José and Pilar (2010) - full transcript

Pilar.

We'll meet elsewhere.

For Pilar, who had not yet been born
and took so long in coming

in Small memoirs

Well...

Different times all
have something good...

and something
bad about them...

But as a community,
the human species is a disaster.

A disaster!

So, it's hard to say,
that the past was better.

Fear? Nothing... nothing...



No... no...

I don't like it at all,
of course, obviously.

And now, well,
at my age...

When, let's say
that everything's clear

that the exit
is right here,

No...

I'm not frightened of... No.

But one thing
I really don't like at all

is when people say...

"ahh, to be alive and die and all that..."

For me, death is...

I don't know what awaits us,

or as I'm about to die...

how I'll understand it...



But for me, death right now
is the difference

between having been
and being no more.

This is what...
that is what really bothers me.

You're welcome Pepa,
a big kiss and see you soon.

Bye, bye.

Thank you...

Jos? Saramago.

Portuguese Nobel prizewinner
for Literature

is concluding his novel "Small Memoirs"

which will probably see the light
of day in November.

Let us finish with a phrase of his, :

"The history of man is the history
of his not meeting with God.
Lanzarote - Spain - 2006

He doesn't understand us,
we don't understand him"

As always a great translation
by Pilar del R?o,

whom I embrace.

And now, the best music.

A film by

JOS? AND PILAR

February 2nd 2006
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE LIBRARY

I once wrote that
everything is autobiographical.

That we all tell our story
in everything we do and say,

in our gestures,
in the way we walk and look,

how we turn our heads or pick
something up from the ground.

I mean, we live
surrounded by signs,

we ourselves are
a system of signs.

And be that as it may,
for my readers to be at ease,

this Narcissus who today
contemplates himself in the water,

will tomorrow destroy
his own reflection

with his own hand.

What is it?
"Young Armani".

When you get the chance,
snip it out with some small scissors.

It's incredible!

It's like a dream.

- Goodbye Armani, goodbye.
- Isn't that right?

I still have to translate it,

because I'm not really
sure what it's about...

- I've read a bit and it is about...
- It's not that... no, it's not.

The book will be titled,

"The Elephant's Journey".

It's not about the people

who go with the elephant,
who took him.

- Of course.
- It's the elephant.

And what does the elephant
do all this time?

It walks, walks, walks,
trudges on and on,

nothing else.

I still need more information,

things which seem pretty silly, right?

Are elephants like horses,
do they sleep standing up?

- I don't have the slightest idea.
- I never had an elephant.

- Right.
- And that's the problem right there.

It's the small things which
seem so silly but which are vital.

There's an idea, but...
It's very hard, very very hard.

Let's see, let's see...

Let time pass,
let things mature...

And if it is meant to be, it will be,
and if it isn't, it won't. Period.

Pilar!

Tell me, my dear.

I'm going home.

ACT I
THE PREPARATION

Let's see...

No...

No...

A little trick here.

This one here and that one there.

This one's won!

And then the cards...
begin to dance...

in arches.

It's funny,
it's quite pretty.

It's good to keep
Alzheimer at bay.

Supposing that Alzheimer had set in,
I wouldn't be able to win this game,

or any game.

Nice, isn't it?

"Hello and good morning
to our listeners in Portugal."

Jos? has a daughter called Violante,

and two grandchildren, Tiago and Ana.

He also has a wife,
with whom you're speaking,

who is the oldest of 14
brothers and sisters.

This means that Saramago
has a big family.

OK, bye,
Lots of love, Paula.

Here's Jos?.

Saramago's declarations

in the end are so naive
they're actually embarrassing.

If he was enchanted
by the Nobel Prize...

Jos? Saramago owes it all to Portugal.

And he is no better than
any other Portuguese person.

Jos? Saramago did for the
Portuguese language

what many millions of citizens
were unable to do...

We are now reopening the forum
in which we debate the controversy

Jos? Saramago has provoked
because of his words...

I really don't know what to say.

We'll say that...
we are literature students

and that is why we came to see him.

That our literary criticism teacher
recommended we visit him.

- We'll talk about how beautiful Lanzarote is.
- Should we talk about literature?

- No.
- We'll ask him to sign our books.

And we can ask him
if he'll take a picture with us.

- Good morning!
- Good morning!

Sara.

Lucca.

- Francesca.
- Nice meeting you.

Alicia.

Well...

What language shall we speak in?

- English, Italian.
- A bit of Spanish.

- French.
- And a bit of French.

So, a bit of everything.

How's it going?

We decided to come...

So how are you coming
along in Portuguese...

the language and its literature?

We went to the book fair in
Turin, in May, to meet you...

I have to go to Turin in September,

the same time as an opera of mine,

will be opening at La Scala...

Not exactly an opera of mine,
because I'm not a musician, of course.

Then this sense of wandering,
through I don't know how many centuries,

ever since Tirso de Molina,
saying that

Dom Giovanni is a scoundrel,
mean, a bad person...

Well, it was a pleasure meeting you all,
and if you come back one day, you know.

I'll be here,
waiting to have a coffee with you.

And how's Berlusconi doing?

So so...

Pilar.

I'm going home.

I mean, these texts
are important, very important.

Bloom's presentation, Harold Bloom,

I'm not sure whether it's in Coimbra
or New York...

This is great: That "The Cave"
was elected best whatever...

we can save it or throw it away.

- How did Jos? learn English?
- Which unfortunately he doesn't...

- Jos? doesn't know how to speak English.
- No, we won't go...

Either we won't answer,
or we'll say we are unable to reply.

Say we can't, and that's that.

This is Jos?!

Jesus, he looks so thin!

The title is
"City of The Blind" from the "Essay".

Sure...

It's all in the mind of Man.

Is this really supposed
to be a caricature of Jos??

These are things of mine which I...

- We got a letter...
- Is it done? Print it.

Is it about the war?

These are things which
people make and send us.

It's amazing!

I feel terrible tearing up
what these people have made.

Food!

Cod au gratin for 6...

This we'll save.

With horrible letters, it depends...

The horrible letters which are insulting
go straight in the bin,

but the ones which put forth an idea,
we respect and reply.

Dear Jos? Saramago,
I would like to say that my father...

My dear narrator,
with all due respect to Pilar,

I would like to declare that you, Jos?,
are the most important,

the ultimate man of my life...

Sara Mago! Who is this lady?

And what does she have against God?

At your age,
Sara, dear,

you should start
making peace with everyone...

My birthday is also on November 16th.

And I always remember you when
I'm blowing the candles.

Stupid, stupid,
neurotic jerk!

Too bad the inquisition isn't still
around,

you would have been
publicly burned at the stake

and I'd have watched
from a front row seat!

Jos?, did you read the news...

...about how they want to recreate

the origin of the universe,
in Switzerland?

I don't know what's going to
come of this experience...

I hope they don't create another
universe as bad as this one,

or a planet as crazy
as the one we live on.

...There'll be strong winds,
up to 60km/h, fanning the flames

maybe starting a new fire front.

Fear of war in the Caucasus has
increased...

February 4th.

We see the abyss,
right in front of our eyes,

and yet we head straight towards it,
like a bunch of suicidal lemmings

with the big difference that,
on the way,

we amuse ourselves,
by slaughtering each other.

Jos?, these are the books
you have to write dedicatories for,

and the owners will give them to me.

These are books that people, who
know you're here, leave at the library.

- We've come to this?
- Yeah...

You have to do it
otherwise they'll be asking:

"Is my book ready?
Is my book ready?"

This is getting out of hand...

Now comes the worst part.

I don't know where to begin!

To preside over the official
award ceremony...

Pilar... no,

Which should be happening
at the end of this June...

We'll be in Japan.

Istanbul... has to be one weekend
before the end of May.

Shit!

A weekend, 2 or 3 days
and that's it.

Saro, that agenda full of papers...
Bring it here.

Hello, hello.

I mean, you come here
and don't even greet the boss!

What's all that about?

How are you?

- That's it, Italy.
- I don't know if it's worthwhile.

Going to Rome in December?

As it's so far off still,
we can say yes...

and then look into it later.

This for example,
they only want your support...

- It's so hot, my God!
- And what are they asking, dear?

- Support?
- Yes.

Maria Cortez, who is this woman?

Makes no difference.

"What would happen if a man
killed another with his...

his seminal fluid, like poison..."

This one's gay.

Are you going to read it?

I should try to read these books
but they're so thick...

It's an association
from Madrid that...

has sent you a magazine
for you to see what they're doing.

There you have it...
all seen.

How am I supposed
to write a preface

for an installation,
if I've never seen it?

- So, we'll say you can't.
- No, let me answer this one.

Shit, I haven't had time
to look into this.

- It's the Dalai Lama...
- And what does the Dalai Lama want?

To see if I want to be part of
an honorary commission...

He's not really much
to my liking.

We could...
No, I could write a letter saying;

"My husband agrees
to be part of the commission,

but does the Dalai Lama
know that Saramago is a communist?

And that he doesn't
believe in God,

nor will he even begin to believe
over the next 200 years?"

And another pile here where
we'll put all the Portuguese literature.

We've already put all the
Central European literature there...

February 9th

At the front door,
there is the container

with the books which came from Lisbon.

Boxes and crates everywhere
out of which comes an occasional

forgotten object,
as if somebody from back home

had amused himself
by hiding memories in the crates.

A murmur saying:

We haven't forgotten you,
so don't you forget us.

February 12.

Another dog showed up here
around a month ago,

we don't know where it came from,

and nobody has come by
to claim it so far.

Cam?es was a bit wary at first,
perplexed by the intruder's small size.

March 21,

we were all very glad thinking that

maybe there'll be something
by Siza Vieira here on Lanzarote.

It would be a good way to begin
Portugal's re-conquest of the island.

March 31.

In front of the library,
we planted an olive tree today

I doubt that,
in this climate,

it'll ever attain
the irradiant plentitude

of the quince in Victor Erice's
film "The Quince Tree Sun".

May 2.

I began to write
the story about the elephant.

WE ALWAYS ARRIVE AT THE PLACE
WHERE WE ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE

Giving time to time,
everything in the universe

fits together in the end.
And then there's the elephant.

Solomon had no idea
of what was waiting for him.

Listen, I'm going to talk loudly
because I don't know if you can hear me.

I can hardly hear you because
of the construction noise here,

which has been going on for
I don't know how many months or years!

They never seem to finish this library.

Listen, we're going to give
Jos? a surprise party

for his 84th birthday in Azinhaga.

He doesn't know, but it'll be
the presentation of his "Small Memoirs",

not only in Portugal
but in Spain as well,

if I can finish the translation.

The village is called...
shit!

The village is called Azinhaga.

And it's been in the same place
since the birth of the nation.

The house where I was born
no longer exists,

which doesn't mean much
because I can't remember anything

about ever having lived there anyway.

The regime was brought down,
by a military coup as expected.

I am at a loss for
words to describe that day,

the troops, the combat vehicles,
the happiness,

the nervousness, the purejoy.

I am, at the moment, alone...

"Manual of Painting
and Calligraphy"

I think this text
is poorly translated,

I would never have
translated it like this.

"Death with Interruption"
"The Stone Raft"

"All the Names",
"The Gospel".

- Jesus dies... dies.
- Jesus dies... dies.

When suddenly the sky is torn asunder,
and above his head, God appears,

his voice resounding across the land,
you are my most beloved son,

and in you I place all my complacency.

And Jesus then understood
that he had been

led on by error,
led to the sacrifice like a lamb...

That his life had been traced out
beforehand

from the beginning of the beginning
for him to die like that.

From the beginning of the beginning...

And he exclaimed at the open skies,
where God was smiling down...

Humankind,

Forgive him as he knows not
what he does...

It'sjust some tall tale,
a huge hoax...

I went to church once or twice
when I was 6, but I didn't...

I wasn't convinced at all.

And I went and told my mother, no,

I'm not going, I'm not going there.

I didn't go and I never went again.

I haven't had any religious crisis,

I'm not afraid of death,

I'm not afraid of Hell,

I'm not afraid of what you could call
eternal damnation,

because of sins which, what sins...

What is all this about sin?
Who was it who invented sin?

Once somebody invented sin,
the guy who invented it began to yield

an instrument of dominion over others,
a mighty instrument.

And that's what the church did.

But not so much anymore, poor guys,

since they don't have half
the power they used to.

It'sjust another farce,
a tragic farce.

Where is God?

They used to say he was in heaven,
but heaven doesn't exist!

There is no heaven!

What is this "heaven"?

There's only space.

For 13 thousand million light years.

Imagine...

the limits of the universe can be found

13 million 700 thousand
light years away...

Light years!

Where's God?

If you want to believe,
believe and have done with it.

I say it loud and clear,

that no, for me, no.

And remember,
that 83 is a good age

to begin thinking
about the future, right?

I mean, a guy can do
a lot of stupid things in his life,

say a lot of absurd things
about the Lord,

but when you get to be 83,

you should begin
to be a bit more careful

about what you say.

But that doesn't change reality.

Reality continues the same
as always.

We're born, we live,
we die and that's it.

Nothing more.

I hope that this doesn't happen.

I hope I die lucid
and with my eyes open.

At least that's
the way I'd like it to be.

July 7th

To feel that the end of each day
is an irreparable loss.

That is probably what old age
is all about.

One day the sun goes out
and it's over.

And the universe wouldn't even know
that we had ever existed.

The universe wouldn't even know
that Homer had written The lliad.

Jul 9th 2006
THE OPENING OF THE LIBRARY

I would like to welcome you all
to the library,

which was born
from a crazy idea,

because, every time
we needed a book at home,

we'd have to go out and buy it,
because we could

never find it...

It wasn't a crazy idea,
it was the idea of a crazy person.

Well, it wasn't exactly like that,
but it was nice of you

to have applauded so much.

Not everyone here will be aware
that Jo?o Afonso

is the nephew of the great
Zeca Afonso.

Being an artist's nephew
doesn't mean much

or maybe nothing at all...

There's a family tie...

Talk in Spanish!

Jos?, do you want me to do
a simultaneous translation for you?

You're speaking Portuguese.

Yes, I do that sometimes.

You should all learn!

Not all of you here are aware...

So far it's Spanish, right?

Not all of you here are aware
that Jo?o Afonso

is the nephew of the great,
unforgettable Zeca Afonso,

but a sort of miracle of sound,
of presence, of voice, look,

has been created here,

which allows us to think,

once in a while,

that death doesn't exist.

And... nothing more.

The reception lasted 3 hours.

I was already tired of smiling,

of the mental strain
it took to sound intelligent.

The weather is cold.
Grey, overcast.

July 10th.

I climbed Blanca Mountain yesterday.

I remember thinking,
while I was going up:

If I fall here and get myself killed
it's all over, no more books.

I was aware of time,

and a book can take
one or two years to write,

and you don't have that much time.

Yes?

Hello, how are you?

When are the direct flights to Lisbon?
Which is best?

Yes, because from here to Germany,

there are flights all day and everyday.

And for which dates?

But how can I leave Wednesday,
if it's already the day after tomorrow?

I don't believe it, I was talking
with my mobile upside-down!

No wonder I could hardly hear anything,
and she couldn't hear me,

I was talking to her with it upside-down.
Please, could you... like this,

and she was saying "I can't hear you".

How funny.

...with the the representatives
of the pilots' union, SECLA

and the Transport Ministry

to try and solve the conflict
with lberia...

Oh well.

...to call off the strike planned
for next Monday.

We have to go over
my appointments.

See what we can take out...

I have to tell you that I am less
and less enthusiastic

about presenting my book
down at the village.

I mean, I don't even know anybody
there anymore and each time that...

But you don't do it for yourself,
you do if for the village.

Why do I do it?

You don't do it for yourself,
you do it for the village.

It's a gift to the village...

But the village...

You make the village proud,
like that day of the library.

The village will be enchanted,

people will participate and you will
make others talk about your village,

And they like this.

No.

Yes?

Yes, the phrase for the monument...

That's it, just a phrase,

in honor of those
killed in the Civil War.

When I was a kid,

I had this nightmare...

terrible...

Which went invariably
something like this:

I would find myself in closed quarters,
with no door nor windows,

in a triangular space...

And I'd be at one of the
triangle's vertices.

And on the other side,
in the distance,

I could see something
on the ground,

something I could never
make out clearly.

And this something,

which could have been
water on the ground, or a stone...

Or all these
at the same time,

but nothing of the kind...

It would begin to grow
and there was a song,

which I could never
really make out either...

And that something
would grow, grow, grow...

and there was no escape.

It would grow, grow,
getting closer, closer...

until, in the end, before
it could suffocate me, I'd wake up.

The 6-day lberia Airline pilots' strike
is due to begin at midnight tomorrow,

and 1,500 flights
will be cancelled.

I ask the collaborators to reflect
on this subject with me.

I present you Pilar del Rio,

good morning Pilar.

Hello. Good morning.

Pilar, you are one
of those most deeply affected!!

Oh God! I have, next week,
11 flights in one week.

Then a strike is just
the right thing for you, Pilar!

You can get some rest.

Thank you so much,

I will now take my leave
until next season.

15th July.

Inevitably I think about my book,
"Small Memoirs",

continually announced and postponed,

which I'll say won't be a book of
memoirs,

but what I can say, is that
"this is the memory I have of myself."

ACT II
THE JOURNEY

Hours too slow.

Days too fast.

And we now go straight
to Azinhaga, Barbara.

And we can see a few images now
of Saramago's arrival.

November 16th 2006
JOS?'S BIRTHDAY

With around 1000 people
Gathered... applauding.

These people were not
only local inhabitants,

but guests as well...

Pilar!

When Pilar told me:

"We're thinking of having your
book launch in Azinhaga"

I said:

"Oh Pilar, don't do that."

After all...

I'll tell you something...

I think that if there were fewer of you,
I would have already started to cry.

But there are so many of you
that I can't even cry.

I would like to inform you all
that Jos? Saramago

will be seated at this table
giving autographs

and I ask you all to organize a line.

Otherwise, nobody will be able
to get their book signed.

An old, abandoned factory which
Saramago picked to hold his book launch...

And more than one thousand people
gathered, seated and standing

around to see Jos? Saramago up close,

to hug him, kiss him,

and, of course, to get their books
signed,

as can be seen by this long line,
with hundreds of people...

Has a cycle come to an end? Has
the author returned to his origins, at 84?

No. I mean,

I'm not sure this ends a cycle.

We can only tell when a cycle
has closed after it comes to an end.

And I'm not sure
It has come to an end yet.

Dad, there are still
a lot of people left.

Do you want to stop?

There's no point stopping...

J. Sicaia... could you write that?

- I'm not writing dedications.
- I'm sorry,

Carry on, carry on...

You have nothing to be sorry for.

It is I who must apologise,

for things being like this,
with so many people...

If I were to write dedications the line
would still be at the beginning.

A long life to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday dear Saramago!

A round of applause.

Jos?, honey, go autograph your books.
I'll cut. OK?

- Do you want anything to eat?
- No, thank you.

Go on, go sign your books.

Can I congratulate you?

Congratulations, much happiness.
Thank you.

Jos? Saramago has, at the moment,
450 books to sign...

Our flight will last
approximately 12 hours

and we will be landing at 9:30,
6 hours behind local time.

Capital Radio,

Broadcasting from Guadalajara, Jalisco.

The news with Manolo Tavares.

We have in our country, right now,
the Nobel prize-winning,

Portuguese writer, Jos? Saramago,
for the opening

of the International
Book Fair of Guadalajara, 2006

The Author Gabriel Garc?a M?rquez,
Nobel prize winner for literature.

Author Jos? Saramago, also a Nobel
prize winner for literature.

Jos? entered Granada
led by the hand of love.

Where he came upon
another enormity,

the enormity of Pilar's family.

And, knowing Pilar as well as I do,

I am absolutely convinced,
that there are two Jos? Saramagos:

One Jos? Saramago
before meeting Pilar,

and another Jos? Saramago
after meeting Pilar.

Victory, victory,
my part of the story is over.

I met this family...

of 15 brothers and sisters.

And me, being this quiet man,
silent, melancholic,

a bit sad,
as I describe myself,

suddenly saw myself surrounded
by 15 barbarians,

because they are barbarians,
savages!

How many nights that...

I go to bed exhausted,

convinced that I'll be able to sleep,

and their voices follow me,
bellowing from the kitchen...

They are, though,
all very fine people.

Do I only have five
more minutes?

First of all, nobody told me
how many minutes I'd have!

So they can't come and tell me now
I only have five minutes left.

They'll have to wait.

I'll ask you if you've left anything out,
because as a reporter they tell me:

"Declaration of the Third World War,
in 30 seconds",

And so, if you are in a hurry,
I'll help you.

If it were you sitting here we'd all
be out on the street by now.

We have more time!

And what do we have now?

Let's talk about the play

THEATER ADAPTATION
DEATH WTH INTERRUPTIONS
about the reading in two voices
the day after tomorrow.

Introduce yourselves.

I'm afraid it'll be too much,
I see so many pages here.

The play is a recital...
you don't have to memorise it

This is what the tow of us were
supposed to do.

The person who copied it
didn't understand it.

Alright Jos?.

We've got to... who reads it?

Or isn't it read?

Jos?, we'll see about that later...

What time did we say our meeting
was this afternoon?

3:30.

We'll talk to the director at 3:30. OK?

The guy who conceived the whole thing.

You called me here for
a work meeting and I'm...

No, no, only for us to see
about the time...

- To schedule the rehearsals.
- It's the schedule for the rehearsals.

As this worries me,
it is only natural that I say something.

Of course.

But if this isn't the right time,
I won't say anything more.

Each one of us knows our part
and it'd be better

if we didn't interfere with
other people's territory.

But I don't want to interfere, Pilar!

- I don't interfere.
- We have a meeting at eight tonight...

What time can you make it to the
rehearsal?

At 12 tomorrow, my husband
has a press conference.

There's another one at 3:00...

at 5, a doctor's appointment...

Jos? you don't have
to come to my conference!

Go to the rehearsal.

I have ideas for books,
and she has ideas for life.

And I don't know
which is more important.

Now that's nice!

Pilar, come here!

I just said something beautiful.

What is it, dear?

That I have ideas for books...

Yes.

And you have ideas for life!

Oh, that's nice!

And I don't know which is more
important!

What do you think?

I'm not so sure.

I think life!

Well, so I'll just have to
keep to my place.

You have an interview
waiting for you now.

Hold on, I'm going to see
how things are.

- An interview with who?
- Marisol.

Soon, dead photographers, reporters,

cameramen are going
to start popping up...

and as nobody is going to think
I'm the assassin,

as long as there are reporters,
I'm going to continue killing them.

- C'mon, let's go.
- Most of all, photographers.

So begin killing them then,
television is waiting.

Do you all think that
at this point in life

a person has anything left to say,

that is worthwhile?

This phrase here is interesting,

"I live disquietly
and I write to disquiet",

I said that I don't know
how many years ago

and I completely forgot
I had ever said it.

So I'm going to recycle it,
and use it again.

Tell me when.

Are we recording? OK.

Jos?, if you could give us
a greeting

for the program,
as it'll be broadcast at Christmas.

If you could just
greet Mexico in general...

But with this cube here,
so they can see it.

What should I say, Pilar?

That Christmas should be
all year round...

Because it's a Christmas greeting,
isn't it?

Yes, for Christmas, yes.

But, I hate Christmas,
how can I say that?

November 28.

Between 9:30 in the morning

and 1 o'clock in the afternoon,
4 interviews.

I just can't understand why
in the world they're so interested

in declarations they've heard
so many times, over and over again!

- Can I take a picture with you?
- Take your picture.

Thank you and good luck.

Tomorrow, at the Diana Theatre,

will be the premiere of Death with
Interruption with Gael Garc?a Bernal

and the author Jos? Saramago.

Don't miss it.

The proceeds from ticket sales will
go to help children with cancer.

REHEARSAL FOR
"DEATH WTH INTERRUPTIONS"
...Which means that for all those people
who should already be dead,

the candle of life will
only go out when

the last toll of the bell
fades out at midnight.

Nobody died the following day!

Beautiful!

Wouldn't it be nice
if that were true, huh Pilar?

But it's not...

All I can say is that
I'm not very fascinated

by the idea of straightening
my relations with death.

But as she is inevitable
the best thing you can do...

Is sleep with her?

To get used to the idea?

Well, nothing would happen...

No, what's worst is that
everything would happen.

What's worst is that everything would
happen, a pain in the ass, dear...

And now I have a press conference,
no more, no less.

How nice!

I just came from a promo event...

And from various other places...

- Hour long conferences, huh?
- Yeah. They're unbearable.

The question that most...
that I can't stand...

is: "what do you feel?"

"What do you feel about being here?"

"What do you feel?"

What do you feel about being in
Guadalajara today?

What do you feel being here?

What do you feel?!
Weird.

Well, I guess, I don't know...

it's different, no?

I don't think so...

And when they ask you...

"Can I take a picture with you?"

It's awful!

I could say no,

"Look, I don't have time right now",
whatever,

but, well, I do it.

But I don't do it to be nice,

I do it because...

How can I say to someone:

"No. Don't take the picture".

For what reason?

Jos?, a picture!

Please, look at the camera,
just a photo!

THE WRITER AS A POLITICAL
REFERENCE IN SOCIETY
We live disquietly
and write to disquiet.

We do not want inactive readers,

we do not want conformist readers,

we do not want resigned readers,

I don't want to live off
the money of these types of readers.

I want to live off
the money of the other readers.

...made me think, sing,

LITERARY DIALOGUES:
LITERATURE AND POLITICS
dance, recite, recite poetry,

"Jesuza when are you going to get
married?

And she answered on the spot:

I'm married to a woman
and I'm very happy!"

Decisive acts of the 16th
Latin-American Literary prize...

...ln the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco,

Thejury is meeting for the 16th
edition of the prize-giving...

...the creativity has reinvented
the forms of thejournalistic short story...

...the literary essay,
contemporary thinking...

the riches of popular culture,
the spectacle of urban modernization,

and codes of power and mentality
over the 40 years of its existence.

SHOW BY MIGUEL RIOS

November 29th 2006
PRESS VIEWNG AND PREMIERE

A symbolic moment in which important
personalities hand over this cheque

to help benefit children with cancer.

We thank you all for this moment:

Gael how do you feel about being
back home in Guadalajara?

All I can say is that
I am happy to be here

acting alongside you, "master".

All I can say is that the "master"
is a great actor,

...most definitely!

And like all great actors,
will deny it.

Attention.

This is the third curtain call.

We will begin.

Nobody died the following day.

Being so different to the
usual norms of life,

it caused enormous anxiety
among the spirits...

This, my message,
I undersign with the name

I am generally known by:

Death.

Gael, I love you!

March 15th 2007
SPAIN

When I come back
from these trips next time.

I'll do everything...

The face...

- Massage?
- Massage, I mean, really!

A body massage will be enough.

PILAR'S BIRTHDAY

JOS?'S HONORIS CAUSA

RNE INTERVIEWWTH JOS?

FINNISH INTERVIEWWTH JOS?

TAPIES E JOS?
BOOK PRESENTATION WTH JOS?

Jos? Saramago is the author of
a vast and intense literary production

and the first Nobel Laureate
in Portuguese literature,

one of the world's most
widely spoken languages.

And because of this,
we request he be granted

the title of Doctor Honoris Causa.

- Are you OK? Feeling alright?
- Me? Yes, yes... I'm fine.

After 3 hours of interview...

I only say this because of your heart,
nothing else.

June 29th 2007
PORTUGAL

"On the 29th June 2007 in Lisbon,
in the notary public's presence,

the grantor, Jos? de Sousa Saramago,
hereby institutes,

by means of the present deed,

the foundation to be henceforth called
the Jos? Saramago Foundation."

DEEDS FOR THE JOS? SARAMAGO
FOUNDATION

It's done, it exists.

It wasjust born.

I was at the bank today and suddenly
realized that I had become poor.

I mean, my accounts
had been mine up to now.

Suddenly, it all goes
to the Foundation,

and the only two people
who can administer them

are: Mrs. Dona Pilar -
"presidenta" in the feminine!

And Mr. Sucena who is General Director.

I can't utter a peep!

Which country doesn't have an
extradition agreement with Portugal?

And they insist I still keep working...

To make sure the tit doesn't run dry...

Just kidding, but the other day
we were at home and Pilar...

We were talking about various things
and at one point Pilar asked me:

"But, tell me then,
what do you want me to do?"

And although I had never
thought about it before,

I had a ready answer:

"Continue me".

Yesterday I said that I hadn't realized
how tiring the trip to America had been.

It was only afterwards that I realized.
But we're not going to rest.

Jos? is going to write his book,
and I'm going to reorganize

all the foundation's pending issues
and draw up the agenda

for the last quarter.

The word "rest" is not a part of our
vocabulary.

This is something I would like
to say and make very clear,

because a lot of people,

(and increasingly this annoys me more
and more)

Come up and say:

"Well, Saramago is getting on in years
and should slow down a bit,

and that he's tired,
and I don't know what else"

And I say: OK, let me ask you.

What do you think he should do?

For Saramago to sit with a
stripey blanket over his legs?

Some people would like that.

But he's not going to do it.
What do they want?

For me to be more docile and domesticated,
stay at home and wash the dishes?

Well that's not going
to happen either!

If we completely exhaust
our energy one day,

we sleep, get our strength back
and continue forging ahead.

And we have eliminated the word "tired",
as there are already

so many young people who are tired,
who were born tired

and spend the whole day tired.

Honestly! We have all eternity,

A concept that is hard
even to conceive, to rest.

What do we have to do today?
Something at the village... great!

The day before yesterday where were we,
with four heads of state... Great!

And then the next, to travel
grieving because your mother died

and you were unable to arrive in time.

It's all part of life.

July 13th 2007
SPAIN

"Mail for the "tribe"
on Friday the 13th

most of the tribe will be arriving.

On Sunday the 15th we will
inaugurate a park called "Small Memoirs"

because mamma was very happy there.

On her patron saint's day
there will be a surprise:

Jos? and I are going
to take our wedding vows again.

It might sound like a mere formality
but it isn't.

We had promised mamma.

She would have liked to be present...

We arrived a couple of months too late,

but we came, and that's
what's most important.

We're almost there,
it's there up ahead.

CASTRIL
THE VILLAGE OF PILAR'S MOTHER

Mamma has died.

Oh Lord, glory of heaven,

we beseech thy kindness in gathering

into your fold your daughter Carmen,
my mother.

With us here are a few of my brothers
and sisters who are not very religious...

Let's leave it like that...

Our mamma sitting silently circled
by her angels, that was her world,

and for this reason
she contrasted so much with us!

Noisy, rebellious, lefties, trouble makers,
drinkers, smokers, charlatans.

Mamma took with her
a very important part of our past,

it will be hard, of course,
to learn how to live without mamma.

July 15.

God doesn't need man for anything,
except to be God.

Each man that dies is a death of God.

And when the last man dies,
God will resuscitate no more.

You drew in your horse
and came close to me

and never in my life have
I seen such green eyes.

Let's sing another.

Another pretty one she liked.

Mamma! Mamma!

Eugenia de Montijo!

What a pity, such a pity
that you're leaving Spain

to become a queen.

What a pity, such a pity...

A round of applause for mamma!

My mother would be
very happy here today.

And I'd like to add that Paco lba?ez's
mother would be too.

Paco lba?ez's mother was a Basque
woman and as you all know there is a

sort of matriarchal society
in the Basque country.

To hell with the Basques!

Well, if it bothers anyone,
let me be impertinent here,

feel free to leave,

as this ceremony is for human beings,
who respect and understand each other, OK?

But if anybody is bothered,

someone in this place called Spain
with 5 different nationalities,

with 20, 17 nationalities
and 4 languages they can leave

because all the languages in this
country are Spanish languages!

And the Basque country is Spain!

And if you like,
we will make this night a tribute

to all the mothers
who have already gone before us.

Because they gave us life, right?
What do you think?

This world is a road
leading to another which is home

with no sorrow

but we should have
the good sense

to make the journey
without error

the journey begins
when we are born,

walk while we live,

and arrive when we die,

so when we die,
we rest.

36 degrees...

July 16th 2007

...and now Andaluzia Music Radio
gives you, for all of you in love.

Pilar and Jos?,

our words begin here
and here they should end.

I say Pilar and Jos?
and I speak of love,

of the verb, of greater words.

In Pilar and Jos?'s love story,

there is room for us all,

and what I mean is:
Pilar and Jos?, yes we love you!

The civil code states that the spouse's
rights and obligations are as follows:

Husband and wife should
mutually respect and help each other,

The married couple must live together

and swear fidelity
and come to each other's aid.

Jos?, do you take Pilar
as your lawful wedded wife?

I do.

Pilar, do you take Jos? as your
lawful wedded husband?

Oh lord, of course!

That being so, Jos? and Pilar,
I, as president of the Castril town hall,

declare you man and wife.

Can we kiss?

Because if I throw and get it wrong.

For whoever wants it!

Long live the newly weds!

Hurrah!

Long live the newly weds!

Hurrah!

This one has two dates on it.

The date we met,
and then that of our wedding.

She called me, introduced herself
and said:

"I am Pilar Del Rio, reporter,

I am a big fan of yours
and as I am going to Lisbon

would like to meet you personally,
if you are free".

And that's what happened.

Oh yeah?

She didn't even say she wanted an
interview, only that she wanted to meet you.

No, no... there was no interview,
never was.

And when she showed up,
and I didn't know it was her,

she came walking in my direction,
and I thought to myself,

wow... now that's something...!

And you never thought of having kids?

At the beginning yes, but 63 is 63.

And I wouldn't want to have a baby now,

it would just complicate our lives.

For me, I think that reason
should guide our will.

This seems to be the coldest,
the strongest thing one can say.

I think we are rational beings and
we have an obligation to be rational.

And never let ourselves
be guided by instinct.

Or, in other words,
I refuse to cry,

to let myself get
dissatisfied and depressed.

Ohh, depression exists,
yes, but we can take

a couple of pills and get down to work.
Period.

I'm in favor of pharmaceuticals.

A whole life of pain, and now
we have drugs to help us get over them

and then the gurus come along and say:
"No... they're bad for you!"

No, what's bad for you is being sick!

We have to be less dramatic.

Especially those of us are privileged.

I cannot... I cannot allow myself,
the luxury of being desperate,

or hopeless, or sad.

Because I have everything.

Furthermore,
I have the strength to fight,

which is the greatest privilege of all.

Canal Sur Radio

Hello, and good morning, Pilar,

where are we speaking from?

March 25th 2007
FINLAND
From Finland where I was walking on water.

Like Christ!

I was walking on frozen water,
which is easier.

I've got something in common with
Christ, I don't like the weak.

I champion passion.

I can tell, Pilar.

Let's talk about the quotas.

Ok, let's talk about them,
because enough is enough.

50% of men and 50% of women...

100% of women,

to see if we can fix the problems
that 100% of men have caused.

The officer talks on the phone and they
then want to find a guilty party, why?

Because they need to.

They need someone
who can be held responsible.

And the last one.

What is a writer's duty?

To write.

As a writer as well as a citizen:

To intervene in society
as the citizen he is.

- What do we do now?
- I think we're going to have lunch.

- Anotherjournalist is coming now.
- Another one?

Another one, from
the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper,

the one with the widest circulation.

- Now?
- Yes, yes, now.

He's here already!

Brief answers, the shorter
the better for everyone.

And Jos? has to have a break since
he didn't sleep very well last night,

and rest a bit before 4:30...,

4:30 at the bookstore?
A signing session...

FINNISH PRESIDENT

We thank you for your patience.

Our literary guest
has been most patient,

autographing all your books.

If you have more than one book,
don't hesitate to ask

and he'll willingly
autograph them all.

March 25th
OPENING OF THE OPERA
BALTHAZAR AND BLIMUNDA

YLE INTERVIEW

March 26th

SEMINAR AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF HELSINKI

March 27th
TAMMI PUBLISHERS

March 28th
SPAIN

MADRID - PILAR'S SEMINAR
"CYBERSPACE AS PUBLIC SPHERE"

March 29th
FERROL PREMIERE OF THE SHORT FILM
THE HIGHEST FLOWER IN THE WORLD

April 7th
PORTUGAL

LISBON - FUTURE HEADQUARTERS OF
THE JOS? SARAMAGO FOUNDATION

RCP INTERVIEW

April 15th
MATOSINHOS - HOMAGE TO SIZA VIEIRA

April 28th

LISBON - SIGNING SESSION

May 15th

May 18th
SPAIN

May 19th
MADRID - HOMAGE TO POLANCO

MADRID - MEETING WTH VICTIMS
OF TERRORISM

What is happening today...

is in someway...

The universal truths...

They could...

No.

Not the universal truths, no.

Plural.

The plural truths... I'm sorry,

it'sjust that I am so tired.
Thank you Pilar.

I haven't had a holiday
for over 20 years.

"Ah! And why?
Why do you work so much?"

Because time presses.

And when time presses
a feeling of urgency arises.

Not because one person can save
the world through his writing,

He doesn't even know
if he can save himself.

He simply has to do
what he has to do.

Democracy is there, as if it were
a kind of saint on a pedestal.

Why would you want God the Universe?

What is the point of the Universe
in practice?

...a herd of lost sheep

The Universe will never know
that Homer wrote the lliad.

8, Quioto

25, Lisbon

Jos? Saramago is in our city
of Buenos Aires,

visibly debilitated

to present the Clarin Award...

This way of living
begins to seem absurd to me.

9, return to Madrid.

We'll be counting on Saramago's
presence here tomorrow.

It would look very bad if the person
being paid

homage to didn't go to
his own ceremony.

It's true, a virus is going around...

but Saramago,
with his tremendous strength,

will come.

Even if to do so he has to come
in a wheelchair like he did in Argentina.

But it does start to worry me...

After 11 hours on a flight
to Buenos Aires,

Jos? arrived completely dehydrated.

It is very brutal.

These trips are very brutal. Non-stop...

It'sjust... I don't know how many trips
we've made to America this year.

It's insane!

The hospital is here...

We could go on ahead a bit.

Afterwards,
we'll come out at the emergency exit.

November 16th 2007
MADRID - JOS?'S BIRTHDAY

My mother and my queen,

here I am on my way to Spain

from where I will never return.

And if you allow me,
I'd like to say that

at this moment,
Jos? Saramago has lost his voice,

and finds it difficult to speak,
but, in any case, he will take

a few secondsjust to thank you all.

Well, let us see if he can
tell you himself, speaking quietly.

Well,

if all people of good faith,

if all lovers of beauty,

if all those

who love honesty and justice,

could unite their forces

against the barbarism in the world,

the world would be able

to dignify Man,

the human beings that we are.

And perhaps

the world

would have a future.

Thank you all so much.

Pilar...

- Happy birthday to you...
- No, please no, no...

You can't imagine
how much this bothers him.

It would be better not to.

No Lisbon...

No, no, no.

We have to get back to our nest.

17, trip to Lisbon, cancelled.

18, Jos?'s official birthday
in Lisbon, cancelled.

19, trip to ?vora, cancelled.

20, return to Lanzarote.

November, 20.

Return to Lanzarote.

A very intense feeling
of being back home.

23, Lanzarote.

The opening of the exhibition
"The Consistency of Dreams"

about the life and works of Jos?.

- And so what do we do now?
- We'll speak tomorrow, OK?

I guess so, nobody will
be here early tomorrow...

It'll be very quiet,
and the light is beautiful.

And so, Violante, we're about
to start a very special week,

in your father's life and
our Nobel laureate.

How do you think Jos?
will react to this exhibition?

I think he will be very, very moved.

I'm convinced he will be, emotionally.

I haven't seen the exhibition.

He saw it being prepared, but with
everything that has been going on,

I'm sure he hasn't seen anything either.

From what I can tell,
it seems to be rather remarkable.

It is shocking...

Shocking.

That his own homeland is the country

which almost appears
to treat him the worst!

It is amazing that this exhibition,
this work,

about his work...

was put on in Spain.

We're on our way
to the exhibition right now.

Well, tomorrow I'll be
with the Minister of Culture

and I shall take advantage
of the fact to ask him for the number

while I'm there...

Are we going in?

We're going in.

This is it...

We're here.

Make sure you keep warm, Jos?.

These images here, Jos?...

Could you please move back,
please, so he can see?

This is a video from the
beginning of the century from Azinhaga.

Nothing, in the humble origins of Jos?,
would predict Saramago.

Growing surrounded by poverty

that would only allow him
to finish elementary school,

until the moment that,
when he was about 60,

he takes the most important
decision of his life

to start working
as a professional writer.

All the great events in my life
occured in my later years.

And this is the case of Jos?
who worked his entire life,

with dedication, with the rigor
of a factory worker and has finally

has reaped the reward

of seeing his literature
compared to the words of a prince.

Saramago told his guests and reporters
that he didn't want to talk about literature

that he would prefer
to talk about the world,

because the world
needed to be talked about.

Jos? you look great.

- Relatively...
- Give it a few days, just a few days.

But I'm getting over it... no strength,
no anything, but I'll pull through.

But, you're here,

85 years old, and you're here.

And in 3 or 4 days I'll get back
to the book I was writing.

All this...

which was something
I thought at the beginning,

could only be done in Lisbon,

because it is the
"Capital of the Kingdom"...

Well, it wasn't done,

and I doubt that it ever will be.

Nobody from the Portuguese
State or Government

was to be seen last weekend
in Lanzarote

where the biggest exhibition

dedicated to the Portuguese
Nobel laureate was opened.

Jos? Saramago was 85 years old.

Surprise, surprise,

Saramago looked fragile,
but on his feet, at least.

The local inhabitants from the islands

gestured and spoke kind words
in retribution.

Saramago, look after yourself
because we like you.

Are you asleep Jos??

Here, take off your coat and tie.

Put on this pyjama top,
you'll feel much more comfortable.

Are you happy?

More than happy...

Give me your hand.

Here you go.

The "Consistency of Dreams"...

is going to kill us.

Attention everyone!

The library of the Jos?
Saramago Foundation!

Enter and have a look,
enter and have a look!

SPANISH MINISTER OF CULTURE

Is Jos? sleeping?

Spain's problems will be over the day
we unite the lberian peninsula...

We'll put the capital in Lisbon,
the Portuguese will think it an honor,

they'll be as proud as can be...

And for God's sake!
Forget about the problem

with Catalonia and the Basque problem!
Enough!

And Madrid. Madrid will be
for enjoying life, for art.

The ministries, to Lisbon.

Would you mind a small provocation?

You're not going to unite
Austria and Germany as well, are you?

- No, no, no!!!
- It's an old dream.

No, no because Austria and
Germany would all become Nazis.

How long?

To know what my answers should be
like... brief?

Yes, brief.

Twenty seconds.

Jos? is presently writing
"The Elephant's Journey" is that correct?

What does Pilar know about this novel?

Well, I'm sorry to inform you that,
despite knowing

everything about it,
I'm not going to say anything.

- Jos? continues actively...
- Yes. He continues writing,

but not when he goes on trips.

He is on page fifty something and soon,
when this whole thing is over,

he is anxious to sit back down
in front of his computer

and write his daily program,
which is 2 pages a day.

So can we hope to see this
new book being released next year?

Well... I'd probably say more than hope,
you can be pretty sure of it!

And now for the latest news

Jos? Saramago has just been
admitted into a clinic in Lanzarote.

It has not been possible
to enter in contact

with any of Jos? Saramago's
family members.

This is, of course, something we will be
following over the next few hours.

December 18th
1st WEEK IN HOSPITAL

Cam?es I don't know what you have here.

I can't tell if this
is a burr or a tick.

This one showed up after they had just
told Jos? he had won the Cam?es Award.

That's why he's called Cam?es,

because he came the exact
same moment the news did.

And Pepe because

here in Spain everybody has
this habit of calling Jos?, Pepe.

So we decided
to call the dog Pepe

so that each time somebody
called Jos? Pepe...

Jos? would answer: "That sounds good.
But why are you telling the dog that?"

Pepe and Greta, his friends,
have already died.

Jos? was very ill,

but please, he isn't about to die.

Which is something
that all our colleagues seem to want.

Of course they do.

All of them are just waiting to publish
their pages...

It's incredible...

Incredible, our profession.

Come here, come here!

Come on over and cheer us up a bit,
we need it.

Oh... the hospital is all decorated
with Christmas decorations,

you wouldn't believe it...

2nd WEEK IN HOSPITAL

Pilar's here!

Come in Pilar.

3rd WEEK IN HOSPITAL

Pilar! Pilar!

Saramago!

Jos?! Saramago!
Saramago! Saramago!

The introduction:

Jos? arrived in Granada
and saw the Del Rio's "Cave".

And he did his best
to learn "All the Names",

Castril...

The wedding...

So pretty...

Let's go?

I'm going to the hospital.
Bye...

Goodbye...

And the countdown now begins,

and all you gentlemen
have to eat the 12 grapes.

Let's go then:

Now:

One!

Two!

Eleven!

Twelve!

Everyone with their glass...

To Jos?!

To Jos?!

Hold on... hold on...

A toast to Pilar.

To Pilar!

You say "ano feliz"?

Is that how you say it in Portuguese?

"Ano" is a bit strange, isn't it?

Pilar said that they're already
waiting...

Let's go...

Have you never been
to a demonstration before?

1... 2... 3!

They're doing the wave thing...

Say hello to them, Jos?...

wave your hand...

Life: Effective existence, the movement
of matter in an organized manner,

agitation, activity, movement.

Die,
live no more.

Like,
desire greatly,

never to be concluded.

To be extinguished, weakened.

Death:

Cessation of vital functions.

The end of life, to have been
and no longer be.

It was a river,
with clear water.

It was a field, all green,

and in the background,
a line of trees way in the distance.

And me,
walking in the water,

completely naked,
heading I don't know where.

I've been thinking:
Should I go and see Solomon!

Why is this animal so filthy?!

Where is its keeper?

I would imagine it has a keeper.

Manchester, Edinburgh,

Liverpool and London.

Is Lanzarote, at this moment of my life,
a recovered Azinhaga?

Love:

To have love, affection, devotion,
esteem...

Pilar, Pilar,

Pilar, Pilar...

Pilar, Pilar, Pilar...

Jos?... Jos?...

Jos?.

Jos?.

It's 12:00.

The book, Pilar.

I'm afraid of not being
able to finish it.

The dreams...

I have very strange dreams.

And all of this is also to do with
the place I'm in.

A constantly lit light.

To sleep, I close my eyes,
but the light continues.

And the dreams...

I've never had dreams like this.

Terrible.

And it is nothing to do with...

with death or the fear of death.

It's to do with situations.

There's this one dream
in which I scream.

I think I scream.

For Pilar...

And they're desperate screams.

And she doesn't come.

January 20th 2008
5th WEEK IN HOSPITAL

Oh, the elephant...
the elephant'sjourney.

This is the elephant'sjourney.

You light these...

Shit!

And the heat...

You see, isn't that nice?

I want to sit down.

I can see Jos? is getting better
and if Jos? gets better I'm fine.

But I couldn't care less
about anything else.

They can say what they like,
each and every one of them.

You know what the problem is?

Saramago never hid his age.

And I was told by the doctors that
this would be a long process.

At least three months, and
that there would be ups and downs,

And unhappily there was a down period.

Because what Saramago
didn't do was to rest at home.

He went to the opening
of the exhibition...

Travelled from Madrid to Lanzarote...

A press conference...

Received I don't know
how many people at home...

Over a few days, of course...

And he paid the price,
he's paying the price.

I can tell you,
this will not happen again.

From now on
no more paying...

We're not going to do anything...

But look after his health,
with lots of love and care.

Because...
if they want to break this rule,

it'll be over my dead body.

For the time being, I'm still alive,

and as long as it lasts, it lasts.
One day it'll be over.

We already know that.

Now...

I wouldn't want to be in Pilar's shoes

after I'm gone.

But, anyway,

we'll be close to one other,

because my ashes are going
to be placed under a stone in the garden

so, you might say,
we'll still be together in a way...

I climbed Blanca Mountain yesterday.

I remember thinking while I was going up
that if I fell and died,

it would be over,

I wouldn't write anymore books.

I didn't pay much heed to the warning.

The only really important thing

I had to do at the moment
was get to the top.

Pilar.

Pilar!

It's the voice of someone who feels
like they are losing their grip on life...

And who makes

one last attempt

to be heard and remain on this side,
this side.

Where we, the living, still are.

ACT III
THE RETURN

January 22nd 2008
THE DAY OF THE RETURN HOME

The man walks through the mist.

Once more Solomon!

Please, just one more time.

And Solomon answered his plea.

It was as if the elephant had thought

"that poor devil is going to
die, I'll resuscitate him."

And now the poor devil
is fading away in gratitude

and pledges of thanks,
for the rest of his life.

I was lost in the fog
and it was his voice that saved me.

And then the sun, like an
immense broom of light,

pushed through the fog
and swept it all away.

It went "pop" and vanished.

Some onomatopaeic words are very handy.

Imagine if I had to describe
the entire process

leading to the guy's disappearance

I'd need at least ten pages.

Pop!

The life and work of Jos? Saramago
has arrived in Lisbon.

At the opening for the press
the Nobel laureate promised

a new book by the end of the year.

I am in Portugal, and Pilar
and I are very happy to be here.

That this may be only the beginning,
of common work,

and besides that, I recently
made a very important discovery,

I came to the conclusion
that the most beautiful

language in the world is Portuguese.

I am home once again.

The first step in a reconciliation
with Portugal has been taken.

The exhibition can be seen
until July 27th.

PRIME MINISTER OF PORTUGAL

I am the one that is honored.

I would like Jos? Saramago to know
what the Portuguese State thinks.

I want him to know that we like him,
and that we are very proud

of everything he has done
for the Portuguese language and say,

that in the name of the Portuguese
government,

it is with men like these,

that you make the history of a
country and it is with men like these,

men of noble spirit supplanting
and surpassing themselves,

that it is possible to build a better
country. Thank you very much.

Recovered...

The whole Saramago clan united!

The presentation
was at five in the afternoon...

The presentation of what?

The opening ceremony
of the Cannes Festival.

And then everyone took a break,
and all those people walking by,

looking marvellous,
beautiful and glamorous...

But they don't say anything about that
because what's important

is a guy reading something
about some stadium.

Please, somebody tell me
what's going on for this to be

going out live on every channel
on Portuguese television, 1, 3...

All the channels are showing this guy,
but, who is this guy?!

Henrique Cymerman in Israel.

Blindness by Fernando Meirelles

has been adapted for the cinema from

"Essay on Blindness" by Jos? Saramago.

The film opens the
Cannes Film Festival today.

Blindness, a movie based
on a Portuguese book,

filmed by a Brazilian

and spoken in English.

This will be Cannes's 61st edition.

There are ideas forjust about anything,

and the first solar bra
has just been invented.

May 18th 2008
PRIVATE SCREENING OF BLINDNESS

Fernando...

No need...

I am so happy for having seen this film...

just like when I wrote it.

Really?

You don't know how happy
that makes me too.

- It's made our day.
- Thank you, thank you so much.

Imagine when I was so ill,
so ill, that I could have...

that I wouldn't have been here today,

imagine what I would have missed
without ever knowing!

Lmagine it!

- We'll take the A1 North, right?
- Not now. We're going to Azinhaga.

Azinhaga?

Yes, you know where we're going,
don't you?

More or less.

But they explained everything to you,
didn't they?

- No, nobody told me anything.
- I don't believe it, I don't believe it.

Where's Jos??

I'm here honey, right here,
waiting for you.

Ah... At your party you are alone...

It's so hot
isn't it?

Fucking menopause...
I can't breathe.

May 31th 2008
INAUGURATION OF THE JOS?
SARAMAGO HOUSE MUSEUM
AND PILAR DEL RIO STREET

It did not take us long to perceive the love
and affection you nurture for Azinhaga,

always in support of strengthening
Jos? Saramago's bonds with his roots.

I would like to thank you all from
the bottom of my heart for this honor.

It is the first, and probably, the last.

And OK, fine.

There is a street that is called

Jos? Saramago Street,
which already existed...

I'm not sure if the street sign is still
the same,

because the last time we saw it was
20 years ago, and on it is written:

Jos? Saramago, writer.

Now, at a certain point it
intersects Pilar del Rio Street...

And I hope they haven't put "wife".

And we will all soon be able

to visit the Jos? Saramago
Foundation in Azinhaga.

Thank you.

It is all just great...

very nice.

- Could I ask you for an autograph?
- It embarrasses me, I get embarrassed.

Have a kiss instead.

Fantastic, thank you.

A kiss, kiss, kiss...

A kiss.

- Congratulations.
- No. Congratulations for you today.

- Yes, yes. Today is...
- Today is your day.

You stole the writer's day today...

When I was researching for the book...

I saw that the Brazilians...

There were a lot of
researchers interested in his work.

On the other hand the Portuguese
think that Brazilian universities are shit.

You can write that down, say it.

And they don't want to sign
the Orthographic Agreement.

Well, we can begin,
as far as I'm concerned...

- So, let's start with the Foundation.
- OK.

Pilar as "presidente" (masculine)
Of a foundation...

"Presidenta" (in the feminine).

"Presidenta".

I make a point of beginning this
interview saying,

"Only the ignorant call me " presidente".

The word didn't exist because
the position didn't exist.

- Yes.
- Once the position exists,

the word that denominates
the position comes into existence.

I am the "presidenta".

And whoever calls me "president"
(in the masculine), is stupid.

Do you think that,
women are just like men in politics,

are they better or worse than them?

Women can never be like men, never.

Because we're not men!

But don't you think
women work better than men?

Not better, but we work more,
work better and we are multitask.

Zapatero has legalized gay marriages...

He fights for all the gay causes.

Why is that? To get some more votes
or because he really believes in it?

Let's see, all the gay causes
and all that concerns human rights.

So Zapatero has come to correct
a democratic deficit.

And the legalization of gay marriage
was a democratic deficit.

Nowadays, concerning the huge number
of gay people in Spain,

It must be complicated
for matrimonial life...

for marriages...

Much more complicated for matrimonial
life is men with big bellies,

more than gays.

Than to be alone without a man?

What do you mean?

There are a lot of gay men in Spain.

No, there are a lot of men and women
with a different sexual option,

but that will not affect us men or women
who have a different sexual option...

There isn't any problem, I insist!

To be stupid, to be rude or mean,
is a handicap for human relationship...

To be gay?
For God's Sake!

Pilar is a very controversial name in
Portugal!

No, the name Pilar does not exist in
Portugal.

But, please, for God's sake,
flatter me some more,

tell me it is, lie to me,
tell me I'm controversial.

No, it does not exist,
I am not controversial

because I don't have any public
repercussion.

And why am I controversial?

Because, it' like this, today, it's that,
most Portuguese see Pilar as

the woman who was responsible
for taking Jos? Saramago to Spain.

No, that was done by the
government of Cavaco Silva. Next.

But for example, Pilar changed Jos?
Saramago's life, you control his agenda...

organizes his life.

Because if it weren't for Pilar, it would be
somebody else he'd have to hire.

The idea I have of Pilar,

is that in large crowds
she doesn't like to talk...

No, no, not at all.

I love to talk in front of large crowds,
for God's sake, of course.

I just don't have the opportunity.

You don't have the opportunity? Why?

Because I am a journalist who has been
pulling out of public life now for some time.

And, because I am not a politician
nor a leader of the masses,

that is, because I don't have...

But I like it. Of course I like it!

No problem with that.

One last question:

Is it hard being the "presidenta"
of a foundation like this?

Hard is being a miner.

Pilar is not complacent,
and she can't stand unscrupulousness,

hypocrisy, they drive her mad.

There's a connection there
with Saint Therese,

she was a devout Theresian.

You've got to have certain postures.

And there's a phrase that can be
translated as

"see, hear but don't remain silent".

July 14th 2008
LANZAROTE
Tonight don't miss our special report
on Jos? Saramago...

Saramago has the world in his hands.

I've been recuperating and...

My God, Jos?, just look at you...

My God!

I can't believe it!

Horrible!

And I wasn't at my worst, Pilar?!

Horrible, look at me!

But, why do I look so ugly!

Good grief!

Between you sick and me
looking so ugly, horrible!!

Inseparable now for over 20 years

and now a toponymy in Azinhaga
forever...

For all the lovers in the world
to come and meet

and kiss on the intersection of
Pilar del Rio and Jos? Saramago Street.

June 14th.

Today is the anniversary
of the day I met Pilar,

and I go home with great happiness.

No episode to put down,
no story for posterity...

That's how things are, I mean...

"Happy" is the last word I wrote.

As the journey's end is uneventful,

I don't feel it is necessary,
plus it's something I would never do,

making up silly stories

just to give more content.

The greatjourney, deep down,

was that which began in Lisbon

and ended on the border
of Italy with Austria.

No, there's not that much, I mean,

the fact is, we have this
habit of romanticizing everything,

and we immediately start...
dreaming up philosophical theories...

The elephant shits, obviously.

The elephant pisses, pisses, eats...

doesn't speak, doesn't think
and I'm not about to make him

think like humans, obviously.

The king observed the spectacle
irritated and revolted,

having regretted giving in
to his early-morning impulse

to make a sentimental visit
to a brutish pachyderm,

measuring almost,4 rods high...

More than 4... no, not rods.

I don't think it's rods.

A first translation isjust that.

There'll be a first, then a second,
a third, a fourth and, a fifth.

I'll change the dedication in this book.

It was something else,
I'll change it today:

"To Pilar, who wouldn't let me die!"

And it's true, it's true...

For Pilar until the very last moment.

"Death With Interruptions"

For Pilar, my home;

"Essay on Lucidity"

For Pilar, all days;

"Notes from Lanzarote"

For Pilar;

"Don Giovanni"

For Pilar, my pillar;

"Blindness"

For Pilar;

"The Gospel According to Jesus Christ"

For Pilar;

"Short Memoirs"

For Pilar, who had not yet
been born and took so long in coming.

I'm sorry, I don't want to climb up
a mountain if there are elevators.

Pilar was desperate.

I didn't tell her where I was going.

I wasn't thinking about climbing
Blanca Mountain when I left home.

I just turned up and said:

"What if I walked up a bit?"
And that's what I did...

And then aftewards I thought:
"What if I climbed up a bit more?",

and I climbed up a bit more.

"And what if I went to the top?",
and I carried on...

I was 70 years old!

- Did I say nothing when you got back?
- No, you did.

You said all kinds of things.

I didn't say anything
for a couple of days.

She was, I mean, she was...

I was on the verge of packing
my things and leaving.

She was angry.

But, anyway, it's something
I can tell our visitors, isn't it?

As if I had climbed...

...Everest. My own Everest...
that's what it is.

But anyway...

The next time you feel like
you need an adventure,

I suggest you take up embroidery,
and embroider a tablecloth.

It's a lot more productive, meticulous
work and requires a lot of effort,

a lot of concentration and talent,
and it endures.

You have up to page 100...

I can give you today,
or tomorrow, 10 more.

Because like I told you,
I'll be finishing it this next week.

MONDAY

Pilar!

Jos?, if you want we can go
to the library.

Get me some paper, dear.

And then the young girl,

pulls free from her mother
and runs towards the elephant...

TUESDAY
And what the elephant does,
and this is historical,

is grab the girl with its trunk
and returns her to her mother.

WEDNESDAY

The overseer couldn't do anything
apart from cross himself...

and then cross himself again.

THURSDAY

Hardly able to believe what
he had just seen with his own eyes.

The next stage begins
when he heads north

or you could say to hell.

The guy who organized this trip...

And now we need
a very strong Spanish swearword.

Something like: He could eat shit...

No...

He could stick it up his ass...

- Can you put that?
- No...

FRIDAY

So, when he finishes,
for me to finish the same day,

I throw myself into it, so that,

if he finishes the book at 4:00
in the afternoon,

I finish at 8:00,

SATURDAY

an they can both have the same date.

SUNDAY
And so the book is reaching the end,

but at least, concerning the narration,

this is not going to be
sustained until the end.

Jos?? On the official page
of the Lisbon City Hall...

They finally put...

It is the first official institution to say:
Pilar Del R?o - "Presidenta"

The war isn't over,

And that's why we're here.

To demand that if they can't give life back,
for hundreds and thousands of deaths,

that Bush, Blair and Aznar,

at least ask for the victims for
forgiveness, all victims.

And we won't budge on this!

They won't change our position,
and we won't move.

No to war!

No to war!

MONDAY August 12th
Jos?? Jos?, wake up it's already 10:00!

We have to go to Medina's house.

10:00?

- Yes.
- Do you think Obama will win?

- I think so.
- But what's your opinion?

That Obama...

My opinion doesn't count.

Obama, who I have defended
since the very first day,

The very first hour
against my wife here who was all for...

- Hillary Clinton, I was also for Obama...
- Hillary Clinton... a woman...

- Who I think is fantastic.
- She's not fantastic at all, Pilar.

Just ambitious, ambitious...

As you should be.

As she should be, no, Pilar...

She doesn't have to be ambitious.

She's climbing a mountain,
representing us...

- And demanding a position.
- Who does she represent?

First of all, she isn't representing you
because she doesn't even know you exist.

- No. Not her, nor Obama...
- Hang on, Pilar...

Not even the congressman in my village.

This type of power in a woman
you don't know anything about...

- No, I know enough, enough.
- You don't know anything...

I know enough about this woman,
enough about her life...

- You don't know anything.
- I know enough about politics...

You don't know anything.
Pilar, please.

Let's see:

A) she is worth much more than her
husband,

b) at one moment she had to say fuck it

and step out of the way
for her husband to pass,

when it was she who had
the political will and ability.

She was always the one with her hands
on the reins.

- You're just making things up now...
- No, no way, I know...

- A sense of responsibility!
- Who?

Because at that moment she supported...

Her husband didn't, when he had
the trainee under the desk...

She was the one who had a sense
of responsibility when her hisband didn't.

In the White House, the office,
his work place?

No, Pilar, the indignity
of that man who did what he did,

his indignity.

And that other woman,
the famous Hillary Clinton,

who represents you! And it seems a shame
that a woman like that represents you...

I want to be her friend!

And there's another type of indignity
which is no less than the other,

which involved sacrificing
everything for the possibility

of becoming the President
of the United States.

No, sacrificing everything
for her husband

to become the president
of the United States.

No, no Pilar...

Women, imagine how they have
been marginalized,

and that's the last thing I'll say

because there is something I can never
forgive Hillary Clinton for:

And I would like to meet her,
and if life is fair,

we'll meet one day.

I want to tell her...

And that is: Going on her husband's
campaign trail 8 years ago!

When she gets to that point,
it's not so easy getting anywhere.

Your so radically feminist...

I am so radically feminist
because I have

to compensate for the lack
of feminism in some of the others...

It'sjust that I've been thinking
about this subject now for 58 years.

Pilar can I say something?

You two are the only ones today who
could have got me out of the house,

where I was finishing my book...

- No Jos?, don't tell them!
- No.

- Don't tell them, they don't care.
- Oh, please!

- Don't tell them.
- Where I was finishing my book...

I was finishing my book
and I'm going back home...

To finish the book.

- Listen, when are you going to finish it?
- Today.

Today!

Wait, Jos?.

I'm waiting, dear.

The elephant died almost 2 years later

Dom Jo?o III murmured,
Cousin Maximillian says here that Salomon...

The queen didn't let him finish.

And ran off to shut herself in her room,
where she cried for the rest of the day.

Dear friends,

Dear friends,

Jos? Saramago has finished his new book
"The Elephant's Journey".

Saramago began this task when
he was incubating a serious illness,

which later led to those closest
to him to fear for his life.

He himself, in the hospital,

began to doubt whether
he would ever finish the book.

However, seven months later,

he has put the final period at the end
of his narration...

Solomon, the elephant, was not so lucky,
but we can talk about this later.

A big hug to you all
and may happiness be with you.

Pilar.

November 19th 2008
S?O PAULO

3 DAYS OF REST

No, don't put it in blue,
Pilar. Don't do that.

- Don't get mad...
- I'm not mad, dear.

But you know I don't like this
in colour.

See you later then,
Jos?, at the office.

See you later, Lu?s.

PRESS CONFERENCE
PORTUGUESE CONSULATE

Jos? Saramago,
in your blog you wrote,

that interviews have become,
a sort of reheated soup.

So what motivated you
to be here today?

When I say reheated soup,
it is partly your fault.

Because as you always
ask the same questions,

I have to give
the same answers.

Next question?

What is a sustainable mode of life?

Sustainable. That which can be
sustained...

It sometimes seems that Portugal

appears to be getting more
and more like your books.

How do you see Portugal's
present political and social scenario?

Has the proximity of death
changed anything in you,

seeing as it has not changed
anything in your story?

Serenity.

And without forgetting
the important fact

that I have no need to read
Paulo Coelho.

FOLHA DE S?O PAULO REVIEW
After suffering from a serious illness,
have you changed your concept of God?

And why would I have changed
my concept of God?

Because he supposedly
saved my life?

An author who is known for not
using punctuation in his sentences

he is Jos? Saramago

he is here in S?o Paulo
to release his new book

and I am going to try and talk to him
because whatever it takes

I need to talk to him

and I need to breath

and I need to get his autograph.

Look, Maria Pilar, Saramago's wife.

You won't get me...

C.Q.C. Won't get me.

We won't get you?

It'sjust a little battle of wits,
right?

Are you saying that both of us
are intelligent?

He writes a lot about women
in his books, doesn't he?

Women are always strong...

I want to know if you beat him up...

Not beating, per se.

Were you with him after he had seen
Fernando Meirelles' film?

I heard he cried a lot
on that day, no?

Was the movie all that bad?

- Aren't you going to take a photo?
- He's taking it. I just wanted to ask...

Will you let me ask it?

If you allow me, Mr. Jos?...

Hurry up!

I just wanted you
to write "for Jana?na" please,

because I bought it autographed.
- I can't, I haven't got time!

I can ask him.
You can only ask.

Thank you.

Saramago, my name is Stefano.

Please, could you draw me a
hippopotamus?

- Ah, of course.
- On this piece of paper here.

I don't have time and there are...

It can be a simple drawing.

I think I have an idea Pilar...

About Cain.

A beer...

A beer.

Please, a beer.

I'm having a panic attack.

Jos?, repeat what you said as
you were getting off the plane.

- Say it.
- I think I'm going to...

To do what?
Write another book.

I believe...

You've got a story.

?ngel Campos died!

?ngel Campos?

Yes.

Poor ?ngel Campos!

I'm beginning to feel
like a survivor already.

Well, it's time I had a shave.

Have they tidied up the room?

Say hello to Saro, Jos?.

- Hi Saro!
- Hi, Jos?, how are you?

Fine, thank you.
And you, how are you?

- I'm here, working.
- Very good, that's what we pay you for,

because if you don't work,
we wouldn't need you.

- Look, look, look!
- That's capitalism for you.

Are you going to dress Jos? up
all handsome and smart?

We slept with President Putin...
both Putin and Lula

in the same hotel,
just so you know.

And now we're going to have lunch
with Chico Buarque. Are you jealous?

Really? Listen, bring me something
autographed by Chico Buarque...

Great!

Look, I'm checking Jos?...

He's handsome, Pilar.

...and his pressure is
12.7 maximum!

Son of a bitch!

- I can't believe it!
- And 7 minimum...

and a pulse of 85.

Tell Jos? that
I'll never forgive him...

Wait, I'm going to measure it again,
just to make sure.

Jos? Saramago,

who gives us the honor of his visit
to the Brazilian Academy of Literature.

We will now have
a signing session

but he won't be writing dedications.

We don't want to tire him out.

Thank you very much.

Can I kiss you on the cheek?

Go ahead.

But you're not going
to take a picture, are you?

- I admire you so much.
- Thank you.

I was even in Lisbon but
I couldn't find you.

Saramago?

I love you, you hear?

Hum?

I love you, OK?

This one is from one of our
academy members.

And the last one.

Wow...

Hard work!

But it's over.

- A lot of work! Very good.
- Thank you so much.

Thank you for your visit,
and please accept a...

well, the water is there...

Now, nothing more. Just get
back to the hotel quickly and rest.

Very well!

I'll get out and you come over here.

- You guys are going to kill me!
- I'll leave this here!

You'll kill me!

In my next life, I want to be a tree.

With my roots sunk into the earth, and
nobody will get me to move from there.

- And now Jos? should be on this side.
- Well that's true... but no big deal.

- But we can swap.
- No Pilar.

He can just turn
the camera and it's fine,

he's had enough of my face.

But, it's your face with
Copacabana in the background.

Just look at the beautiful
background now...

Could you pull over to the side for a
moment please so we can record better?

We're going to change places.

Now that wasn't so hard
and it'll last a whole life,

we'll be able to see these
images for years and years.

You have amazing faith
in the future, Pilar.

No.

You all exaggerate.

It's very simple.

I think I can say that
I have no regrets whatsoever.

To be honest,
I can't imagine a better life than mine.

With everything that has happened,
the ups and downs, to the point where,

if somebody asked me,
would you like to live it all over again?

I would have to say yes.

All of it.

There's something you have to
understand...

I shouldn't have been a writer...

I was not born to be a writer.

So I only fulfill my destiny as a writer
in the last phase of my life.

Which means that I've been very lucky...

Because if I had just died earlier,
well...

nothing... It would have been a shame!

November 27th 2008
INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH OF
"THE ELEPHANT'S JOURNEY"

The book was written
in a state of

pure happiness.

And perhaps this happiness

actually resulted from me
having escaped.

Actually, I am here today
as something of a survivor.

For how much longer...

we don't know... we never know.

In any case,

the other day during
an interview in Lisbon,

I think it was in Lisbon,

they asked me:
"And now that you have everything...

the Nobel prize, glory, fame,
this, and that, and whatever,

what more would you like?

And I answered: "Time".

Life.

Time... and life to...

Carry on with my work,

with my wife...

and to live...

as I have lived up until now.

And this is all part...

of the way I see myself.

And to continue...

nourishing myself and live
and bring to fruition

the happiness which is mine
and the happiness which is ours.

There is something I can repeat here...

Now that I'm 86...

If I had died before meeting Pilar

I would have died much older
than I am now.

But, before I start crying,

let's get back quickly,
to the elephant'sjourney.

The elephant died
a year after arriving in Vienna.

They skinned him and cut
his front feet to use as

an umbrella stand,

to hold walking
sticks and parasols.

If this had not happened,

which is historic,

I wouldn't say I wouldn't have written
the book but I just might not have,

I might not have
because when they cut off his feet,

the feet that had walked thousands
of kilometers to get to Vienna,

deep down was a metaphor...

I mean... of the futility of life.

We are unable to make it into anything
more than the little it is,

so, what a sad ending...

what a sad ending...

And that is why this elephant
owes its literary existence

to this particular circumstance.

The invitation is still standing,

to go to Quioto,
I'd like to go there.

I'd like to go to India,
like to go to India...

a film by

production co-production

editing

director of photography

sound

music

Pilar...

We'll meet elsewhere.