"Belgrade, October 5th 2000" "OCTOBER EVOLUTION" "THE professional" "Roger!" "Hawk!" "Hawk, come in!" "Over!" "is there anyone alive?" "What shell we do, people?" "Over!" "This is the end, folks!" "ONE YEAR LATER.." "What are you looking at, you idiot!" "What do you want?" "Get out!" "Teja, please.." "people, go back to the printing shop!" "I'lI get the distinguished manager to the printing shop!" "This firm is 1 50 years old and he wants to put it out to a." "What was it?" "Tender" "Yes, tender!" "He will sell this firm only over my dead body!" "He wants to drive us out on the street, to rummage through the trash cans till the end of our days!" "What are we going to do with the child?" "I'm asking you for the Iast time." "l don't want to see the child" "You don't?" "Where to?" "Where do you think you're going?" "You don't!" "Eh, you will not, even if you want to!" "The workers are waiting for you." "They want to go on strike." "It's okey They haven't had a strike in 60 years." "If you don't go to the meeting, they will come here" "To come in through the door and to go out through the window." "A man is looking for you." "He's looking a bit strange." "You have lipstick all over you as though you kissed a vampire" "Who is it?" "lt seems to me he's not a writer." "He certainly is a writer." "Everybody writes these days and nobody looks like a writer anymore." "What should I tell him?" "tell him I'm out I've already told him so." "He said he knows that you're out, but that you should see him anyway." "He didn't come for his sake." "For whose sake did he come?" "I don't know." "He's carrying a briefcase and a big suitcase." "The lunatics were bringing their manuscripts in folders till now" "He looks like he arrived by train a little while ago" "Maybe he is some cousin of yours." "That's very nice!" "He looks strange, wearing a black suitcase and he might be my cousin?" "You didn't understand me" "A man could live in this town for a hundred years and someone will always tell him he's a stranger, a peasant." "My grandfather was a peasant and I Ioved him more than anyone" "He asked me, if his old buddy Teja was here" "Let him in, but call me in five minutes" "Make a lunch reservation for half past two." "After lunch we're going to my place, for dessert" "Please, come in" "Good afternoon" "Good afternoon" "Sava is a great painter after all lf l was a painter, I would paint just like that." "What can I do for you?" "You don't know who I am?" "You don't know me?" "l don't. I'm really sorry.." "Can I put the suitcase down?" "Of course Take a seat" "No, thank you I'm in a hurry" "Are you maybe." "A friend from the army?" "Do you remember your story "My friend from the army"?" "My story?" "Yes." "When a man came to you on the street, hugged you and asked, "Do you see some of the boys?"" "You were confused, as you are now, and asked him," ""What boys"?" ""well, the boys from the army."" "You felt better, at least you had some information" "So you said, "Of course I do."" ""And who do you see most frequently?"" "You said, "I often see Marko Sedlar."" "The man looked at you, lowered his eyes and said," ""I am Marko SedIar"" "An interesting story, but unfortunately it's not mine" "Yes, it's yours." "You just forgot it" "Excuse me, but who are you?" "What's your name?" "My name is Luka Laban lt seems it doesn't ring a bell?" "Mister Luka, aren't you by any chance mistaken?" "There are several men here called Teodor." "But only you're called Teodor Teja Kraj." "Only you are from Sid and your mother is from Sumanovic's family." "Sava is your cousin." "I'm not going to keep you very long l know you have a meeting with unsatisfied workers" "They don't want their firm to operate in the private sector" "To be put out to a.." "Tender" "Yes." "And after the meeting, if you survive, you're going to lunch with your secretary and girlfriend Martha" "How do you know that?" "Today is your 48th birthday lt is" "Mister Luka, you had bound those manuscripts by some book binder?" "I didn't dare." "My daughter did that and I wrote the titles" "They often lose or ruin manuscripts?" "Even more" "They sometimes denounce you to the police, if something is "especially interesting"." "They do" "The police should work for the people, not otherwise" "Right" "What are those books about?" "This blue book has the title "Orations"." "Short and sweet" "all four books are Orations?" "The green on is a collection of short stories "Stories from the lost home"" "The black book is a collection of urban stories." "Something like Chekhov's stories" "You like Chekhov?" "And who doesn't?" "Chekhov wrote the story "Sadness" based on my Iife." "That book is particularly interesting." "I see." "A large book." "Pigs are large, and books are voluminous." "You used to tell that to your students as a professor of literature." "is that right?" "Yes." "Unbelievable." "Splendid." "Just one question, sir" "But can I ask you something?" "Don't call me "sir", please lt doesn't suit me well l've been a comrade, Mister Teja, for sixty years" "all right?" "all right, comrade Luka I've told you he has a meeting and you can't come in" "No, he has a meeting!" "What's the matter, Martha?" "He's yelling at me like I'm that wife of his." "Why are you shouting, Jovan?" "She won't let me in," "like you are The President of the United States!" "And how do you think you could get in without an appointment?" "Did you visit the ex-manager whenever you wanted to?" "I did not" "You've been seeing him once a year" "And now you're bursting in here, yelling your guts out!" "You are late for the meeting." "The workers are waiting" "They've been waiting for sixty years, now they can wait sixty minutes!" "But Mister Teja, THIS is not THAT anymore!" "Comrade Jovan, THIS is really not THAT anymore" "The workers are on strike as of today. I'm the president of the striking committee." "Congratulation!" "I'lI join you too. I didn't get my salary in two months" "This is about selling selling this building." "I know I'Il be there in ten minutes" "Don't cry, Martha" "He's yelling at me!" "I didn't even touch her My wife doesn't cry when I beat her." "That's it!" "Get out of here!" "Excuse me, you have a red spot on your collar." "What's going on here?" "It'lI be just five more minutes." "Five minutes?" "Mister Luka.." "Comrade Luka, the workers are on strike, I'lI have to go down." "No problem, I'm in a hurry too" "But I'm looking at this painting. lt's like real snow." "One could almost make a snowball." "Comrade Luka, you're not a writer by profession?" "No." "So, you did all this after your working hours?" "Yes" "well done." "I've been a writer for 25 years, and I've written only two books so far." "I've been working a lot." "My regular job in daytime and this during the night" "Do you have perhaps more manuscripts in the suitcase?" "No The suitcase contains lots of stuff." "What stuff?" "Lighters, keys, glasses, gloves, caps." "Caps?" "Are there many of them?" "well, about a dozen or so." "Do you like caps?" "I've never wore them As you see, I'm wearing a hat." "I've collected these caps." "And lots of other stuff." "The suitcase is so full, that I barely closed it" "Comrade Luka, I'm glad to meet you I'm going to read all this and you can come by in two or three weeks" "l'm sorry, I can't" "Why not?" "I'm going to have a surgery." "They're scheduling it today" "ls it something serious?" "No." "If I survive" "What should I do with your books?" "They're not my books." "Not yours?" " No" "But whose are they?" "Yours." "What?" "Yours, of course" "Those are my books?" "Yes Those are your books." "Take a look." "What are you talking about?" "Teodor Teja Kraj ORATIONS" "Martha, just five more minutes." "I'm a bit confused here." "Those are my books, comrade Luka?" "Don't laugh, please l just thought you're a serious man and you're bringing me my books." "Don't laugh I'm Luka Laban, a retired policeman." "A policeman?" "Retired major of the State Security." "You have been "my case" for ten years I've been following you for ten years, every day" "Those are your Orations, your stories and your encounters and discussions while you were a so called dissident." "I've been following you, taping you, listening in to your phone calls and I've been "taking down" all this from the tapes" "And one day.." "What happened one day?" "Nothing." "What happened one day?" "After October 5th my daughter asked for your file." "From the file she made all those books, before she went to Canada Forever" "Your daughter was working for the police too?" "I asked if your daughter was working for the police." "Anna is your daughter?" "Yes" "Your daughter?" "Yes, my daughter." "You must be joking" "Why should I?" "Where did you get these from?" "l took them" "Some in the line of duty, some privately." "My God, Anna's your daughter" "She was my daughter." "What do you mean, "she was"?" "She went to Canada and got married there I didn't see her since, she doesn't call." "Why doesn't she call you?" "I wanted to kill you after October 5th when you came to power by force, but she didn't like it" "You wanted to kill me?" "Several times in the line of duty, but when your people forced me out of service, privately." "You're joking." "No, I never joke." "The workers are calling you to get down to the printing shop." "They're threatening with demonstrations." "And that geek told me to fuck off" "He told me all sort of things" "The president of the committee?" "Now I've had it!" "Do you know what he said to me?" "That I'm a whore" "What's the extension?" "220." "Put the president of the striking committee on" "Martha, please, don't cry." "Boss, it's for you!" "Yes?" "What are you doing?" "Are you crazy?" "I've told you that the people would go on strike" "We've been waiting for an hour, sir" "Just tell me did you swore at her!" "Yes, I swore at her." "She told me I was vulgar, primitive and rude." "If my wife said that to me, she'd end up in a hospital" "Listen to me, you idiot!" "If the workers mess something up, you'lI pay for it!" "You're asking for trouble!" "I'm not his secretary to fuck me whenever he wants to!" "What's up?" "He has a gun" "Who?" "The strike's leader?" "No, this one here Under his jacket" "What does he want?" "Nothing." "Everything's under control Don't worry, Martha" "Comrade Luka, Iet's get this straight.." "Martha loves you very much You know about her husband?" "He died of a heart attack two years ago." "Hi didn't" "He didn't die He hung himslef." "really?" "ln a nuthouse" "To be exact, he escaped and hung himself in a park I didn't know." "He was sick?" "Crazy?" "Yes partly hereditary, partly because of you" "Because of me?" "He knew about your affair." "That's why Martha is afraid of lunatics." "And how do you know all that?" "lt's my job to know everything." "If I'd killed you during the March demonstrations in '91 as I planed, that man would be alive." "And maybe he wouldn't." "They say that suicide is destined." "And why did you want to kill me in '91 ?" "Because you wanted to force down the Government and our President You took the students out on the streets!" "You burned and wrecked Belgrade!" "Who wrecked Belgrade?" "You, your friends and your students!" "MARCH 9TH 1 991 200.000 DEMONSTRATORS AGAINST MILOSEVIC" "The first time I saw you in the Security Department" "You covered the whole city with cameras!" "More or less Except maybe a few toilets." "Marko, who is this pig?" "A professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, Teodor Kraj." "Students call him Teja" "This platform is free!" "A professor?" "Yes" "Fucking smart ass" "Stop." "Zoom in." "You traitorous motherfucker!" "You're the one to bring us freedom!" "And this piece of shit is a professor of what?" "philosophy, I suppose" "philosophy?" "I didn't beat a philosopher before I typed your first speech in my office and opened your file, that will turn into these books." "Good evening, Serbia!" "Did you manage to get some sleep?" "I've just begun, but I'm going to need more time." "But I'm satisfied" "What did these days and nights on the square mean to you?" "You've opened my file with a story about freedom?" "What freedom are you talking about, man?" "Read what you've said" "You've insulted everything and everyone." "Afterward I asked my superior to let me run you over with the car The first time you get drunk, I couId run you over like a dog" "Like a dog?" "Like a common street dog." "But my superior was a kind man." "He said, "Luka, we should keep the streets clean."" "If your boss approved, you would really run me over?" "You'd be history You would be neither the first nor the last." "There were so many "accidents"" "But why, man?" "I was a communist to the bone in those years" "And you spoke all kinds of shit about communists." "In your Oration about a monkey you said about communists," ""Nature needed a million years to make a man out of a monkey, but the Communism needed only fifty years to turn a man into a monkey again"" "Splendid!" "I said that?" "And when was that?" "Here." "November 1 5th 1 993 I was selling newspapers that night." "really?" "I couldn't come to your table and say, "l'm a policeman." "Let me sit with you and listen to what are you talking about."" "l don't remember anything" "Of course You were dead-drunk." "I say, "What's up, pigs?" "What do you want?"" "One of them jumps all over me, hits me with a club in the head." "ln the head!" "Back here." "Hawk, over!" "The bastard is in the bar." "I scream from anger and pain, jump on my feet, hit one of them, than the other one, and the other one." "How many fucking cops were there?" "Thirty or forty of them at least." "Forty against one!" "Forty against a poet!" "I get upset and yell, "You eviIdoers, shame on you!"" "And I start to run and jump through a closed window" "The glass falls all over the place, I'm flying, falling." "My whole life flashes before my eyes." "I see my mother, my father, my brother." "I'm falling, falling." "How many stories did you falI from?" "I don't know, but it was very high" "will someone lick this for me?" "Fucking fascists!" "You're lucky to be alive." "Hawk, roger!" "Hawk is entering the bar" "Tomorrow's papers." "SIobodan MiIosevic in Nis." "Good evening." "Mister Protic, is it not?" "I've recognized you from TV." "Your change, sir." "No, it's all right." "Let see, where were we?" "Liverpool vs. chelsea." "Paper boy, come over here" "Sit down -l can't, sir, I'm busy." "Come on, sit." "How much of that communist garbage do you have left?" "About 1 0 copies -l'lI take it all." "Stop the music!" "Stop!" "How much is one copy?" "80 million" "That's eight hundred Here, have a billion." "lt's too much, sir" "No, it isn't" "lt's 200 million too much." "You're selling nuclear waste" "You'Il need money for treatment." "OK, thank you" "Let's see what SIoba Nostradamus says." "One raspberry juice, if you have it" "Of course." "Raspberry juice, man!" "I don't drink alcohol because of my throat" "And how do you feel when you drink raspberry juice?" "I feel good." "You don't have "epsileptic" seizures?" "What?" "Are you deaf?" "Raspberry is known to attack the hearing!" "The man is such an idiot Listen to what he's saying:" ""Serbia will be one of Europe's most developed countries in five years, a role model for many countries."" "God damn it!" "This could drive a man crazy!" "It's not SIoba's fault We are shit!" "Nature needed a million years to make a man out of a monkey, but the Communism needed only fifty years to turn a man into a monkey again" "A baboon too!" "Bare-bottomed!" "That's right." "Give me a glass of wine. I'm not feeling well" "Do you think that we drink because we like to?" "Do you see what they say here?" "I don't read papers, I just sell them" "You're poisoning people You're a mobile Chernobyl." "Leave the man alone, he didn't write that shit" "Drug dealers don't make the drugs, just sell them" "That's right.." "That's correct!" "Do you know the song "Government will faIl"?" "Never heard of it" ""What is that that's faIling?" "It's the Government and you"" ""Many governments have fallen So yours must fall too."" "gentlemen, please, I have five children." "Mister Teja, please don't sing so loud." "The bar is full of police" "Who is a cop here?" "They'lI send an inspection, they'Il close my bar I have three small children." "I'm saying this because of your small children!" "What will happen if the Satrap stays in power for another ten years?" "They'lI leave this rotten country!" "You'Il stay alone like graves!" "Please, they are everywhere." "My cook is his man." "My fiddler played for him lt's not SIoba's fault!" "We are shit!" "We'Il play for you all night, just don't mention comrade Sloba" "all right play that old folk song "Love letter"" "That's okey" "Come on!" "Sing!" "Enough!" "Closing time!" "I have to wash my face." "I'm not feeling well" "First I'm going to wash my face and then hang myself." "I can't stand this life anymore" "We have to fight, man, don't kill yourself now!" "I wanted to hang you I had an excellent alibi, because you said it yourself in front of everybody I followed you to the bathroom and I see you taking a piss." "The man looked just like you from behind." "Boy, you're drunk!" "I took off my belt, made a noose" "and put it around your neck to hang you lt's okey, Martha, we're just talking." "He wanted to strangle you." "He was just explaining something" "Comrade Luka, do you want some coffee?" "If it's possible" "well, it's not possible." "They just arrested the cook." "Teja, he's crazy." "Should I call the police?" "No, no.." "They arrested JeIena, the cook?" "They're taking her away now." "Why did they arrest her?" "She poured hot coffee into the doorman's eyes." "l'lI make you coffee." "No sugar for me, please" "Don't worry Everything's under control ls it possible that you wanted to hang me in the bathroom and make it look like a suicide?" "There were many questionable suicides." "Dostoevsky wrote about that when the old Karamazov.." "Wait a minute You are not a policeman" "You doubt that I'm a policeman?" "is that a compliment?" "You don't talk like a policeman." "Your knowledge about Chekov," "Dostoevski, about literature don't become a policeman." "My dear Mister Teja!" "If you only knew how hard it was for me to comprehend the basic concepts of that literary world of yours I was convinced that AristotIe, Kafka, Nietzsche, Hegel were all agents of foreign intelligence services." "I even came across similar names in police files of embassies employees." "When you quoted Sartre, I was sure he was the French military attache" "His name was also Jean-Paul, only he wasn't a philosopher." "So I added in his file:" ""and a philosopher"." "What could I do?" "Of all foreign names I've heard only of Marx, Engels and Lenin" "You still doubt that I'm telling the truth?" "well.." "And how's your leg?" "What leg?" "The left one." "You had severe fracture of the thighbone." "Yes" "And two surgeries." "The leg is 4 cm shorter, your right shoe sole 4 cm thicker" "At first sight one can't see you have a limp" "I quit smoking, I had three by-passes. I carry the lighter out of the habit." "Keep it, it's yours anyway." "How do you know about my leg?" "l know I hit you with my car" "You hit me with your car?" "And you got off easy." "If I'd been driving a jeep, it wouId've taken them three days to put you together" "You are a monster!" "A murderer!" "l didn't kill anyone." "l spent a year in a hospital!" "I had four surgeries!" "Not two, four!" "They've barely managed to save my leg!" "Look what you did to me, you filthy cop!" "Take a look!" "And here is what you did to me, you mangy pig!" "Martha!" "Martha!" "What are you doing?" "We're talking." "Why are you taking off your clothes?" "I'm showing him my scar from the surgery" "And he's showing me his." "Why do you do that?" "What do you want?" "Martha, everything's going to be fine." "I'lI finish this conversation in five minutes." "You know how much I love you?" "l know But who is that man?" "I'lI tell you all about it at lunch Kiss you" "Five minutes?" "Five." "Jovan, come here!" "Hurry up!" "What's up?" "He's a pervert!" "I couldn't believe my eyes." "She was lying like this." "Boss." "people, do you see this circus?" "Believe me, lf l had a gun, I would kill you" "Take mine." "The bullet is in the hole, just squeeze the trigger." "You know I can call the Chief of The State Security now." "So?" "You'd spent the rest of your life in prison." "Prison is for people. I've sent at least a hundred men there." "Most of them are now in power because they served time." "And you were given some position after being run over I did you a favor and you want to kill me" "lt's not right." "You're not normal." "Cheers." "is it possible that you wanted to kill me because of MiIosevic?" "Partly because of him, but more because of Knin." "Because of Knin?" "I ran you over the second day after Knin fell." "I was in shock, I wanted to kill all of you!" "August 1 995 Exodus of Serbs from Croatia" "Milan, why don't you let these poor people into the city?" "What do you think, who can forbid?" "Who has forbidden?" "The President, they say" "The President?" "Where are the people supposed to go?" "The order is, to Kosovo." "To Kosovo?" "And where from Kosovo if a war breaks out down there?" "How am I suppose to know, Luka?" "Boss, that professor and some of his men are organizing a rally" "That's forbidden" "Yes, but they are gathering in the hall of Sports." "They expect over twenty thousand people to come" "They're plotting to go to the President's house" "They're mentioning guns too." "Guns?" "And the "Rumanian scenario."" "As though this misery is not enough for them, they want blood in belgrade too." "well, I'm going to show them the "Serbian scenario"!" "A million people should have been on the streets of belgrade tonight!" "The processions of wretches are passing by our houses!" "500.000 men, women and children are looking at our windows" "They're not allowed to go into the MiIosevic's Imperial City!" "That's right." "What else must happen to us." "How many of our people are there?" "More than a half." "I'm going to take down this professor tonight" "..and if he sleeps, what is he dreaming about?" "Does he dream about so many wounded and dead people?" "Shame on us before Nikola tesla, who's looking at us and asking," ""Where is my native soil, brothers?"" "Milosevic is not to blame!" "We're to blame, we're shit!" "He knows that we're shit!" "When he gets tired of us, he just flushes, and shit goes down the toilet!" "Who is shit, you motherfucker?" "!" "Easy" "Here, calm down." "Those bastards broke my leg." "Let go of me" "l'm going to kill him!" "Come on!" "Let go of me!" "all right!" "Teja.." "Teja, damn it!" "Teja, damn it!" "You bastards!" "Do you have a fever?" "Leave the man alone." "What do you mean?" "He was lucky." "They put my healthy leg in the cast first" "Later they got it right and now it's OK, thank God I said, Iet's go to the bar!" "Politics will kill us" "Nice shirt" "What was that?" "l said, nice shirt" "He said you have a nice shirt" "My uncle gave it to me" "Good evening, gentlemen How are you?" "Good evening, doctor." "How are you, mister Kraj?" "gentlemen, you must leave." "Visiting hours are over." "No problem, doctor." "What happened, young man?" "Soccer?" "Yes, but soccer with clubs." "Very nice." "Hang on, Teja!" "Everything's going to be all right" "You're a big hero!" "Let's go." "Mister Kraj, excellent!" "No fever, as I see." "No constipation, excellent!" "What's excellent, doctor?" "You were in critical condition last night" "We thought that we lost you." "You thought I'lI die?" "well, it was a close shave" "A splendid diagnosis:" "a close shave" "Nurse, put it here" "Do they know who hit me?" "They'lI find out Papers say, the investigation is underway" "The investigation is underway and the funeral is tomorrow." "You must have fate in our police department." "I'm afraid that investigation is being led by those, who run me over." "Who is paying you to hate our President so much?" "Who is paying me?" "I mean, who is your contact abroad?" "You can tell me." "I'm under a doctor's oath I fear that someone might hear us." "We're alone You can whisper it to me." "This is a plastic ear" "You're joking." "Unbelievable. lt looks real." "No one would think it was plastic." "And who'd think you have one shorter leg?" "True" "This would also be aggravated assault and battery in court" "Let's part with a drink The workers are waiting for me." "Cheers, comrade Luka." "Cheers, Mister Teja." "What are those?" "Your things." "My things?" "Like those are your books, these are your things" "What do you think?" "Where did you get all this?" "I collected them while I've been following you for ten years." "You kept loosing your stuff in bars, clubs and trains." "When you get drunk, you loose things" "I know." "I have two light coats, three coats, one leather jacket, gloves, scarves, umbrellas at home I couldn't bring it all." "There, it is my present for your birthday." "Cheers." "My God" "Yes?" "We're going out on the street." "We'Il stop the traffic." "l'lI be there in five minutes" "We can't wait anymore!" "You're fucking around upstairs and we're working like slaves!" "Don't do anything stupid!" "I'm on my way!" "We won't rest until we see your back!" "And when you see my back, you can kiss my ass!" "Those who go out in the street, will stay in the street!" "A whole life in a suitcase?" "Where did I get this binoculars?" "You don't remember?" "It was a present from my daughter" "From Anna?" "On New Year's Eve 1 997." "During those big demonstrations, when you thought you had won." "You were celebrating the New Year and victory." "You were still a professor, my daughter was on the first year" "And, of course, she fell in love with a professor" "When they told me that, I almost died." "Roger!" "Come on, hurry up!" "Where have you been?" "Let me check you out.." "You all have communicators?" "Where is Marko?" "He's waiting for you in your office." "You wait for me in the garage I'lI be right there" "What's going on here?" "Why is he screaming like a mule?" "Get ready We're going to celebrate." "I'lI explain it to you" "What's your name?" "Jovan Mandic" "Did I ask you?" "Shut the fuck up" "What's your name?" "Jovan Mandic" "So you're the famous Joca." "And why are these good people beating you?" "Why are you laughing..?" "Why are they beating you?" "I switched off the electricity in the center of the city" "Why?" "lt's more beautiful with the candles." "You like candles?" "Now we're going to light you a candle" "Leave him for five minutes, then continue" "With the treatment?" "Yes" "What are you waiting for?" "Do your people have to beat a man on New Year's Eve too?" "Cut the crap Let's go I'm not working here as of tonight It's not for me" "And one more thing. I wasn't going to tell you that" "What?" "Your daughter is with the professor, in the city." "My daughter is with that lunatic in the city?" "Yes I saw them." "My daughter is dating that idiot?" "Yes They are going to a New Year's Eve party later." "I'lI kill him" "December 31 st 1 996 Demonstrations on New Year's Eve" "Where have you been?" "Beat it!" "Are you our Santa?" "Did you bring the presents?" "What Santa!" "What presents!" "Roger!" "Roger!" "Please, come in" "Are you crazy?" "I'm expecting Santa claus and presents and you send me strippers and the police!" "Hawk, come in!" "Over!" "The doctor said you should retire now." "I know He told me too." "He said you wouldn't survive the next heart attack" "Who cares?" "What are you talking about, Dad?" "You know very well." "Don't upset me." "Do you want me to die here in front of you?" "That man.." "I'm going to.." "What?" "tell me" "Nothing." "What's with the visa?" "Did you get the visa for Canada?" "How do you know about that?" "My job is to know everything" "When do you leave?" "l don't know." "Promise me something." "What?" "You know what." "Take care." "I'lI see you tomorrow" "God, what did I do to deserve this?" "I promised Anna i wouldn't kill you." "As you see, I've kept my promise You're alive and well." "So, Anna saved my Iife?" "Your life and everything you've lost in your life." "She never told me her father was a policeman" "She was probably embarrassed When I got out of hospital I followed you around and took these pictures to the Dean" "They were just waiting for some excuse to throw you out I got hooked up on booze hanging out with you artist." "So you set me up with a story of "seducing female students and orgies in my office"." "Yes, me." "Why are you complaining?" "You've been on all the front pages for two months." "Your daughter ended up in a hospital after a breakdown and she left her studies." "Yes But she also left you." "l could kill you right now!" "You'd be killing a dead man and they'd convict you as though I was alive" "No!" "l'lI kill him, Martha" "lt will do you no good" "You ruined my Iife!" "And what have you done to me?" "The workers are on the street They stopped the traffic" "Demonstrations again?" "Why now, when we have democracy?" "Comrade Luka, I might kill you." "Type Jovan's resignation Now!" "The Minister's office wants to know what's going on. -l will tell them!" "Bringing down the Government is going on!" "I'm the opposition now." "although a bit drunk." "They're not bringing me down, they're bringing you down!" "Send the police to regulate the traffic." "What's that?" "Letters from your mother." "Letters from my mother?" "Yes, ten letters." "Where did you get these letters?" "When you lost your job, you had no money." "You were moving from one apartment to another and I collected your mail, saying I was your cousin." "You are a monster" "A was just a professional" "My dear son Teja, you promised to come in November for your father's birthday, and now New Year has passed and you still didn't come." "Some of my letters come back, so it seems to me that I've been writing them to myself" "You're writing to Teja?" "What else can I do?" "tell him I said haIlo." "And give him this ring" "Read me the letter." "Don't torture me" "I received the medications you've sent." "The truth is, I'm not taking any medications for a long time I asked for them hoping you'lI bring them yourself" "I'm sending you these gloves with Luka, your father's friend from the police school." "Luka is the only one who visits him regularly" "My vision is getting weaker lately, so if you write to me, bring the letter yourself, so you can read it to me." "With love, your mother" "You were visiting my house?" "Yes" "You went to the police school with my father?" "No I only wanted to see what was your family like" "And what did you see?" "all the best" "A decent mother and an honest father, who went ill and died because of you." "Your father was brought to Belgrade to break up the demonstrations you've been organizing yourself." "Come on, don't cry" "You know about my son and my ex-wife?" "Of course I know everything" "MARCH, april, MAY, JUNE 1 999" "NATO operation "THE merciful ANGEL"" "Good evening." "Same to you." "The piggies were so afraid After he blew down the straw house and the wooden house, he went towards the brick house And he shouted," ""When I blow and spit fire I'lI tear your house down."" "And he started blowing!" "And the tiles began to fly from the roof of the brick house." "Does the wolf work for NATO?" "My son.." "What are you doing here?" "l came to see him" "Come on, take a look at him" "He has a name, you know His name is not "him"." "Come on, now you bomb me too" "Look what Daddy brought you A toy-puppy." "Did you see him?" "We have a dog." "A real dog" "What's her name?" "Honey-pie." "And you can give that to this girlfriend of yours" "Where did you get this?" "A man gave it to me" "l want to take it home" "No" "I want to take it home!" "Why are you Iike that?" "She said, "We have a real dog"" ""Take this one away We don't need anything from you"" "In those words?" "My son barely recognized me!" "Teja, my friend!" "Don't do that." "It is because of the bombing." "The posttraumatic stress." "It'lI all pass when the bombing is over" "There are so many nice things in life We all love you" "Just those Americans don't." "And British." "Then she gave me this picture of me and some student of mine." "Was it that girl?" "Don't joke with me!" "Someone is giving these pictures around." "It will be all over the papers tomorrow." "We'Il be in the papers!" "Great!" "Motherfuckers!" "What are these evil men doing to us!" "What's up, boys?" "What do you want, faggot?" "Do I have to come there?" "What the hell do you want?" "You misunderstood me I meant, what do you want to drink with us?" "Let's go." "Have a drink with us l mean, I'm an invalid And he's completely healthy" "Who is that pretty woman?" "Martha." "She comes here every Sunday" "Fuck you, you bastards!" "You and your fucking planes!" "God damn you, you monsters!" "It's no use They are too high up" "What do you want?" "And what are you doing with the ledder?" "I can stand where ever I want in my office Why are you here?" "To give the manager our demands lf he doesn't meet our demands in half an hour, we're moving downtown" "We're going to block the whole city!" "The manager has an important meeting" "This is more important for him!" "His life is at stake!" "If he doesn't agree to this, he better jump through the window!" "And you could too, while you're already standing on the ladder" "Martha, honey, come here.." "I'lI gladly do time for this." "Comrade Luka." "What are you doing, Jovan?" "I only wanted.." "You only wanted to kill the manager." "I wanted to scare him He hit me" "Come here" "Postpone the demonstrations for a week." "You're still in the service?" "You dare to ask me that?" "But they told me that you are." "Who's giving you orders?" "You are" "Dismiss your people tell them the negotiations are in progress" "Did he hit you?" "No" "Are you hurt?" "No" "Are you in pain?" "No" "Come on, lie down" "We could say that you saved my life I'm not sure that he would shoot." "He would." "He's crazy" "He's one of ours." "He's working for the police?" "Yes A collaborator." "You were his boss?" "Yes" "How come he's working for the police now, when the police is changed?" "Who says it's changed?" "Me and your late father are the only ones who're changed." "This was a planned rebellion?" "Guided by remote control" "He organizes riots where they're needed." "And why were they needed here now?" "I don't know. I'm not in the service anymore." "I used to move him from firm to firm." "He's the greatest agitator ln the Department we call him "Trotsky"" "Take a sip, you'lI feel better ln any case, thank you." "Can I ask you something?" "If he did kill my by any chance, would he be accused?" "For what?" "For murder." "well, it wouldn't be a murder." "And what would it be?" "Probably a suicide" "l would shoot myself?" "Yes, you would commit suicide." "But Martha was present." "She would testify" "How could a dead woman testify?" "He would kill her too?" "No, you would kill Martha and then commit suicide I would kill Martha and then commit suicide?" "Yes Newspapers are full of tragic love stories" "You loved her, she betrayed you, you killed her and then committed suicide" "Jovan would probably be the witness to your tragedy." "And you?" "What about me?" "You were present too." "Two dead people would testify that I was present?" "God." "I don't know if I saved your life today, but once I did I saved you in the last moment." "You were clinically dead." "When was that?" "When your father died." "You saved my Iife when my father died?" "is it possible that you don't remember that either?" "I don't remember." "What?" "Mister Kraj, just one more question" "Do you mind, colleague?" "is it true that you are related to our great painter?" "Yes, on my mother's side" "Have you inherited anything from your great cousin?" "A couple of paintings" "l meant.." "The talent?" "No chance!" "Sava Sumanovic spent a long time in psychiatric hospital" "You think illnesses are hereditary?" "I didn't say that." "Oh my great plain You won't let me sleep" "And even in my dreams For you I weep" "Everything is flat Not a thing in sight" "And the sky." "What's up?" "My neck!" "Not again, man!" "Mister Kraj, excuse me." "Yes?" "Your father." "My condolences" "Please, I'm begging you now." "Stay out of politics He was killed by politics" "Promise me you'lI stick to your own affairs I promise As soon as this regime changes" "And when will that be?" "After the elections." "In which year?" "He left you this" "Tamburitza orchestra, even here?" "This is his song They've played it to him his whole life lf he didn't want a requiem, Iet his musicians play for him" "This was my father's song." "When he was drunk, he used to ask for this song." "One time he gave this ring to make them play this song all night long." "Sixty times!" "Sixty times!" "Sixty times!" "Did they take out bullets from your meet?" "What bullets and buckshot?" "For every pound of meat you get a pound of led" "What meat is this?" "Deer. lt's a deerburger" "You ate a deer's child You ate Bamby, you fat cow." "Little Bamby!" "I've heard about your father." "My deepest regrets" "Hunters, sit down." "Come on, sit down." "What happened to your head?" "This idiot almost killed me" "Why are you looking at me?" "lt was an accident" "Do I look like a rabbit to you?" "Do I look like a rabbit?" "Not at alI" "You want some carrots and cabbage?" "Why are you looking at me?" "Here, take a gun, shoot me and we're even." "Enough, you two!" "What is the range of those snipers?" "It depends on the hunter." "A good hunter can kill from two thousand meters" "excellent!" "I have an excellent idea lf Milosevic robs the elections again, as he's been doing so far, we'lI organize a hunt on him." "Now sing my song "Government will faIl"" "Please, don't ask that -"Government will faIl"!" "If the Government fails, the head falls too." "is this enough?" "We'Il try" "gentlemen, now you will hear a real song!" "I'm on your trail for years With an arrow in my hands" "Now I see you, now I don't Your shadow is white and bends" "But one night, oh my dear I'lI be able to grab it I will meet you fair and square I will kill you Iike a rabbit" "A shooting star is faIling And also hawk, a bird so gray" "A smile on my face is rolling And the snow on Christmas Day" "A man can falI from drinking And the soul can faIl asleep" "At down the night is sinking falling, falling deep" "What is that that's falIing lt's the Government and you" "Many governments have fallen So yours must fall too." "Sit down and have a drink." "Put those lights out" "What's up?" "Your tickets, please." "Every five minutes someone asks for the tickets" "What is this?" "A train or a casino" "Sit down" "Have a drink." "I shouldn't. I'm on duty" "Don't play innocent with us!" "We are all on duty" "We have a duty to pay back our debts." "You look familiar to me" "You too Are you on your way home?" "I've been a conductor on this route for 25 years." "What do you have in those packages?" "Oh, would you like to know?" "The posters for the elections." "We'Il cover whole belgrade" "Who are you gonna vote for?" "Same as you." "Bravo, sir!" "He's our man!" "I have a cold." "When SIoba faIls, I'lI get even more fat" "No I'm somehow maintaining my weight because I'm upset" "You can give me one package." "I'lI cover the whole train lt would be great advertising Trains travel everywhere lt's a great idea!" "He is our PR!" "Our propagandist!" "You're in a wrong line of work" "Cheers." "Here's to our victory." "To victory!" "I'm not feeling well l'm sick. I'lI die." "It's occupied!" "Hey, look, Teja fell off!" "Who fell off?" "Teja." "Look how he fell!" "Hey, Teja!" "We'Il be waiting for you in the bar!" "Look at this!" "Get up, Teja!" "You're heavy as a rock" "Why did you save me?" "lf l had left you, my daughter would think that I'd killed you" "My father's ring!" "Don't wear it in a bar If you give it to musicians again, there will be no one to return it to you." "Thank you" "Why are you looking through the window all the time?" "I'm afraid they might take away my cab." "A cab has been waiting for you all this time?" "lt's my cab. I'm a cab driver." "You?" "It's called "a change of government"" "I was the boss while you were a vagabond." "Now you are a manager and I'm a cab driver, which is almost the same as a vagabond" "How can you drive a cab when you're sick?" "I have no choice." "Do you think I could buy medications with my pension?" "Three o'clock!" "The doctor will kill me." "I'm late and I'm drunk" "There's a play of yours in this briefcase." "It could be performed in a theatre or made into a movie" "Don't make a fool of me." "I never wrote a play." "Yes, you did." "When?" "Just now I've turned it on before I came into this office." "It has recorded everything we've said" "You just need to write down the story from the tape." "If Anna was here, she would do it, but now you have to" "You must be a professional for once" "Comrade Luka, can I help you in some way?" "No" "actually, you could." "Just tell me." "This is Anna's number in Canada" "tell her that I've brought you the books and your things." "And don't mention my illness, please." "She has her own worries." "And.. tell her that we've parted." "..in peace." "I wish you all the best, Martha" "Good afternoon" "Good afternoon" "Sava is a great painter after all lf l was a painter, I would paint just like that." "What can I do for you?" "You don't know who I am?" "l don't. I'm really sorry.." "Can I put the suitcase down?" "Of course Sit down." "No, thank you I'm in a hurry" "Are you maybe." "A friend from the army?" "Do you remember your story "My friend from the army"?" "My story?" "Yes." "When a man came to you on the street, hugged you and asked, "Do you see some of the boys?"" "You asked him, "What boys"?" ""well, the boys from the army."" "You felt better, at least you had some information" "So you said, "Of course I do."" ""And who do you see most frequently?"" "You said, "I often see Marko Sedlar."" "The man looked at you, lowered his eyes and said," ""I am Marko SedIar"" "An interesting story, but unfortunately it's not mine" "Yes, it's yours." "You just forgot it" "Excuse me, but who are you?" "What's your name?" "My name is Luka Laban"