"brazilian HlNTERLANDS, 191O" "My name is Pacu." "It's a brand new name." "So I'm not used to It yet." "I'm trying to remember a story." "Sometimes I can..." "sometimes I get mixed up." "Maybe It's because there's anotherone stuck in my head." "It's about me, my brother... and a shirt in the wind." "The blood is starting to turn yellow." "Come on!" "Go, Blacky!" "Go, Cavaco!" "Go, go, go, go!" "Come on, come on!" "Go, Blacky!" "Keep it going!" "Go on!" "Go, go, go, go!" ""behind THE SUN"" "Go, Blacky!" "It's Pa who drives the oxen around the mill." "In Granpa's time the slaves did all the work." "Now we do It." "Come on, bull!" "Go, Blacky!" "Go, Cavaco!" "Go, go, go, go!" "Come on, come on!" "Go, go, go, go!" "Come on!" "Go, Cavaco!" "Come on, bull!" "Tonho,my brother, crushes the sugarcane." "Ma gathers the scraps." "Bring more cane, kid." "Hurry up!" "Let 's go, Blacky!" "Go, Cavaco!" "Come on, bull!" "Come on, kid." "Why you're so slow?" "Ma says God never gives us heavier burdens than we can bear." "But God keeps messing up." "He sometimes dumps such burdens on us, we all collapse." "We live in Stream of Souls." "It's in the middle of nowhere." "Allwe know... is that It's somewhere on earth,behind the sun." "And the sun here is so hot, but It's so hot... that It sets our heads boiling like a pot of molasses." "Be careful." "FEBRUARY" "Tonho... I dreamed about lnácio again." "Go back to sleep, now." "Go on." "Go on, kid." "And now, sleep." "Go, go, go, go!" "Come on, Blacky!" "Go, Cavaco!" "Stay in line!" "Keep it going!" "Come on, bull!" "april" "The blood has turned yellow." "Tonho... you know what you have to do." "Don't go, Tonho." "Your brother's soul isn't at rest." "He did what he had to do." "It 's Tonho's turn now." "Don't go." "Listen to me, kid." "Your grandfather, your uncles, your oldest brother... all died for this land and for our honor." "One day, it might be you." "You're a Breves." "I too did my duty." "But it wasn't God's will that I died." "Tonho, you'll leave at daybreak." "And remember:" "You're only to seek out your brother's killer." "Man to man, face to face." "I tried to mend your boots." "But couldn't." "Take mine." "They're good to walk on." "Thanks, Pa." "Tonho will be walking over land that used to be ours." "The Ferreiras took It from us and we took It back." "Now It's theirs again." "That's how the feud began." "Pa says It's an eye for an eye." "One of theirs forone of ours." "And that's how It went until everyone ended up blind." "In the land of the blind... one-eyed people are said to be mad." "May God consent... may it be God's will... may the soul of lnácio, my firstborn, find peace alongside his own." "May each drop of his blood cost the enemy two." "May you, my son, find the peace you never found among the living." "And watch over your brothers when their turn comes." "We're going for water." "Yes, sir." "Everything quiet?" "Yes, sir." "Like this." "Go outside, kid." "I came to revenge my brother!" "Good-bye,my brother" "Good-bye,my brother" "See you at Judgement Day" "You're beloved,brother" "Good-bye,my brother" "Good-bye,my brother" "See you at Judgement Day" "I won't pray for your grandson's soul, since he killed my son." "But I respect your suffering." "It 's the same as mine." "Today, ours is greater." "My son asks permission to attend the vigil... to pray for the deceased's soul." "Afterwards, if you accept, he'd like to talk to you." "Where is he?" "Outside." "Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy..." "Lord, have mercy on us." "Christ, have mercy on us." "Lord, have mercy on us." "Christ, have mercy on us." "God bless you." "Thank you." "Goodbye, old friend." "I prayed for the deceased." "Out of respect for him, I came to the wake and the burial." "Now I'd like to talk to you." "I request truce." "Grandfather, don't accord a truce." "The truce is granted." "The same one your father granted to my grandson." "Until the next full moon." "From one death to the next." "This is your guarantee until the full moon." "After that, when the blood turns yellow, it will expire." "How old are you?" "Twenty." "Your life is now split into two." "The twenty years you've already lived and the short time you have left." "Have you ever known love?" "You never will." "Do you hear that clock?" "Each time it ticks:" "One more, one more, one more... it will be telling you:" "One less... one less, one less." "Good morning." "Morning." "Do you know of a little village near here called Bom Sossego?" "It 's over there." "But it 's not little at all." "No?" "And what is this place called?" "Stream of Souls." "And where is the stream?" "Dried up." "Only the souls are left." "What 's your name?" "Kid." "What?" "l ain't got no name, ma'am." "How do they call you?" "They just call me kid!" "Gosh!" "They call the kid kid!" "Kid!" "Kid... this is for you." "Can you read?" "No." "But I can read pictures." "Hey, kid!" "Stay away from those vagrants, you hear me?" "Ma thinks bloodstains come out." "But they don't." "You did your duty,my son." "Now you have work to do before the next full moon:" "Crush the sugarcane, fix the roof, in case it rains this year." "It never rains." "Then the raw sugar has to be sold in the village." "That sounded like a bad dream, Tonho. I tried to wake you up." "But you didn't want to." "What are you doing up, kid?" "Reading." "Where did you get that?" "A present." "From who?" "The girl gave it to me." "What girl?" "My friend, of course!" "You went into town alone?" "No." "They were lost." "But not anymore." "I showed them the way." "So that book..." "what 's that book about?" "It 's about everything." "lt 's not right, kid." "What?" "It 's upside down." "No, it 's not." "Want to bet?" "It 's the same this way..." "or that way." "No difference, see?" "See?" "You don't know a thing about books." "Give it to me." "lt 's her!" "Her?" "Who?" "The girl who gave me the book." "She lives in the sea with the fish, the crabs and the boats." "You know?" "She'll take me with her." "She'll teach me the alphabet and all." "You don't believe me?" "When I grow up, we'll get married." "Has she been informed?" "No." "It 's still a secret." "One day, the mermaid came up to the surface... and she saw the cashew tree, the oxen... the mountains... the grass...." "When she looked up, she saw the raw sugar house... and the rooster with the mangy neck crowing for her." "Oh, she really liked that!" "She kept looking and saw the mules... the sugarcane, the mill..." "Everything delighted her!" "But the best part of all was when she saw the kid." "Are you still reading that book?" "You'll ruin your eyes." "I'm trying to remember the story, Ma." "Sometimes I can, sometimes I forget." "Then just forget." "Well?" "It 's starting to change color." "It won't be long now." "No, it won't." "You're one of the most important man in town... but with all due respect... this isn't the right amount." "It is the right amount." "But I gave you the usual quantity!" "Prices were brought down... by the steam power mills." "It 's progress." "I think you should follow the example, Mr. Breves." "But Mr. Lourenço, we had an agreement...." "There is no shortage of raw sugar!" "Come on up!" "Come one, come all!" "If you want to see, watch!" "The snake and the frog dance!" "The snake and the frog dance!" "Everyone will come!" "Everyone and all!" "Together we will go!" "Together we will go!" "Tomorrow night, no one will sleep!" "No man, woman or child!" "No man, woman or child!" "Come on up!" "Mr. Lourenço wants to dictate other people's suffering." "I saw her." "Who?" "The mermaid." "She was up on stilts." "On what?" "She's in the circus." "Yeah?" "They're bringing the circus to town." "With a fire-eater, a clown..." "A snake that dances with a frog." "A snake with what?" "A frog." "Yeah?" "Hey, are you daydreaming, kid?" "More cane!" "Go, go, go!" "Keep turning!" "Hurry up with that cane, kid!" "Let 's go." "Tonho... I want to go to the circus real bad." "You think Pa will let you?" "We're like oxen here." "We go round and round and never go anywhere." "Let 's go, kid." "Don't you want to go to the circus?" "Huh?" "Then let 's go." "See, I told you, she's hot stuff!" "THE EARTH'S LAUGHTER" "You're on fire!" "Fire!" "Fire!" "I'll be damned!" "I'm toasted!" "Salustiano, look who's here." "Hey!" "It 's the kid without a name." "Anything's better than "Salustiano"." "My name's Clara." "And you?" "That 's Tonho, my brother." "Good evening." "Did you like the show?" "Yeah!" "I liked the fire the best." "You're really hot!" "Holy shit." "I brought the book so you can remind me of the story." "Will you excuse us, it 's late now." "Hey, kid!" "I'm going to give you a name." "A name all of your own." "What 's your favourite animal?" "Do you like birds?" "He only likes sea creatures." "Oh, yeah?" "Then I'll name you Sardine!" "You bullshitting me?" "OK, we'll choose another name." "Pacu." "Pacu!" "I've christened you." "You have a name now." "And I'm your godfather." "To celebrate your christening!" "l didn't like it." "What?" "The name." "Pacu." "He's pulling my leg." "Pacu is a kind of river fish." "Tonho... do you think they sleep together?" "I don't know." "All I know is that he's your godfather now." "Pacu!" "Pacu!" "Pacu!" "Pacu!" "Cut it out, will you?" "Where did you take the kid?" "Where?" "To the circus." "Where?" "To the circus." "Go to your room, kid." "Right now!" "Having fun at a time like this?" "Have you no respect for our dead?" "You should follow your brother's example." "Don't worry... I'll soon be like him." "Shut up!" "Sorry, but I won't shut up." "Shut your trap!" "No." "Shut up!" "No." "Shut up!" "No, I won't!" "l won't!" "Shut up!" "Tonho... you have to go away." "Did you see his black armband?" "Yes." "He won't be around much longer." "What are you talking about?" "lt 's true." "It 's a family feud." "One side kills, then the other." "How do you know?" "lt goes way back." "Folks here know." "They are fighting for the land." "They'd rather kill than solve their problems." "Real fanatics." "Look... lt 's like two snakes I saw fighting." "One bit the tail of the other." "The other bit the tail of the first." "They ate each other up until nothing was left." "Nothing but a pool of blood on the ground." "They'll all be killed off." "I feel sorry for them." "I really do." "Stay in line!" "Stay in line!" "Come on, Blacky!" "Go, Cavaco!" "Keep it going, slowpoke!" "Go, go, go!" "Come on!" "Come on, bull!" "Go, go!" "Stay in line!" "Come on, bull!" "Come on, bull!" "Go!" "Go, go!" "Come on, bull!" "Let 's go!" "Go!" "Come on, Cavaco, go!" "Come on, Cavaco, go!" "Get up, Cavaco!" "Get up!" "That 's it!" "Get up!" "That 's it!" "Tonho!" "The oxen are going round on their own!" "Need some help?" "Any help is welcome... especially when it 's free." "Where is my godson?" "At home." "Came for the circus?" "You'll have to wait until next year." "We're going to Ventura, for the Holy Week festival." "Ever been to Ventura?" "No. I've never been anywhere." "Were you born dead or alive?" "What?" "Were you born dead or alive?" "Alive." "Well, I was born dead." "True or false?" "True, I'm afraid." "Let me explain." "My mum almost died giving birth." "I was born purple, so purple, they thought I was dead." "True or false?" "They ignored me for two hours while trying to save my mother." "Then they decided to wash me so I'd look decent for the funeral." "As soon as I felt that cold water, I started shouting." "As a result, that was my first and last bath." "No more baths!" "And the second result: nothing ever bothers me." "A man born dead has been through the worst." "After that, life's a breeze." "No kidding!" "But when it comes to water, I don't even use it for drinking!" "No more water!" "Go, Alambique!" "How long do you have?" "Not long." "I'll go as far as Ventura, then I have to go back." "Clara, where are you?" "In this house, the dead command the living." "Sometimes I wish Tonho would never come back." "Don't say that, woman." "Even the worst life is better than being slaughtered like an animal." "Look around you, woman." "What do we have left?" "Nothing." "You see... we've already lost everything." "And if Tonho doesn't come back, we'll have lost our honor too." "Sleep well, young man?" "The mermaid couldn't live with the kid because instead of legs... she had a fish-tail." "The poor thing couldn't walk." "So one day she got furious and jumped into the sea." "She started fighting with snakes and frogs." "Then, because she missed the kid so much... she started putting out fire and smoke." "So the kid got on a tired old ox... and galloped after the mermaid." "Da-dum, da-dum, looking for the mermaid!" "He went through the woods and cane fields... and after the last sugarcane... he came upon the sea." "And he found the mermaid." "Following your brother's step?" "Think you can take it easy around here?" "Give my book!" "Give my book!" "My book, give it to me!" "This shitty circus around here again?" "What did you say?" "Just that." "Shitty what?" "Shitty circus!" "Get out of here!" "You lousy bum!" "Reginaldo, come here!" "Shitty things are impossible to get rid of." "Just like you!" "You mean like you!" "is that little Clara?" "Your godchild?" "Spitting image of her mother." "How she's grown!" "Do it right, kid!" "You're big enough now." "Come, Tonho." "I'll show you something, Tonho." "Help me." "Stretch the rope tight." "Spin, Tonho." "Spin faster, Tonho." "Faster!" "Faster!" "Spin faster!" "Faster!" "Faster!" "Spin faster!" "Spin faster!" "I'll never forget this, I'll never forget you." "Neither will I, Tonho." "Clara!" "Stay in line, stay in line!" "Go, go, go, go!" "Come on, bull!" "Come on, bull!" "Go on!" "Stay in line, keep it going!" "Go, go, go!" "The shirt is almost yellow now." "It always turns yellow." "I was thinking... with your permission... I'd get the men together... and wipe out those Breves from the face of earth." "I'll repeat this one last time:" "Blood has the same value for everyone." "You've no right to take more than the blood taken from you." "Otherwise, you'll pay twice." "Now or in the next life." "That 's what my father taught me and his father taught him." "And that 's how it will be until I die." "I taught you how to fly with this, remember?" "You were scared shitless." "Tonho today it 's your turn." "Huh?" "You take my place, I'll take yours." "No, I don't want to." "Just once." "Tonho!" "Tonho!" "Tonho..." "You're too damn strong!" "No, you just forgot how to fly!" "It 's me, now." "It 's me, now!" "It 's hot." "Two, three!" "Jump, jump!" "This is my favourite part of the show." "Anyone here?" "Anyone there?" "Come on, fill it up!" "You can't do this." "Anyway, he's already dead." "But I'm not." "It 's turned yellow." "is it really yellow now?" "Yes, it 's yellowed." "You know what you have to do, then." "Yes, I know." "Tonho... the truce ends today." "From now on, it depends on the shirt." "Don't go far from the house." "Stay close to me." "And always carry the gun." "It 's going to rain." "No, it 's not the rainy season." "l know it 's going to rain." "Tonho..." "Pa took my book." "I can't remember the story or the mermaid's face anymore." "The mermaid... had a fish tail." "While the boy had toes... feet and..." "Aren't you going to sleep, Pacu?" "I can't, Tonho. lt 's too windy." "Then talk in silence." "Okay, Tonho." "Tonho!" "Clara... I wanted to tell you that I've left everything." "You're the one who helped me." "You've the right to do it, too." "I'll be waiting." "Now you know my story." "But I still can't remember the otherone." "The mermaid, the ships and... damn!" "The kid came after the mermaid..." "No,It wasn't like that..." "Damn!" "It's the mermaid who came looking..." "Yeah, that's It!" "I think I'm remembering It!" "One day... the mermaid came and took the kid to live with her." "And he really liked that!" "She turned the kid into a fish and took him to the bottom of the sea." "In the sea... everyone wasn't dying all the time and there was room foreveryone." "In the sea, they lived so happily... so happily, they couldn't stop laughing." "In the sea, they were so happy, so happy together... they couldn't stop laughing." "Tonho!" "Oh, God!" "Not my son!" "My son!" "No, God!" "They've killed the kid." "Get the gun, Tonho." "Now!" "There's no truce." "Avenge the blood now!" "Reclaim the blood of those pigs!" "Tonho, my kid..." "Go, my son, reclaim the blood!" "lmmediately!" "What are you doing?" "The gun!" "Where's the gun, Tonho?" "Tonho!" "Tonho!" "Come back, Tonho!" "Come back or you'll die for the honor of the family." "It 's over!" "Don't you see?" "It 's over!" "It 's all over, man!" "It 's all over." "Oh, God..." "Oh, my God!" "C APTlONS BY VlDEOLAR"