|
Before Night Falls (2000)
Trees have a secret life|that is only revealed
to those who are willing|to climb them. I do not remember|when I was born. But, when I was three|months old, my mother returned|to my grandparents' home with me as the proof|of her failure. The splendor of my childhood|was unique, because of its absolute poverty,|and absolute freedom... out in the open, surrounded by trees,|animals, and people who were indifferent|toward me. Reinaldo! Reinaldo! Nio, aprate con esa agua,|Dios mo! Mira que hay que esperar|en esta casa! My early life was surrounded|by a room full of unhappy women who were all bossed around|by my grandmother, the heart of the house, the only woman I ever saw|who peed standing up and talked to God|at the same time. My mother was a very beautiful|and very lonely woman. She had only known one man,|my father, and had enjoyed the pleasures|of love for only a few months and then, gave that all up|for the rest of her life, creating in her|a great sense of frustration. Her chastity was worse|than that of a virgin. Hijo de puta! Vete de aqu! Animal! Hijo de puta! Desgraciado! The most extraordinary|event of my childhood was provided by the heavens. Water rushed down gutters, reverberating over|the zinc roof like gunfire a massive army marching|across the trees, overflowing, cascading,|thundering into barrels, a concert of drums, water falling on water, drenched and whistling|and out of control, and under the spell of violence, let loose that would sweep away|almost everything in its path. Trees, stones,|animals, houses. It was the mystery|of destruction. The law of life. As I saw it, the currents were|roaring my name. Flowers have|reproductive organs. Class, can anyone|tell us what the male reproductive organ is called? Reinaldo? Reinaldo? A dick.|A long, skinny dick. Don't ask her where|she comes from. Can't you see she|is from the garden and the most beautiful|flower of them all? Buenas tardes,|con permiso. Seor Fuentes, I didn't mean|to disturb your dinner. What did he do? No, he didn't do|anything wrong. I came here to tell you that|Reinaldo has a special gift. What special gift? He has a sensitivity|for poetry. After that, my grandfather|sold the farm and moved the family|to Holgun, opened a grocery store, and refused to speak|to any of us. Holgun was a town|of 200,000 people and one garbage truck. The rebels are in Velasco. We can walk it in a day. Okay. We'll leave tonight. 'T bien. You think you can|do it with her? My name is Reinaldo.|What is yours? Loly. - Would you like to dance?|- Cmo no. Qu t quieres?|T eres muy nio. Incorprate a la lucha. Radio Rebelde, transmitiendo|desde las montaas de Oriente, desde la Sierra Maestra, territorio libre de Cuba. Aqu Radio Rebelde. Where are you going, kid? - Up the road.|- Up the road where? Velasco. Velasco?|You are not from Velasco. I am from Velasco.|Why do you go to Velasco for? Ah, the rebels|are in Velasco. You going to join|the rebels? Your mam know you are|going to join the rebels? No. Where she is? She's in Miami, working. Would you like to see? It's upside down. Qu bonita. You want to hit things? Sometimes I like|to hit things. My mother, she has|a store in Velasco. Before that it was my|grandmother's store, and before that,|it was her mother's store. I have six brothers. They all want|to join the rebels. The second one,|he joined the rebels. I'm the middle one,|I don't join the rebels. Get that for me. Go home. The rebels are no more|in Velasco. Go on, get off. Get off! What?|What? Que viva Fidel! Viva Fidel! Cuba libre! Es todo por hoy. Spaziva! As my mother smacked me,|she cursed and yelled, "Maldito!|Bad seed!" She shouted at the sky,|"I want to get out of here. " But I really wasn't sure|that's what she wanted. But now standing over me she looked like|a huge tree trunk. And if it didn't hurt so much,|I'd get down on my knees, and ask her to smack me again,|even harder. Then she became beautiful. How pretty she is in her skirt|made out of a sack and the blouse she stole|from her sister. I wanted to get up and beg|her forgiveness. I wanted to say,|"Mom, how pretty you are today. You look like|one of those women that you can only see|on Christmas cards," but I said nothing because|of the the knot in my throat. That was very nice.|What's your name? Reinaldo Arenas. Who wrote this? I did, it's my own-|from my novel. What do you call this novel? "Singing from the Well. " Are you a student? Yes, I'm an agricultural|accountant. Tell me, do you think|you'd feel at home working in the national library? The pay won't be very much. But I can promise you|that you'll have all the books you could ever hope to read. I would like that|very much. Thank you very much. Thank you. Oye, need a lift? I want to go down|to Guayanos. Get in. Hello. You like it, right? It used to belong|to Errol Flynn. You don't believe me? Look in the glove|compartment. Be careful, huh? Do you want to go|to the movies with me? What? Do you want to go|to the movies with me? - I'll get out here!|- Ay, coo! You got a flat ass anyway! Vamos, chico, vamos! You'll see him tomorrow. Get out! Estpido! ...last Saturday night|I made 100 pesos for letting 10 members|of the National Ballet suck me off. Doesn't that make you a fag? If you do it for money,|you're not a fag. You know him? No. Hello. I'm sorry about the other day. No, don't worry.|Forget it. - I am Reinaldo.|- I am Pepe. - How about some ice cream?|- Yes! Today they have only vanilla. Bring him a banana split|with pistacho. One ice cream! Go. So where you from,|Reinaldo? I am a guajiro,|from Oriente. - Does it matter where I'm from?|- No. What do you do? I just got a job now|in the National Library, but I would like to be|a writer. You poor thing. A country boy in Havana|to serve the Revolution. - Where's your mother?|- En la bodega. Give me the key. Chau. Vamos! She says it works, just one key is a little off. How can I thank you? What are you doing? Who is the man? Who's the man? You, because you are|the judo expert. You don't kiss|on the lips? Only when I'm in love. Patricio Lamumba Beach is only|a 10 minute walk from here- La Concha is about a mile... This is perfect for you. You'll have to share|the bathroom with her. Bedsheets are changed|every two weeks and you are responsible|for your own towel. It is perfect, I'll take it. Don't you want to know|how much? It doesn't matter,|I can not afford it anyway. 30 pesos a month- and no visitors... nor music after 10:00pm. 30. Thank you. National Book Award Contest. Hello. I would like|to submit this please. Put it in the box. Hey, you want a smoke? No, thank you. What are you reading? Este es "El Lazarillo|de Tormes. " Who wrote it? No author,|he's anonymous. No writer?|That's impossible. No, no, no,|I didn't say no writer. I said we don't know|who the author is. Okay.|Do you have any other books? Yes, I have many. I usually read out here|so I can be alone. I like it here. Sorry to bother you.|I'll leave. It's okay.|I'm going home anyway. You live around here? Not far. You want to come over|and hear some music? What? I have some|French records. Maybe you like... Edith Piaf,|and Jacques Brel. Pero estpido idiota! Are you out of your mind? Take the book with you. Ojal se te caiga|la pinga, maricn! Estpido!|Coo. And so, ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at this|auspicious moment. We are happy to announce|that the first prize goes to, "Vivir en Candonga"|by Ezequiel Vieta. And the honorable mention|goes to Reinaldo Arenas for "Celestino Antes de Alba. " Thank you.|Gracias. Thank you for coming|ladies and gentlemen, and another round of applause|for our contestants. - Congratulations.|- Thank you. You're invited to|Lezama Lima's house. Hello. He left after his brother|made the film "P.M." You've heard about it. The brother had to leave, too. Simple film. Just a group of people|dancing and getting drunk. It made no judgments. It made no judgments. People that make art are|dangerous to any dictatorship. They create beauty. And beauty is the enemy. Artists are escapists. Artists are counter-|revolutionary, and so you are a counter-|revolutionary, Reinaldo Arenas, and you know why? Because there's a man|that cannot govern the terrain called beauty,|so he wants to eliminate it. So, here we are, 400 years|of Cuban culture about to become extinct|and everybody applauds. And what happened to your lip? I found somebody who doesn't|like French music, that's all. Be careful.|Be careful. No, no, no.|Keep it- He would love for you|to have it. There are 150 books that|contain everything that literature has to offer. You read them and you don't have|to read anything else. So which book would|be the first? "The Bible. "|You have to read the Bible. Oh, croquettes.|Ooh, Mara Luisa. These croquettes don't stick|to the roof of your mouth. They are delicious. What kind are they? I n this country, you don't|ask that question. We're all being placed|on an international diet. Let's go back|to the Bible, it's far|more interesting. Now, I don't mean|to convert you. Just read it like a novel. I tell you what, I'm going|to give you five books- Correction, I'm going to lend|you five books. You return them,|then I'll give you five more. "Moby Dick," Melville, Robert Lewis Stevenson's|"Treasure Island," Proust's,|"Remembrance of Things Past" Kafka's "Metamorphosis," Flaubert's,|"Sentimental Education. " Mara Luisa,|coffee please. One, two, three- four, five. Reinaldo, I don't mean|to be presumptuous, but we've read your book. We both think|it's far superior to the one|that won first prize. They robbed you|of the first prize. But, to be frank, there's always room|for improvement. If you'll allow, Virgilio would like|to help you clean it up. Right now it's good, but it's too good|not to be great. Let's fix it. Second prize|gets published too. That's the real prize. We both think that|you were born to write. You can't be too careful. This is the only possession|that you really need. ...de la vida. Las lagartijas son muy grandes|en este baado. Si t las vieras!|Las lagartijas... tienen aqu distintas formas... Where's Pepe? He's getting supplies. I don't have to work today. Let's pick up|Nicolas and Juan. Okay. Look, look, Toms.|"Celestino Antes de Alba. " Now, you are really a writer. - You like that cover?|- I like it, it's beautiful. I thank Virgilio|for this book. He gave me a lesson|in literature and editing. ...my brothers Juan|and Nicholas are writers too. Oh, come on. Pepe, we've got the Bronte|sisters in the back-seat. Look at them. Lezama is a Catholic;|Virgilio is an atheist. So what do they|have in common besides being faggots? Lezama doesn't type,|he writes everything by hand. Something you|wouldn't understand It's called|intellectual honesty. I don't understand! Well, if you took the time|to actually read their books, maybe you'd have something|intelligent to say about it. Oye,|look at this. Give him the cigarettes. Oye, guapo! Maricones! Mariquita! Mariquita! Hazle comer|el mojn de caballo! Coo! Qu es eso? Qu pasa ahora? Oye, welcome to our picnic,|compaero. Tranquilo,|no te muevas de all. - What do you want?|- Shut up. What do I want? I want Carlos first|to frisk this guy. Why him? See if he's got a weapon. He's not even dressed. What's your name? My name? Franz Kafka. You're funny. You think I'm ignorant? Let's see how|ignorant you are. Ever heard of a summer camp|called La Isla de la Juventud? No, then maybe|you can tell me... when was the last time|you took it up your ass? The last time? Oh, I don't remember. You don't remember? But, I remember|the last time you did. When was that? Maybe the last time|you bent over to tie your boots? Est bien,|lo ves, no? Est bien, est bien. Do you have a cigarette? Yes, I have a cigarette. There was also a sexual|revolution going on that came along with excitement|of the official revolution- but the drums of militarism|were still trying to beat down the rhythm of poetry and life. When I wasn't at my job|at the library, or guard duty,|or attending rallies, there were three|wonderful things that I enjoyed|in the 60's: my typewriter, at which I sat|like a dedicated performer sitting at his piano; the youth of those days, when everyone was ready|to break free; and lastly, the full discovery|of the sea. Did you ever notice there|are four categories of gays? Really? Really. Which are they? Well, the first one|is the dog collar gay- He's loud, shows off that|he's gay, there's no limit|to his sexual voracity, therefore he's constantly|being arrested. The system has created|a permanent collar around his neck, so they can|hook him up and take him to|a rehabilitation camp like a Valparaso. Two is the common gay. He's made his commitments|with other gays, has a job, film clubs, likes to sip tea|with his friends, writes a poem|now and then, only has relations|with other gays, never takes a risk, and never gets|to know a real man. The third one, the closet gay,|okay, nobody knows|he is gay. He's married,|has children, hides on his way|to the bathroom, still wearing the ring|that his wife gave him. They're hard to spot,|but I've got one here. Most of the time they're|the ones who censor other gays. And fourth, the royal gay, a unique product|of our country, a communist country. Because of his closeness|to our Maximum Leader or special work with|the State Security, he can afford|to be openly gay, travel freely in this|country and abroad, cover himself|with jewels, clothes... Coo, he even has|a private chauffeur. Hey, hey.|Stop! Reinaldo! Hey, Reinaldo! Come on.|We'll give you a ride. Where are you going? Don't worry.|Take a seat. Hello. How are you? Now, we're going to take|a little shortcut and show you a beautiful|part of Havana that not many|visitors get to see. The crackdown began in earnest. The horror and ugliness|advanced day by day at an ever increasing pace, but the oppression only|acted as a stimulus and sex became a way|of fighting it... a weapon to use|against the regimen. Needless to say, the Revolution wasn't|for everybody. Mr. Heberto Zorrilla Ochoa, are you aware of Article 243|in the Penal Code? Yes. And what does Article 243|of the Penal Code state? It states that no assembly|of over three people is allowed. And yet, you had an assembly|of over 20 people at your home on the night of July 10th. What were you doing? It was a poetry reading. Whose poetry? My own-|others. And are you sure that|this was a poetry reading and not just an|opportunity to recite counterrevolutionary|propaganda? Yes, I'm sure. Mr. Correa, is poetry|ever propaganda? I suppose it could be. But not your poetry. No. Mr. Correa, who else|was present at this so-called|poetry reading? Some friends,|other writers. Tell me, does the name|Jos Lezama Lima ring a bell? Virgilio Piera? Your wife, Fina? Yes. Were they there? Yes, they were there. Are you aware|that Lezama Lima and Virgilio Piera|are homosexuals? Yes. I am aware of my errors. that are unpardonable, errors that demand|to be severely punished. But I must confess|that I see before me in this room, the faces of many comrades|who like me, have lost their way, whose ideology has waivered, who have committed|similar errors... errors that also demand|to be severely punished. I'm sorry.|I'm late. We got a call about|an hour ago. They said they would be|at the Hotel Nacional and they're leaving|today at 4:00 p. m. That's all they said? They're friends of|Lezama Lima. - Reinaldo?|- Yes. I'm Jorge Camacho. - This is my wife, Margarita.|- Hi. Have a seat. We live in Paris. Jorge is in a show|at the Saln De Mayo. He's a painter. We are big fans|of your work. My work? We bought your book|in a bookstore and Jorge stayed up|all night reading it. He said it was|the greatest novel he ever read|about childhood. Would you put|the book away, please. Yes, of course. Of course. Reinaldo! Margarita went ahead. I thought you|were gone. I went to the hotel-|I didn't know. But, I knew you|were here. This is a friend|of ours, who works at|the French Embassy. If you ever|need anything you can give|her a call. She'll get in|touch with us. It's a small present|from Margarita and me. Thank you|very much, Jorge. You have to go. What do your|paintings look like? Because I didn't|ask you before. You'll have to|see them in person. Sure. Who knows? Maybe you could|write something about them someday. Hey Mister,|can I have my kite, please? Get lost. You almost killed me. Come on,|give him the kite. You want to give|him the kite? Give him the kite? Forget it! Come on,|give him the kite! Oye! You want to give|him back the kite? Okay, I'll give|him the kite. What are you doing, Pepe? What are you doing, Pepe? Get out of here! Aljate de aqu!|iBruto! Here. Excuse me.|Excuse me. I was on the beach|and these boys stole my flippers|and my clothes. Could you identify them? No, but it's okay. Get in the car. No, it's okay. Get in the car. Ah estn!|That's them! Come over here. You have something|belonging to this man? Look at him. Give me your ID cards. I was going to return this|stuff to the police station. That faggot and his friend,|tried to touch our pricks. Yeah, we beat them up|and they ran off, so, we were going to bring|this to the station. They molested us. - They molested you?|- Yeah. - You're sure?|- Yes. You're under arrest. Why! Because I said so. Lugando Barnes! What are you doing here? I live right over here. I need a towel, t-shirt,|anything you have. Please. Thank you. I need a place to hide. I don't know,|I have to get out of here. Why, what did you do? They said I|molested these kids. You should see these kids. They were all bigger|than me. Have you heard from Toms? I was told that he was|in a work camp in Oriente and he was killed|while trying to escape. I've heard you've|had some trouble with the police. No, it was a mistake, they had me mixed up|with somebody else. The way I see it,|you have two choices: You can try to make it|to the U.S. Navy Base in Guantnamo; or you can try to float|your way to Florida. It's about 90 miles. You can make it in a few|days if the current is good. I have an inner tube|I was saving. It's yours. Who is it? It's me, Pepe. I'm sorry about today. What do you want now? Where are you going? I don't know. H uh, where have you been? I'm leaving right now. How? How?|Inner tube. You're crazy,|you're going to drown. Listen, do you want|to help me? Yes, I want to help you. Then give me all the|money you have on you. You can have|the gold, clothes... you can sell|it everywhere. Please, give me all|the money you have on you. You have money in here? Give me the money.|Give me the money! You can take- you can take everything, You can stay here|if you want. Reinaldo, I have|some friends that can solve|this problem. What kind of friends|do you have? You know what|kind of friends. Why kind of friends|do you have? Don't go away. - Reinaldo.|- I'm leaving. I'm leaving... I- I'll keep in touch|with you, alright? Bye. Reinaldo- I have to hide|you somewhere, because we are|surrounded by police. ...a photo of you just in case you forget|what you look like, and last,|"La lliada. " "La Ilada," Juan,|"La Ilada. " Here are the pills|you asked for. What are they? I don't know,|but they make you happy. Will they kill me? I suppose if you|took enough of them. Hello. Can I have two|croquetas, please? Two? Yes, and a drink. Do you have a light? Yes.|Sure. Do you have|a cigarette? What is your name? Adriano Faustino Sotolongo. When did you get|that name, Reinaldo? You are Reinaldo Arenas,|aren't you? Buen trabajo. Mira, encontramos|este paquete. Este es Reinaldo Arenas, un pjaro que agarramos|ah en el parque. Dale! Dale! Dale, coo!|Dale! Ya vas a ver|lo que es bueno. Vas a ver lo que es bueno|ah adentro. I arrived at El Morro not|as a political prisoner or writer, but with an infamous|reputation as a rapist, a murderer,|and a CIA agent. a supernatural air|of nonchalance and gave me an aura|of danger and respectability among the real murderers, real rapists, and common criminals|who would kill each other for the slightest reason. Skies lit by bolts|of lightning were replaced|by electric lights that blinked on and off|with regularity, killing the possibility|or chance that I might dream or forget where I was. I thought here|I could go unnoticed. But prisoners are those|beings that know everything, especially about|other prisoners. Soon they knew,|maybe from the guards, or the warden himself,|or a killer named Torre, that I was a writer. Say, you think you could|write a letter for me? What? Not for nothing, I give you two cigarettes. Carlota- tell her that I miss|her so much. Your words or mine? I'm sorry. My fame as "The Writer"|spread all over the prison. Mara... From the 17 cells of El Morro, and for those who couldn't|see me directly, petitions came in the form|of hundreds of balls of soap, tied to long strings, that the prisoners|could pass on to my cell. It was called "The Mail. " I never wrote so much. I accumulated a small|fortune of cigarettes that provided me with|enough paper and pencils for my own novel, which I wrote in the middle, of all the screaming|and crying. Cubans are defined by noise,|it's their nature. They need to bother others. They can neither enjoy,|nor suffer in silence. Even the sun was rationed, but once a month|the gay inmates turned El Morro|into a nightclub. Leonardo da Vinci|was homosexual, so was Michelangelo,|Socrates, Shakespeare, and almost every other|figure that has formed what we have come|to understand as beauty. Bon Bon, the hearthrob|of El Morro, was no different. She was so glamorous,|that when she walked by, she made everybody feel|like they were in the movies. Bon Bon was also famous|for another quality. He was one|of those transporters, who by the grace|of countless activity, could carry unfathomable|quantities in the deepness of his rectum, even if given|a thorough ass check. Excuse me, I heard that you can get|things in and out of here. Could you carry|a package for me? Of course,|he denied it. I don't know what|you're talking about. But every ass|has his price. It took me a thousand|cigarettes and Bon Bon five trips to smuggle my novel|to the other side of El Morro. Por favor! - Por favor, no me metan ah!|- Camina! Por favor!|Por qu? Si no le he hecho|nada a nadie, hombre! Por favor! Abran la puerta! Abran la puerta, por Dios!|No me entren aqu! Abran la puerta! Por qu me hacen esto? Est bien...|est bien. Por Dios! Abran la puerta, por Dios! Abran la puerta! Espera, por Dios, espera! I felt an indescribable|sadness to see my mother with that white shirt,|demanding that I come home and telling me that|I had no other choice. I gathered all|the strength I had. After two years|of prison, you think my only choice|is to go home with you?! I turned my back on my mother|and ran away. I will always remember|her standing there like that. I wanted to go back|and hug her. But instead, I ran towards these gigantic|black men playing volleyball. ...tambin me despertar. A m me despertar|de este sueo, que tambin es pesadilla, que tambin es pesadilla... Vamos, afuera! The truth is that there|is no possibility of rehabilitating a faggot. How many times have|we confiscated this... counterrevolutionary poop? Don't you realize... that this can cost|you your life? We can make|you disappear, or you could|be free tomorrow. It's up to you. But, if you keep|writing this, you're not going|to get very far. I'm going to give you five|minutes to make up your mind. It might take a queer|more than five minutes to make up his mind|while watching this handsome lieutenant stroke his|magnificent organ. What do you say? Can I have some|paper and a pen? All the work I've done|until now is garbage. I quickly accused myself|of being a villain, a traitor, a depraved|counter revolutionary, and while fixating on his|generous projectile, I thanked the government|for the largeness, and about the grandness|of Lt. Victor. I deny my homosexual condition. And I am converted into a man|illuminated by this Revolution. Good. Very good. This is how a man behaves. I almost fainted when I felt|his member near my face. Your five minutes is up. You got a lot|of publicity, but friends, where are they now? Pepe Malas is your friend? He's someone you can trust? Why isn't he here with you? You recognize this|book, Reinaldo? That book was the only|proof to me that I was alive. No.|I've never seen it. This book was|published in France without permission|of the Writer's Union. Therefore, you must have had|someone to smuggle it out. You didn't go|to France did you? Maybe I should be|discussing this book with the Writer's Union|and not here in State Security. Abre la boca. La boca... La boca! As... As, Reinaldo... I will close my eyes now|and you will be gone. You're gone. The revolution will find|a way to use your talent. We could fit you in somewhere, some speeches, a letter|to your friends, publisher, telling them how well|you're being treated and that's a good beginning. You thought it was me|who turned you in. I thought it was... Pepe. Can you really|blame him? Yes, I can. And, I will blame him|for the rest of my life. Look at this. This book... won best foreign|novel in France... and I don't even have|a place to live. What am I going to do? What are you|going to do? You're in luck. I'm in luck? Remember Blanca Romero,|the painter? She lives in the Hotel Clarita, next to the convent|of Santa Clara. Hey, Blanca wanted|a window. We thought it went|to the street. We're selling this stuff|on the black market. So, this is the surprise. Something else... making a fortune. We got a hold|of these parachutes and we're going|to sail them to Miami. You're kidding, right? No, I'm not kidding. This is my friend, Armando He's an expert with|the blowtorch. He can fix anything, even steal electricity|from the street. He's an engineer. I knew him in jail. We figure that the balloon|will take three passengers. So, we are going to draw|lots to see who goes. I'm definitely going. Blanca's definitely going. T no vas a estar|haciendo dieta ahora. The rest of us|will draw lots. We need some help,|there's only six of us. I can help. - Who's the guy?|- Reinaldo. Someone is here. Someone is here. She's such a bitch. She hates me just|like my mother. Why do you think|your mother hates you? She put me in an asylum|so she didn't have to feed me. What? She put me in Mazorra so she|wouldn't have to feed me. Her own son. She's just like her. You can sleep here|anytime you want. Just friends, okay,|just friends. A pillow, you have|a blanket... and I don't have anything|to offer you... but a book... that you asked me for|a long time ago, you remember that? It's your-|It's your book? Yes, it's my book,|now it's yours. Thanks. Why do you write? Revenge. Could you teach me|how to write? I don't know, Lzaro.|I don't know. I want to die|at the end of the day, in the high seas, with my face|towards the sky when it seems like|agony is just a dream and the soul, a bird|ascending in flight. Who is that? Manuel Guitrrez Njera.|Mexicano. I mean, you're a writer|even if you don't write. You know what I mean? Yeah, I know what|you mean. - Hey.|- Hola. Cmo estn? You know what I mean? iCoo!|Pero mira... ...and if you need|anything else, just let me know.|I can find it for you. What is this pig|doing here? He's the one who|got the propane. Grab his leg,|come on. Psst, psst! Oh, no, no, no. If you let me out|of here, it's yours. Untie the ropes, and I'll bring you|to Miami with me. Come! Come!|Despierten! El globo se va!|Baja! See you in Times Square,|faggots! Lzaro, take this, sell it|and try to get me some lemons, and tea... and some paper, please. Sure. That's all you need? Yes, and whatever you want. - Have you seen Lzaro?|- No. He hasn't come home|in two weeks. He's probably in the|Peruvian Embassy. You heard about the bus|crashing through the gate? Yes, of course I've|heard about that. Fidel said that anybody|who wants to leave can. There's 10,000 people there. Now, he's mixing|the dissidents with the criminals,|homosexuals, and mentally ill. That's a great idea. All you have to do is go|to the local police station for your exit permit. You tell them that you|have a criminal record or that you're a homosexual, or that you're mentally ill. I don't believe that. It's a trap. Maybe. Next. What's your name? Reinaldo Arenas. State your reason|for wanting to leave. I am homosexual. Where do you go|to pick up men. En la parada del Hotel Plaza,|en "El Prado," en "La Sortija. " What position do|you like in bed? I like it from behind,|and on my knees. Walk! - Walk! Walk!|- Walk. Report to Abreu Fontan. What are they doing? They got a list|of everyone they don't want|to let out. Like who? I don't know. - Do you have a pen?|- No. - Do you have a pen?|- No, sir. Avancen, avancen,|avancen! I don't care where I sleep. Just promise me you won't|bring any of your friends here. I can cook.|It's no problem. How much is it? $350 per month,|plus utilities. The difference between|the communist system, and the capitalist system, is that when they give|you a kick in the ass in the communist system,|you have to applaud; in the capitalist system,|you can scream. - Hello, Mr. Greenberg.|- Thanks. Happy holiday. Thank you.|Here let me help you. The doorman... Hey, let's go.|I've got a break. You're writing a novel! Laz. What happened? - Oh, I broke a glass.|- Hey, you're bleeding. Leave it alone.|Laz! Laz! I'm trying to help. What's the matter, Rey? You are like a milk cow|that gives milk all the time and then|kicks over the bucket. There's the door, doorman. Walk through it.|Walk through it. I don't want to|see you again. I'm tired of living|with a moron. You are a moron, Laz. Please, leave the keys|on the table. The moon bathes Death|in a light that makes him look|like a white star twinkling in the middle|of the backyard. That used to be my bicycle. Rey! Open the door! Rey! Reinaldo.|Hey, Reinaldo. How ya doing?|Come on, get up. It's time to go. Where? It's time to go home. Cuba? No, I think you should go|to your apartment first. Come on, I'll give|you a hand. Here we go. Are these your|things here? How are you feeling?|You feeling alright? I can't believe they're|sending you home. Do you have any insurance? - Yes, I do.|- I don't. - Don't forget the plant.|- I won't. Hello. You got everything? Yes. Give me a glass... and a straw. Where is the straw? - What?|- Where is the straw? The straw, yeah. You do it. Laz... I have something|to show you. Look. Here's "The Doorman. " "For Lazaro, his novel. " It just came out. You can have|all the money. The money? It's my book, Rey, you took it and now|you're going to insult me by paying me for it? Okay, sorry.|Thanks. - Don't say nothing.|- Okay. Give me a glass|with a... This bag|is important, Laz. You can take it. You're going to need|it more than me. Take it. I want you to promise|me something, Lzaro. I don't want to wake up|in the hospital. Promise me. I promise. Sure? Yeah. Sure? Hmmm? I'm sorry. Yes. Give me the glass, please. I want you to mail these. This is for- This is for my mother. This is for|"The New York Times," Margarita and Jorge Camacho. "Miami Herald. " And, this is for you,|but, don't open it. Mail this to yourself, and then you open|in your house. I have never met a boy|as authentic as you, Lzaro. Never. Read me something. Oh, not that one. Not that one,|where's the glass? Not that one. Rey.|Rey. |
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