In the Forests of Siberia (2016) - full transcript
Fed up with the hectic, senseless world he lives in, Teddy decides to settle down alone in Siberia, in the midst of winter, in a hut by the shore of Lake Baikal. After an initial period of elation in front of the splendor and magic of unspoiled nature, Teddy soon finds himself confronted with the less glossy side of things : solitude, extreme cold, the necessity to find food, danger... One night Teddy gets lost in a blizzard and would be doomed to a certain death, were it not for Aleksei, a Russian convict living hidden away in the forest nearby, who rescues him in extremis. Friendship soon blossoms between the two men...
I left because life was smothering me
like the collar of a tight shirt.
I left because the noise
was deafening me.
I was dizzy from not having time.
I wanted to live in slowness,
simplicity,
and wonder.
Keep only the essential.
But the essential can't be kept.
It must be discovered.
IN THE FORESTS OF SIBERIA
She was singing you
a traditional Buryat welcome song.
I see.
Thank you.
It's good!
Fish.
The bread of Baikal.
This stuff is greasy.
That's how it is.
- We eat it.
- Like this?
This is what we eat and drink.
He asks why you're here.
Tell him that I was actually here
seven years ago, one summer.
I always dreamed
of coming back and seeing...
Seeing the frozen lake.
What did he say?
Everybody dreams of living in Europe,
and you come here.
To you.
- And your happiness.
- Thanks.
From here on, there's no electricity.
Everyone has their own.
No villages, no men,
no nothing.
Looks good?
It's Broadway.
For the rent and wood,
we'll do as agreed.
He says that if you give him more,
the cabin is yours.
He wants to move to Irkutsk
because he is sick.
Phlebitis.
He needs to see a doctor.
How much more?
He asks you for 80,000 rubles.
Deal.
It's yours.
So, to my new house.
Siberian cabin by Lake Baikal.
To my new house.
A Siberian cabin by Lake Baikal.
Correct.
Your rifle,
to hunt bears.
- He's giving it to you.
- But I don't hunt.
- For the bears.
- Bears?
This is the perfect place
to kill yourself.
- What did he say?
- Oh, nothing.
Good luck.
Thank you.
I came to get closer to the unknown -
the cold,
the silence,
space,
and solitude.
At The Heart of The World
In cities, the minutes,
the hours, the years fly by.
Here, time slows down.
I am free
because my days are free.
- How long did it take you?
- Five hours. It was windy.
- Is it cold to the north?
- No.
- Snow?
- No.
So, any big events in the world
these last days?
Events?
Nothing special.
Events...
A bear came to my place
and it ate all my food.
- A bear in winter?
- Yes!
It must be a sick one.
Tell me, are there any hunters
near the lake?
No... Too cold.
I saw something near my house...
A trap.
Must be an old one.
A few years ago,
some guy was hiding around nearby.
Hiding... Why?
He killed a man in Irkutsk.
He was waiting
for the crime to time out.
And nobody came to arrest him?
- Here?
- Yes.
Come on... No.
That's why Russians
are doing such mess.
Anytime, they can escape
into the forest.
I think you found his old trap.
You know what happened to him?
It was ten years ago.
He must have gone or died.
One cannot survive
in the taiga for so long.
Tell me, how much do you want?
700 rubles
for the sugar and potatoes.
Tea and honey is a present.
Really? Thank you.
Here you go.
How long are you here for?
I don't know.
It's your home now.
Yeah, you're right.
Walk that way.
It's not so windy there.
A snow storm's coming in a few days.
Stay in the house.
I speak a little Russian.
I'm French.
French?
Yes.
I'm a poacher.
Animals.
A poacher... OK.
Don't tell anyone about me.
Not talk about you.
I'm not allowed to be here.
Is that clear?
- Is that clear?
- Yes.
You're wasting it!
I can't shoot.
I don't know how.
Give it to me
and I'll show you.
Cartridges?
Cartridges.
Look.
No...
No...
No.
Don't wiggle.
Quit wasting.
Siberia
China - Mongolia
Vasily Peskov
Lost in the Taiga
Who are you looking for?
You.
What do you want?
I want to talk to you.
I know who you are.
They're not after you.
They think you're dead.
You can trust me.
My name is Teddy.
Deer are lazy.
They hardly move around.
You must walk against the wind
to not scare them away.
How long have you lived here?
Have you been here a long time?
Where do you come from?
Ulan-Ude.
In Buryatia.
Across the lake.
I went to Irkutsk for work.
Foreman in a woodworking factory.
And you?
Multimedia project manager.
What are you doing here?
A break.
I've come to seek some peace.
Peace!
This is no place for men.
Teddy!
Are you OK?
Are you OK? Are you hurt?
They're on the hunt for bears.
Look at the blood.
From a helicopter?
Nouveaux riches having fun.
You shouldn't kill an animal for fun.
We have to find it.
It's getting closer.
We must go back to the lake
and take cover.
Do not fall asleep.
Do you hear me?
Don't fall asleep!
Speak, I'm listening.
Speak.
Talk to me.
It won't last long.
Long time?
Damn it, we won't make it.
Jesus Christ, son of God,
grant us Your blessing...
Have mercy on us.
When I killed him, I felt nothing.
I did it for no reason.
He was a lieutenant.
We served in the military together.
I was at his command.
Ten years later,
I ran into him near the university.
We had two bottles of vodka,
and we went to his place.
Then, we had a third.
Vodka is a quick drink...
His house was awfully warm.
It smelled like sausage.
The lieutenant
went on and on about his life,
the car he had just bought,
his dacha with a garden,
his two daughters
who were studying
Electromechanics in Omsk,
his vacation in Leningrad.
I was quiet for a long time.
I had nothing to tell him, you see?
I couldn't stop thinking
about my life, which was crap.
I gave my wife and children
a miserable life!
His wife came three times
to kick me out.
The fourth time, I insulted her.
The lieutenant punched me.
We clashed and fought on the ground.
I grabbed a knife
and ripped him open like a fish,
from neck to stomach.
See what I mean?
Something was smothering me.
Misery, perhaps.
Or desire.
Anger.
I hated the whole world.
And he was there.
Talking and talking.
I ran out of the house,
and then fled.
I didn't want to go to jail.
That's what I would've gotten -
jail time.
A trial.
I would have had to repent
before my wife and children.
You killed a man,
but you saved one too.
You saved me.
My name is Aleksei.
Ossipovitch.
I've been here for 12 years.
In three years, I'll be home.
Akim and Lana.
My children.
Do you have children?
No.
For years,
I thought I had time to...
start a family,
be happy, find my place.
And then, one day...
I woke up.
I realized I was stuck
in an empty, boring life.
I hadn't build anything.
Nothing.
Hot air.
I got lost.
So I quit my job.
I stopped believing
it was impossible to live otherwise.
And I dumped it all.
My comfort.
My job.
My family.
My friends.
I needed to know
if I had an inner life.
I had never felt this alive before.
This free.
Here,
I feel alive.
Now you cook them.
So, tell me,
who's the leader of Russia now?
Well, Putin.
Are you serious?
He served two terms.
Then, there was Medvedev.
They made some sort of deal.
Who's Medvedev?
A lackey to Putin.
To Putin!
To Putin, then.
And in the USA?
Bush didn't succeed
in doing the same this time.
Bush is not the same.
And his son?
His brother? No?
His grandson, maybe?
He's not really Bush's family.
He's black.
Black?
They elected a black president?
Obama.
I guess it's time for me
to get out of the woods!
To America!
Damn...
And Bin Laden?
The Americans killed him in Pakistan.
Dead!
To Pakistan!
I have to go.
You can sleep here.
Stay over.
I'm going!
In the wild steppes of Baikal...
It's my birthday.
It's almost spring.
The snow will melt.
We won't be able to move around.
No walking or sailing.
If you have to leave,
now is the time.
Why do you say that?
Because I know.
You know?
I can feel it.
Good morning!
Did you fire that distress flare?
No.
It was just a little "accident".
I had too much vodka.
I messed up.
We'll sell the fish
in Severobaykalsk.
It's impossible to fish now.
The ice is too thin.
It's dangerous.
So no fishing.
I see.
You speak better Russian now.
Yes!
I talk a lot... to myself.
A toast to the drive.
To a safe return home.
Listen,
there's a guy
who wants to buy your cabin.
It's not for sale.
He insists.
You want to spend
your life here, alone?
Tell your friend
that this is my house,
and I am not leaving.
Not leaving!
Alright, let's go.
Goodbye.
Good luck.
You really want to stay here?
I don't know.
You don't belong here.
You got it all there!
I dreamed so badly
about coming here.
This is my dream.
This is no one's dream.
Go home.
I have a high fever.
The wild rose
infusion.
I brought some supplies -
food and vodka.
I've been alone for a long time.
But you're not alone.
No one has taken care of me
in a long time.
"Nothing in his weary looks,
"in his perfectly worldly manners,
"revealed that there was
a little boy inside him,
"buried in the sands of time.
"This is what maturity
"and other costumes look like,
"and age, in this respect,
is the deftest of tailors.
"I had just turned 17,
and I hardly knew myself.
"Little did I suspect
"that a man can become old,
"reach high positions
"and die,
"while never outgrowing
"the child in the dark,
"longing for attention,
"forever waiting for a soft hand
"to stroke his head,
"and a voice that'd whisper,
'Yes, darling.
'Mommy still loves you.
'Like no one ever loved you'".
If I die, pick up the traps.
And eat the meat.
So that the animals are not wasted.
You know,
don't bury me.
I don't want to end up in the dirt.
Throw me in the Baikal.
You will die
in the company of your wife
and children.
You need to get better.
Antibiotics, alright?
We must go to Irkutsk.
No one's looking for you.
Listen to me.
Go home.
You will live a normal life there.
Hiding in the woods
is no way of living.
You hide more than I do!
Go back to your people.
Your loved ones need you.
I changed my mind.
Go to Irkutsk
and get me some medicine!
Alright?
Alright.
Take this to this address.
Who should I give it to?
Don't tell anyone about me.
Remember I'm dead.
I won't be long.
Two or three days, tops.
I've been holding on 12 years.
Teddy!
Aleksei!
I can take you only
to the Olkhon gates.
I must send
the weather report in an hour.
But you will find a truck over there.
You see?
Thank you.
I can't prescribe
without seeing the patient.
I told you, he can't walk.
I understand.
But the law is the law.
Right.
I'm going to prescribe an antibiotic
and some tonics.
So he can at least come here
if he doesn't improve.
Thank you.
Hello. Excuse me,
do you speak English?
A little.
Can you tell me
if I'm at this address here?
The station.
- Are you sure?
- The railway. Yes.
Thank you.
Could you please
translate this for me?
Yes.
You have made a part of the way.
Be strong.
Continue.
Don't be afraid.
You are free.
Yes, you're free!
I can't take you any further.
Where are we?
Go on foot.
It won't be hard
to find a motorcycle.
It's too dangerous by truck.
OK.
Right. Good luck.
I left the tomb of the cities
and lived in the taiga for one year.
One year.
One lifetime.
To Volodia...
Adapted from S. Tesson's
Dans les forêts de Sibérie
Subtitles: ECLAIR
like the collar of a tight shirt.
I left because the noise
was deafening me.
I was dizzy from not having time.
I wanted to live in slowness,
simplicity,
and wonder.
Keep only the essential.
But the essential can't be kept.
It must be discovered.
IN THE FORESTS OF SIBERIA
She was singing you
a traditional Buryat welcome song.
I see.
Thank you.
It's good!
Fish.
The bread of Baikal.
This stuff is greasy.
That's how it is.
- We eat it.
- Like this?
This is what we eat and drink.
He asks why you're here.
Tell him that I was actually here
seven years ago, one summer.
I always dreamed
of coming back and seeing...
Seeing the frozen lake.
What did he say?
Everybody dreams of living in Europe,
and you come here.
To you.
- And your happiness.
- Thanks.
From here on, there's no electricity.
Everyone has their own.
No villages, no men,
no nothing.
Looks good?
It's Broadway.
For the rent and wood,
we'll do as agreed.
He says that if you give him more,
the cabin is yours.
He wants to move to Irkutsk
because he is sick.
Phlebitis.
He needs to see a doctor.
How much more?
He asks you for 80,000 rubles.
Deal.
It's yours.
So, to my new house.
Siberian cabin by Lake Baikal.
To my new house.
A Siberian cabin by Lake Baikal.
Correct.
Your rifle,
to hunt bears.
- He's giving it to you.
- But I don't hunt.
- For the bears.
- Bears?
This is the perfect place
to kill yourself.
- What did he say?
- Oh, nothing.
Good luck.
Thank you.
I came to get closer to the unknown -
the cold,
the silence,
space,
and solitude.
At The Heart of The World
In cities, the minutes,
the hours, the years fly by.
Here, time slows down.
I am free
because my days are free.
- How long did it take you?
- Five hours. It was windy.
- Is it cold to the north?
- No.
- Snow?
- No.
So, any big events in the world
these last days?
Events?
Nothing special.
Events...
A bear came to my place
and it ate all my food.
- A bear in winter?
- Yes!
It must be a sick one.
Tell me, are there any hunters
near the lake?
No... Too cold.
I saw something near my house...
A trap.
Must be an old one.
A few years ago,
some guy was hiding around nearby.
Hiding... Why?
He killed a man in Irkutsk.
He was waiting
for the crime to time out.
And nobody came to arrest him?
- Here?
- Yes.
Come on... No.
That's why Russians
are doing such mess.
Anytime, they can escape
into the forest.
I think you found his old trap.
You know what happened to him?
It was ten years ago.
He must have gone or died.
One cannot survive
in the taiga for so long.
Tell me, how much do you want?
700 rubles
for the sugar and potatoes.
Tea and honey is a present.
Really? Thank you.
Here you go.
How long are you here for?
I don't know.
It's your home now.
Yeah, you're right.
Walk that way.
It's not so windy there.
A snow storm's coming in a few days.
Stay in the house.
I speak a little Russian.
I'm French.
French?
Yes.
I'm a poacher.
Animals.
A poacher... OK.
Don't tell anyone about me.
Not talk about you.
I'm not allowed to be here.
Is that clear?
- Is that clear?
- Yes.
You're wasting it!
I can't shoot.
I don't know how.
Give it to me
and I'll show you.
Cartridges?
Cartridges.
Look.
No...
No...
No.
Don't wiggle.
Quit wasting.
Siberia
China - Mongolia
Vasily Peskov
Lost in the Taiga
Who are you looking for?
You.
What do you want?
I want to talk to you.
I know who you are.
They're not after you.
They think you're dead.
You can trust me.
My name is Teddy.
Deer are lazy.
They hardly move around.
You must walk against the wind
to not scare them away.
How long have you lived here?
Have you been here a long time?
Where do you come from?
Ulan-Ude.
In Buryatia.
Across the lake.
I went to Irkutsk for work.
Foreman in a woodworking factory.
And you?
Multimedia project manager.
What are you doing here?
A break.
I've come to seek some peace.
Peace!
This is no place for men.
Teddy!
Are you OK?
Are you OK? Are you hurt?
They're on the hunt for bears.
Look at the blood.
From a helicopter?
Nouveaux riches having fun.
You shouldn't kill an animal for fun.
We have to find it.
It's getting closer.
We must go back to the lake
and take cover.
Do not fall asleep.
Do you hear me?
Don't fall asleep!
Speak, I'm listening.
Speak.
Talk to me.
It won't last long.
Long time?
Damn it, we won't make it.
Jesus Christ, son of God,
grant us Your blessing...
Have mercy on us.
When I killed him, I felt nothing.
I did it for no reason.
He was a lieutenant.
We served in the military together.
I was at his command.
Ten years later,
I ran into him near the university.
We had two bottles of vodka,
and we went to his place.
Then, we had a third.
Vodka is a quick drink...
His house was awfully warm.
It smelled like sausage.
The lieutenant
went on and on about his life,
the car he had just bought,
his dacha with a garden,
his two daughters
who were studying
Electromechanics in Omsk,
his vacation in Leningrad.
I was quiet for a long time.
I had nothing to tell him, you see?
I couldn't stop thinking
about my life, which was crap.
I gave my wife and children
a miserable life!
His wife came three times
to kick me out.
The fourth time, I insulted her.
The lieutenant punched me.
We clashed and fought on the ground.
I grabbed a knife
and ripped him open like a fish,
from neck to stomach.
See what I mean?
Something was smothering me.
Misery, perhaps.
Or desire.
Anger.
I hated the whole world.
And he was there.
Talking and talking.
I ran out of the house,
and then fled.
I didn't want to go to jail.
That's what I would've gotten -
jail time.
A trial.
I would have had to repent
before my wife and children.
You killed a man,
but you saved one too.
You saved me.
My name is Aleksei.
Ossipovitch.
I've been here for 12 years.
In three years, I'll be home.
Akim and Lana.
My children.
Do you have children?
No.
For years,
I thought I had time to...
start a family,
be happy, find my place.
And then, one day...
I woke up.
I realized I was stuck
in an empty, boring life.
I hadn't build anything.
Nothing.
Hot air.
I got lost.
So I quit my job.
I stopped believing
it was impossible to live otherwise.
And I dumped it all.
My comfort.
My job.
My family.
My friends.
I needed to know
if I had an inner life.
I had never felt this alive before.
This free.
Here,
I feel alive.
Now you cook them.
So, tell me,
who's the leader of Russia now?
Well, Putin.
Are you serious?
He served two terms.
Then, there was Medvedev.
They made some sort of deal.
Who's Medvedev?
A lackey to Putin.
To Putin!
To Putin, then.
And in the USA?
Bush didn't succeed
in doing the same this time.
Bush is not the same.
And his son?
His brother? No?
His grandson, maybe?
He's not really Bush's family.
He's black.
Black?
They elected a black president?
Obama.
I guess it's time for me
to get out of the woods!
To America!
Damn...
And Bin Laden?
The Americans killed him in Pakistan.
Dead!
To Pakistan!
I have to go.
You can sleep here.
Stay over.
I'm going!
In the wild steppes of Baikal...
It's my birthday.
It's almost spring.
The snow will melt.
We won't be able to move around.
No walking or sailing.
If you have to leave,
now is the time.
Why do you say that?
Because I know.
You know?
I can feel it.
Good morning!
Did you fire that distress flare?
No.
It was just a little "accident".
I had too much vodka.
I messed up.
We'll sell the fish
in Severobaykalsk.
It's impossible to fish now.
The ice is too thin.
It's dangerous.
So no fishing.
I see.
You speak better Russian now.
Yes!
I talk a lot... to myself.
A toast to the drive.
To a safe return home.
Listen,
there's a guy
who wants to buy your cabin.
It's not for sale.
He insists.
You want to spend
your life here, alone?
Tell your friend
that this is my house,
and I am not leaving.
Not leaving!
Alright, let's go.
Goodbye.
Good luck.
You really want to stay here?
I don't know.
You don't belong here.
You got it all there!
I dreamed so badly
about coming here.
This is my dream.
This is no one's dream.
Go home.
I have a high fever.
The wild rose
infusion.
I brought some supplies -
food and vodka.
I've been alone for a long time.
But you're not alone.
No one has taken care of me
in a long time.
"Nothing in his weary looks,
"in his perfectly worldly manners,
"revealed that there was
a little boy inside him,
"buried in the sands of time.
"This is what maturity
"and other costumes look like,
"and age, in this respect,
is the deftest of tailors.
"I had just turned 17,
and I hardly knew myself.
"Little did I suspect
"that a man can become old,
"reach high positions
"and die,
"while never outgrowing
"the child in the dark,
"longing for attention,
"forever waiting for a soft hand
"to stroke his head,
"and a voice that'd whisper,
'Yes, darling.
'Mommy still loves you.
'Like no one ever loved you'".
If I die, pick up the traps.
And eat the meat.
So that the animals are not wasted.
You know,
don't bury me.
I don't want to end up in the dirt.
Throw me in the Baikal.
You will die
in the company of your wife
and children.
You need to get better.
Antibiotics, alright?
We must go to Irkutsk.
No one's looking for you.
Listen to me.
Go home.
You will live a normal life there.
Hiding in the woods
is no way of living.
You hide more than I do!
Go back to your people.
Your loved ones need you.
I changed my mind.
Go to Irkutsk
and get me some medicine!
Alright?
Alright.
Take this to this address.
Who should I give it to?
Don't tell anyone about me.
Remember I'm dead.
I won't be long.
Two or three days, tops.
I've been holding on 12 years.
Teddy!
Aleksei!
I can take you only
to the Olkhon gates.
I must send
the weather report in an hour.
But you will find a truck over there.
You see?
Thank you.
I can't prescribe
without seeing the patient.
I told you, he can't walk.
I understand.
But the law is the law.
Right.
I'm going to prescribe an antibiotic
and some tonics.
So he can at least come here
if he doesn't improve.
Thank you.
Hello. Excuse me,
do you speak English?
A little.
Can you tell me
if I'm at this address here?
The station.
- Are you sure?
- The railway. Yes.
Thank you.
Could you please
translate this for me?
Yes.
You have made a part of the way.
Be strong.
Continue.
Don't be afraid.
You are free.
Yes, you're free!
I can't take you any further.
Where are we?
Go on foot.
It won't be hard
to find a motorcycle.
It's too dangerous by truck.
OK.
Right. Good luck.
I left the tomb of the cities
and lived in the taiga for one year.
One year.
One lifetime.
To Volodia...
Adapted from S. Tesson's
Dans les forêts de Sibérie
Subtitles: ECLAIR