"When did you leave São Paulo?" "At seven." "Arrived here at eight thirty and caught the nine o'clock bus." "It was all a rush." "But it was worth it." "If I knew you were coming I'd have the chofer pick up up at the airport." "I didn't tell on purpose so no one would be suspicious." "My family thinks I'm in Florianópolis." " Does you mother still not like me?" " She read one of your letters." "Don't know how." " Did she?" "You should've seen her." "She thinks you're crazy, perverted shameless, lost." "Lost..." "Maybe she's right." "Mothers always are." "They have the monopoly on truth." "I think only mine was different." "Even with her being dead for so long I remember she would never say anything, would never censor or judge." "No one could tell what she was thinking." "It was like she was in a different world." "What others would say or do didn't matter." "Let's not talk about it." "Ana, I really needed you to come." "I know, I also wanted to come." "My life has been so horrible, mediocre, empty." "Nothing is good." "Nothing is pleasant." "And I've been feeling something so strange lately." "It's hard to explain." "It's like a constant state of panic of anguish." "When I stepped out of the plane today I felt it stronger than ever." "It was like I was arriving in a strange faraway place." "And that there was someone or something watching me." "Staring at me." "I felt out of the world." "There was something prowling, trapping me." "Watching my every move." "When I was on the bus going up the hill I felt the same thing." "It was horrible." "A feeling of being taken god knows where." "I don't even know how I made it so far." "It was like the pictures you sent me." "Everything so beautiful, perfect, pleasant." "The sun, the streets, the flowers." "The air, clean and soft." "But I still had that feeling." "I thought about going back." "And you'd never know I was here." "But I kept going." "I stopped on the way." "I didn't want to arrive like that for you to see me in that state." "But it wouldn't go away." "There was always something watching me, following me controlling me." "Your yard was as beautiful as I'd imagined." "The huge lawn, the bird noises." "But nothing was welcoming." "The people seemed to look at me from a distance." "Aggressive and indifferent." "The gardeners" "and Mariana too." "I felt like running, but then came you from god knows where." "And you were different too." "You didn't seem to be person I know." "You didn't look human." "Didn't have any emotions." "Or rather, you looked cruel." "Very cruel." "But when you hugged me it all went away." "Then you got my hand and I noticed that yours was incredibly cold." "Cold." "It all became better but I'm still not well." "I still feel like I'm being watched." "Even the walls seem to be looking at me." "Tomorrow everything will have passed, you'll see." "See, your hand is contracted again." "Come here, I'll do something to relax you." "Mariana, Mariana!" "Look how pretty." "What's the use of going to the sauna with the things she has me eating." "Mariana is an amazing cook." " No such thing." "Ana is my favorite person in the world." "And so are you." "Is she as pretty as I told you?" " She's what I imagined." "It was my grandfather who planted all these trees he removed the wild forest that was here and planted each tree one by one with seeds he brought from Germany." "First he burned everything down." "It was a huge fire." "It lasted many days." "Nothing was left standing." "Then he spent years composting, planting, until it was like this." "He wanted to close everything." "Have a place hidden, isolated, safe." "A place of his own." "That's why he had huge wire fences installed." "He didn't want to be disturbed by anyone." "No one could come in." "And the wild forest was isolated as well." "Outside." "I relate a lot to my grandfather." "I also want to be safe and isolated with only the things I like." "He died before I was born, but he's the most fascinating person in the family." "The only one." "You should've seen his picture." "He was a strong, beautiful german." "He looked like a god." "One day they found him dead here in the park." "No one knows why he died." "In this family no one ever knows what people die from." "That's why my dad is always traveling." "He's afraid of showing up dead here." "Thinks he's safe going away." "And since he's so smart he's probably right." "Come here." " Good morning, Hoffman." " Morning." "This is where our park ends and the forest begins." "There's a path here." "Look how different everything is." "It's a really wild forest, full of liana." "It was one like this he burned down." "I don't sympathize with your grandfather." "Poor trees." "Before it was all like this." "Can you imagine the work he had?" "Family of lunatics." "Come." "Now I'll show you my favorite spot." "Beautiful, isn't it?" "My mother and I would spend hours here when I was little." "It's beautiful but it's sad." "Of course it's sad." "My mother died here." " And you still think it's beautiful?" " Why not?" "One thing has nothing to do with the other." "Let's go back through the other side." "There's a path there no one knows." " Who's that?" " I don't know." "But she's recording something." "Wait a minute, I know her." "Oh, I know." "Don't you remember me?" "Of course, you're Silvia's daughter." "That's right, this is my friend Ana." "Amazing, just the other day you were a little girl." "Not the other day, it's been many years." "After my mother died I didn't come here much." "That's not it." "It's just that back then you looked just like your father and now it's like your mother was here." "Even though you look nothing like her." "Are you going to stay here long?" "I think I'll stay until my vacation is over, longer if I can." "So you could stop by my house." "There are some things I wanted to show you." " Do you still live on the same place?" " The same." "It looks like a little castle." "Every time I passed by it I felt like going inside." " Don't know why." " Now you know." "Ok, I promise I'll go." "Now we have to go, Mrs..." "Sorry but I don't remember your name." "Dagmar, but no Mrs." "Dagmar..." "So long then." "Wonder what she's recording." "Birds, I think." " What do you want here?" " Food." " There's no food here." " I just want some food!" " Let me talk to the owner." " You won't talk to anyone." "I said you're not talking to anyone, just go away." "Rudolf, what's going on?" "This guy was ringing the bell like a madman, nearly broke it, the scum." "What do you want?" "I'm hungry, ma'am." "I'm hungry and I'm begging for food." "That's all I want." "Just some food." "Why did you come here?" "I went to the richest house." "I thought the richest would also be the kindest." "You should go get a job instead of annoying people, you bum." " What happened Diana?" " Nothing, Mariana." "It's ok." "Go now." "I'll work for the food." "I'm hungry and I have no money." "I don't want money, just food." "I won't harm anyone." "I just want to eat." "Get him something to eat, Mariana." "Go get it, I'll wait here." "I can handle him." "Let's go." "Keep an eye on him, Rudolf." " Why did you let him in?" " Dunno." "I felt like it." " Isn't he dangerous?" " Of course not, just look at him." "I'm going out." "I'll show Ana around." " Will you be back for lunch?" " Dunno, maybe." "But don't wait for me." "Thanks ma'am." "You're welcome." "You were really hungry, weren't you?" "I hadn't eaten anything in two days." "I don't get you." "You don't look like a bum." "Me, a bum?" "I'm rich ma'am." "More than you think." "And why are you doing this?" "I want to live like this, an animal." "No concerns about thinking ahead, about the future." "Screw the future." "I'm not interested in it." "I don't care about what happens in two minutes or ten years or a thousand years." " There's always someone like you to..." " Always?" "But didn't you go two days without eating?" " True, not always." "Sometimes I have to work a little to eat and especially to drink." "Speaking of which, couldn't you get me something to drink?" "Mariana, get him something to drink." " What do you want?" " What about wine?" "I love wine." " I'll get one from your father's cellar." " Go ahead." "Well." "Don't get me wrong, but do you have a cigarette?" "I don't have any." "Give him a cigarette, Ana." "This is all for me?" "Sure, drink as much as you like." "I can work to pay for this." "As long as it's something that doesn't annoy me." "That's not necessary." "If you want dinner ask Mariana for something." "So long." "Thank you." "She lives in paradise." " Don't know if she thinks that way." " And you?" "Do you?" "I'm not the owner, but I like it more." "What's your name?" " Mariana." " Look at me, Mariana." "Look." "That's enough." "Go on now." " Can I take this?" " Sure." " What a beautiful house." " It's Dagmar's." "Funny, this house reminds me of something." "It's a weird sort of feeling." "I can't explain." " It's gorgeous." " Let's go?" " Just like that, with no warning?" " Yeah, let's." "Yes?" "Mrs. Dagmar, please." "Come in." "I'll go get her." "Diana." " We were passing by, so we decided to stop." " You did well." "Come." "Weird, I thought your house was somewhere else." "Not here." "It's been so long anyway." "I was just a child." "I came here only once, with my mother." "Hey, there's a picture of her." "Let me see." "Pretty, isn't she?" "Yeah, but she looks sad there." "I prefer the one on the album." "What do you do with so many recorders?" " They're for my work." " But so many?" "They're not many." "Each has a purpose." "What do you record?" "Birds?" "Sometimes, yes." "But mostly what I record are..." "Voices." "What voices?" "It's hard to explain." "And if I tell you you might think it's silly." " Someday I'll explain it to you." " Why someday?" "Explain it now." "Because I'd have to explain many things." "But now I'm curious." "That's it, auntie." " Did you like it?" " It's very pretty." "This is my aunt Gertrud." "And she's wearing a costume for the settlers' ball." "It's a party to comemorate the beggining of summer." "It's very pretty." "Aunt Gertrud has made most of our costumes for many years." "Oh, I know." "It's the party of the picture on my mother's album." " The one you saw." " That's right." "But..." "back then the party was something astounding." "The old settlers and their descendents." "Only a few strangers." "And those marvelous costumes, taken from old pictures." "The musicians playing old songs." "Everyone gathered like brothers." "Your mother was always the prettiest." "Always." "Now it's not the same." "Nothing is the same without your mother." "But we keep on every year and it'll be like that as long as I'm alive." " When's the ball?" " After tomorrow." "Right there, after the waterfall on that huge empty space right beside your territory." "May I go?" "Sure, but I don't know if you'll like it." "It's not really a party." "It's something else." "It's a celebration." "You know, ever since I was little I wanted to go to the party on that photo." "But only that one and none other." "Since that's impossible I'll go to this one." "Nothing's impossible, Diana." " Can I go then?" " Of course." "Will you make me a costume?" "There must be something she can adapt to you." "And one for Ana too." "Oh, wait." "I wanted you to try this juice made with fruits from our garden." "Come." "Wait, let me just leave this here." "Don't mind the mess." "But aunt Gertrud works here all year." "She makes pillows besides costumes." " Tomorrow I'll pay for the costumes." " That's not necessary, it's a gift." "Thanks." "I think I forgot my gloves in your office." "Let's go get them." "I'm really curious about what you do with those recorders." "Don't you want to tell me?" "I..." "I record voices." "From people..." "People who are dead." "I already know people's reaction when I say this." "It's always the same." "That's why I don't like to talk about it." "It really is weird and it sounds like madness but it's true." "And it's something many important people, including scientists have been doing all over the world." "And why do you do it?" "Because this has always interested me, even in college." "And I was fortunate that my family always lived here." "Because..." "Strange things happen here." "Things that would be hard to imagine for a person who is not sensitive" "or who doesn't have an open mind for this sort of thing." "But I know." "And now that's what I live for." "To have awareness of the parallel universes and the things that are among us that we don't normally see or don't want to see." "Today I know the universes are many and the dimensions of time as well." "Everything happens always in synchronicity." "Our earthly dimension is very limited and greedy." "Now, if on the one hand my experiences with the voices depresses me on the other, my other experiences my attempts to reach another world have been wonderful." "Maybe you are too young to understand." "Everything started right after your mother's death." "One day right after her death" "I had to record a class to type it." "And when I heard the tape her voice was in between my words." "Saying my name." "Calling me." "It was something nearly imperceptible." "But after hearing it many times it became clear." "The truth is that even with my fascination for it all" "my experiences with the voices do me a lot of harm." "It gives me a certainty that death does not exist." "And that's an absolute and irrefutable certainty." "But from what I could hear from the dead one thing is clear." "Anguish and despair continue even after the flesh has succumbed." "All the voices I recorded during the last ten years sounded to me distressed and restless." "If that's what eternity has in store for us then humanity is something more tragic than if its end was complete destruction." "After the joys of the flesh have ceased you still have pain, fear and loneliness." "That's what post-mortem is." " Remember how we used to do this on school?" " It was good, wasn't it?" "Daniana." "Good one!" "Who's there?" "Who's there?" "What are you doing here?" "I don't have a place to sleep, and I remembered you said I could come back." "But not at this time!" "It's dangerous to walk around here at night." "The garderner and the night guard carry guns." "The gardener has gone to bed." "The guard is over there at the gate." "How did you get in?" "Down there by the dam." "I found a way there." "I know the one." "I could lie and say I came back to beg for more wine but I came back for you." "You'd better go." "This is my mother." "Beautiful, huh?" " Very." "Too bad I don't look like her." "I came out with my dad's lousy face." "This is her when she was a child." "So cute." "This is me when I was ten." "It snowed in the park that day." " Geez, who's that?" " My older sister." "She died before my mom." "She was insane." " This Mariana says is my mother dressed for that ball." " Is it really?" "Dunno." "Does it look like her?" "I don't know who they are, but they're also at the ball." "Will our costumes be this ugly?" "This is my first photograph." "My mother was pregnant." "Expecting me." "I'm here, inside her womb." "She looks happy here." "She's happy that you're coming." "I think so." "I think it was the happiest moment in her marriage." "What's with you?" "You're agitated." "I don't know." "Stay calm." "Try to go to sleep." "Try to sleep." "Good night." "I wish you could stay here forever." "Just the two of us, isolated from everything." "No, us and a few animals." "A huge bear, horses." "Just a bunch of animals and us, here." "Like my grandfather wanted." "Not worried about what's out there." "It would be nice if it could be true." "And our breakfast, where is it?" "Mariana!" "Bring us our breakfast!" "You promised you would treat Ana well!" "I want my breakfast!" " You crazy child!" " No, I'll tell my mom!" " Sit there!" " No!" "I don't want to!" "You little devil!" "Sit here!" "Don't play around like that." "You behave like a child." "This is the last time." "Let me take a look at you." "What a face you have." "What were you doing last night?" "Tell me." " Stop it, child." " Are you angry?" "You don't know how terrible Mariana is." "Don't trust her naive face." "I know you well, angel face." "Don't mind her, just eat." "Put the gun away, Diana." "I don't like it." "This one is safe." "It's older than my grandfather." "This one he used during the war of..." "I don't remember." " 14-18" "You know everything." "During the other one he was already in Brazil." "But my dad told me he would color the atlas with germany's colors every time they invaded a country." "He was crazy about Germany." "When I was little my dad still used this gun." "He bought the bullets from Germany but they stopped being made, so he couldn't anymore." "You should've heard the noise it made." "We used to get so frightened." "My mother would feel really bad, nervous." "And he did it on purpose." "He would use it when we least expected it." "He shot the trees." "Because he didn't have the guts to shoot other things." "The trees had to pay the price." "There are bullet holes on the trees to this day, I'll show you later." "Really big holes." "We lived in fright, not knowing when he would start again." "And for him it was the best way to upset everyone." "Shooting the trees." "Thank god the bullets ran out." "I wish there was only one left, so I could shoot his ass." "That'd show him." " You really like talking about your father." " You don't know the character." "Lousiest person imaginable." "A bum, like the rest of the family." "Doesn't like to do anything." "It's the third time this year he's gone to Europe, so he can feel important." "You know, sometimes I think he killed my mother so he could stay with the house, the park, the fortune." "She was the last in line." " How did she die?" " Suicide." "She wanted to die." "She was found floating on the dam, among the flowers." "The family doesn't like it to be said, but that's what happened." "That's not true, Diana." "No one knows for sure what happened." "Of course they know!" "Everyone does!" "My mother wanted to die." " You know that, Mariana." " I know no such thing." "I don't want to talk about it." "I'll talk to my diary." "Ladies and gentlemen, silence please." "We're here with Ms. Mariana." "Let's start with the game of truth." "Confess your sins." "Is it true that you slept with my father?" "I know everything." "You got drunk one day and told me some things you might regret." "Isn't it true you can't stay away from men?" "Confess!" "Confess!" "See, Ana?" "She confessed she's a pervert." "Don't say that, Diana." "What will your friend think of me?" "The truth, that you are man crazed." " I'll get rid of this!" " Stop Mariana, no!" "I want to talk to my diary!" "Give it to me!" "All men are beasts, young or old." "It's true I haven't tried it yet, isn't it Mariana?" "Dunno." "I don't trust you." "Oh yeah?" "So we're not talking anymore." "Go!" "Dear diary, it displeases me that Ana has only met weird people here." "Mrs. Dagmar and her crazy aunt." "And all the other insane people there." "The aunt is kind of nice, but Mrs. Dagmar is too solemn." "Speaking like she knows eveything." "That annoys me." "Her house on the other hand is wonderful." "You know Ana, I just remembered something." "Mrs. Dagmar would show up around here sometimes when I was little." "I also remember I was very afraid of her." "I would hide." "I looked from a distance." "I was really afraid." "I can even remember how I felt." "I had forgotten this whole thing." "I didn't even know she still existed." "But now I remember everything." "She walking with my mom around the park during a very cold day." "I wouldn't dare come near." "I just looked, feeling scared or angry, I don't know." "Now I don't feel the same way." "To be honest she even attracts me a little." "I want to go back there." "And we do have to go back, because of the costumes." " Where's Diana?" " She's upstairs trying on the costume." "Oh, yes." "Can I listen to it?" "You can, but you need a little bit of practice since the voices aren't always clear." "There are voices type A, B and C depending on clarity." "Even so, can I?" "Could you hear anything?" "Some moaning, and a sort of calling." "Someone mumbling in a weird language." "You could hear that too." "And during your first time." "That's a good sign." "It's means you're a sensitive person, receptive." "Qualities few have." "And if you could hear you will be able to see." "See the important things among us." "And if you can see you will be able to transport yourself." "It's the only salvation left." "To transport oneself, to flow." "Listen to this tape now." "Ouch, you're hurting me." "You're hurting me!" "What is this?" "Are you insane?" "Let go of me!" " How long have you been here?" " Since I was little." "My mother worked here." " Are you going to stay here forever?" " I don't know." "I'm very fond of the girl." "And she's been so gloomy." "You really like her, uh?" "Yeah." "Lately she's been worrying me a lot." "She's been so weird, saying things..." "She talks about things from her imagination as if they're true." "Talks about things that don't exist, of dead people as if they're alive." "I like her too." "What about you?" "Tell me something." "I don't even know your name." "Where are you from?" "Diana is right, you don't look like a bum." "No?" "Pity." "I wish I did." "You know, I like it here." "No one around to disturb us." "Trees, just what I like." "I can't take it." "I haven't drank like this in a while." "I'm drinking because of you." " Isn't there more?" " More?" "Not tonight, tomorrow I'll give you more." "Tomorrow..." "Wanna see how expected you were?" "Check it out." "Dear diary, still nothing from Ana." "I think she's not coming because of her dumb mother, who doesn't like me." "Diary, she must come!" "Or I won't stand the loneliness, I'll stop eating, sleeping, everything!" " I'll try call to her by thought." " Diana..." " Play it back." " Why?" "Come." " Play it, right before you said that." "Dear diary, still nothing from Ana." "I think she's not coming because of her dumb mother, who doesn't like me." "Diary, she must come!" "Or I won't stand the loneliness, I'll stop eating, sleeping, everything!" " I'll try to call her by thought." " Diana..." " Play it again." " Again?" "Why?" "Play it, you'll hear it." " I'll try to call her by thought." "Diana..." " Hear it?" " What?" " Come." " A voice." "A voice calling." " I didn't hear anything." " Come, I can't stand the wait." " ...call her by thought." " Diana..." " It's saying your name!" " Are you insane?" "I didn't hear anything!" "It's not possible!" "It's the same voice I heard there!" "It's your mother!" "Stop it, I didn't hear anything!" "I didn't hear anything!" "I didn't!" "I didn't!" "You're getting crazy!" "Ana!" " What happened?" " There's someone down there!" "What are you doing here?" "How did you get in here?" "Shameless bum!" " Calm down, I'll explain it." " Explain what?" "Calm down." "It was Mariana, wasn't she?" "It was her, right?" "Where's she?" "It wasn't." "She didn't do anything." "I didn't have a place to sleep." "I won't harm you, rest assured." "I'm going." "I know what I'm gonna do." "I'll shoot you in the mouth, filthy scum!" "And now?" "I'll really shoot you, you thieve." " You're doing me a favor ma'am." " I'm doing everyone a favor." "Yeah." "I guess so." "That's what happens when you let bums in." "And all because of that pervert!" " Mariana!" " She drank a lot." "She won't wake up." "And now this." "You also drank my father's wine." " Real fine wine, by the way." " Stop playing, you scum!" " Diana!" " I'm calling the cops on you." "No, not that." "I'd rather you shoot me." "You better go." "That's enough." "Ok, I'm leaving." "Sorry." "You said I could come back for dinner, and I did." "It wasn't even because of that, it was mostly the wine." "I didn't want to do anything to you, I just wanted to drink and warm up" "I was cold and alone." "I'm harmless." "Even if I'd rather not be." "Know something?" "It wasn't even the wine." "I came for you." "To see you." " What are you trying to pull?" " It's true." " I've never seen anyone like you." " Stop it." "Can't you see how ridiculous you look?" "And go before I change my mind." "I'm going, but before I have to ask for a favor." "See, I'll have to spend the night in the cold." "Can you get me another bottle?" "And now this." "Don't you have any shame?" "There are hundreds of bottles there, what's one less?" "I can't believe it." "Someone has gone mad around here." "And I think it was me." "Now I want to go all the way with this madness." " Don't do it, Diana." " Let go of me." "So there it was." "If I knew that none of this would've happened." "This is paradise, girls." "Drop them." " Both?" " Drop them, I said." "Aren't you going to give me one?" "Put them back." " Now drink." " But this one?" "It's my dad's special reserve, made especially for him." "Very nice, but I'd rather take a bottle." "Drink more." "I want to see you drink much more." "Drink." "Well that's something I never refuse." "Drink more." "More!" "More?" "Stop it, Diana!" "That's enough." "I know guns." "I knew that old thing didn't work, it doesn't have bullets." "What I really wanted was to be a crazy pervert to rape girls like you." "But me, I've always been a coward." "I don't have the guts." "If you open that robe so I can see you again, I can drink all the wine to show what I'm capable of." " Drink!" "I just want to see how far you'll go." " Will you open it?" " Drink it first." "Mrs. Dagmar sent your clothes." "How did you get in?" "There wasn't anybody at the gate." "I took the liberty to come in." "Thank you." "Good night." "Is this the ball?" "It's weird." "Good evening, is this where the ball will be?" "Yeah, but it's still early." "We're setting it up." "Funny, I thought we were on time." "No, It'll be much later." "But meanwhile I insist you try some of the best wine in the region." "Made especially for the party." " Thanks, we'll try it later..." " No, no." "I insist." "Come." "Thank you, it was really good." "So long, we'll be back later." " Yes, come." "You'll really enjoy it." " Let's go Ana." " What's wrong?" " I dunno." "I feel dizzy." " Let's go." " No, it was probably the wine." "I also feel weird." "But it was so good." "Let's wait until the party." "What pretty clothes." "Sorry, but the door was open." "Yes, Gunther must be outside." "A man told me the party would be later." "Party?" "I don't think I knew when it was going to happen." "We were too early." "But it didn't look like a party." "What party are you talking about?" "Yours!" "The settlers' ball." "You talked about it with us just the other day, here." "The party my mom liked so much." "That party hasn't happened in ten years." "Your mother was in the last one." "After that no one was interested." "Why are you doing this?" "Doing?" "What do you mean by that, Diana?" "Why would I do anything to you?" "I'm telling you that party hasn't existed for a long time." "But how?" "Don't you remember?" "It was you who invited us." "And wasn't it your aunt who made these costumes?" "Aunt?" "What is this?" "What are you saying, Diana?" "My only aunt, auntie Gertrud, died a long time ago, unfortunately." "All who lived here died." "And I am waiting my turn to die." "Sometimes I feel as if... even I am not alive." "I am sure one dies many times." "In different times." "Can't you see!" " What?" " Can't you see!" "It's your mother!" "It's your mother!" "Can't you see!" " Stop it!" " Look!" "Can't you see!" "I don't see anything!" "It's Mrs. Dagmar!" "It's your mother!" "Stop it Ana!" "Calm down Ana, please!" "Please Ana!" "I can't see anything." "Ana!" "What's wrong with you?" "Talk to me!" "Talk Ana!" "Please Ana!" "Talk to me Ana!" "She is sleeping, isn't she?" " She is dead." " Stop doing this!" "She is asleep." "What have you done to her?" "She is cold as ice!"