"BITTER BREAD" "This film is dedicated to Stratos Floros who passed away leaving us as a last rememberance his performance in the role of Giangos." "Mother, make some sweet and let's celebrate!" "I'll make some halvah and we'll buy some wine and drink to your health." "We'll buy cinnamon, almonds and wine and make halvah, lay it on the table and father will goggle like this!" "Half and oak of wine and 25 drams of almonds." " Cinnamon?" " We have cinnamon." ""We have cinnamon, we'll make halvah!"" "Mother!" "Mother?" "What now?" "When I go to High School will you get me a pair of trousers?" " You're still too young!" " Until then I'll be as tall as that!" "If you don't wear trousers, they don't pay any notice at you in High School." " We'll see, when it's time." " And in return, when I make money" "I'll buy you a silk dress like the ones Louisa wears." ""I'll put on trousers long like spaghetti"" "Louisa!" " I got First Prize at school!" " Well-done, little mouse!" "I knew you would." " I'll come and see the Lord, too!" "Little mouse, Giangos has talked to him about Johnny, so don't keep it a secret." " Giangos?" " Your brother doesn't like me, that's why." "Now run!" "Mrs. Kalliopi, I got First Prize at school!" "Stavros is better than you but doesn't get any prizes." "He will too, Mrs. Kalliopi, perhaps next year." "Mmm?" "He's no teacher flatterer!" "Don't!" "Not ready yet." "Take a glass of water to Antonis." " Who kissed you?" " Louisa, why?" "You're lipstick smeared." " Gone now?" " Gone." "I don't want mother to see it." "Is it gone now?" "Now you're fine." "Wait until Yangos hears about it!" " About what?" " About the Prize." "First he'll give me a box and then say" ""Bloody hell!" "Now there's a mug for a Prize!"" "But afterwards he'll smack and smooch me!" "Is it ready yet?" " Can I have some?" " Nooo!" "Here's some for you." "Mother, give me two pieces for the Lord and Louisa." "Just take one to the Lord." "Louisa's a bad girl!" "But she loves me!" "Put some paper over it so no one sees it." "It's me Lord!" "It's me, Fotakis!" "It's me, Lord." "Did I startle you?" "Don't lock it, I'll leave shortly." "Aah, you and your latches, what are you afraid of?" "Look, halvah!" "Mother made it 'cause today I got First Prize at school!" "One's for you and the other one for Louisa." "That's not bad!" "I see you gave up on that ironware and are turning into an artist now, are you?" "Hey, what are you doing?" "You're not eating both, I hope?" "If I manage with mother, I'll bring you one more piece." "You're giving it to me?" "I'll show it to mother!" "And make sure you don't eat Louisa's piece!" "Oh, I forgot to tell you..." "You know, Louisa and Aris have broken up." "She says he was mean." "It's true!" "But now she's met an Englishman, Johnny, who says he'll marry her." "Giangos doesn't like Louisa, so he'll only tell you a pack of lies." "You mustn't believe him." "All right, Lord?" "OK, you can lock up now." "Hey, Thanassis!" " He's never that late." " Don't worry so much, mother." "It's Saturday night, perhaps he's caught up somewhere." "Lately he hasn't been very well." "The other night he felt the bed was sinking." " Must be from the sun." " I hope so, son!" "I should serve your dinner, then." "Late, am I?" "Mother was worried." "I met some friends and we knocked back a few drinks." "But you never drink!" "How come you did that?" "Hey, woman..." "The sort of questions you make!" "Serve us some food." "Are we going to wait for Giangos, too?" "Isn't he back?" "Not yet." "All right..." "We'll have dinner without him." "Tonight we'll drink to me!" "He got the First Prize." "Five hundred thousand!" "Well done, my child!" "You have my blessing!" "You're a great son!" "I've made some halvah, too, for the occasion." "Good evening." "Giangos!" "I got the First Prize!" "Well done." "Won't you eat?" "I'm not hungry." "Found anything?" "Nothing." "You shouldn't have given up on the other jobs before finding a steady one." "Advice is all you can give." "If only I had my arms..." "Well, I have them but I'm not sure of what use they can be." "At least you have that for granted." " A real shame, comparing the two of us." "You can help yourself to some water, you can smoke!" "I cannot even read a book..." "There may one day come a device that'll help you turn the pages with your foot." "Giangos!" "You know what I'd do if I had my arms?" "I'd slap you." "I see your English is just fine!" "Yours is even finer, right?" "Come, let's talk." "I'm in a mood for talking!" "I'm in no mood for anything." "Are you sure you're in no mood for anything?" "And why do you care about my moods?" "You can at least have a cigarette." "It's a Lucky Strike." "I don't like English ones." "They give me a bad taste." " They're American." " Really?" "I thought Johnny was English." "He is English but he smokes American cigarettes." "Will you have one?" "Giangos!" "What?" " Why are you walking away?" " I'm going to the Lord." "Anything else?" " Nothing." "You Jews are clever people." "They say some great men have come from you." "That's why Hitler persecuted you." "Will you manage?" "All right, then." "That's where the book is." "I can turn the pages." "But my brother?" "Can it be done?" "Lord, if you manage to do that, you'll be a great man!" "Just think that it won't be for Antonis only." "There's thousands of people without arms in the world." "And as long as there are wars, the more limping and crippled people will abound." "You see?" "If he wasn't mute we'd have him play himself." " They haven't cut his tongue off." " Why doesn't he speak, then?" " A nerve problem, since the Germans got them." " Yes, sure..." "Louisa told me." "They suffered a lot." "They had to march in line for kilometres days and nights in the snow with no food!" "And if one couldn't walk they'd kill and leave him in the street." "That's how they killed Lord's wife, too." "And in the place where they kept them his son and a daughter of his died." "Her name was..." "Served them right!" "Why did they crucify our Jesus?" "That was too long ago!" "Today's people are not to blame!" "Dunno." "Mother says Jews put children in barrels and drink their blood." "Nonsense!" "I'm here!" "Come and wash, we're leaving!" "We're going to put my money in the bank." "I don't like you hanging around with Stavros." "Who shall I play with, mother?" "They've become too tight!" "When Giangos starts work I'll buy you a pair." "Will he work?" "Your father will have him work at the construction site." " Giangos doesn't want to go there." " He will." " This money's for your education." " Will it suffice?" "Well, it's enough for a start." "Then, God'll help." "What are you doing?" "We have crowds!" "The ad brought them!" " Where are you taking them?" " We made 4.000, see?" " Fotakis!" "Did you call me?" "Look at that!" "He's not sure!" "Did you ask me before taking them?" "Put them back at once and then you can go." "Why are you staring?" "Didn't I tell you to go?" "Without the chairs?" "Who taught you to take your furniture outside, boy?" "It's only a lousy chair!" "If it gets broken where shall I sit and wait for your lousy father?" "That's just why he dumped you and will never return!" "Hello, family!" "Richess outside, hunger inside!" "Well done, children!" "Now say "Good evening" to the people." "Honorable Sirs, welcome!" "Tonight's performance in our theatre is very nice, please be seated and enjoy!" "Good evening, Giangos!" "I didn't know you were here." "And now that you know?" "I'm on my way to the Lord." "Pity, I was keeping this seat for you!" "The pit, the stalls and the gods." " Who's up there?" " Antonis and your mother, do you mind?" "I don't want them to think there's something between you and me." "Why would they?" "There's no reason at all, is there?" "Didn't you go out, tonight?" "Oh, yes, look!" "You like it?" " Johnny?" " Johnny, yes." "The Englishman has some taste!" " Are you jealous?" " Why should I be?" " I have some work for you." " Work?" "You jinx!" "Know what a disaster you brought by calling me?" "Just when a loaf-rain had started and it was pouring with puffed up loaves, big puffed up ones and just when I had opened my arms to snatch a couple of crispy boules he comes and wakes me up!" "Worshipping at your feet, my master and always available for your orders." "Very well, let me listen to the languages you speak." "You said all that fine, Karagiozis." "Yes, I did fine." "So?" "What else can I do for you?" "Tomorrow morning I want you to open my bureau, here's ten lire and" "I will be expecting you tomorrow at the bureau." " Giangos!" " What is it?" "If you want, Johnny can find you a job." "Thanks but I'll work with my father." "You've arrived?" "Just wait for the supervisor to show up." "Why are you lazing about, over there?" "Don't you have any work to do?" "You don't like me?" "This is my son I talked to you about." " What do you say, will he do?" " He looks kind of edgy." "He's a little sharp-tempered but he'll get used to the job." "Will you take him?" " I haven't yet made up my mind." " Oh really?" "I won't beg you, either!" "He's no good." " He's not that bad." "He wanted to be a scholar, that's why..." "I couldn't care less!" "If you think of me as a burden, you shouldn't feed me." "Isn't the bread I eat poisonous enough as it is?" "If work only gets you some bread, then the hell with life!" "But you've been raised by your father's bread." "Yeah, I was raised, what for?" "I know what I must do, mind you!" " What will you do?" " Sail away!" "Do as you like!" "I've had enough." "I believe you don't have arms, either." "Think so?" "There!" " Was that young man your son?" " Yes." " He wants to work?" " Wish I knew what he wants." "You have any other children?" "Two more sons." "One of them is without arms." "The war?" "No." "The Occupation." "A German hand grenade." "The boss was here scheming with the supervisor a lot." "They're both nervous." "Looks like something fishy's going on." "Stop and let me explain." "You'll get your pay, don't shout." " What's going on?" " They have no money." "Don't get angry, pals!" "You'll get paid on Monday." "I didn't have time to raise money from the bank!" "You're having us on!" "Fotakis!" " Where's Fotakis?" " He's been up there for an hour." "My head!" "What's wrong, son?" "My head!" "Let Fotakis alone, now." "He's asleep." " Is he ill?" " No, he'll play with you in the afternoon." "Aren't you at work?" " Let's go inside." "I'll tell you." "What's wrong with the boy?" " It's his head." " Must be the sun." " I think so, too." "My head!" "Oh, my head!" "Don't let them cut it off!" "They'll cut off my poor head!" " Hush, my little one, hush now!" "My head!" " How is he?" " Same as before." " What did they say?" " The doctor will be here tomorrow." "My head!" "Hush, my baby!" "Hush!" "Where's father?" "Out." "Looking for work." " Meningitis!" " Now what?" "The symptoms are clear." "We must perform paracentesis." "I'm giving you a prescription, too." "...red shoes..." "I want red shoes..." "Please ask him to make a pair of red shoes... for me like those..." "He's talking in his sleep." "Three drops twice a day." "They're for his heart." "I'll visit him again." "Be strong, mother." "CURRENT ACCOUNT BOOK IN DRACHMAS" "I've brought some rice pudding for Fotakis." "Thank you..." "He's not allowed to have rice pudding." "No milk either?" "No." "Giangos told me that he was." "Giangos doesn't know." " Well then, I apologize." " That's all right." "He's asleep..." "May I kiss him?" "You may." "What have you got against her?" "Nothing." "She's kind-hearted." "Then why didn't you accept it?" "Because." "The weird things you do..." "I'm the father of the boy with meningitis." " How is he?" " He's up." "I came to ask you, what food should he eat?" "Give him some mushed potatoes, boiled chicken, grilled fish, always light and nourishing food." "Also, plenty of milk." "I'll give you a prescription, too." "Well, doctor, if the child has beans... olives... cheese, yoghurt, will anything bad happen to him?" "Not allowed." "For his stomach, first of all." "Besides, the child has to regain its strength, you see?" " I see..." ""Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name," "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Amen."" " Tomorrow I'll go out in the yard." " Don't tire yourself now!" "We have to get on with Karagiozis or we'll lose the customers." "You know, father, Giangos wants to work with you." "As long as we find work." " He asked for the rent again today." " Let him ask." "We don't owe much anyway." "The house is his, he has a right." "Sure it's his but since we don't have any he'll have to wait." " Why don't we take the money out?" " What money?" " From the bank!" "You shouldn't interfere, eat up." " Goodnight, Kostas!" " Goodnight, Louisa!" " It's you, Giangos?" "You startled me!" " A new one?" " Sort of." " Who is he?" " He's called Kostas and has a moustache." " Shall we go for a walk?" " You walk too much, aren't you fed up?" "With you it's different." "Listen, tomorrow's Sunday." "Shall we go to the Garden?" " The two of us?" " If you like, we can take my father along." "Giangos sent me." "Something came up and he cannot come." "I should have come earlier but I had to slip by mother." "Why are you laughing?" "Coz by the time you slipped by your mom Giangos and I had walked and walked, smoked a few cigarettes and few minutes ago we parted, you see little mouse?" "Aaah, it's April the 1st!" "Indeed it is!" "Now sit here and be my escort." "So, aren't we going to talk at all?" "We'll sit silent like cuckoos?" "Come on, say it!" "What's your father's name?" " Sion Bakola Negrin." " From tomorrow on I'll call him Sion!" "No, little mouse, he doesn't remember it." "All right, Louisa, I'll call him Lord." "He doesn't remember the camp or anything else." "Just that some people once used to call him Lord." "He achieved a lot of things in that camp, didn't he?" " Quite a few, little mouse." " That's why they called him Lord, right?" "I wanted to give this to Giangos but... you'll make better use of it." "When you get married, I'll give you a wooden carved box for your rings!" "What will you give Giangos when he gets married?" "If I like the girl he's going to marry, I'll think about it." "Let me buy you a chocolate bar now and then you'll go home." "Antonis?" "Giangos has become a man, right?" "Well, if he does his military service, too." "What I know is, when one brings money to his home, he's a man." "Then, there's this other thing too..." "Yesterday morning, he went for a walk with..." "Mmmm?" "I'm not telling you who with!" "You don't have to tell me." "Now turn the paper over." "20.000 for that lousy weed!" "It's like a masquerade hat!" "It'll be good for your father." "It'll keep the sun away." "Thanassis has fallen off the scaffold!" "I'm really sorry, woman but there's nothing else we can do." "We couldn't possibly be obliged to compensate for every work accident." "He saw to his insurance, he took care of it." "Although he was ill before assuming work." "If we had known that..." " You would've thrown him out earlier!" " Not our fault!" "You see, there are laws!" "There are laws..." "So he was to blame for working to feed us although he was ill?" "These things do not concern me." "But someone should be concerned about them." "You're now looking for a needle in a haystack..." "That's life." "Better accept it." "I'm not saying the late man wasn't right." "But he shouldn't have been working in that condition of his." "He didn't do it for fun." "He had an entire family to feed." "What can I do?" "I already told Giangos to bring the little boy to the site." "My son is going to be educated and become a proper human!" "One shouldn't refuse work positions that easily nowadays." "Take my advice." "If you feel we're a burden to you stop giving us money." "Thank God, my arms are still strong!" "So are Mrs. Kalliopi's arms but Stavros works." " Stavros was no good a student!" " The thing is we can't live on my half daily pay and your miserable pension!" " Even if we have to sell the lot," "Fotakis will be educated!" "You hear?" " You didn't sell a thing for me, though!" "When I dumped my books you didn't say a word!" "What's the idea now?" "No one from the Lyberis family ever became anything!" "That's the idea!" " So let him feed on crumbs and become wise!" "What do I care?" "Day by day, your words become bitterer..." "We've all become mean." "That's how I struggled for all of you but I didn't do well." "I only have a few years left to live, my son." "Why are you spoiling my last dream?" "I was notified about a Sunday job." "My dear son!" "Next time, remember to knock!" "Open up, Lord!" "It's me, Giangos." "Why don't you give up?" "A wasted effort..." "Whatever you may do, just wasted effort." "One can go insane in here." "Proud of your deeds, are you?" "He's been on the floor for days and nights with no food or sleep, only this device!" "You think he can make it?" "Why are you looking at me?" "You have deranged him alright!" "Drink some more." "You'll get over it." "You think I give a damn?" "There!" "And there!" "And don't you think I care about your pretty eyes or anyone else either!" "Or anyone else..." "Father!" "Father!" "Come let's go to Palestine!" "We'll have a new life, you'll see!" "They'll grant us a nice little house, with sunshine and flowers..." "Everyone there will esteem and respect you." "Like those days in the camp when they called you "Lord"..." "Anything is possible..." "Is it not?" "Is it not?" " Will you lend me your History book for half an hour?" " I've lent it to Nikolaou." " Will you lend me your History book for half an hour?" " Papadimitriou has it." "Argyriou!" "Will you lend me your History book for half an hour?" "Mmm, you know..." "Mother doesn't allow me to lend my books." "She says you must wash the white ones separately because colors come off." "Leave them over there." "Now run to Mrs. Dina and deliver hers." "I've put them on the table." "Tell her it's ten drachmas." "Mother?" "What?" "Let me work." "I'll study later, when we have money." "If you don't study now, you never will." "I don't even have books to read, you understand?" "Try to find secondhand ones, from B grade students." "What money with?" "We'll get the money." "What if Giangos gets angry?" "He won't." "Now, go and deliver the clothes." "I got them both for a tenner." "I'll copy the pages missing." "Where did you get money from?" "I sold something." "Now drop that and let's eat." "I'm not having any, some friends have treated me already." "Where'll you go?" "You can at least sit with us." "I'm going for a walk." "You think he's angry about the books?" "No." "Why would he be?" "Didn't I tell you to leave those during dinner?" "Oh, it's you, Giangos?" "Good evening!" "I need company." "Sorry about yesterday." "At times I don't know what I'm doing." "We're wastrels, both of us." "If father wanted it, we'd be off to Palestine." "What does Charlie mean?" "Karolos." "You should have known us before." "Known mother..." "Robin..." "Elda..." "Father..." " Your father's alive." "My father died at the camp." "Now I have "Lord"." "I have no one, you see?" "I reach out and find Mimis, Johnny..." "Alkis..." "Kostas..." "Charlie..." "Giangos..." "I never really found you." "We're a couple of wastrels." "That's all..." " From tomorrow on you move to a different site." " On the same salary?" "Aren't you grateful you're getting a new job right away?" "I'm not asking for charity, I work like everyone else and ask for my money!" " You'll get more when you grow up!" " I'm supporting a family, you know that?" "Enough!" "He may sit now." "Back to your seat." "He's been ill recently, you know, and..." "Fotios Lyberis!" " Present!" "Enough!" "You may sit, child!" "Won't you ask me anything?" "Test him, if you want." "Why are you studying at all, Lyberis?" "To become a proper human being, I answer him." "So he swelled up and said" "Bravo, Lyberis!" "An illiterate person is like an uncarved piece of wood!" "Finally, after I answered all his questions, he stood up and shook my hand as if I were a grownup man." "And kept telling me:" "Bravo Lyberis!" "Bravo Lyberis!" "Let me kiss my boy!" " Are you patching this up for Giangos?" " For his work." "If father was alive, he'd give it to me." "If he was alive he'd wear it himself." "Whaddayaknow!" ""When I grow up"..." " What now?" " Half a day's labour, that's what!" "As if I do half my work for them." "Never mind!" "They'll give you more later on." "Later on!" "There's four mouths of us!" "Four!" "I didn't mention him." "I only said there's four mouths of us." "We've come down to counting people by their stomachs." "If you counted them by their arms you'd get it all wrong." "Now stop all that." "Let's eat." " I won't eat, mother." " If Antonis doesn't eat, I won't either!" "Come and eat or I'll smash everything to pieces!" " Giangos!" "It's father!" " What's wrong?" "Dunno, he's not moving at all!" "I'm scared!" "The Lord!" "You stay here." "Perhaps he's dead." "Come in, Antonis!" "That's where he'd locked himself up..." "So, what about this?" "Shall I take it?" "Take it." "What is this?" "He was working on it until the moment he died." "Giangos thought he could carry it off." " Giangos?" "Let's go to the other room." "Feels better there." " When are you leaving?" " In two days." "Palestine..." "Jerusalem..." "Nice names..." "I recall one of David's psalms." ""By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept... when we remembered Zion."" "Do you smoke?" "Forgive me, Antonis." "You're not used to me, that's why." "I thought of you quite often." "I wanted to come up and keep you company but..." " Mother, I know..." "How money run out, my God!" "Keep writing, my child." "Mother..." "This is no life!" "We'll all die!" " Keer writing, I said!" "Of course I could work in houses..." "Couldn't I?" "My arms still hold." "I was never discouraged by hard work." "But I have that poor thing, too!" "Who'll give him a glass of water?" "Who'll help him get dressed?" "Who'll bring him a chair to sit on?" "My God!" "Why?" "Why?" "Did you have to beset us with all the trouble in the world?" "If only he had one of his arms..." "His poor precious arms!" "Mother!" "Mommy!" "My child!" "My little child!" "Why did you have to be tormented like this, too?" "It's him!" "Wipe your tears away!" "Let him in." "You've come, my child?" "How's Louisa?" "She's packing." "Don't you hear?" "Perhaps I didn't hear all this time." "But now I do hear." "The things you say!" "At times I don't understand you." "You don't have to, mother." "Don't upset yourself, mother." "I only play with words." "You shouldn't take me seriously." "I'm holding you now!" "Do you smoke?" "Of course I could work in houses..." "Couldn't I?" "What I know is, when one brings money to his home, he's a man." "There's four mouths of us!" "Four!" "But I have that poor thing, too!" "Who'll help him get dressed?" "Who'll bring him a chair to sit on?" "My God..." "My God..." "Why did you have to beset us with all the trouble in the world?" "Some fishermen saw him the moment he was diving in." "They didn't even manage to find his body." "My child!" "Poor tormented child of mine!" "Courage!" "Besides, you never know..." "For him it may have been the best option." "I don't know..." "I don't know best from worst anymore." "When are you leaving?" " Tonight." "So it's tonight..." "I'd ask you to join us for dinner but I haven't prepared anything..." "My hands are of no use anymore." "I can't handle anything anymore." "Lyberis!" "Listen!" "Tell your mother that tomorrow's her last chance if she wants the boy to work here, okay?" "The crew will be full by tomorrow and there will be no position left." "All right, I'll bring him over tomorrow." "I'll prepare something for you to eat." "I'm not hungry, mother." "You have to eat, my boy." "Both you and Giangos." "You've both grown too thin." "Tomorrow I'm taking you to the building site." " Will you ever stop saying that?" " Listen, mother." "It's our last chance." "There'll be no work after that." "Think it over and make up your mind." "I won't mention it again." " Louisa came by." "She's leaving tonight." " Where is she?" "She may still be down there." "Give this to the landlord." "He asked me to leave it somewhere." "Don't go, Louiza." "Let's talk." "We'll find something to talk about." "It's a Greek brand." "Don't go, Louiza." "I have to, Giangos." "Come on, take it." "We're ravaged..." ""We're a couple of wastrels", remember?" "Come on, open it!" "I don't have four hands you know!" "That'll be the day, when you get some sense into your head!" " Seems like a lie..." " What does?" "All this, the yard, life in it..." "Just like a dream." " So, it's goodbye!" " I'll walk with you some more." "No, Giangos." "I want to remember you here, right outside our houses." "You've never kissed me, you realise that?" "You're the first girl I ever kissed." "Thank you, Giangos." "Goodbye!" "Soon you won't be able to hold a thing." "It'll pass, my child." "You see, we've had so many misfortunes coming all at once." "My boy has become a man!" "He now supports our home!" " I'm going." " Fare well!" "Has Giangos left?" "I should have gone along with him." "Drink your milk!" "Giangos is waiting for me." "I'm here, Giangos!" "From tomorrow on I'll be wearing that reddish brown, the torn one." "I want you to keep these in the large trunk." "They may come in handy someday." "English subs by never4ever for KG (April 2015)"