After The Ruin, we started over,
creating a new society,
one of true equality.
Rules were the building
blocks of that equality.
We learned them as Newchildren.
Rules like:
Injected.
My name is Jonas.
I don't have a last name.
None of us did.
That day, the day before graduation,
I admit it, I was scared.
Tomorrow we'd be assigned
our jobs, our purpose.
It seemed everyone
knew theirs already.
Not me.
I was lost.
I always felt like I saw things
differently, saw things
other people didn't.
I never said anything.
I didn't want to be different.
Who would?
Jonas.
I apologize, we're late.
I got Asher to come say
goodbye to Teacher.
I accept your apology.
Asher and Fiona,
we'd been friends our whole lives.
Asher was the boy who
made everyone laugh.
Fiona, well,
she was the girl who
made everyone smile.
Take that back!
Whoever is listening, please, please,
do not make me Vice Chancellor
of Waste Management!
Please!
We lived in a world
where differences weren't allowed.
There was no "popular."
No fame.
No losers and no winners.
Our Elders had eliminated all of that
so there'd be no conflict between us.
Fear, pain, envy, hate,
they weren't words so much as sounds.
Their echoes were gone,
to the other side of history.
I'm asked if I should
apologize for what I did.
I'll let you decide.
I'm going to miss volunteering here.
Oh, no. If ever there
was a person born
- to work at the Nurturing Center...
- I could be surprised, right?
Jonas, if you had to guess,
of all the positions the
elders picked for me?
Nurturing Center.
Welcome to the Nurturing Center.
I got this. I got this.
- Think heavy. Think heavy.
- Come on, come on.
We win!
Aren't you my chubby champion?
- Which one was heavier?
- Mine.
Asher?
Father, I think Fiona put
her finger on the scale.
I did not.
Aw, this little guy didn't
qualify for tomorrow's ceremony.
He's just not strong enough to
be assigned to a family yet.
He looks so unhappy.
Hey...
It's okay, Jonas, you can open it.
Yeah, it's Jonas.
Here, let me.
Oh, There you go. There you go.
- It's okay.
- Some people have it, huh?
Well, that's just not fair.
Be strong, Gabriel.
You looked at his name?
Isn't that against the rules?
Yeah, it, it is.
I just thought having a
name might help him grow.
So I whisper it to him
when no one can hear.
Sometimes I call him Gabe.
But he's usually so restless,
I, I'm not even sure he can hear me.
You okay?
Huh? Yeah.
I'm fine.
So the old man turns
to the Elder and says,
"Do you know who I am?"
And the Elder says,
"Sir, I know you're old,
but that is no excuse
for being prideful."
And then the old man says,
"No, really, I'm asking.
Who am I?"
I don't get it.
"Who am I?" like, like he
forgot who he was.
Okay, but wouldn't the joke be better
- if the old man says...
- Okay, one...
- What?
- ...two...
...three!
Aren't we graduates now?
You do this every time!
- Come on!
- Okay!
One, two, three!
There you go.
So, I guess this is it.
The last night of our childhood.
I guess everything is
gonna be different.
No.
Tomorrow the only thing
that changes is what we do.
It doesn't change who we are.
Quick question: Who are we?
Friends.
- Friends forever.
- Yes.
Even when you're both
assigned to be Birth Mothers.
Hey!
Well, I guess we'll
find out tomorrow, huh?
Citizens are reminded
that evening recreation
will end in 30 minutes.
Thank you.
Well, he did need
to be rehabilitated.
And I know he was Lily's Teacher,
but what was I supposed to do?
I feel...
disappointment.
What was the Elders' decision?
Released to Elsewhere.
Can I be "Released to
Elsewhere," Mother?
Even just for one day?
No, you're too young, Lily Billy.
Jonas, your turn for Feelings.
Well, I guess I'm sort of...
terrified.
Precision of language.
I mean anxious.
When you were about to graduate,
did you ever feel like there
was no position meant for you?
They've been watching since
you were a Newchild.
The Elders are never wrong.
You'll find your place.
Welcome, citizens,
to the annual Ceremony
of Advancement.
Please stand by for a transmission.
Good morning, Community.
Good morning, Chief Elder.
I apologize for my remote attendance.
We accept your apology.
I can't be at every
Ceremony in person.
But here's a secret:
you are my favorite Community.
However, because we do not lie,
I readily admit I say
that to every Community.
Beginnings...
From disorder and chaos,
from great suffering, great pain.
From confusion and envy and hatred
came a solution:
Communities.
Serene, beautiful places where
disorder became harmony.
Let me get through it.
Oh, fine.
It begins.
The Ceremony.
Ceremony of the Release to Elsewhere,
honoring the elderly citizens
who have devoted their work
to the beauty and harmony
of our beloved Community,
and are now ready for joyous
retirement to Elsewhere.
Celebrating the Newchildren,
proudly engineered by our
esteemed geneticists.
Abigail.
Produced by our honored
Birth Mothers...
- Aurelia.
- ...these infants
will now join their
assigned family units.
Caleb.
Reaching their halfway
mark towards graduation,
our Nines today receive a symbol
of their developing independence
and responsibility.
Celebrating the graduates who, today,
will be assigned their
positions in our Community.
Good luck.
You, too.
All of your training has been
to help you fit in,
to curb any impulse that may
set you apart from others,
but today, we honor your differences,
for they have determined your future.
Here are the Leaders and the Teachers
and the Workers and Birth
Mothers of tomorrow,
and I think we're in very good hands.
Number one, Madeline.
Birth Mother.
Thank you for your childhood.
Number two, Ross.
Instructor of the Middles.
Thank you for your childhood.
Number 51, Asher.
Unruly, careless.
Sometimes those most in
need of responsibility
learn best by being the
practitioners of it.
Drone Pilot.
Thank you for your childhood.
You can keep it!
Thanks!
Number 53, Ayanda.
Recreation Leader.
Thank you for your childhood.
Number 54, Kathy.
They skipped Jonas.
Thank you for your childhood.
Number 78, Lloyd.
Geneticist.
Thank you for your childhood.
Number 83, Yara.
Number 96, Chris.
Food maintenance.
Number 100, Quinn.
Caretaker of the Old.
Number 104, Fiona.
From the beginning,
it was clear Fiona flourished
working with Newchildren.
Fiona...
Nurturer.
Thank you for your childhood.
Number 105, Lucia.
Instructor of the Twelves.
Number 120, Jack.
Department of Justice...
Assistant.
...Nutrition Technician.
Thank you for your childhood.
Number 150, Pierre.
Groundskeeper.
Thank you for your childhood.
You feel I have made a mistake.
I apologize to my Community.
We accept your apology.
Number 52, please step forward.
Jonas has not been
assigned a position.
Jonas has been selected.
We were not hasty this time.
We could not afford another failure.
Jonas possesses all four attributes:
intelligence, integrity, courage,
and one I can name,
but I cannot describe
the capacity to see beyond.
But I must warn you,
your training involves pain.
Pain far beyond anything we know.
Are you strong enough?
Do we think Jonas is brave enough?
Jonas, you have been selected
as our next Receiver of Memory.
Thank you for your childhood.
Jonas...
Jonas. Jonas. Jonas. Jonas.
Jonas. Jonas. Jonas. Jonas.
Jonas. Jonas. Jonas.
Jonas. Jonas. Jonas. Jonas. Jonas.
- Help me up, please.
- Okay, this foot, yeah.
That one, you got it.
Sit back, sit back.
Is Jonas now more powerful than you?
- Shh.
- What did the Chief Elder mean
when she said, "We cannot
afford another failure"?
Well, ten years ago, the Receiver...
We do not speak of it.
You've been greatly honored.
You've got it! Go, go, go!
You've got it, got it, got it!
- I can do it.
- I should probably catch Lily.
- Good!
- I can ride!
Good, Lily!
Receiver of Memory.
Five rules.
One: Report directly to
the Receiver of Memory
for your training.
After training, return
immediately to your dwelling.
Two: From this moment,
you are exempt from all
rules governing rudeness.
You may ask any question.
Three: Aside from
your daily injection,
you may not receive other medicines,
especially those for pain.
Injected. S-7- 5- 2.
Four: You may not discuss
your training with anyone.
Ever.
Yours look so important.
I don't know. I stick out.
Well, yeah, there's only
one Receiver of Memory.
Two.
What did they say again?
You have the capacity to see beyond?
Yeah.
Can't wait to hear
every single detail.
Five: You may lie.
Asher and I, we used
to dare each other
to get close to his place.
It was built right on the Edge.
We'd all heard of people
getting lost to the Edge,
never to be seen again.
And yet, here I was,
being told that I'd have to
get close to it every day,
for the rest of my life.
Welcome.
Hi.
- I'm Jonas. I'm...
- Please gaze at the sensor.
Welcome, Receiver of Memory.
They're called books.
Your books.
- My name is...
- I know who you are.
Of course.
I apologize.
I apologize.
Don't say that.
"I apologize."
Don't apologize to me ever again.
Not here.
We haven't the time.
"I apologize."
That's an automatic pleasantry.
It doesn't mean anything.
I apologize. I'm sorry.
I mean...
We are here for only one purpose.
Simply stated, although it
isn't really simple at all,
I will transmit to you all the
memories that I hold within me.
Memories of the past.
I would be very interested
to learn about your life.
No, no. Not...
Not my life.
You will learn the secret
history of the world.
Before me, before you, generations...
Back and back and back.
When things were different,
when there was more.
More?
The chair.
You see, no one in our Community
has any memory of the past.
Only me.
When the... Elders need
guidance on matters that are
beyond their experience,
I provide wisdom.
That is now your role.
To provide guidance in the present
using memories of the past.
Move closer.
Where to begin?
Move closer.
Closer.
There is no way for me to prepare you
for what I'm going to do now.
You can take comfort in knowing
you are completely helpless.
If any of this proves too much
for you, tell me immediately.
I just have...
Holy night
All
That was...
It was...
How did that happen?
What do you mean, how? It happened.
But it's impossible.
And yet, it happened.
Well, why?
Why don't we have...
Th...
That thing?
Go on. The memories,
they give you the word.
It's not a "thing." It's...
- Sled.
- Sled.
And the...
- Snow.
- Snow.
Did my parents have them? Did you?
No, no. It's a very distant memory.
Simply stated, there is no snow
because of climate control.
But why don't people know about them?
I mean, what's so dangerous
about the memory of a sled?
What's so dangerous?
For a sled, you need snow.
Snow is cold.
Cold destroys crops.
Which meant farmers couldn't farm.
Unpredictable weather,
hills, mountains,
made it difficult to transport food.
Then we had hunger,
starvation, famine.
Everything is connected,
everything is a balance.
With good there is always bad.
- The two...
- Show me more.
Let's go for a walk.
A real one, with your legs.
At the bottom of the hill,
I saw something.
Like a place.
- Home.
- Home. Yes.
Home? Like a dwelling?
- Receiver.
- Afternoon.
No. It is different.
A dwelling is not a home.
A home is more.
Your instructions said I can lie.
Do you lie?
All the time.
Mostly for personal amusement.
But I won't lie to you.
How do I know that's not a lie?
There was someone else before me.
What happened to them?
One more question.
If I'm now the Receiver,
what does that make you?
Well, then that must make me...
The Giver.
So, how was it?
It was good.
What'd you do?
We just talked.
What else?
That's it.
- You seem different.
- How do you mean?
He can't settle down,
no matter what I do.
And you said you'd look after him.
- I know, I know.
- I apologize.
I accept your apology.
- Thank you, Dinah.
- Thank you.
Hey.
Gabriel?
How does Jonas know the child's name?
Jonas met Gabriel the other day.
Look at him! He's so cute!
- Hello. Hi.
- Would you like
to issue me a warning,
Director of Justice?
It's just for a while, Mother.
Till the little guy catches up.
I think we're all in agreement
that he sleeps in my room.
Only if the Elders say it's okay.
They will.
Yeah. Lily, give me
your Comfort Object.
Come on, Lily. It's time for bed.
- Look at this.
- Bye, baby.
This is a mythical
creature called a hippo.
And it's incredibly fast,
because it has two, three, four,
five legs.
We had the same mark.
I almost didn't need
to see his to know.
But I felt it.
Felt that one day,
Gabriel would be chosen, too.
A hippo, Gabe.
Yeah.
That's the pain they all talk about.
No. Not even close. Did you...
It had a face.
Wait, was that thing alive?
Don't skip ahead.
Did you notice anything about it?
Yes. It hurt.
No. Any quality?
Well, maybe.
I think I saw it in my
friend Fiona's hair.
My first was yellow.
If you thought the
sled was special...
Oh, whoa!
It's...
red.
- Just like her hair.
- Yes.
There's red, green, blue,
many different colors.
You'll see them all in time.
When our people, they chose
to do away with all of them,
color, race, religion,
they created Sameness.
If we were different,
we could be envious,
angry, or resentful,
consumed with hatred.
We need Sameness.
Don't you think?
Oh, I completely agree.
But still...
It's all so beautiful.
They'd always said
Elsewhere was so far away,
but it wasn't.
It was right there.
Close enough to touch.
Jonas?
Have you fallen?
Do you need immediate help?
No. I was just...
What's going on with you?
Nothing is going on with me.
No, you're right, it's totally normal
to lie in the grass
and stare at the sky.
No, I was just...
You're seeing something, aren't you?
Can't you tell me?
Give me your hands.
What do you see?
- Oh, my goodness.
- You see it?
Yes.
It's water.
No, come on, concentrate.
Hi.
Jonas was just teaching
me about his training.
As you can see,
it's incredibly interesting.
Can't be half as great as mine.
Care to have your minds blown?
Whoa!
Do you know how to fly those?
Absolutely.
Sort of.
I'm learning.
When I'm flying,
looking down at everything,
it's like I'm seeing things
for the very first time.
You get to fly into Elsewhere?
Oh, yeah.
Once, when I was
looking at that mist,
even though they tell us there's
nothing close to the Edge,
I thought I saw a tree
out there somewhere.
Well, don't get too excited.
I've actually seen Elsewhere.
It's just mostly our farms,
weird rocks, that kind of stuff.
What's weird about them?
There's these two huge rocks
leaning against each other,
making a kind of triangle.
Hey, it's kind of like our triangle.
What's past there?
Don't know.
We're not allowed to fly past that.
So many secrets.
So what are your secrets?
Uh, nothing.
What do you mean, "Uh, nothing"?
You're Receiver of Memory.
Maybe I can show you.
- Okay, grab a tray.
- What?
Bring it over to the
solar panel. Come on.
Now this might seem a little funny,
but you got to trust me.
Okay, sit down on the tray.
- Careful.
- You're not gonna...
- What, you're scared?
- I'm scared of nothing.
I don't know, it's just...
It's against the rules, Jonas.
Since when do you
care about the rules?
Actually, I have auxiliary training.
I'll see you guys.
Look who grew up,
but lucky for you, I haven't.
Okay?
Now, go!
Put your heels down to slow it!
I think your training might be a bit
- more fun than mine.
- Please stand by
for a Community announcement.
Citizens are reminded that
it is impolite to touch
community members outside
your family unit.
Thank you.
He's punctual.
- He's inquisitive.
- How inquisitive?
He's interested in his position.
Then why is he breaking the rules?
He has been observed
trying to share his training
with his former classmates.
That always happens.
But it's an impossible experiment.
Even I tried to share the memories
back when I was in training...
If you remember.
So, forget about it.
I don't tell you what to do in
your position, so don't tell me.
I apologize, but isn't
that what's happening now?
Your apology is accepted,
but you are being careless.
You're moving too fast.
We both know what happened
ten years ago with the girl.
The girl had a name.
You think I don't remember her name?
I know you feel her loss.
The boy must hold in the pain.
Don't fail us again.
You want me to read all these?
What's this?
"One day you shall meet a boy
who answers to the name of Jonas."
"He shall be the most powerful
of all the Receivers."
Wait. That says...
Don't be gullible.
Another trick?
Actually, no.
It's some kind of map.
The Triangle of Rocks!
Hey, that's real,
my friend Asher saw it.
Look at all these towers.
What were they for?
How did your friend see
the Triangle of Rocks?
He's a pilot. He told me he saw it.
What's past there?
A mystery.
"Boundary of Memory"?
Is that what they built
so the memories would only
stay within you and me?
Let's move on.
Wait.
That boundary is meant
to keep memories in.
So if a Receiver crosses it,
does that mean the
memories get set free?
Perhaps.
Perhaps if you or I crossed it,
everyone could feel
those memories again.
So, what am I seeing today?
Nothing.
You're seeing nothing today.
We've already covered
"seeing beyond."
There is also such a thing
as "hearing beyond."
A table?
All the food would
slide to the floor.
Now, don't judge me.
I'm not very good,
even though I had
a very good Teacher.
Music.
Well, music when I
hit the right keys.
Just like music,
there's something else you
can't see with your eyes.
Something that lives deep inside you.
Something those morning
injections take away.
But I thought the injections
are for our health.
No, they remove something.
What?
Emotions.
You mean like feelings?
Feelings are just fleeting.
On the surface.
But emotions,
they're very deep, primal.
They linger.
Now, Jonas...
you might not understand where
you are or what's happening,
but don't think about
what you're seeing.
Listen.
Listen to what's calling from inside.
A beautiful wedding!
Why would anyone want
to get rid of this?
Good question.
What are you doing?
Take my hand.
Ready?
You ready for the fast part?
And turn!
Spin!
What are you doing with her?
Jonas says it's called dancing.
Please stand by for a transmission.
I apologize for my intrusion.
We accept your apology.
I just wanted to say hello.
Hello.
I'm Lily.
Yes, I know.
You're a Nine now, isn't that right?
Lily, I think it's time for school.
- We should probably get going.
- Hello, Jonas.
Hello.
How is your training?
Injected.
Fine.
I am concerned about the Receiver.
Injected.
Many years ago,
there was an incident.
What kind of incident?
Living alone in a building on
the Edge can isolate a person.
I'm concerned that the
Receiver is becoming reckless.
Are you being properly prepared?
I think so.
You're focused?
Perhaps you're spending too much time
with friends from your childhood.
I'm focused.
Jonas, what do you and
the Receiver actually do?
My rules say I'm not
allowed to share.
She is the Chief Elder.
Jonas, she only wants to help.
You're right.
But you can't tell the
Receiver I told you.
You have my word.
We sit in chairs and
don't talk all day long.
And then when time is up,
I come back here,
and in the morning,
I do it all again.
I apologize, but I'm late.
Your apology is accepted.
Goodbye, Mother.
Injected.
He's not usually like this.
I'm surprised you're not
more worried about him.
Were he my responsibility,
I would be.
We'd been told the Chief
Elder knew everything.
Things nobody else did.
But I had learned that
knowing what something is,
is not the same as knowing
how something feels.
You get to be the very best,
the last one at the
top of the mountain,
gasping for air,
having survived, and be alone.
Be curious.
I got lost.
The good kind of lost.
I saw sights and sounds I
had no words to describe.
Faces with flesh of
all different colors.
I felt so alive.
This was forbidden?
I didn't know what
to think, what to believe.
Have faith, the Giver told me.
He said faith,
that was seeing beyond.
He compared it to the wind,
something felt but not seen.
Don't accept...
What is the truth just because
it's coming from someone you respect.
I feel completely stupid.
- I have a weird feeling.
- Weird?
- It tingles in your hands.
- Yes.
Memories are not just about the past,
they determine our future.
You can change things.
You can make things better.
It was life.
It just seemed more complete.
The more I experienced,
the more I wanted.
Once, there were other living things.
But unlike us,
they knew who their
mothers and fathers were.
They had joy
and they had pain.
I can't prepare you for
what's going to happen...
You don't need to warn
me every single time.
No, Jonas, you don't understand.
There was tremendous cruelty.
Giver, I'm not a kid any more.
Show me.
That's $250,000 of ivory.
Come on!
Come on!
Got him!
No, stop! Stop!
Stop.
Gabe.
Hey, hey.
Hey, hey, Gabe.
Gabe.
If I tell you a secret, do you
promise not to tell anyone?
I'll take that as a yes.
This Comfort Object
is not a hippo.
It's an elephant.
And once, it was real.
And it was beautiful.
Citizens are reminded
that sleep period
commences in 15 minutes.
Thank you.
It was like a memory,
but Fiona was there.
You had a dream.
- A what?
- A dream.
A combination of reality,
fantasy, emotions
and what you had for dinner.
You've stopped taking your
injections, haven't you?
The emotion was so strong.
And at the wedding, everyone all
together, laughing and dancing.
The old with the young,
the bride and the groom,
there was something there.
But different to what we have.
Yes.
We don't have that any more.
What do you mean by "that"?
Well, I'm talking about what
you feel for someone else.
And the mind can't
explain it and you...
You can't make it go away.
What is it?
Love.
It's called love.
Love.
Oh, hi.
Hi.
So what's new?
What's new with you?
What's ever new?
Why are you being weird?
I'm not.
I'm just...
I'm just...
Hold on to the hippo, Gabe!
Hold on!
Father, do you love me?
Jonas, precision of language.
Please.
What does "love" mean?
I got him, Lily.
Jonas used a word so antiquated
that it no longer
has any application.
- Okay?
- Okay.
If you asked, "Do you enjoy me?"
the answer is certainly yes.
Or do Mother and I take pride
in your accomplishments?
Well, of course we do.
Do you understand?
Yes.
I think I finally do.
Hey!
Hey, Gabe!
Boop- ah! Boop- ah!
Boop- ah!
I love you, Gabriel.
Whoa! Ho, ho, ho!
Giver, you were right!
I asked my family about love and...
Get down! Get down!
Giver!
They're in the trees!
They're in the trees, Robbie!
Get down! Get down!
Robbie, get down!
- Robbie, get down!
- Stay down!
- It's an ambush!
- I can't see them, man!
They're in the trees.
Stay down!
Medic!
Robbie. Robbie.
- There's women firing on us.
- Robbie.
Listen, I'm certain
they're firing on us.
Jonas.
What...
No. I'm sorry, Jonas.
How did people do that?
I didn't mean for you
to receive that.
Not for years.
Don't let this turn you away.
I'm not strong enough.
Of course not yet!
But, Jonas, this is what we
need to know so we can advise.
I can't.
I'm sorry.
I just can't.
Jonas! Jonas! Jonas!
Come back!
Please! Come back inside!
Let me explain it!
When you see something like that,
there's no explanation.
Rosemary, promise me
you'll come back tomorrow.
Rosemary!
Promise me.
Hey, Jonas.
Come on. You're just in time.
I didn't ever want to go back.
I didn't want the wisdom,
didn't want the pain.
I wanted my childhood again.
Scraped knees and ball games.
Back then, we'd played war.
But war was real.
The Elders understood that.
They'd erased it from our world.
Maybe they were right.
- Could you watch over Harry for me?
- Of course.
Hey, what's wrong?
Nothing.
I know you.
You do, do you?
Yes.
What do you think would happen
if you skipped your
morning injection?
If you skipped it.
Then the sensor would blink and
remind me that I forgot it.
No, I don't mean if you forgot.
I mean, what do you think
would happen if you chose
not to be injected?
Jonas, I thought something was wrong.
There is something wrong.
Everything is wrong.
I quit.
Fiona, I'm done being the Receiver.
Tomorrow morning,
skip your injection.
What? You quit?
Prick your finger and put
a little blood on this apple.
No, you can't quit.
If you quit your position,
you get sent to Elsewhere.
When you leave in the morning,
put the apple over the sensor.
It'll find your blood and
think it's your hand.
Stop, you're scaring me.
Fiona, I need you to do this.
I need you to feel what I know it's...
Jonas.
An apple wouldn't even work.
I've been doing it for months,
and it's worked every single time.
Don't quit.
You can't leave.
I don't think I can go
back to that place.
You will if you want me to do this.
Okay. Fine.
But tomorrow after work,
meet me in the triangle.
I wanted to share it with her.
Not all of it.
The good things.
Was I wrong to want that?
I thought about her now,
all the time.
Hello?
I have something to show you.
Come here.
Who are you?
Come over and try this.
- Me?
- Me?
Yeah.
I want to teach you.
You've come back.
Where did you learn that?
From the memory you gave me.
And you can just play it?
That's beautiful.
- Who's that?
- Thanks.
- This is Rosemary.
- I'll show you.
The previous Receiver.
- See?
- She's the one they all talk about.
She no longer exists.
Remember?
Except here.
And in my memories.
She was in training
only two short months.
Watch how my fingers move
And like you,
she wanted to experience,
well, everything.
I only gave her pleasant,
beautiful memories.
Three, four...
She fought me.
- Don't protect me.
- No!
Don't show me a map and then
not give me all the memories.
- I thought we were gonna help.
- We will, but we must move slow.
Show it to me.
You gave her war?
I gave her the memory of a child...
A child taken from her mother.
I gave her loss.
Too soon.
You're gonna get the hang of this.
The light went from her eyes.
The next morning, without telling me,
she went to the Chief Elder
and asked to be Released.
So she was Released?
And now lives in Elsewhere?
Yes, Receiver?
I would like to see
this morning's Release.
Thank you for your instructions.
- There, there.
- That's my father.
This one is heavier.
More twins. Great.
- Watch.
- Oh, good.
For a moment, I thought
they'd be exactly the same.
Here we go.
Then we'd have a problem.
Okay, okay.
Thank you, Dinah.
- Yes, yes, yes, yes.
- And you,
only one unit less.
Oh, I know it hurts, I know.
I know, I know.
But I have to use a vein,
and the ones in your arms
are too teeny weenie.
Almost, almost...
Done.
That wasn't so bad now, was it?
That's death.
He doesn't know what he's doing.
Doesn't know what he's doing?
He killed him.
But he doesn't know what it means.
Just like you didn't.
Neither did Rosemary.
How can he not see the
baby isn't moving?
Doesn't that tell him
something is wrong?
The young and the old are killed.
You're friend, Fiona,
she will soon be trained
to Release as well.
That's a lie.
She'd never do that.
If Fiona understood...
We are the only ones
who understand it.
Then it's our fault.
You and me and all the Receivers
back and back and back
and back and back.
There has to be a way to show them,
to give them the memories
so they can understand.
- Yes.
- Because if you can't feel,
what's the point?
But what can you do?
Citizens are reminded
that evening recreation
will end in 30 minutes.
Thank you.
Did it work?
I don't know how long it
takes for the injections
to leave you, whether a
day was long enough or...
Why did I do this, Jonas?
On the walk here, I was thinking
of how I would scold you.
How I would say,
"Oh, it's fine for you
to break the rules
because you're chosen."
When I thought about
telling you, I just, I...
I began to think about you.
Is this okay?
Do you feel anything?
It feels like...
Fiona,
- what do you feel?
- I don't know.
I don't have the
words to describe it.
Warm?
Does it feel warm?
Warm?
Does it feel nice?
No...
I, I'm on night shift.
I need to...
I don't feel right, Jonas.
I need to go and get my injection.
I need to go to work.
What was that?
Fiona, there is more.
So much more.
I remembered it now.
I had dreamed of her.
When I was younger.
I told my parents.
"It was the Stirrings they said.
Everyone had them.
Medication would stop them.
Nothing that couldn't be fixed.
Precision of language.
And Teacher said,
"That's right, Lily."
Very good.
Jonas.
Just in time for Feelings.
- Lily was telling us how she...
- Where's Gabe?
Uncertain was returned
to the Nurturing Center.
What happened?
Well, he failed his Test of Maturity.
Again.
I couldn't ask for another extension,
so I'll have to Release
him to Elsewhere.
Release him?
Well, we certainly gave it
our best try, didn't we?
But he's family.
Precision of language, please.
Sit down.
Eat with us.
I just need to rest for a while.
I hadn't been wrong.
This was wrong.
They hadn't eliminated murder.
They'd brought it home.
They just called it
by a different name.
Father, he didn't know any better.
I did.
Jonas, what are you doing?
It's against the rules
to leave your community this late.
Asher, there's something
I have to do that is right,
but is sort of against the rules.
If it's the right thing to do,
how can it be against the rules?
There are things that I've learned
that you don't know
that you can't know,
- not because it's your fault...
- Jonas,
you need to go back
to your family unit.
But that's the point.
It isn't my family,
and neither is yours.
- Asher, I got to go.
- Jonas, listen.
- Get out of my way.
- Jonas, stop!
Giver!
Giver, wake up.
I'd have to be sleeping to wake up.
Something can be done.
Something can be done.
What are you proposing?
All the memories back and back
and back can be returned.
I need to leave the Community.
I need to find the
Boundary of Memory.
And then?
And then cross it.
- No more discussions.
- Slowly.
Gabe is in danger.
- Slowly.
- I can't wait any more.
Something must be done.
If you had that map, then why
didn't you try to leave?
I was waiting for someone like you.
You are the reason we have a chance.
So, the plan will be for you
to go and for me to stay.
If you did cross this Boundary,
and if the memories were set free,
all of the pain that you felt,
all the confusion, the chaos,
it would all return.
- So you'd stay to help them?
- Yes.
And for my daughter.
It's what she would've wanted.
Your daughter?
Rosemary.
Now, your friend.
If he truly saw the
Triangle of Rocks...
Bring up Jonas's activity
for the past year as well.
So Asher came directly to you?
Yes.
What was Jonas's disposition
at evening meal?
Dissatisfied.
Anxious.
Indignant.
Set up a communication with
the Receiver of Memory.
We're not permitted to see
into the Receiver's residence.
We can only transmit.
Well, then we shall only transmit.
If you go, head towards the Triangle,
away from the other Communities.
That will lead to the
Boundary of Memory.
Please stand by for a transmission.
I apologize for the intrusion.
I accept your apology.
We have a problem.
The Receiver-in-Training is missing,
and he physically attacked
his friend, Asher.
He did?
That's serious.
Do you know where Jonas is?
I do not.
Well, thank you very much
for helping us to narrow
down the possibilities.
I will contact you if he comes here.
Only if it's not an imposition.
Thank you.
He's lying.
Talk!
They're going to kill Gabe.
I'm leaving, I'm leaving tonight,
and I'm going to take him with me.
Jonas, not yet, you're not ready.
When they decided to kill Gabe,
they decided I was ready.
I like this map.
Don't mess it up.
I'll be wanting it back.
You don't mind if I accelerate
your training a bit, do you?
You'd think for someone who
is the keeper of emotions,
that I'd be better at...
Well...
I love you, Jonas.
There. There it is.
You have the courage.
- Let me give you the strength.
- Can I just...
Attention all Community residents,
the Receiver-in-Training
has been reported missing
from his dwelling.
Please, be alert.
He may be in danger.
The Group One will start from
the Edge and work inward.
And then Group Two
from the center out.
No, no, like this.
Welcome to the Nurturing Center.
- Shall I convene the Elders?
- Yes.
Jonas!
I heard an alert.
What's going on?
Hey, where's Gabe?
Is he here?
- Is he in one of these?
- If he's back,
then he'd be with the Uncertains
on a restricted floor.
Show me where.
Fiona, please.
They're downstairs. Come on.
Jonas was chosen for the
most important position
in our Community.
He was asked if he
were strong enough.
It turns out he was not.
Instead, he is a rebel
who must be stopped by you.
When you find him,
take him.
Gabe is in danger.
- Jonas, he's fine, I'll show you.
- No, he's not fine.
He should be here.
Fiona, I'm leaving tonight.
Leaving? What do you mean?
I'm taking Gabe.
We're leaving the Community.
I want you to come with us.
There you go.
There you go.
I don't have the
words to describe it.
Fiona, there is more.
So much more.
What are they doing?
Fiona, what do you feel?
I don't have the
words to describe it.
Attention, Nurturers.
Please secure your work
area and immediately report
to the Newborns Nursery to allow
for a security search procedure.
Promptly report all sightings
at the nearest security kiosk.
Thank you.
Fiona, we got to go now.
You, me and Gabe.
Jonas, I can't.
What about my family unit?
The other Newchildren?
- I can't leave them.
- This is the only way.
This is the only way to
make everything okay.
I can't go.
When I get there, you'll understand.
I'll come back for you.
Jonas!
We're checking the Nurturing Center.
Come back.
Now go, Jonas!
Please! Stop!
She's in corridor three!
Subject lost to the Edge.
Search terminated.
And I asked why he was out so late.
He seemed angry.
I didn't understand why,
but I wanted to help him.
He hit me, and at first...
I can tell why you've
been acting this way.
Your injection levels
are extremely low.
I can correct this.
Friends forever, right?
And then we will address
what's happened.
When I went over the Edge,
we shouldn't have made it.
This was a miracle.
The Giver had talked about them.
He told me I could draw
strength from the memories.
I knew by giving them to Gabe,
I could protect him.
Prick your finger and put a
little blood on this apple.
When you leave in the morning,
put the apple over the sensor.
I've been doing it for months,
and it's worked every single time.
What has he taught you?
This is the only way.
This is the only way to
make everything okay.
Gabe is in danger.
What they're gonna
do to him is really bad.
I want you to come with us.
When I get there, you'll understand.
I'll come back for you.
Yes.
Careful.
Careful.
I apologize for failing again.
I don't think you failed.
I think you succeeded with your plan.
Ever since the girl was Released,
you haven't been the same.
I genuinely hoped
Jonas would help you.
You'd have a fresh start.
The two of you would work together.
Which, it seems, you have.
We will find Jonas.
Jonas, our Receiver of Memory,
lost to the Edge.
Jonas, Jonas, Jonas, Jonas, Jonas,
Jonas, Jonas, Jonas,
Jonas, Jonas,
Jonas, Jonas, Jonas...
How do they know Jonas is gone?
We must not say his name any more.
I will.
You have to be quiet now, Lily.
Jonas, Jonas...
And a hippo is really an elephant.
Jonas, Jonas, Jonas, Jonas, Jonas...
What I'm about to tell you,
you must never repeat to anyone.
I don't believe Jonas is Lost.
But the Ceremony of Loss?
A charade.
I don't expect you to understand,
but you must know that Jonas
has become dangerous.
He must be stopped.
He must not get beyond
the Triangle of Rocks.
What do you want me to do?
You know Jonas.
I want you to find him.
And then...
I want you to lose him.
Jonas.
- What are you doing?
- Asher, please, let us go.
I can't.
I'm supposed to...
To what?
To lose you.
Asher, if you are my friend,
if you ever were my friend,
can you please somehow trust me?
Trust me now.
I do trust you, Jonas.
Come on, please.
Jonas.
You found him.
I did.
For the good of all of us,
I beg you,
finish this.
It's finished.
Hey.
It's okay.
Nothing the Giver had shown me
had prepared me for
the voices in my head,
screaming at me to stop.
But I knew Fiona would be
punished for helping me,
Asher, for letting me go.
The only way to help them,
to keep them alive,
Was to get to the Boundary,
if it even existed.
I strengthened Gabe with
memories of having enough
and knowing joy.
It was the memory of Fiona
that kept me going.
Fiona?
I've taken care of everything.
We've arranged for your Release.
There'll be a nice ceremony.
Now, you get some rest.
- I felt things.
- What?
I know that there's something more.
- Fiona...
- Something missing from our lives.
No, not missing.
Something that has been
stolen from me and from you.
I don't know what it is exactly,
but Jonas does.
I have felt things, and they
were warm, and they were nice.
They were beautiful.
I have felt things.
I have felt things.
I have felt things.
Where is the tower, Gabe?
The tower should be here.
You can stop this.
Stop what?
If you don't want to see it,
sit down with the other Elders.
Close your eyes.
Ceremony of Release to Elsewhere.
Hello, Fiona.
You uncomfortable?
I'm not uncomfortable.
I'm afraid.
You don't have to be afraid.
You know me.
I'll be very gentle.
I promise.
Okay?
Her name was Rosemary.
She was my daughter.
I loved her.
Precision of language.
I could not be more precise.
Do you know what that's like?
To love someone?
I do.
I've cried, felt true sorrow.
I've sung, danced.
I've felt real joy.
Then you should know
better than anyone.
You have seen children starve.
You've seen people stand
on each other's necks
just for the view.
You know what it feels like
when men blow each other up.
Yes.
Over a simple line in the sand.
I do, I do, but...
And yet...
And yet,
you and Jonas want to
open that door again,
bring all that back.
If you could only see
the possibility of love.
- Why?
- Of love.
- Love is just...
- With love comes faith,
with it comes hope.
Love is just passion that can turn.
We can do better.
It turns into contempt and murder.
We could choose better.
People are weak.
People are selfish.
When people have the freedom
to choose, they choose wrong
every single time.
It's a sled.
Loss and pain,
music,
Joy,
the raw, impossible,
beautiful feeling of love.
Your son, he felt that.
That girl, she has felt it.
That's enough.
We are living a life of
shadows, of echoes, of faint,
distant whispers of
what once made us real.
Excuse me for one second, Fiona.
We must continue.
I wish I had been there
when the memories returned.
They were the truth.
The Elders and their
rules were the lie.
So I do not apologize.
I knew Fiona was safe,
that I'd see her again,
and that I held the
future there in my arms.
The Giver had led us
here to this house.
It was real.
From far behind me,
from the place I had left,
I thought I heard music, too.
Perhaps it was only an echo,
but it was enough.
It would lead us all home.