Holiday Secrets (2019) - full transcript

[Eva] Secrets are alive.
They won't go away.

They grow over the years
and become bigger and bigger,

until everyone can see them.

Good morning.

-Coffee.
-Who are you?

Me Ljubi, Ljubica.

I work here.

I mean, who are you really?

The poor girl from the Eastern bloc?
I don't believe it.

Well, I don't need to know everything.

[man on TV] The first special flight
took off with 32 tons of food



and medicine for a population
in desperate need.

Berlin. After the assassination of
U.S. Ambassador Richard Lancaster

last September,

the federal police has widened
its search for these five members

of the Red Army Faction

to include the Federal Republic of Germany
and neighboring countries.

Peter Weiland is considered
to be the mastermind behind the attacks...

That's him.

Yes.

That's him.

The Federal Criminal Police Office
is grateful for any information...

[Eva] What you talked about
at the table yesterday.

Were you serious about it?

That we need a revolution?
Of course I'm being serious.



But what's so terrible here?

We're being sedated, Mom, kept quiet,

through consumerism,
capitalism, Christmas.

Christmas?

[clears throat]

-Sonja, I don't recognize you anymore.
-Mom, I've finally found something

I'm really passionate about.

[Peter] Good morning.

Something's wrong with the hot water.

-Oh, yeah.
-I'll go take a look.

[Sonja] Alma isn't in her room.

She's not in the garden either.

I'll go and look for her.

[men yelling and grunting]

[ball thudding and man grunting]

[crowd cheering over phone]

-Forgot how to knock?
-I really have to pee.

[sighs]

[urinating]

I dreamed all night that I was standing
naked on a tennis court.

It's all your fault.

[toilet flushing]

-What did you just take?
-Nothing.

"Diazepam, sedative."

Dipping into Grandma's medicine?

It's a mild sedative.

-Are you having panic attacks again?
-I'm not having panic attacks.

-Want to know what I think?
-No.

You don't want to marry Moritz and that's
why you're having panic attacks again.

-I'm not having panic attacks.
-I completely understand.

I'd be panicked, too, if I had to spend
the rest of my life on a tennis court.

-You always do that.
-What's that?

Whenever my life is going well,
you shit all over it.

Lara, I'm just telling you what I think.

I think this Moritz makes the same
noises in bed as he does on the court.

-I'm not listening to this anymore.
-It was a joke.

-Good morning.
-Morning.

[Moritz] What's wrong, honey?
Everything okay?

Yeah, everything's fine.

Morning.

[Lara] I'll be right down, okay?

Are you here for my pedicure?

[laughing] Lara, sweetheart,

come closer.

Come closer.

Grandma.

Grandma.

I've been looking everywhere for you.

This tastes like trash.

There's better food at home.
Let's throw that away.

No, don't throw it away.

Oh, Grandma.

Come on.

-[Sonja sighs]
-[Alma laughing]

[chattering and laughing]

[Olaf] I called the nursing home.

They'll come pick her up after New Year's.

Why pick her up?

You could drive her there.

Oh, right. No.
You don't have a driver's license.

Don't look at me like that.

She doesn't want to be here.

I can't take it anymore.

She's my mother.

Yeah, I know.

[Alma] I want to go back
to where I last saw Alfred.

Before they deported him.

He took off through the window.

I was upstairs with Eva.

He turned around one last time.

"Take care of our little girl."

"How am I supposed to do that
without you?" I asked.

"You can do it."

We arrived here on Christmas Eve...

hungry and starving.

I promised Eva we'd never leave again.
That she never has to run away again.

This house belonged to Alfred's aunt.

There was no running water,
no electricity, nothing.

And his aunt...

His aunt was dead in the bathtub.

And then I shot one of them.
[mimics gunshot]

Who did you shoot?

One of the Russians.

He wanted to have his way with little Eva.

The other one was quite drunk,

so, I stole his pistol.

He gave me such a dumb,
empty look before he fell over.

Oh, Grandma.

Look...

I saved it.

Boom.

-Grandma, give that to me, please.
-No.

-Come on.
-No, no, no.

Only if you give me that machine
with the earmuffs.

That one.

-Oh, this.
-Yes.

Now I won't have to hear your father
yell at your mother again.

Where's the stupid baking paper?

What are you doing?

I'm baking.

[Vivi] Last night,
Eva said she had to tell us all something.

What could it be?

Oh, Vivi,
I think she must have been dreaming.

It didn't sound like it.

[Lara] Morning.

Hey. Hi, honey. How are you?

I was just with Eva.
She said she wants to tell us something.

-It sounded really important.
-[Vivi] See?

Yesterday, she thought
your great-grandmother was alive.

-It's nothing.
-[Walter] Hello?

-Ho, ho.
-[Sonja] Hey. Hi, Walter.

One dead bird.

Frese, from the liquor store in Besdorf,
hanged himself.

-[Ljubi] Mm-hm.
-[Walter] They just found him today.

The holidays are tough for some people.

All alone,

without any family...

just sitting by a tiny Christmas tree.

I don't know this man who hanged himself.

Oh, I see.

How about a coffee, Walter?

No.

Thank you,
but I don't want to keep you any longer.

[clears throat] Ladies...

Ljubi.

-Merry Christmas.
-Merry Christmas.

Of course... Merry Christmas.

[women laughing]

Oh, man. Ljubi, the poor guy.

Why don't you just give him
a chance for once?

That would be moving a bit too fast, no?

They've only known each other for...
30 years?

I don't know
what you're all talking about.

[Lara] That you're into him, Ljubi.

Since 1989.

Okay, listen to me. I don't want him.

We all have to make compromises.

Right, Lara?

Because you know so much
about relationships...

I also have relationships.

Yes, but your relationships
have the shelf life of my yogurt.

I've had a boyfriend for a year now.

Does he live in his car like the last one?

What's that smell?

[gasps] Oh, shit. Shit.
I completely forgot.

-[Lara] Mom, it's fine.
-No, it's not fine at all. Shit.

-Slow.
-Great job, nice.

-Take it.
-Wait. Okay, got it.

[laughing] What's this mess?

Hey, hold on.

That's good.

[Vivi] No, no, no.

[Sonja] Lara, stop nibbling.
I need you out here.

[Lara] Coming.

[Sonja] I don't understand.

I'm sorry.

-I completely forgot.
-Hey. Hi, Walter.

Hello, Sonja. Hello, Lara.

Too late. No goose this year.

[Walter] I'm sorry,

but my dog is at the vet's.

He has liver cancer.

Well, animals die, everything dies.

We're really sorry to hear that, Walter.
We'll figure something out for the goose.

To Christmas, my dears.

-To Christmas.
-To Grandma.

[laughing and chattering]

All right. And the pulse...

[indistinct chatter]

-[Anton] Hi, Sonja.
-Hey, Anton, and?

-Merry Christmas.
-Yes.

We wanted to express our condolences.

Condolences?

Yes, because of Eva.

We heard, she passed away?

Oh, right. That was yesterday.
No, no, it's okay, she's alive.

-Come on in.
-[Vivi] Mom, do we have candles?

I'm Jenny.

Yeah, right, this is Jenny.

Hi, Jenny. I'm Sonja.

We took French together in ninth grade.
I don't know if you remember.

I remember.

Come inside now and take off your jackets.
The others will be here any minute.

[laughter and chattering]

[tapping on glass]

Great to have you all here.

To Eva.

I know she loves the afternoon
right before Christmas.

To Eva, and may she get well soon.

-Merry Christmas to all.
-To Eva.

-Merry Christmas.
-Merry Christmas.

You look wonderful, Sonja.

Really? Thank you.

I joined Alcoholics Anonymous.

Oh, and you're allowed
to just say it like that?

If I want to tell you all about it,
then I will. I'm very open about it.

There used to be more going on.

What about that girl,
the one you always liked so much, Vivi?

Something going on?

-Mom, please.
-What?

-Will you pour me some wine, too?
-My hands are full.

Really?

The clubhouse will be wonderful
for the reception.

My family has celebrated
absolutely everything there.

Golden wedding anniversaries,
my high school graduation, birthdays.

Uncle Toni's new hip.

And now I'm thinking,
since it's a tennis club...

Wait for it... Everyone should wear white.

-Wouldn't that be awesome?
-[Jenny] Sounds great.

White for a wedding,

-and white for tennis.
-Mm-hm.

-We still have time to decide all that.
-That's really nice.

Anton hasn't asked me yet,

-but...
-[gulps]

ever since I was little, I've known
what I wanted my wedding to be like.

I want to get married barefoot
on the beach. I know it sounds silly,

but I've always wanted that
for some reason.

And I want someone to sing.

Maybe you, Vivi.

[Lara coughs]

That didn't really come out right,
but I did buy your single back then.

That was you. Thanks.

[Moritz] Is it okay with everyone
if I turn on the TV for a minute?

I want to see the weather forecast,
I am worried about the tennis court cover.

I'm having a cigarette.

[Sonja] So, where's Moni?

We got divorced last year.

Maybe we should've had children.

They've discovered
that monogamy is genetic.

Animals that stay
with one partner for their entire lives...

Otters, beavers, penguins...

It's in their DNA.

We can't help being who we are.

-That's very liberating, isn't it?
-[man on TV] ...member

-of the Red Army Faction...
-That's him.

Sonja.

...has been released.

-Peter Weiland was imprisoned in 1990...
-Who is that?

[Ljubi] Peter, it's Peter.

...for crimes including the murder
of U.S. Ambassador Richard Lancaster.

He was sentenced to life in prison.

Weiland was known to be the leader
of the last large wave of attacks

committed by the RAF in the late 80s.

The Red Army Faction,
founded by the Baader-Meinhof Group...

I thought he was dead.

...was active since 1971
and responsible for numerous attacks.

[Ljubi] Thank you all for coming.
Thank you. Goodbye.

Merry Christmas.

Why was he in prison?

I thought he died in a car crash.

[Moritz] I can't believe it,
Peter Weiland.

Third-generation RAF.

Supposedly, he's responsible for all
of their operations between 1985 and 1989.

He's originally from Stuttgart.

Womanizer,

Hemingway fan,
and a fervent tennis player.

[chuckles] I love the RAF. Well...

"love"...

You know what I mean...

I went to a seminar about them once
at my university. It was really great.

Were you ever going to tell me?

It was never really the right time, and...

I just didn't know how.

How about, "Your father is a terrorist"?

[Moritz] And you two were lovers?

You and Peter?

That's incredible.

I have to go to the bathroom.

[Vivi] No, Mom, stay here.

We're talking about this now.

Don't yell at me, please.

I'm not yelling.

I can't do this
if you're going to be so aggressive.

-I'm cutting this off right now.
-[scoffs]

I can't take it. She drives me crazy.
Do you see why?

Everyone can see
you're not doing well, Vivi.

[scoffs] What does that mean?

Shit.

[Sonja] Merry Christmas, Dad.

Thanks.

I'm sorry that we had an argument.

Me, too.

My head... is killing me.

I can finally go see a specialist
after the damn holidays.

They say I don't have a tumor,

but most people don't know a thing
about their jobs, it's true.

I'm pregnant, Dad.

Pass me my pills, please?

Any thoughts?

Does your mother know yet?

When you were 3...

and the new baby came, our little boy,

you'd always hold him,

carry him around.

You held him in your arms for hours on end
and didn't want to let go of him.

A day later...

he started to cough.

And a week later, he was dead.

You always wanted to walk on the beach
with wet feet...

hide in the cold bunkers...

until you finally caught whooping cough.

And my son died from it.

I close the window when it's cold.

I want everything that makes
you sick to stay out there.

You do that so much better than me.

I used to bake all the time with Eva.

You're just like her anyway, you know.

I don't know.

Yeah, yeah, you...

You have such a clear idea
about what you want and...

And the wedding...

I think it's really great.

As a kid, I always dreamed
that our house would slide into the sea.

I still have the same dream sometimes.

I've often wondered what it would be like
if I were more like you.

What do you mean by that?
If you had my problems with alcohol,

or my inclination
for chaotic relationships,

or my constant desire
to be somewhere else?

If I wasn't afraid of anything.

Vivi...

We'll talk about it, okay?

Just give me a little time.

Sure...

You've only had 28 years.

Take your time.

Wait,

I have your night-before gift.

I don't need it, thanks.

I never said something about Peter,
because we had enough problems already.

Tell Vivi, not me.

Yeah, I know, but...

it's all a bit too much, you know?

First, with Eva, then that...

All I wanted
was to celebrate Christmas with you all.

Why is it suddenly so important to you?

It was always important to me.

Maybe it's stupid...

but I thought, since you read so much...

I made it myself.

While in therapy.

It's a bookmark.

-It's stupid.
-It's not stupid.

Thank you.

I think I'll go to bed. I'm exhausted.

Good night.

Don't be scared, sweetheart...

We aren't sinking anymore.

-Good night.
-Night.

[Eva] You could have called for once.

I couldn't call,
because we came straight from Bali.

[Eva] Do you know how sad Vivi was,
that you weren't there?

How many times do I have to tell you?

We couldn't get a flight,
it was all fucked up.

All of our stuff was stolen.
Money, passports, everything.

But now I'm here. I mean, I'm here.

Why are you turning this into a big deal
when it really doesn't have to be?

Soni.

Is it because of Juliana?

Is that a problem for you or what?

That I'm with a woman now?

Okay, you know what? We'll go to a hotel.

[gasps]

Juli, we're leaving.
My mom doesn't want us here.

No, no, no. You can't leave,
you have to stay here.

I'm here. Hmm?

Hello?

What are you doing here?

I just wanted to see if you were okay.

How did you get past my grandma?

I promised her you'd have a B
in math before Easter.

[chuckles]

Crazy, so, your mom's
really a lesbian now or what?

My mom was so excited about it,

I had to slip half a sleeping pill
into her red wine.

Sonja says she chooses people,
not genders.

I have something for you.

I know it's not a cell phone,

and the range is only one kilometer.

-So, I can only call you.
-[chuckles] Correct.

Do you like it?

Thanks.

[footsteps approaching]

[knock on door]

Hi.

Are you okay?

Peter Weiland is your father. That's...

crazy.

Even for you guys.

I'm not shocked, really.

Jenny's really nice.

Thanks.

If I forget the fact she always
talked shit about me at school...

She's very sorry.
She's not like that anymore.

-Okay.
-She's a teacher.

Do you remember our teachers?

Borderline personalities,
grouches, pigeon breeders...

Why are you being so nasty?

I'm not being nasty, I...

I'm surprised that she's your type.

You know? Shiny hair, fake nails...

socially involved.

Vivi, you're my type.

But you know why I like her?

Because she calls me
when she says she will.

She's at the movie theater at 7:00,
because we said we'd meet at 7:00.

And she would not change her mind
after telling me that she likes me.

I wasn't ready yet.

I'm sorry.

I have to go.

So, you just came up here to dump on me?

You started with Jenny.

What do you want, Anton?

I don't know. I...

Sometimes, I have the feeling
I'm the only normal one around here.

Yeah, well...

You're not that normal either.

Tell me one thing
that isn't normal about me.

You smell every book
before you start reading it.

I'm able to do it, you know?

I mean, you just have to want it:
be happy, live a normal life.

Also play safe, not always just...

go chase after every crazy idea.

Are you with me...

to play it safe?

No.

No, that's ridiculous.

Where are you going?

[door slams in distance]

[Sonja] Thanks, Mom. It's beautiful.

It belonged to Alma.

She gave it to me,

and now I'm giving it to you.

Thank you.

I have something for you, too.

[gasps]

Mom, it's a joke.

Alma had it, and I thought
it'd be better if you took it.

She told me...

what happened when you both arrived here.

Do you remember?

I think...

we can choose what we remember.

[clears throat]

Good night.

I'm going to bed.

[Sonja] My mother was right.

You can choose what you want to remember.

But sometimes,
the past returns on its own.