Samuel's Travels (2021) - full transcript

[Forest sounds, pig oinks.]

[Latvian] Kirke: Piglet!

Come home!

[English] Narrator: It's better to die
in freedom from starvation

than to be satiated in slavery.

[Latvian] Piglet!

[English] Narrator:
Farmer's daughter Kirke

took a more pessimistic view
on the liberation.

Dwelling upon the likelihood

that the piglet
had already been torn to pieces

and devoured
by the local wolves.



The animal had no idea
that his first day of freedom

would soon end up

in the most ridiculous
and incredible accident…

To be caused
by the main hero of our tale,

Samuel or Chef Sam
as he liked to be called.

The young man had arrived in
a country that he had never heard of

to find his father
he had never seen before.

[English] Sam: Hey!

Hey, hey, hey!

- Do you speak English?
- No.

Do you know this man?

His name is Lazins.

Ladins... Hey!

Hey!



What the fuck!

Voice navigation:
Destination not found.

No, no, no, no! Come on!

[Eerie music.]

[Crashing sound.]

Fuck!

Fuck.

[Piglet oinks.]

You owe me, you know that, right?

Do you know Lazdins?

[Piglet oinks as if answering.]

What the fuck am I saying?
Just a fucking pig.

Hello?

[Sam pants.]

[Night sounds.]

[A branch snaps.]

[Eerie high-pitched sound.]

[A scream.]

[Piglet oinks.]

[Latvian] Kirke: Watch where
you're going! Don't drive so fast!

[English] I don't understand.

[Piglet oinks.]

Oh, it's alive...

English?

Do you speak English?

Pig is a money.

Fine.

I'll take you home.

I mean...
I even don't know where I am.

[Piglet oinks.]

[Frogs croak.]

[Piglet oinks.]

- He's suffering too much.
- No. He's just too happy.

[English] Narrator:
The only one disappointed

by the recent turn of events,
was the piglet.

He would have preferred
to be devoured by wolves

rather than return
to his boring, filthy life

surrounded by wretched congeners
and miserable human beings.

[Piglet oinks.]

Dammit!

Loose again.

Wait, wait. Let me do it.

Here you go.

And you?

I don't drink.

Okay.

Where are you from?

I come from...

...a noisy place.

Not like this.

There's almost...

...no people left out here.

Just pigs.

And we're selling them
little by little.

Maybe we'll have to
move to the city.

I guess you can't wait to do that.

No.

No, I want to stay here.

Just like my mother wanted.

Do you know a man named...

Ladzins?

Lazins?

La... La... Ladzins

Do you know him? You know him.

No.

You're probably tired.

I...

Don't be scared.

My mum won't disturb your sleep.

She was an English teacher.

This is the best place.

Stay as long as you like.

We have... plenty of room and...

...food.

That's very kind, but I've...

…got to get going
in the morning.

Narrator: Hot food, a warm bed
and the caring hands of a woman

are enough to soothe the brow
of the most frantic traveler.

Soon he would forget not only
about searching for his father

but also about his faithful
companion, loneliness.

Or as he called it, freedom.

Peace of mind was such a rare state
in the life of this young man.

Kirke tried very hard
to dismiss the thought

that soon she would
never see him again.

She was enormously impressed

by the nobleness
of the foreigner's manner.

And the feeling of empathy
she believed he had for her.

Indeed the young lady was grateful
to her mother

for such a generous gift.

[Latvian] Thank you.

[English] Hi!

What's going on?

[Latvian] Your mother
has to stare at his ass.

He is a good one, Dad.

He's strong. A real foreigner.

I want him to stay.

[English] Maybe if you
ask him about Lazins?

Ladzins?

Yeah!

Lagzdins!

Yeah.
You know where I can find him?

Jancuks!

[Latvian] He looks harder than your skull!

[English] Can you translate?
I don't understand.

[A loud bang, Sam falls.]

[Alarming music.]

[Pigs oinking.]

[Latvian] Jancuks: You said you were going
to feed him to the pigs.

Gustavs: Maybe I'll
give that piglet to you.

It'll give my foreigner
ideas of running away.

He'll burn down your farm.

Let's chop him up
and feed to the pigs.

Gustavs: The foreigner is mine!
I'll do what I want with him.

[Kicking sound.]

Your house is a mess, Kirke!

You are a woman and
women can't keep things tidy!

I've told you
what women are good for!

As if you knew
what women are good for!

[Jancuks kicks, Sam groans.]

- He's our property!
- Stop it!

Let's bring his things inside.

Don't you dare touch him!

[Sam groans.]

[English] Narrator: Jancuks
had grown up in these parts.

He had never known anything
but the sun, the trees

and the ambition to marry Kirke.

Neither the old man
nor his daughter

suspected the aspirations
of their frequent guest.

In some dark corner
of his tiny jealous mind,

he imagined Sam touching Kirke.

The graphic image he summoned up

irritated and aroused him
in equal measure.

[Latvian] Don't go to him, he'll kill you.

- Go home to your daddies.
- It's for your own good!

If you touch her,
I'll cut your balls off!

- Tell him what I said.
- Get lost!

[English] Let me go!

[Sam pants desperately.]

[Sam yells.]

Look at me!

Look at me!

[Sam spits.]

[Latvian] Gustavs: You son of a bitch!

[Punching noises, Sam coughs.]

[Sam sobs, a fly buzzes.]

[Chain clanks.]

[Pigs oink.]

[English] Now watch.

[Pigwash stirring sound.]

Mix.

And feed.

[Latvian] Alright, stop it.
Let him do the work.

[English] Like this.

[Latvian] Get to it!

[English] Please.

Do it.

You will get some normal food.

If you do what I say.

If not...

...my father will punish you.

Believe me,
I don't want it to happen.

This is for you.

I'm not your pig.

- [Latvian] You dirty...
- [Latvian] Dad, let him starve.

That'll teach him.

Tell him that next time
I'll feed him to the pigs.

[English] If you want to be happy...

...you have to obey.

[Pigs snore.]

[Sam coughs.]

[Sam grunts and pants.]

[Pig oinks.]

No, no, no, no!
Hey! Hey! Shh!

Shh! Hey! Shh!

Hey, hey!

Shee!

Shh! Shh!

[Munching sounds.]

[Pigs snoring.]

[Rooster crows.]

[Latvian] Marks: Gustavs, it reeks here!

Look at the pigs suffering
in this shithole.

[English] Help me!

Help me! Please. Help me!

Help me!

Narrator:
Brothers Vilhelms and Marks

were blessed by good health,

pragmatic minds
and senseless hearts.

These qualities were perfect

for managing and maintaining
a prosperous farm.

The brothers lived in harmony
with their chickens, cows,

turkeys and their faithful,
but clumsy Jancuks.

Please!

Please!

Hey, hey, help me! Help!

Hey, help me! Help!

Narrator: At this moment,
they had a great chance

of replacing him
with a better labourer.

Please!

[Latvian] Gustavs: Now he works here.
But Kirke and I - we just rest.

Marks: His arms and legs are
more impressive than his work.

Jancuks!

Come here!

- Show us your arms!
- Why?

Show us your arms.

We want to buy the foreigner.

- Don't! He's a dickhead.
- Shut up.

Dad, he eats a lot.

We'll take eight pigs
and the foreigner.

Plus half a ton of fodder
for you.

He was sent by God.
I can't sell him.

It would be
like spitting in God's face.

He'd take of fence.

We'll talk about that later.

I'll speak to God Almighty.

He is much kinder to us
than he is to you, Gustavs.

Okay.

This is a good one.

That one has a bent back.
We'll take it anyway.

Gustavs: It's a healthy pig.
Marks: It's got a weak back.

Gustavs: Jancuks, mark it!

[Fly buzzes.]

[Alarming drumming.]

[Door squeaks, footsteps.]

[Latvian] Shh! Quiet!

[Chain clanks, Jancuks pants.]

[Dog barks.]

Come on! Come on!

Come on!

[Jancuks yells.]

Come on!

Come on!
Before she starts screaming!

[Latvian] Kirke: Stop!

[Dog barks.]

He'll fuck you
and fuck up your farm too!

[Wolves howling.]

[Struggle sounds.]

I hate you! Dirty dog!

I'd rather die than be with you!

You stinky creep!

Hang on!

Come here.

Come here.

Come closer.

Come.

Come.

Kiss me.

[Jancuks screams, Kirke pants.]

[Kirke shrieks.]

Shut up!

I'll cut your nose off.

Even the pigs
will be scared of you.

[Choking sounds.]

[Gunshot.]

Get lost!

And thank the old men
that I didn't shoot you.

Old fool!

What are you lying there?

Get up, let's go.

[English] What did he say?

He thanked you
for saving my life.

I only saved your nose.

[Pigs munching.]

[English] Dad loves you.

Why did you lure me here?

You offered me the ride.

I never asked for that.

You tricked me.

You drank my vodka.

I never forced you to.

Now it's time to work.

[Stately early music.]

Narrator: The hard physical work
was a way to disperse thoughts

about the inhuman conditions
of his existence

to which Sam
had become accustomed.

The shower reassured the pigs

that someone
was taking care of them.

Cleanliness is to some a virtue,

to some a necessity,
to others - a luxury.

[Latvian] Gustavs: I'll give you
a new chain, Foreigner.

If you work hard,
I'll make the chain even longer.

So that you can get to the shed
and chop some firewood.

I only sold eight pigs
to those bastards.

We still need a pair of hands.

You see, Kirke...

She's a woman.

And I'm not as strong
as I used to be.

It's a serious business,
Foreigner.

Our farm was falling apart.

Life is not worth living
if I have to sell all the pigs.

Such a pity
you don't understand me.

It's not like you could
say a word.

[Birds singing.]

[Melancholic music.]

Hey! Come!

Come here.

Pigs, work.

Work!

Here!

Bang!

Slam!

Dead!

Pig - dead!

[English] No.

[Latvian] Tomorrow, a party.

[English] No. No, no, no. No. No.

[Latvian] Damn.
I'll have to do it myself.

Watch and learn.

You swing it back...

And - bang!

[Pig squeaks.]

Come here.

[Sam coughs and chokes.]

[Piglet oinks.]

[English] Mamma.

Fuck!

My mamma.

[Piglet oinks, Sam vomits.]

[English] Stop moving.
The party starts soon.

You're not sitting with everyone
until you're clean.

Dad wants to show you.
Make the brothers jealous.

What do I say to people?

I don't speak the language.

Put a smile on your face.

Look pretty, I guess.

Turn your back.

[Sam gasps in pain.]

Bend over.

You have to wash
from time to time.

Sets a good example
to the other pigs.

I'm not a pig.

I'm not finished.

[Latvian] Gustavs: Stop thinking too hard.

In this world,
a pig's destiny is a sad one.

We keep them to...

Nomnom piggies.

A pig doesn't have a choice.

You are reliable.
That's a rare thing around here.

I do regret selling those pigs.
But too late now.

Foreigner, eat well!
You deserve it.

You should be grateful
I invited you.

Easy. Our guy isn't
as smart as your foreigner.

I hope your dog teaches him
all about loyalty and obedience.

Try stealing my foreigner

and I'll feed
that dimwit of yours to my pigs.

Vilhelms: Oh! What a juicy bite!

Gustavs: See, you were wrong.
You should have bought that pig.

[Cheerful song.]

Hey, you.

You can have some too.

That bastard ruined everything!

I said, don't underestimate him.

You could have had it all!
The pigs and the whole farm!

You had to marry me with Kirke!

And who'd have had it all then?

We or you?

Are we like warty dogs to you?

Dad, I never said that!

Can you speak like a dog?

I always do
everything you tell me to.

On all fours!

Stop it.

Marks:
Do what the master tells you to.

And now, bark!

Bark like your father barked
in that fire.

I can't hear you.

I can't hear you!

[Jancuks barks softly.]

Can't hear you!

[Jancuks barks louder.]

And remember...

Never say what you really think.

Do what we tell you to! Got it?

Yes.

- Yes, what?
- Yes, Master!

In dog language!

From now on, you'll
be speaking dog language.

[Jancuks pants
and yelps like a dog.]

If you don't want them
to have your bone...

Show them who's the strongest!

Hands off, Foreigner!
Don't rush it.

You don't deserve her yet.

[English] You should go.

[Dog barks.]

[Sam barks.]

[Dog yelps.]

[Jancuks barks.]

[Chain clanks.]

[Latvian] The foreigner is running away!

[English] I was not gonna run, you idiots!

I have a chain around my neck.

[Lashing sounds, grunting.]

Narrator:
Despite Kirke's certainty

regarding the righteousness
of the punishment

she still took pleasure
in having a man beside her.

One who listened, obeyed
and even smiled sometimes.

[Gustavs coughing.]

Instead of finding his father,
Sam had met the first woman

who had succeeded
in making him suffer.

For now, the torment
was merely physical.

Mental torture was no more
than a promise for the future.

[Pigs oink.]

[Latvian] Jancuks:
Why isn't he helping us?

Gustavs: They're your pigs now.
You deal with them.

Let him sit on a shorter chain
for a while.

[Piglet oinks.]

[English] What?

[Piglet oinks.]

There's no way out of this.
Leave!

[Latvian] Hey, idiot! You lost one!

Try to catch it!

Go, Jancuks, go!

[Engine starts.]

[Piglet oinks.]

[Loud, sharp noise.]

[Pigs squeal.]

[Latvian] Faster!

Run faster!

[Pigs oink.]

[Kirke wails.]

[English] Narrator: The lonely heart
of an abandoned woman

is sad and cruel.

Kirke would prefer to die

rather than return
to her boring, lonely life

with the stubborn,
sickly half-witted father.

[Latvian] Stay at home!

[English] Narrator: The young lady
was horrified by the thought

that Sam could have been
torn to pieces by wolves.

[Kirke moans.]

If only she knew
the foreigner would soon return.

Driven by strong feelings
and exalted intentions.

[Sam wakes with a gasp.]

[Sam groans and pants.]

[Sam yells out.]

[English] Fuck!

Fuck!

Fuck!

[Sam sobs.]

[Piglet oinks.]

Where did you get this?

[Piglet oinks.]

Thank you.

[Wolves howl.]

You hear that?

[Piglet oinks.]

I dreamt of going home.

[Piglet oinks.]

No.

My real home.

Far away from here.

[Piglet oinks.]

[Stately early music.]

[Piglet oinks.]

[Piglet oinks.]

Narrator:
For the first time in his life

Sam had so many pairs of ears
listening to his every word.

Even though
they understood none of it.

Sam's heart burst with
a desire to care and lead.

But there was no one
he could love here.

[Pigs oink.]

You're a pig. I'm a human.

Before we ate the same food
because there was no choice.

Out here, things are different.

Narrator: Sam's search
for Lagzdins had failed.

He didn't have the strength
to go back home anymore.

No one was waiting
or missing him.

Kirke couldn't stop
thinking about him.

Remembering happier times
when Sam was chained up

staring at her
with his trusting eyes.

The only thing she could do
was wait and hope.

[Stately early music.]

Narrator: Love...

What changes it wreaks
in the heart of a man!

What strange actions,

inexplicable
to the unaffected mind,

has it caused
on so many occasions!

However... unlike a woman,

a man is never able
to admit this to himself.

[Piglet oinks.]

It's just...

I never experienced
such feelings.

You want to laugh and cry
at the same time.

Piglet: Kirke.

[Wolves howl.]

Narrator: Despite the persuasive
nature of his companions,

Sam had a determination
to go back to Kirke.

If only the pigs could've known
that soon they would meet

the singularly horrifying fate
of being burned alive.

You don't have to follow me.

[Piglet oinks.]

For me it is.

[Wolves howl.]

It's wolves howling.

[Gunshot.]

[Latvian] Marks: Stop shooting!
Bullets cost money.

If you see the foreigner,
let me shoot him.

Marks: Find the pigs, dimwit!

Pigs cost money!

Each minute it's more likely
we'll only find their bones.

Gustavs: When I find Foreigner,
I'll cut his chain short.

Can you shoot?

You take him out.

[Jancuks sniffs like a dog.]

Where are the pigs?

Pigs. Where?

Give me the pigs,
and I'll tell no one.

Or take them back to the pigsty.

Pigs. Home. Fast.

I'll make your chain longer.

Come on!

Shoot him in the leg!

- He'll show us the pigs.
- Shoot him in the leg.

- Where are the pigs?
- Shoot!

The pigs. Where?

Shoot!

[English] Piglet: Run!

[Latvian] Gustavs: Where are the pigs?

His hands are shaking!
Shoot!

Gustavs: Just run!

[Gunshot.]

[Pig oinks.]

[Pigs oink and munch.]

Careful... Foreigner!

Be careful! They...

They shot me in the leg.

[English] Easy.

[Latvian] Hang on!
Don't touch the pigs.

[Triumphant music.]

[English] Narrator:
Sam was grateful to fate

for honouring him with
the chance to return to Kirke

neither a slave nor labourer,

but as a conquering hero
in the aftermath of battle.

The foreigner was indeed
God's gift to all.

[Gustavs grunting.]

[Latvian] Dad, drink this.
It'll ease the pain.

I'm crying with happiness.

I sold the pigs
and got them back again.

Don't throw the pellet away.

I'll put it on a string
and show it to those bastards.

So that they know who is
the smartest cookie around here.

They crashed their truck too!

Your foreigner
is a real godsend.

Kirke.

Have kids with him!

May God give you
healthy children.

They will look after the farm
when I'm gone.

Have a sip, you'll sleep better.

No.

I want to live
to see your wedding.

I won't go to sleep
until you're married.

I'll keep an eye on you.

[English] My father
has lost a bullet and...

...asks you to help find it.

What you're looking for
might be right in front of you.

You understood
what my father said?

He said...

He wants us to marry.

Let's do it.

You're burning, Kirke.

Yes, I do, Sam.

[Dog barks.]

[Sound of fire burning,
pigs squealing.]

[Latvian] Why did you do that?

If he touched you,
I'll kill both of you.

Why did you
set fire to the pigsty?

I'll go back to school!

Why did you
set fire to the pigsty?

Let's run away from the parents!

[Sam coughs.]

[English] Sam: Hey!

[Panting and grunting.]

[Jancuks screams.]

[Pigs squeal.]

[Wedding music.]

[Latvian] Pastor: Dear congregation.

We have come here...

[English] Narrator: Despite being innocent
of the arson at the pig farm,

Vilhelms and Marks
paid compensation for the losses

and agreed to bury the hatchet.

Soon they would lose
all their livestock

to an outbreak of bird flu
and face bankruptcy.

They would later be found
hanging in the chicken coop.

[Latvian] Pastor: God bless your children
and your family. Amen.

May God bless you
and protect you.

Amen.

[English] Narrator: Gustavs never saw
his bloodline continue.

His old heart stopped beating
on their wedding night.

[People clapping and cheering.]

[Rooster crows.]

[Door squeaks.]

[Pig oinks.]

Narrator: The pig's farewell
filled Sam's heart

with an
all-encompassing sadness.

At this moment, he realized

his journey had been devoid
of any sense or meaning.

Having given up his freedom
and not having found Lagzdins.

[Pig oinks, wolf howls.]

Narrator: Suddenly,
Sam was racked with doubt.

He wondered
if he should abandon Kirke

and to continue his journey.

Even though in freedom

he would encounter
even greater threats.

[Wolves howling.]

♪♪♪