1
Isn't there a bridge around here?
Pleased to meet you. Piotrek.
Ok, but my GPS...
I'll design you a new bridge
when I get settled in.
Peter!
We can speak Polish.
You insisted on the old barn,
keeping up with tradition.
aneta likes this place.
I've sent down a digger.
Ronaldo will help you.
Pour, Ronaldo...
Listen...
I think it's all been too quick.
I know young people
need to get to know each other.
Not shack up right away.
We love each other...
- ...We don't want to wait.
- I'm being totally frank with you.
I don't know you.
A few Skype calls in English
can hardly be called knowing someone.
But anyway...
I hope aneta knows what she's doing.
What can I do?
All I can do is wish you well.
Here's the timetable.
Timetable?
- Yeah, timetable.
- Timetable.
Stop!
Don't bother.
I'll manage.
I'll manage!
The keys to the house.
I'll drive you back.
I'll manage.
Wonderful!
Come here.
Come here!
- Cheers!
- Thanks.
It's drizzling.
How cute...
Drizzle, drizzling.
...one little cloud.
I know, I know...
...Piotr?
Anybody here?
Brother!
We're just missing the swimming pool.
Bachelor boy!
Where are you?
He's hiding...
Python!
Have you spoken to him?
He's vanished.
I don't know, sister.
Maybe he doesn't love you anymore.
I'd be scared of you.
Where's everywhere?
Wait. I'll call you later.
Your brother-in-law is here!
You know what this means in Poland?
Have you two met?
Fuck... My mother used to
do it for me.
Go on. Pour some vodka.
See that?
I, aneta...
Take you, Piotr...
...as my husband.
As my husband.
As my husband.
To have and to hold...
To love,
honour...
...obey,
for as long as
we both shall live.
Not like that.
Zofia, Zygmunt...
For mum and dad!
My dears!
I learned this song from my grandma!
Band please!
Who's taking a wife?
He's taking a wife,
I won't take a wife!
The boys will come to me,
I won't be asking them!
Who's whining on life?
He's whining on life,
I won't whine on life!
I've got pounds in my pocket,
and it's all I need!
- Tip your head back.
- What?
Well, the groom's just lost his cherry.
Let's keep on dancing!
Music, maestro, please.
I love you.
Someone's watching us.
He doesn't mind.
Doesn't mind?
I can't with grandpa watching.
Alright! That's enough!
Come on!
Hey boys!
No toys to play with?
Enough!
I'm sorry...
Come on. Let's get inside!
What?
You seem different.
I'm not Python any more,
I'm Piotr.
Did you forget?
Kiss the groom!
Thank you, thank you...
Now the professor would like
to say a few words.
Please... Bravo!
I'd like to say...
On this special day...
Louder!
Here... Bravely!
Let me recall Stach,
your grandfather, aneta.
He once said:
"Just wait 30 or 40 years.
We won't have much of it,
but our grandchildren will."
He said it somewhere near here.
Right by this marquee.
I mean the marquee wasn't
there then,
but when you leave the house
it's on the north-west side...
Of course, Staszek wanted
aneta to inherit this house.
It was his last will.
It's a good bit of land.
And I confirm it.
I know a thing or two.
Listen to an old Jew.
I can still do my math.
Perhaps it's good
that it's raining,
because it reminds us
of the tears of despair,
of which there were many more
than tears of joy.
We aren't at school now!
I know, I know...
Maybe it's not the time.
But on the other hand...
As Aristotle said:
"Whoever does not partake
of society...
is either a god...
or a beast."
There's no man without society...
and there's no society without memory.
Beautiful words...
Keep that memory in your hearts...
Beautiful words...
Our thanks to the schoolteacher
for those beautiful words!
And now...
I've got good news for you,
my dears.
I won't be singing this evening.
But seriously...
I won't propose a toast,
because as you know
I don't drink.
I won't talk too long,
because in my job all I ever say is:
"Don't drink, don't smoke".
And no one listens to me anyway.
Instead, let the music speak for me.
Dear aneta and...
- ...Piotr!
- I know... Piotr.
And now a piece of music
especially for you,
which works better than aspirin,
better even than Prozac.
I'll stake all my medical diplomas.
Today I offer it without prescription.
- Play something Polish!
- Something funny!
Just a little glass...
No... One glass and then another.
I've been there.
Vodka and I are divorced
and I've put it behind me.
It's called the "irretrievable
breakdown of the marriage."
I'm coming, I'm coming!
Hey, Marzenka, Mariolka,
we're talking here!
What are you up to?
Looking for worms?
- You think it's funny?
- Yeah.
- Fuck off!
- Gents!
What's up, gents?
First fight tonight?
He's got a problem.
Peter, what's wrong?
You ought to know, dad.
It was here.
But there's nothing here.
There was a hole here a minute ago.
But what did it look like?
Normally...
Skeleton.
From a biology lab?
- Yes, the same.
- Yeah, from a biology lab!
Skeleton... I recall now...
It's a dog.
Dad had three dogs.
He must have buried it in the garden.
So it's a dog.
I know what a dog looks like!
Alright, listen!
Let's not all go abracadabra here.
Let's say there's something there,
but we won't start digging right now.
We're drunk and we'll drown
in this mud.
We won't see anything anyway.
We'll do it when we're sober.
For now, not a word.
Especially not to aneta.
Jasny!
Sit down!
Right. Talk.
Is this a wind-up?
Taking the piss?
Course not...
You always have some dumb ideas.
Back off, I don't know anything.
What's it all about then?
- Maybe you know something?
- How the fuck should I know?
You knew grandpa better than I did.
Just having a rest.
I feel trapped in a crowd like that.
I know how it might look.
The doctor sneaked out to have
a drink on the sly.
But it's not what it seems...
Who am I telling anyway?
Sometimes it's hard to exchange a word -
never mind a thought - with anyone here.
Easy, easy... Hyperventilation,
nerves, stress. Typical.
Best get it out of your head...
...or better yet out of your stomach.
I have to tell you:
The house is lovely, really lovely.
One thing!
Just have to eliminate the rain
and it will be perfect.
Did aneta's grandfather build it?
The house?
No, it was here already.
I don't get it.
Did you know her grandfather?
Very decent man...
As pure as the purss...
As pure as the pursts...
Fuck hell I can't even...
You see?
As pure as the purest driven snow.
Let's be honest.
No one's perfect.
No one.
What happens when a white snowflake
falls into a dirty puddle?
I'm an atheist.
I'm interested in facts and analysis.
Ask the priest about abstraction.
- Thank you...
- Beautiful wedding.
Come here, your turn...
Come here!
We're waiting for you.
I'm coming, I'm coming.
Kiss the groom! Kiss the groom!
You'll get a kiss from me soon, mate!
My dears...
Seems to be good
son-in-law material...
And he's been recommended
by my first-born.
He's even promised to
rebuild the bridge.
The one the Germans destroyed.
Ladies and gentlemen...
Just like in any trade,
it's the same in life.
The young take their places,
and the old ones let go.
No, no...
We have to make room for the young.
There's enough room,
you can start on your own.
And your family next door will help you.
Change diapers and the potty.
In brief...
Welcome home.
Wash your hands.
I'll hang on to the digger though.
It's harder to part with than my daughter.
Daddy...
Your turn, Peter.
We'll make good use of the digger.
You won't minding if I...
Won't mind.
Won't mind if I keep it a bit longer.
Just don't take it to bed with you!
We don't know each other well yet...
The more I appreciate
such a wonderful reception.
And...
He's lost the thread.
And I hope...
We'll live here for many years...
Me...
...and Hana.
Who's Hana?
aneta, my honey!
You've had enough, mate!
'Hana' is what I call the digger.
Thank you father, thank you mother.
You brought me up beautifully.
It's time for me to leave.
Bless me as I can't come back now...
The bride and groom!
Was Hana an old girlfriend?
Planning to cheat on me already?
No... really...
Where's the ring?
I think I know where you left it.
- Everything OK?
- Yes... I feel a bit strange...
...Alcohol.
Polish wedding...
You'd better dance it off.
aneta, I have to tell you something.
Now the groom will dance with
the happy mother-in-law!
Change your partners!
No, no, no...
No excuses... It's important.
Well, the bride groom's spinning
his mother-in-law around.
The first and last time.
Poor old mother-in-laws.
What's going on?
I told them not to overdo it
with the booze.
When they serve you tell them
the best man will take it off your hands.
Change partners again!
The bride is waiting...
I have a question...
Is it possible...
that the spirit of a dead person...
...can appear before us?
How do you mean?
Normally...
There's a spirit...
...and I can see it.
You mean the memory of a loved one?
I know it sounds stupid, but...
What's this, Father?
Managed to sin already?
I'm sorry, I have to go...
Please sit, Father, please...
I'll come with a bottle in a minute.
But first a swift one
with my son-in-law.
I can hardly talk to my son-in-law.
Either not around
or talking to somebody else.
We have to get to know each other!
But it's like drinking.
Only with your head
not with an appetizer.
You should watch your mouth
after you had a few.
Once it's out it's too late.
People start whispering and you
don't even know who started it.
It's the butterfly effect.
There's a theory: if a butterfly
flaps its wings somewhere,
it can cause a disaster.
Get out, get out!
- Do you know anything more...
- What about?
About that skeleton.
You see how it sounds,
depending on what words you use.
Then you'll say you didn't mean it.
But no one will hear you.
I know what I saw.
You saw it.
But I didn't.
...and you bridesmaids take off
your veils.
Just don't ruin your hair...
Make way!
And this morning by the church
bells were chiming...
Let's roll him!
Just leave him.
Get ready.
Except you, kid.
You can't either, dear uncle.
Jasny! Jasny!
Doctor!
Piotr, it's fine.
- We ought to take him. Just in case.
- Don't worry, boys. I'll look after him.
You can't take the groom
away from his wedding.
It's just epilepsy. Nothing serious.
aneta, has he had any attacks before?
No, never...
I mean... Not since I've known him.
You haven't known each other long...
Jasny, come here.
Listen, go and fetch more vodka
from the car.
We'll have to get everyone drunk.
They can't see the groom like this.
- How many bottles?
- All of them!
- Why all of...
- I said all of them!
Ronaldo!
Have them turn off that siren!
- Off you go, boys.
- Are you sure you're up to...?
Look at me.
He's in the care of a doctor.
When the stimulants kick in
he'll be as quiet as a lamb.
Have a good party...
No use getting emotional.
Piotr...
He's not responding.
Give him time, aneta.
He had a double dose.
It needs time.
He drank too much
and maybe took something.
We shouldn't take a blood test,
it might cause problems, I reckon.
Piotr, is it OK?
I'll be back...
Go on! Don't worry about a thing.
Have fun!
Don't worry, don't worry...
Relax, relax.
I won't offer it to you...
Take it! And hurry up!
What did you give him?
- I didn't give him anything..
- Yeah, right!
Maybe he had something he took.
- I swear.
- Fuck your promises.
A stupid joke of yours.
Even if I had something,
he wouldn't have taken it.
He doesn't even drink much.
- Great. What's up with him then?
- I don't fucking know.
I've never seen him like this.
Where the fuck are you going?
Fuck this!
Don't you dare lie!
False alarm.
Everything's fine.
It's under control.
Faster, faster!
As Piotr would say...
Hurry up! Move!
I've put almost everything out.
I left a few. For a rainy day.
Isn't it fucking rainy enough?
Well? Start using your brain
after thirty years.
What's your problem?
You found a fucked-up
husband for you sister!
That's the problem.
So it's all my fault now.
Whose is it?
Can't you see he's epileptic?
How was I supposed to know?
How were you supposed to know?
How the fuck are you supposed
to know anything?
How much vodka are we left with?
- Come dance!
- Hurry up!
- You got your duties as the best man!
- Wanna dance? We'll dance!
Where?
Here?
That's what he said.
Really?
I don't know.
Maybe he was making it up.
Didn't you see how he was behaving?
Why didn't anybody tell me?
But I thought you knew.
If it was me...
I'd have told you right away.
Keep playing!
Help him!
Ok, ok. I mean not OK.
That was a heavy dose.
All right... He's not exactly well
but we'll figure it out.
Where's that bloody son of mine?
Piotr please tell me how can I help you?
aneta! Be carefull!
Give him the fucking injection!
Haste makes waste.
Go on!
Now hold him steady.
What's that? Is he talking German?
Talking in... Foreign languages...
Taiwan!
Go away!
Why's the bloody priest here?
- I thought...
- What? What did you think with?
- I'm sorry...
- Piotrek found a skeleton in the ground.
You fucking idiot!
I didn't tell her anything.
Get off me, will you?
I came to say goodbye.
I've got work to do tomorrow.
Listen...
There's no skeleton.
It's the ravings of a sick mind.
aneta, except no one's seen it.
Apart from him.
Why don't you ask him?
- What skeleton?
- It might be a spirit.
He's talking in a foreign language.
He's talking German. Big deal.
He talks English too and even Polish.
- That isn't German.
- Even better. He's talking crap.
Could you say something, Father?
Here we go!
Well, the doctor said it's epilepsy.
I did - but I take it back. I've never
seen epilepsy like this, have you?
It must be possible to explain it
from a medical point of view.
Really? How?
How do you explain it?
I don't know... Food poisoning,
neurosis, psychosis perhaps.
Esotericism might have something to say.
Split personality.
Schizophrenia.
Multiple personality.
Fascinating illness.
The mind, emotions and motivations.
All of this becomes fragmented.
But cases like these don't happen...
Do you understand?
And if they don't, then
the groom's in fact possessed.
Dears... I'll tell you...
It is suspected to be
a case of food poisoning.
Let me stress it has nothing to do with
the food we've been serving.
It was something he ate earlier.
Probably while he was still...
...in London.
The last thing aneta and Piotr want
is for you to be worried about it.
I fully understand your concern. My wife
and I were afraid of what might happen,
but the doctor has calmed our nerves.
As he has seen hundreds,
maybe even thousands of such cases.
As we were leaving,
the groom was racing back here
and actually wanted to dance.
But I...
He needs to rest.
Saint Michael, the Archangel,
defend us in battle,
Be our defense against
the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray.
That's Yiddish.
- Yiddish?
- Yes.
It's too weak.
We need something more powerful.
Maybe try something in Latin?
Amen.
Are you out of your fucking mind?
Let him go!
Saint Michael, the Archangel,
defend us in battle...
Be our defense against the wickedness...
Professor, please...
Yes?
What do you mean "yes"?
Open the bloody door.
Let us in!
Are you crazy?
Have you all gone fucking mad?
He's been shouting his head off.
Bring the band in, otherwise all the guests
will come here if he keeps wailing.
Professor, please...
Why drag him into this?
Leave us alone.
Now!
All right, all right... As you wish.
Father, may I have a word?
- I really have to go now.
- Just a word!
Guys, stay a bit longer!
Where's your boss?
- Fuck!
- Not now!
Just a few more songs!
Everything's packed away.
What can we plug in there?
There was a contract. Right?
- With a timetable attached. Right?
- There was, but...
But what? I want music and fun.
Who pays the piper calls the tune.
Who are you?
I'm Hana.
I knew only one Hana here.
Everyone in the area courted her...
I was also in love with her...
We'd bet about who would kiss her first...
I can still feel her cheek...
But she only loved one Polish boy...
Then she vanished without a trace.
Who are you?
I'm Szymon Wentz.
I live in the house by the river.
You're little Szymon?
Under little Lilly's cradle
stands a pure white goat.
The little goat went to market,
to buy you raisins and almonds.
...so you would fall asleep, my little boy.
What's going on? Nothing's going on.
Just a normal wedding.
The weather isn't up to much,
so few things went wrong.
We're talking about the groom.
Why's everyone on about the groom.
The groom this, the groom that.
What is it - a stag night?
Don't you have better things
to talk about?
I saw the priest leave the cellar.
So what if he did?
Anyone can leave.
It's a free country...
Everyone can come
and go as they please.
They say a Jewish demon
has possessed the groom.
Who's been spreading such nonsense?
Next you'll start to gossip.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
I said they should get to know each other.
Live together.
And why England?
As if there weren't any boys here.
It's not your fault.
And if it's true what they're saying?
Who?
What sort of a wedding
is it without a Jew?
No, no! I'm not drinking.
That was all in Romanticism.
I'll tell you something...
In the old days mad men
used to walk around,
talk to ghosts, but no one
was ever affraid of them.
Until later when they started
to treat them as lepers.
In the old days it was all simple.
Everyone was Polish.
Poland was as big as the whole world.
It was peacefull and happy.
And then the bad ghosts came in
and divided all the Poles.
That is why our land was taken!
First Germany then Russia
and then finally Israel!
Why have you taken over this man?
He is my lover.
The one I was promised.
He is the husband of this girl here.
And what you're doing...
Look at her.
I'm not a rabbi...
I don't have the power of a holy man,
but I beg you:
leave this man's body.
This is a different life.
Other people are being born and dying.
You're lying!
My God.
I want to see my family.
That one no longer exists.
Neither do you.
Dad...
Mom...
Your family doesn't exist.
Piotr...
According to the timetable...
The wedding cake!
Get the fuck out!
Zygmunt! It's paid for.
Find out what's up at the barn.
And call an ambulance.
Your friend needs taking away.
That's enough of that "friend".
I don't know him very well.
Fine.
And we're going downstairs.
I understand everything, but we can't keep
a sick man in the cellar all night.
He isn't sick.
In Jewish tradition the soul of
a dead person can cling to a living one,
in order to carry out
what death interrupted...
It's a dybbuk.
The clinging.
It's the chance for
it to purge itself,
but also to purge the soul
of the possessed one.
To purge is purgatory.
Only cutting that connection by exorcism...
What the fuck are you talking about?
So sorry, I apologize...
This is very interesting.
But we live in the twenty-first century.
We live in a civilized country.
This is the case for health care!
Can't you see that in a minute
he's going to croak?
And we'll all be fucking accused of
refusing help to a sick person.
What will we tell them then?
That he saw a skeleton?
What skeleton?
"I don't know what skeleton.
I didn't see it.
But the patient did.
And then he had a seizure
and did St. Vitus's Dance,
and talking crap in German,
And then had epil...
So we locked him in the cellar
to talk about the epilepsy."
Please let's stop this nonsense.
Listen...
Calm down...
We've agreed that according to
the preliminary medical diagnosis...
and with the consent of the priest...
the marriage is annulled.
What did you say?
Take it easy, aneta, easy...
We ought to wait a while until
the experts have had a look.
It may turn out he isn't a lunatic.
I don't say it won't.
It may turn out he isn't.
And then we'll have another wedding.
A normal one, with sunshine and all.
And not here, I never really
liked this land, honestly.
But above all we ought to find out
something about his family.
Are you totally insane?
I'm not insane! We ought to clear up
who his parents were.
- Yes, of course...
- We ought to clear up!
- Yeah! We ought to!
- We ought to clear up!
The doctor will get us a referral
to a centre with the best specialists...
Easy, easy...
Don't bother, let's give her some time.
Everything will be fine.
They think I'm dead.
But it's not true.
It's nice here, but I really have to go.
Of course. I'll get someone
to give you a lift home.
The ambulance is on its way.
I told them not to turn on the siren,
so as not to make a racket.
Good.
And the barn's almost ready.
The rain's easing off.
We'll be able to move everyone back
and quietly get him out of the cellar.
We have to drive the priest home.
- I've been drinking. I can't.
- Ronaldo?
So?
- Don't you have a driving licence, Father?
- Well it just so happens.
The doctor can drive the priest home!
Doctor!
Did you drink anything today?
Me?
Are you sure you can drive?
Of course.
I don't see why not.
Welcome...
Easy peasy.
I'm as sober
as a skunk, as they say.
By the way I don't know
why they say that:
"As sober as a skunk."
It could be as sober as a horse,
a dog, a dolphin...
Any animal would do.
Let's go, let's go.
Tomorrow belongs to us.
Be split, be accursed,
broken and banned...
Let's go.
...You son of mud, son of clay...
...like Shamgaz, Merigaz and Istemaah...
- Auntie Gizela, the party's this way.
- Get out of here.
- aneta...
- Doctor, let's go already.
aneta, child, are you insane too?
Leave me alone.
Dad, watch out, there's mud.
aneta... What are you doing?
There's nothing there.
Are you going to start pulling
skeletons out of the ground?
Corpses...
Exactly: Corpses.
Perhaps there are more of them.
Maybe... How do I know?
The whole country's built on corpses.
You're dad's right...
Maybe it's better to leave things be.
aneta, if there's more of them,
we might all go fucking nuts!
aneta, aneta...
They deserve...
...decent burial.
Where? How? Why?
Who is there to bury?
Who would come to the funeral?
Only TV cameras looking for headlines.
He's gone.
Who?
He's not in the cellar.
Fucking hell!
Dad! He's not here!
Let's do the tango!
For better or worse
till death do us part!
Take everyone to the barn!
Search around the house!
I'll search inside one more time.
Ladies and gentlemen!
The weather's improved,
so you can all
go back to the barn.
To the barn!
To the barn!
- I don't know... He isn't there.
- Get the car!
- What's going on?
- Hello, someone called us.
- Who? Where?
- Where's the patient?
What patient?
Get out of here! Fuck!
To the presbytery, please.
Jasny! Come back!
He isn't here!
Take the road behind the butcher's.
Butcher...
It used to be a synagogue.
Every day at dawn
the tsaddik walked here...
...12 kilometres from his village.
He washed in the mikvah
before entering the synagogue
so he could touch the Torah,
and read the holy words.
All came to him for blessings:
Jews, Orthodox Christians and Catholics.
And Scheffer the butcher was here.
This was the Dalachs' bakery.
"The best challah every Friday
for regular customers".
This way...
Eliza, Sarka and Mela
walked to school.
...Hana's sisters.
The most beautiful girls I ever saw.
That was... My whole world.
Almost nothing is left.
Only what's in the memory.
And Janek also returned...
To his beloved Lorcia,
And rode to her gate,
Come out Lorcia, darling,
Her sister came out in green,
"Your Lorcia is in the ground"
He searched all the graves
He rode to Lorcia's grave...
It's all Descartes' fault...
Sod the entire Enlightenment.
It's pointless.
Piotr!
As the Bible says:
When the soul leaves the body
it wanders through dry places.
And it can't find rest
and it won't find it.
Come on Hana.
I'm going to get us out of here.
Now I see the light.
Where are you going?
Careful. it's real wet out there.
Piotr!
Tell me something,
you're such a nice Jewish girl...
and you chose Piotr...
Why for instance, not me?
Am I not good enough?
I'm a bachelor, no drinking habit,
good social status...
Fuck, I think I got lost,
but calm down Hana, calm down.
Piotr!
Dearest guests.
Go back to your homes and sleep in peace.
We'll wake up tomorrow... When...
When we open our eyes...
Everything will be clear to us.
We just have to sleep it off.
We must forget...
What we didn't see here.
Because...
Because what we were eye-witnesses to...
was only the effect
of collective hallucination.
We think we took part in it,
but we only think we did.
I'm dreaming you.
And you're dreaming me.
It's quite simply just a collective dream.
A dream in a dream.
In fact there never was a wedding.
You weren't here.
I wasn't here...
Neither isn't there a groom.
And there never was.
One, two...