Georgica (1998) - full transcript

The film was made
with the support of

The Cultural Endowment
of Estonia

The Ministry of Culture
of the Republic of Estonia

[In Russian]
You may go.

Signature!

Here!

Come in!

Don't forget that
the island is in a restricted area.

[Translating into Estonian]
This island is in a restricted area...

[In Russian]
And there is an air force
testing range in the north-east.

[Translating into Estonian]
There's an air force testing range...



[In Russian]
Down below is a reserve airfield object 205 -

with the only
communication point.

[Translating into Estonian]
Down there is a reserve airfield -

and the only communication
point on the island...

[In Russian]
And the only person
who is allowed to be there -

is Jakub Karlovich.

[Translating into Estonian]
And the only person
allowed to be there is Jakub...

[In Russian]
He is to take the responsibility
for the boy's movements.

[Translating into Estonian]
Jakub is responsible for you.

[In Russian]
He'll risk his life for you.

His life! Do you understand?

You can give me a ring.

Jakub will make you well.

He will look after you -



and then
you will want to talk again.

And when you come back
in the autumn -

you will tell me
everything in detail -

what you did on the island,
how it was there...

Then we do nothing
all winter but talk, you and me...

Everybody
must manage somehow.

I must... You must...

Together we must...

Sometimes separately, too...

Vergil.

Look, over there.

They have the souls of
drowned men inside them.

Sometimes they fly into the air,
scream and shit the boat white'.

Hold this,
I'll have a look around.

Look... it's got stuck.

Yes... Don't worry.

Come, come...

You try...

Steady does it... well...

Keep on trying...

Missionary, get a move on!

Stone fields are fleeing.
Stone islands come to an end

My little field flees nowhere
Does not come to an end...

Whoa... Missionary... slow down.

First Song

What makes the grain flourish,
Maecenas?

Under which stars
is it good to plough the land -

and to tie up the vines
with sticks of elm?

How to tend the oxen
and grow cattle?

What knowledge
is needed to keep bees?

This is what I sing about.

You, the brightest lights,
the sun and the moon -

who rule the seasons in heaven;

You, Bacchus
and fostering Ceres -

whose gift has changed
Chaonian acorns -

into heavy ears of corn -

and first mixed water and wine
of Achelous; and you...

Bukara Manga Gava-Gai Bajan...

Mother...

Now we must drink.

Friends, let's trample
the ground in a brisk dance...

Let's have some hot tea.

The chill will go away, won't stay.

The first go ahead
and the others follow.

Soon it will all be just
one big fire under the kettle.

Hey, what's this mean, eh?

You're scared of gutting fish,
or something?

By God, you are, aren't you!

Jakub Karlovich... yes...

I repeat...

About seven square... three...

Eleven square... three...

Twenty square...

Wait down there.

Missionary, take it easy,
they can't keep it up long.

Let them make their racket,
we don't care a bit.

The seventh square...

Three flashes...

The tenth...

Tenth square... three flashes...

The thirteenth square...

Not three,
one came to nothing.

The twelfth...

Hold tight!

Wait...

Can you hear me?

Hold tight!

Have you gone barmy?
Crazy or what?

I told you to wait...

Why did you let go
of the rungs, you fool.

Show me!

Lucky your eye's OK!

Salli...

But you hold that newborn boy

by whom the iron tribe will end

and golden people will rise
and populate the whole world...

Happy is he
who knows the cause of things...

You give him this, I'll give this.

Missionary.

Give it to him
and take what's given you.

No time to waste,
there's work waiting.

Jupiter himself did not want
the tilling of the land to be easy -

and he cleverly
made the fields move so -

that worries would sharpen
the wits of mortals...

Come on now...

See... Good, good
...like this... You first...

Hold tight...
Yes, that's right...

Here, have a look...

This little motley devil is
full of eggs...

Keeps dropping them
into the honeycomb cells.

His mother... his ancestor
was brought from Africa...

I brought her myself...

She was even bigger
and prettier... that queen bee.

But you'd better not go
too close to bees.

The bee, he won't wait.

Flies straight at you -

stings right away too,
if the gets caught -

in your hair or elsewhere.

And then there's
one bee less in the world...

The bee can't get its sting
out of you any more.

It's nothing to you.

It's good for you, isn't it?

But it's the only one
the bee has got. And it dies.

In Africa,
bees were real big and fierce.

When they attacked
a man or a beast...

They could sting him
to death too...

One man got so swollen -

he couldn't even make a sound.

Went completely dumb, he did.

But they gathered
more honey than ours...

And they could not stand
the smell of alcohol...

If you'd taken a swig -

better not go out at all.

Yes.

Are you a Christian,
or a pagan, eh?

Well, I can't make you out.
What you are...

Perhaps you don't know yourself.

In Leipzig,
when I went to school -

we were taught...

To hold our mouths open wide.

Your mouth must open properly!

Are you a Christian or a pagan?

Well?

If you're a Christian, say aaa...

If you're a pagan, say aa-aa.

Open your mouth.

Open it... Like this...

Now watch me do it...

Keep going, like this.

Nice and steady.

Damn...

This ain't no place for you...

Go on...

May God bestow on us his grace

with blessings rich provide us...

Damn it! They're coming!

Pull your shirt over your head.

Keep your head in your shirt.
Keep it inside...

Careful... Careful but quick...

Careful...

Slowly... Slowly...

Quickly...

Wherever you keep them,
in a tin flask or glass jar -

time will do its work...

Lie down
on your tummy on the fur coat.

This medicine
had such sweet smell to it...

Cleared your head, it did -

and eyes
saw more somehow than usual...

I understood
that it were magic...

Zauber,
as we called it over there -

we missionaries...

Turn over now...

I myself
was a missionary in Africa.

Built a church
and proclaimed the word of God.

See where it's stung you...
Right on the end of your willy...

Swollen up and red all over...

The Wakambas
caught bees theirselves -

and stuck them
into their groins...

Several stings at one go...

So that the tip turned purple...

Women thought
it was dead good -

positively shrieked with delight...

This was magic
without any potions.

Six years I built the church,
but I never managed to finish it...

Whether I'd made God angry -

or whether the Wakamba
witches were against me -

I have no idea...

Come here...

Warm up the potion
on the coals, it helps.

Now you've been christened...

The bees christened you...
I shall give you a name.

Guten Tag.
Missionary Jakub speaking...

Today we are christening
a young Wakamba Maecenas -

and then
we'll dance round the fire -

like bees around their queen.

Guten Tag...

Come here and listen.

Turn here, just. Like me.

That is how it was...

Some were dancing,
round the fire -

others stood around me
and I christened them.

It was
one enormous church service...

It was ecumenical...

Really ecumenical.

Jakub Karlovich...

Yes... I got that...

I repeat... Square four...

Two and two.

Do you hear...

This is my God... him I serve...

Pacta serfanda sunt.

Agreements must be kept.

Bajan-Hongor Farafangana

Maromokotro Masai-Mara

Tenko-Dogo Ulujuja

Bukara Manga Gava-Gai

Bajan-Hongor Farafangana

Maromokotro Masai-Mara

Tenko-Dogo Ulujuja

Bajan-Hongor

Maromokotro

Tenko-Dogo

Farafangana

Second Song

This much of tillage
and of heavenly signs;

Now I sing of you, Bacchus,
and of the shoots of trees -

and of the shoots
of a slowly growing olive tree.

You, oh Father Winepress -

everything
is full of your gifts here.

For you the field blossoms
heavy with vine grapes -

wine foams
and sparkles in brimming vats.

Come here, Father Winepress,
cast off your cothurni -

and come
dip your toes into fresh wine.

Hello... is that Jakub?

Hello... Can't hear you... Hello...

Is that you?
Are you any better?

Maecenas,
come and play the organ...

Gods of fathers,
we clear the land -

you keep
the evil from our borders.

Today's
June the twenty second...

The same day
the island was emptied...

Was emptied...

There was the island
and people on the island...

And boats on the shore
and at the sea...

And a church
and the Sunday sermon...

And there were animals...

And houses... and homes...

And people lived there and
came home in the evening.

There were voices...

People's voices...

And the sounds of animals...

Look...

This is square seventeen...

There I was born...

This is fifth square...

There... Over there beyond
the maple tree lived Salli...

She was
the prettiest girl in the village...

And a pretty name
she had too... Salli...

Come on, turn...

There, further off,
was another village...

Nothing's left of that any more...

No ruins, no trees...

No hay either...

Where are you off to... wait...

One Wakamba
come for the mission...

Hold on to the mane now...
We have a long way to go...

Missionary... let's go...

Slow and steady...

You take these now...

Do you know what a bride is?
Do you or don't you?

She was my bride.

I bought this tea
for her is Mombasa...

To bring here -

so that
we could drink it together...

I could not...
or Salli could not wait...

And I came with one eye...

Salli did not like that...

And there was another man
who wanted her...

He had two eyes...

Both of them...

That other man
had not been to Africa...

Salli liked him better...

I was quite sick then...

Did not speak for one year...

Kept quite silent...

Like you now...

Now you know what a bride is...

Still has a smell to it...

Which square...

I don't understand...

Which...

Square twenty seven...
Five flashes...

Square twenty three...
Look here, Maecenas... Look...

Have a look...

Mother...

Do you know
the Latin for a bee...

A bee is apis...

And what is a horse... equus...

Horse is equus,
cow is vacca and sheep is ovis...

That book on my table,
it speaks of these animals.

It's a farmer's book... In Latin...

And I'm translating it
into Swahili...

Then
the Wakambas can read it -

and will want
to till the land as it says...

And then there'll be joy...
and peace... and wealth too...

This is what Vergil wrote...

This saves...

And makes the Wakambas
blessed in their own land...

There in Africa...

Before
they face their gods in heaven...

Amen...

Who's that? Hello...

Where is Jakub...

I want to talk to him.
Call Jakub...

I am ringing because of you...

Are you any better?

I was worried
about you... honest...

Hello...

Bajan-Hongor Farafangana...

Maromokotro Masai-Mara...

Tenko-Dogo Ulujuja...

Put the beeswax into this mug.

We shall squeeze it into a ball
and make new honeycombs...

Hello... Speaking...

What...

No... Not ill...

Gets better... better every day...

Yes...

He will call you himself
and tell you...

Surely he'll want to...

Why shouldn't he...

No...

No need for anything...

Good bye.

She called...

If you want lo live
and survive... then wait...

Wait... and do
what you've got to do.

And then... wait again...

This is the best thing
you can do in this world...

I have seen it
and I can tell you...

You may push
but only slightly...

And then wait again...

And you'll live your life -

and eat bread and honey...

I eat honey -

and translate
this old Vergil into Swahili...

And I make silage for the
animals on the continent...

And you too will start talking
when the right time has come...

Will move your mouth...
Move it easily...

No idea
whether you are yawning -

or simply swallowing...

Or adding in a word or two...

Or not...

Perhaps tomorrow
if you don't feel like it today...

I was that missionary...

This end of the wax cylinder,
it's still quite empty...

This is for you...

Then later you can hear
what your voice was like -

when
you were on the island -

with an old man,
a horse and some bees...

Turn now...

Turn-turn...

Stands here and waits...
Who knows for what...

Waiting for us...

Let me welcome all the people
who have come home again...

The island
has been taken from you -

a ship given in return...

May the sea
be blessed for that...

And blessed
be all good souls -

who believe
that there must come a day -

when
you will get your island back...

That's why
I'll be there waiting...

With my Jew's harp...

Stone fields are fleeing...
Stone islands come to an end...

My little field flees nowhere...

And when you come,
I'll show you that it's yours...

And you come here, come here...

this is your field...
and the corn...

And it grows...

Turned yellow already -

and you come
and start reaping...

I'll see to everything...

Pull fish from the sea...
and grind them into fish meal...

And the factory chimney
keeps smoking...

Smoking day and night...

And all pigs and
sheep eat fish meal -

and will grow scales...

Then they can be
caught again in the sea -

and ground into flour again...

And I'll make silage too...

All your towers full of silage...

And chimneys full of silage...

I'll make smoked silage...

Third Song

We sing also of you,
great Pales -

and of you,
Amphrysian shepherd.

Of you,
Arcadian woods and rivers.

All else
that could attract languid -

thoughts in a song,
is worn with use.

Who doesn't know
merciless Euristheus -

or Busiris' detestable altar?

Who hasn't heard
of the boy Hylas -

and Latona of Delos -

and Hippodame -

and the famous fearless charioteer
Pelops of ivory shoulder?

New ways I must attempt
in order to raise aloft -

and fly as victor on people's lips.

Maecenas...

Maecenas...

Maecenas...

Mother...

Shut up...

Where are you going now...

Where did you get to...

Where the devil
are you aiming at...

It's all over...

Have a look...

Look how they're going.

...Missionary...

Come on... come on...

Come on...

They're going away... Hark!

They're off... You can hear...

Well...

Soon
the tower will be full of silage.

Then we'll go down...

Down to the meadow
to have a stroll...

And run... and trot
around... and...

Roll in the grass and the sun
will shine on us down there...

And it'll be good...

There we will go...

Then we'll have freedom...

No work any more...

Pleasure and song...

God will give us repose...

What's that now...

Where are you?

Lost their mind...

Down... climb down... Maecenas...

Maecenas climb...

Where... where are you off to...

Missionary...

Stop...

Where do you want to go...

Come... step forward... again...

Damn, get a move on...
You want to fall down or what...

Do you hear...
want to go down or what...

The beast has lost its wits...

Missionary...

Maecenas... Maecenas...

Maecenas... It's sinking.

You can't come here...

It's sinking...

Jakub...

Jakub...

Jakub... Jakub... Jakub... Jakub...

Save...

What is it, Jakub?

Save the bees...

Get a doctor, please...

Jakub fell
from the tower and the horse...

Get a doctor please...

Jakub fell down...
Doctor please...

Mother...

Mother...

I cannot call you.

This phone
is connected with another place...

Jakub fell down and...

The horse fell down and...

I did not fall
and I started to talk...

I'm going away...

I cannot say where I'll go...

Nobody must know...

Only that Jakub...

Only that I can now talk and...

Jakub is dead and...

The horse is dead and...

And I am going away...

Bajan-Hongor Farafangana

Maromokotro Masai-Mara