What's this song?" "Do you know "Rosamunda"?" "Sing it with me." "What's the matter with you?" "What is it?" "Hey, friend!" "Where are you going?" "What do you do if lorry goes back?" "You want to walk?" "Will you leave me alone, please!" "I want to come with you." "Wake up, what's up with you?" "In Italy no one die like him." "Young people in Italy die only in car accident." "But I die an old man." "Hey, friend, an Italian girl can marry an albanian?" "Or there's law that say no?" "Now that I come to Italy, I find girl in Bari." "I want to marry and have many children." "I never speak AIbanian with my children, only Italian." "So my children forget I am Albanian." "Wake up." "Eat this bread." "It will do you good." "Hurry, friend, Iorry leave!" "We bring dead boy with us, we leave in first town to bury." "This not hotel anymore, people occupy it." "Here live women, children, men, families, but no one pay." "Evacuees?" "Have they bombed here too?" "No bombs, only shooting." "They take gun and shoot communist party leaders." "This is vacant room." "One room, two persons, you pay two persons." "We'Il pay, we'lI pay..." "They send us to fight a war promising food and work for everyone." "Instead we're even hungrier" "than we were before." "Things must change." "When we get home, they'II change." "They'Il change." "You like little girl?" "You take her to Italian television." " Put that down." " I'm helping these people." "Then they'Il give us some bread and cheese, so we'lI have food for the journey." "Leave it..." "How are you?" "I left you some milk, did you find it?" "Has your temperature gone down?" "Yes, I drank the milk... and you?" "You haven't eaten anything." "Go on, you eat something too." "It's expensive here, where will we get the money from?" "Don't worry." "You mustn't worry about money anymore, get that into your head." "You've got money now." "You're a company chairman, understand?" "What's a chairman?" "Someone who does a nice comfortable job." "Every so often we bring you papers to sign." "Like last time, name and surname?" "You sign them, then your work's finished." "So why did you choose me for the job?" "Because the chairman's role is a delicate one." "You can't trust just anybody these days." "We needed an honest person like you." "Thank you." "What do I owe you in exchange?" "Nothing." "Just keep quiet about it." "Don't go round telling everyone you work for us." "People are envious." "Eat up." "I'm glad I met you." "Italy, Italy, booth three!" "Hello, this is Gino ringing from Albania!" "Can you hear me?" "Gino calling from Albania!" "Can you hear me?" "Speak louder!" "We got cut off!" "How can this possibly work?" " You speak here." " I'll wait." " Is the phone broken?" " No..." "We'lI speak to him." "When he calls..." "When it rings we'Il speak with the office and tell them you've agreed to be chairman." "Are you pleased?" "But you have to start work right away, know that?" "Tomorrow you have to sign your name four times, and you've earned your month's salary." "You can speak to the boss, do you remember Fiore, my partner?" "You can say hello to him." "I don't know how to use the phone." "What?" "There's nothing to it." "Hello, is that Italy?" "Hello, Fiore?" "Fiore, thank God..." "It's Gino from Albania." "I hope we don't get cut off." "I'll be at Tirana tomorrow, I'll take the old man to the Ministry." "So much has happened here." "Everything's all right, don't worry." "Now then..." "Are you phoning too?" "Have you got relatives abroad?" "Have they got a phone at home?" "What's wrong?" "Have you received bad news?" "Has something happened to your family?" "Shut up." "Tell me, maybe I can help." "You're no Ionger chairman." "You've lost your job, that's what's happened." "I knew it." "I thought it over." "How can you earn a living just signing papers?" "Thank you anyway, my friend, even if you can't give me a job any more." "I'm out of a job too." "It's over... ..all over." "We're fired, both of us." "We're both young, aren'twe?" "We've got arms." "When we get to my village we can eat, have a wash, rest," "and we'Il still have time to do a day's olive picking." "Well, how much do you want?" "Make your mind up, I'm in a hurry." "He's a quiet man, he's never given any bother." "You can put him to work, he's as strong as a man half his age." "He sleeps, occupies bed, eats everyday, but Albania is poor." "Albania poor... here, take this." "Why don't you take to Italy, take him home?" "Why?" "Because he's not Italian, he's Albanian, he's got all the papers." "His name's Spiro Tozai." "He fought against communism, he spent fifty years in jail." "Now this is a free country you should be grateful to men like him." "We were better off before, with communism." "Here, take it..." "Where is the old man then?" "Over there." "A little cinema!" "I've never seen such a small cinema." "Have you seen how nice this place is?" "They've even got a cinema." "You don't even have to pay to watch." "When are we leaving here?" "Don't you like it here?" "There are a Iot of people here." "Many families, children..." "All nice people." "The place is big." "And the food's not bad, is it?" "The cheese was tasty." "So... why not stay here for a while?" "That way you can have a rest." "You've got a bed, a room of your own," "meals every day." "What more could you want?" "You're better off here than at home." "But I have a home." "I can't take you home." "There are too many problems now." "But I've spoken to the owner here, he's a kind man." "He'lI take you to Sicily." "What will you do?" "Don't worry, I'lI keep in touch." "I'll come and see you in Sicily." "Have I done anything wrong?" "Why have you lost heart now we're almost there?" "We should go to Sicily together." "I won't let you go alone, now that you need help." "I don't need anyone, Mr. Chairman." "I'm ltalian, I'm staying in the hotel!" "Let me through!" "I don't understand, Iet go of me!" "Let go of me, I'm ltaIian!" "Let go of me!" "You've got the wrong man, it's nothing to do with me." "What have I done?" "Open this door, I'm Italian!" "I'm ltaIian, don't you understand!" "Is this what you call democracy?" "Is this what it means to you?" "You're still communists!" "You've not changed at alI!" "Aren't you drinking it?" "Don't you Iike Turkish coffee?" "I don't like it either," "I like Italian coffee, espresso." "My father loved Italy." "He studied art at Florence in Vittorio Emanuele's time." "You know that church..." "Santa Maria Novella?" "He told me it's beautiful, is it?" "Yes... where are my bags?" "I gave my clothes away." "This Albanian prison is a nasty place." "Your bags have been sequestered." "What do you want from me?" "Name, surname and place of birth." "Cudrali Luigi, Agrigento, January 30th, 1963." "Have you anything to do with this company called Alba Calzature?" "I work for them." "I work with them." "Just answer yes or no, please." "Yes." "Were you there when this was signed at the Ministry?" "Yes." "Everything's in order, isn't it?" "It was all legal." "Mr. Croce was there too, you can ask him..." "No, not Mr. Croce, Mr. Kruja!" "This man is now in worse prison that this." "What have I done?" "What am I accused of?" "You are accused of corruption of this official." "In communist time, you would be shot." "Corruption, shooting..." "What do you mean?" "You're still not used to western methods." "That's how things work in Italy, to speed up bureaucracy." "We help the cases move quicker." "It makes it more efficient." "It's better." "We're businessmen." "The Albanian economy is at a crisis." "The people are starving so we risk our money," "we invest our own money." "Albanian economy is dead, but in civilized country dead are not left to dog in street." "Let me call the Embassy." "Call them." "Call them." "There are only Albanians in Italian Embassy." "Refugees who have occupied all embassy." "They are crazy." "They all want go Italy with ship." "What do I have to do?" "You must sign this confession and I'Il release you till trial." "until trial?" "What will happen at the trial?" "I interested in sending to prison corrupt official." "You leave Albania soon as possible." "Thank you." "Where do I go without a passport?" "But in Albania no one has documents." "Son." "Husband." "Bread." "Song." "Love." "Cold." "girl." "Flower." "Good." "Hand." "Apple." "Shoe." "Ship." "Sea." "Come here." "Sit down." "I'm so happy you're on board too." "We can travel together." "How are you?" "We've both been very unlucky, but we have to keep heart." "Have you seen all these people?" "I didn't think they'd all get on." "But America's a big place!" "Some have brought their families but Giovanni" "is too young it would be too much for him." "Rosa too is delicate she always has a fever." "Paisa', can you speak American?" "I can hardly speak Italian." "Do you think we'lI find a job anyway?" "I'm tired." "But I want to be awake when we reach New York."