Aita (Father) (2010)

You see the state it's in?
- It's destroyed.
- The wood... neglected.
In summer, the rain, the brambles,
it destroys everything.
The roots get in here and...
- Just doing this, it falls apart.
- Breaks up.
- It's a shame.
- It must have been impressive once.
- ls that wood?
- Yes.
- Is it?
- Yes, yes.
- It's rotten.
- I thought it was cement.
From the back,
I thought it was plaster.
In its day, it had a red facade
and this was another colour.
- It must have been beautiful.
- Yes.
You know there's
some concrete here?
This is new.
There must've been a door here.
It must be modern.
These arches stop there.
- They were probably added after.
- Maybe.
There were several phases.
That's new, this is old.
That piping is old.
See how it goes into the house?
Who knows.
At least you've found
a good position.
Well, we're waiting for him.
- Look at this here.
- Is it broken?
If I climbed on it...
It wouldn't take much
to break it.
From here upwards,
it has fallen.
Yes, it must all be down there.
- Ashame.
- Yes.
But it looks as if someone
looks after it a bit.
lt's logical.
Someone must cut the weeds.
- Yes.
- Otherwise the brambles take over.
The grass out front
is looked after.
How long will Jess
be in there?
As usual.
You never know. Acouple of hours.
He won't be happy until
he's found something.
Until he's found a bone...
Meanwhile, we wait.
Getting totally bored.
I'd rather carry on
cutting back the undergrowth.
History happens slowly.
It happens slowly here.
History is slow.
Life is fast.
Between the house and the church,
they've found bones, right?
Yes, l've seen some bones.
They dug some up the other day.
I don't know what they want them for.
I suppose, in the past...
There were...
events, wars, conflicts...
Between the house
and the church, it probably
goes back centuries
to when children died
and couldn't be buried
because they weren't baptised,
there must be bones and stuff
from many years back,
all mixed together here.
ln that case,
they're better left in peace.
They've been there
a long time.
They'll have ajob
piecing them together,
dating them and so on.
Yes...
ls there any point to it?
Well,
at least to knowthe history,
the different events,
how the people died.
lf they're already dead,
what does it matter?
You knowthat once we're dead
We can still hear?
lt's the last sense
a human being loses,
even if you're brain dead,
you can still hear.
- After death?
- Yes.
Hearing is the last sense
to give commands
to the brain,
even though the brain
is not functioning.
lf the brain doesn't function,
there's nothing left!
No. There is no reception,
so it doesn't do anything
with that sound,
but hearing commands
still reach the brain.
So... when I die,
I'll still be hearing?
Yes, they say we hear
what we never wanted to.
So I'm going to hear criticisms?
There must be people
who have heard
the dividing up of their will
once they're dead.
Well, I don't know.
I'm rather sceptical
about these things.
Well, that's what people
who study the human body say,
they say that
it's the last sense to die.
And how do they know?.
They must have run tests,
I reckon.
lt's like that house,
and its walls.
lt seems that after all this time,
it still gives us bones,
it still gives us news...
Yes, but they've come
to interfere in things.
The bones...
weren't saying anything.
Do those bones also hear?
- No. No.
- Okay.
They say it's only
for a few hours.
Well, when l die
I'll be on the alert.
- Don't worry.
- To see if anyone criticizes me.
You won't be able
to tell anyone about it afterwards.
Do you know anyone
who has come back?
No, no, l don't.
There'll be a storm today.
It's rained a bit.
It's nice here.
This is a very,
very old house
The house of the Murguas.
It's where the old
Lords of Gipuzkoa lived
You see the sort of house it is,
these walls it has?
In olden days,
in the 13th century,
imagine how long ago that was,
there were two clans
in Gipuzkoa,
in one clan were the Oacinos
and in the other, the Gamboinos.
to get more power in Gipuzkoa.
I'll explain first,
then you can ask questions, Naia.
The Murgua family lived here.
They were in the Oacinos' clan.
Okay?
If you look behind you...
Does anyone know what that is?
Who can tell me?
It's a special window.
Naroa, what is that?
- The sky.
- What?
No, I'm talking about the window.
What kind of window is it?
Do you have windows like that?
No.
No, you don't.
What was it for, Jokin?
- For looking out of?
- It's too narrow to see out of.
- Well, lbon.
- For firing arrows?
Right! ln the past,
this was a fortified house.
At that time,
there were many wars here.
As you know,
the two families had many problems.
The Way of Saint James
came through here.
And there was only one way
to cross the Urumea river,
they could only cross it
at Ergobia.
To get to the other side,
they had to pay,
and that money
went to the Murguas.
How much
did they have to pay?
I've no idea.
At that time...
We can't really know that.
The people of Hernani
and Oiartzun had to pay,
but the people from here,
Astigarraga, didn't.
They made a pact.
So they fought with people
from Hernani and Oiartzun,
who didn't want to pay.
Now let's go upstairs,
to visit the other floors.
Come on, let's go.
Slowly!
June, let's go. l'm scared.
Wait.
l'm going.
June, let's go.
Leave about five feet or so.
Put it parallel to the wall.
- There!
- Okay.
I was at a house
in the village this week.
- Here in Astigarraga?
- Yes.
Sometimes I get asked to go
to the wake of a deceased relative.
So, I was at one of those.
I got to the house,
and we're there,
the family and a few neighbours,
when, suddenly,
as we were finishing the prayers,
the dead body sat bolt upright
in the coffin.
- What? The dead man?
- It was a shock...
Yes, yes.
The shock of our lives. Yes.
You know priests can't lie,
don't you?
I wish I was lying,
but it gave us such a shock.
Then we had to lie him down again
after taking his pulse.
No more praying.
- And he didn't get up again?
- No, not again.
We shut the lid
and off to the cemetery.
But what a scare he gave us.
The deceased finished the prayer.
- Wow...
- That's what happened.
I've never heard of that before.
Things like that do happen.
The people who work
in the care home
have seen that a few times.
- Strange things.
- He sat up but didn't say anything?
What could he say?
He was dead.
I bet he didn't like
what we were doing.
Must have been an atheist.
Like you.
That could almost be a miracle.
No, because he was dead.
lf the body had
come back to life,
it would've been dif ferent.
Okay, okay.
Lately,
I've been overcome by a white light.
A powerful light,
a light which blinds me.
l see it coming towards me.
I see it all the time,
it follows me.
I try...
I try to get it away from me,
to make it leave,
but it's always there.
I don't know what to do.
When? During the day? At night?
All the time.
All the time,
a white, white light.
coming from above,
coming from in front,
coming towards me,
I try not to look at it,
I try shutting my eyes,
but no,
it's still there, with me.
All day.
You should see a doctor.
What for?
So he can tell me l'm crazy?
No, because you can't live with that.
I can see it there now.
lt's white,
and coming towards me.
At times it seems as if
it's above me.
And it gets blurred.
It's something that
stalks me all day.
If you like,
you could see a healer.
A healer? No, no.
No.
Some people go for their nerves...
if they're nervous
after seeing things...
they go to the healer.
There's one in lkaztegieta.
I could go with you.
But the thing is...
Nerves? No, it's not nerves,
because this is...
this is a quiet place.
But the light...
I can see it.
I can see it now.
I can see it.
It's constant. lt's...
lt's... lt's something
I can't explain.
But I'm the only one who sees it.
Wherever I look,
it's all light.
In bed,
in the nicest of dreams,
suddenly,
an immense light wakes me up.
I open my eyes,
and there it is.
There, inside the bedroom.
I get up,
I walk away, it follows me...
I don't know.
I don't know what to do.
You can't go on like this.
See if there's a light.
l'm switching it off.
Is there anything there?
Come on, Jon, there's nothing here.
Let's go somewhere else.
No, there's nothing here.
Stop. Stop it.
Hey, don't make so much noise.
Let's go and find something,
there's nothing here.
Careful with the lights.
I'm switching them off.
Go ahead. l'm coming.
You shouldn't get angry like this.
- Don't take it...
- If you came,
and sawthey had
destroyed all this...
- Yes.
- How would you feel?
You might feel bad,
but it'll hurt you.
It's going to hurt you inside
if you get so pissed off.
Of course l'm pissed off.
If I catch one of them,
I'll showthem.
What do you plan to do?
You're too old to go around
beating up kids
with a metal bar, man.
With a metal bar,
with a chain...
With whatever l can find.
You want a hero's pension
or something?
No.
They're twenty years old.
What do you think they are?
And there'll be two or three,
four, five or six of them.
That's about right.
In a group,
because they're such cowards.
They wouldn't come alone.
If I go inside one day,
and find someone in there,
with this bar or with a chain,
I'll showthem.
We're a bit old for all this, Luis.
It's not possible.
Let them damage the door, not you.
- And who suffers? The door?
- No, but...
You don't need to go through this.
I'll grab him...
I'll wring his neck...
It always happens when I'm not here.
Who's there?
Okay...
Hello, little one.
Easy, easy, easy.
To my son Marco.