Olanda (2019) - full transcript

OLANDA tells the story of mushroom pickers who, in the summer and autumn months head, to the southern Carpathians of Romania to begin their search. The film takes a look at the coexistence ...

Look at the moon. It looks upside down.

It's a rainy moon.
- Now it looks normal again...

Everyone gather for the service.

Shall I give you the flashlight?

Give it to me and stop grinning.

Your coffee is there. Take the flashlight,
otherwise you won't see anything.

Come, do you need to pee?

Try to wake up.

I can't.

Did you put that thing down?

Is the electricity off?



I just hit my head on the car door frame.

Lower your heads.

The service begins.

We bless you God,
for now and forever and for eternity.

God have mercy.

God have mercy on us. Your mercy is great.

Help us to work well in the forest today.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,

hallowed be Thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done,

on Earth, as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who
trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Because Yours is the power,
and the kingdom and the glory.



In the name of the Father,
of the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Now cross yourself and say "God my
Father, great Mother of God, help me."

Cross yourself as well!

God give us a sunny day

so we can collect
mushrooms and blueberries.

Are you looking at the stars?

It will not rain today.

Maybe this evening.
- It will rain this afternoon.

Did you get dressed? Any coffee left?

Is there any water?
- Isn't there any water left in the car?

I don't have any.
- How come? That big canister?

That isn't good. - Why,
what's wrong with it? - It's for gasoline.

Ioan!

Ionut, come, the coffee is ready.
Come, we have to go.

Give me the flashlight.
- It doesn't work. Take Sorin's.

I let the wind,
the rain and the snow beat me up

to make a living and to amass my fortune.

So my children can't say
that I didn't work for them.

So my girls can't say
that I didn't work for them.

But I grew up as a poor child.

Nevertheless I rose through work.

I grew up a big boy.

The big boy in the village.

Drive slowly.

I built a house, I planted vineyards
and fortunes for the children.

I built a house, I planted vineyards
and fortunes for the children.

It's hard to be a dad.

Nobody knew how I built my fortune...

Ioan, where is that flashlight?
- How should I know?

Only me and my wife. Only me and my wife...

Ioan, take a look!

Just go up with her to the peak,
almost to the spring.

Sorin, we go up
and afterwards we go the other way around.

You know the place, right? - You just
go straight and later you turn right.

Just search up there at the peak.

God shall decide.

Come on, which direction do we go?

What are you searching for?

Come on, which direction?

Where do we go up? - What do I know? I
can't cut the trees to make a road for you.

We enter where there are few trees.
- Just go that way.

And how about them?

What? Do we go up?
- Yes.

I'm so tired.

How can it be that there is nothing?

Oh God.

You go up and then this way.

But there are only few.
There aren't any.

The story began with the money.

A long time ago. When the future gatherers

were still young children

and they were immersed in a deep sleep.

Where the coins would
shine on all the roads

although these coins didn't exist,

starting with the money

which was missing day and night.

Therefore, anywhere they went

or stopped throughout the day,

they would lower their heads and look at us

as if they were looking at a lost treasure.

Not even small ones.
- Really nothing, nothing.

I would give you a boletus,
but I can't find one.

Today is a bad day.
Yesterday we collected more.

Were you here yesterday too?
- We walked everywhere. All the valleys.

What?
- Mushrooms.

What did you find? - We found two
to three kilos. It wasn't much.

Well done…

Two days ago it was better, 20 kilos.

It was good then.

Come over here!

Ileana, there is nothing here.

People in front, people at the back.

He said he collected 20
kilos here two days ago.

They're "rudari" from Rășinari.

They quit blueberry-picking
and now they collect boletus.

There's nothing.

If I leave you here when I take you with me
you won't get lost, right?

Do you count the streamlets you
need to cross until you get here?

No man, I know the place.

You know what I mean? Up there
is the Virgin Forest. - You can't go there.

You will die there if go that way.

If you come here early in the morning
every day until I pick you up at 3 p.m.,

you will surely make 200 lei.

I'm afraid to take you with me
to a place you don't know.

He has no sense of orientation at all. - If
you cross the back of a mountain you're gone.

Don't you have any cigarettes?

Why aren't you saying anything?
- I smoked them all.

I have one cigarette left, take it.

We should buy three packs between us.

Instead of me buying two.

He smoked them all last night.

He chain-smoked. Just one or two
minutes between the next one.

I smoke a lot if I have nothing to do.

Somebody hid the two boletes that I found.

Were they the broken ones?
- No, I found them there.

The sugar didn't dissolve.
With cold water it doesn't dissolve.

I wanted to leave the car there,

and when I pushed the pedal,
it was working again.

Damn car.

Didn't it blow?
- The fuse?

The fuse might have blown,
but there must be another issue too.

I´m totally wet.

Did you find the CDs?

Did you find anything there?

The boletes are far and few between.

Ioan, you said we shouldn't go
there anymore, but for two kilos

you can still get enough money

for food, gasoline and cigarettes.

What are we meant to do in the valley?

Now it's raining...

we could have gone to that area again.

For two hours more. Now it's 1.20 p.m.

If we went again at 2 p.m.
we could have left the place at 4 or 5 p.m.

What do you want to do at the tent?

That's worth doing when
there are mushrooms.

If there are or if there aren't,
it doesn't matter.

If we both search, we'll make 60 lei each.

Yes, if you have nothing else to do.

But when there are boletes,
then I collect a basket, you collect one...

Mihaela, as much as she can.

Damn, she always finds more than us.

She doesn't stop.

But anyway if you go a second time,
you can still collect another basket.

In Obârșia Lotrului,
something always happens.

On various days, at various times of day,

in various shades of light.

The reason for this
is the topography of the place.

Here is where two valleys meet.

The last movement
of the tectonic plates,

lead to the creation
of the Carpathian Mountains.

And these two valleys,

which meet at a small intersection,

are the geologic reason

for the commerce that has existed
for thousands of years.

Hello, sir, how are you?

I wanted to ask you about the chanterelles,

because today I have free hand with them

and I thought I'd call you first.

Call Sorin and call me back.

All right.

Hello.

Yes, I'm going up
to the collecting point now.

Go up there!

I don't know when I'm coming down,
because I have to buy there first.

All right, wait for me.

You know where to find me
at the collecting point.

25 is the price.

All right, good health.

You motherfucker, drive slowly!
Fuck your mother!

Yes, hello.

I've just arrived here.

I understand the price is 25 lei.

What do you know?

All right. Tell me about the chanterelles.

All right, I'll keep them for you.

All right. We'll talk later. We'll see.

You know what's not so good today?

The chanterelles, because I got caught
in the rain. But the rest is good.

Give me some more because I have a lot.

Hello, how are you, sir?

Good day!
- I saw you.

Very well, then!

I see that you're afraid.
- Afraid of what?

I was waiting for you.
Wasn't leaving anywhere.

Are the blueberries sorted?
- Yes, they are.

How many shall I give you?

I sold 17 kilos to somebody else.

No problem.

That's why we're so late.
I had to sort them too. - Yes!

Do you want another box?

Do they fit into that box?
- See what a good job I did?

Well done! You worked hard.

I sold 17 kilos for 13 lei each.

Ah, you did business on the way?

No, here at the camp.

But I had to sort and bottle them.

How much?
- 17 kilos.

Not bad.

You did a good job.

Not like yesterday.

I told you, if I stay with my brother
I'll do a good job.

Am I supposed to drag them up the mountain?

I'm sorry. Who's next?
- Put it on the small scales, is that OK?

We can weigh them on the small or
the big ones. Because they're sorted.

25.1 minus 2.4 sorted blueberries. 22.7.

But it was more before.
- It was 22.9.

Maybe you placed it on the scales
while they were still balancing.

Let's use the bigger
scales, these are not good.

Don't pick them up like that!

Where are the big scales?
- In the car.

It rained, so you put them inside.

These scales are too small
for the blueberry boxes.

They're too big for the scales.

Neither of us should be cheated.
I don't want to do something improper.

Wait a second. It's unbalanced.

It's about not cheating.
- Sure.

Put them on.

See? They don't work right.
- I don't use them for blueberries.

You see?
- Of course.

Come, so I can give you the stuff.

Remus is upset because you didn't sell
the mushrooms to him.

Bobby is in the valley.

We saw Bobby selling them to Claudiu.
How much did he pay?

We didn't have that many.

How much did he pay?

That was my cousin.
We met him on the road.

How much did he pay you?

For the first-class ones.

I don't know how much he paid him.
- Did he give you more than 28?

If he buys the mushrooms from you,
why doesn't he also bring you food?

Come, sir, take the boxes.

I told Remus and he's upset with you:

"Look how Bobby keeps selling to him."
He's really upset now.

Yes, you lied to me, you tricked me,
you betrayed me. - We didn't have many.

Why are you lying? I was there.

We didn't even find 2 kilos.

You had 3 boxes.

Why didn't you sell them to Remus?

Why didn't you sell them to me? I've always
given you a bonus. I gave you gasoline,

I lent you money, I brought you food. Why?

We didn't have many.

I saw that you had boletes.

You upset me. I'm disappointed.

It's a problem how do I
get the van from there.

Do you know where it is?
- Aoleu.

Take it from the canister.

Where did she put ours?
- Bring me the bottle, Adriana.

You give me cigarettes, I give you money.

Yes, that's how we do it.

Thank you. See you tomorrow.

So let's start with the bread.

6 for the bread, 7 for the ham, 15 for
the minced meat plus 18 for the "mici".

Plus 5 lei for the tomato paste,

5 kilos of tomatoes, 2.5 per kilo.

7 lei.

7 lei. Plus...

What else did you get? 30 lei for the
cigarettes, 2 for those. What else?

Spark plug. - How much is it,
6 or 8 lei? Something like that.

I don't know.

6 or 8?
Let's meet halfway and say 7. 118 lei.

He's so cheeky! So cheeky!

What else?

Didn't you ask me for a beer?
- Yes.

This is 10.
- Plus 3 lei.

And here's the beer.
- 125 lei.

Here you go, you nagger.
- Nagger!

But what happened? The car broke and then?
- Well, it doesn't work...

Do you have some chocolate?

The injection doesn't work.

And two bottles of juice
and the deal is done.

Damn it. He was telling me
that I should lower the price.

Who? That man?

Ionuț was talking nonsense.

Who?
- Ionuț.

He was talking to himself. Nobody listened.

He was arguing with you? - He didn't
believe that you sold them at 15.

Didn't he see that I sold them?
- He came to you?

I think they didn't find many chanterelles.

He's playing with the dog now.

Don't worry,
there are no more than 15 litres inside.

I said slowly.

That one, too.

Emmy, bring the lid...

I told you that you're dizzy.
- Alex, where is the lid?

By your feet.

I can't see it.

I smell of gasoline, or whatever that is.

Gasoline.

The charger, Ștefănuț.

The charger.

Look, it's there on the dashboard.

Give it to me.

And the cable, too.

What?
- The cable.

What cable? This one?
- I've got it already.

Which phone are you charging?
Mum's? Why?

Yes, it was dead.
- You should have charged mine.

It won't turn on.

Can't you see? This one.

This coupling took longer.

Who is that?

All his bones hurt and his feet too.
Today he fell and broke this. Look.

This is like a bag, the blueberries don`t
fall out. - They won't in this basket.

It´s not about that.

You just collect some more in the basket.
How many kilos fit into this basket?

You can pick 50 kilos if you have a basket.
- I see, if you have a basket.

Take this, I`ll help you with this.

They planned to go picking today.

Those crazy guys.

Don't you know me? I need to run
to calm down. - So you'll go picking again?

I first need to run around
to be able to recover.

I must run for 2 hours.

I looked for blueberries in that whole
area. Like a madman, I went everywhere.

What is that area like?

In two hours I picked as
many as in a whole day.

I don't have the patience
for picking blueberries

if I'm not exhausted.

I don't feel like picking till I see them
in front of my eyes. - You don't pick them?

No, I pick the whole bush.

I'm serious, I wouldn't lie to you.
- Put the second belt in too.

Vali, put the other one in and try if
it fits. - And put it on your shoulders.

It burned.

A man with culture,

a clever man doesn't make
any difference between people.

When God created us,
he didn't make any difference.

He made one blind, one lame.

One like this one, ugly with white hair.

If your father had money,
he would have allowed you to study.

My father had money,
9000 a month, but I ran away from school.

I ran away when I was 16,
after a girl to Constanta.

I missed out on everything.
My dad wanted me to join the police.

Look what kind of policeman I became,
a "policeman of the forest".

I wanted my son, too, to become...

What policeman?
- They're just stupid.

You can't live without them.

I've been to church.

Who?
- Me.

Bravo.
- So they can buy themselves Range Rovers.

I prayed for the living and donated 30 lei.

You paid money for that?
- Of course.

And for candles.

But what about those gambling in the casino?
Why should you give them your money?

For the soul.

For one's well-being.
- Give me that piece of wood.

What should you pay them for?
- You pay for them to read your prayer.

For you. So you don't
gamble your money away.

That's why I paid and prayed for the
gamblers. - Why should one pay the church?

That's the way.
So the priests can buy oil filters

and diesel for their Range Rovers.

That's what it's like. It's true.

And did you see that Pomorac or Pomohaci,
or what's his name?

That paedophile priest. Who touches kids.

What kind of priest is that?
- Why would a priest lay his hands on kids?

Who wants to give the church money
when you hear stuff like this?

Or our priest Daniel, who drives a Merc
and boozes. And you give him money.

You haven't been
to Arsenie Boca's place of pilgrimage.

Don't laugh, it's true.

You can see there how much money they own.

Millions. They're rolling in money.
- Yes, somebody told me, too.

And in the evening they pocket the money.

How do they do it? No,
it's the higher ranks who take the money.

The blessed ones.

And in the evening they open the alms bag
and take out the money.

Vicule, listen!

Can you imagine
how much money is in there?

There are thousands of people.

You should never lose your faith.
You should always keep it in your soul.

If you ask these people,
they're all atheists.

What does this word mean?
- It means you don't believe in God.

How is it possible they don't believe
in God? - Listen, they're atheists.

Come on, leave me alone with this. - Maria,
where are you? Don't you believe in God?

How is it possible she doesn't believe?
- I do, but I don't believe in the church.

Don't you believe in the church?
- Of course, she doesn't.

You know when I went to the valley to make a
confession? You know how much he asked for that?

20 kilos of top-quality boletes.
That means 500 lei.

You have to pay 120 euros just for a priest
to open the book and read something for you.

I could've asked Vicule to read it for me in
exchange for a beer. - Or I'd do it for you.

Once upon a time,

countless loaves of bread were baked here

for the workers who dug the earth

in order to build tunnels.

Socialist spectres

with black faces

and shiny eyes

who were asking for coal

and who went to the forest on Sundays

in search for mushrooms

or to make love.

Later on,

when the spirit of the time had changed,

concrete was mixed

for the street

that brought new cars,

tree trunks

and the Christian faith

over the mountains.

And a long time before that,

the shepherds came here.

They bargained over the price
of the cheese and wool,

they collected mushrooms

and they parted with the darkness.

And when the animals had no use

and the mankind was just an idea,

the mushrooms were eaten by the bears

in broad daylight.

We have no means of transport.
- I left four seats at home.

How many are you?
- Me and another man.

We are two. - What's with the
other one? Where will he sit?

But I have no seats in the car.

We don't need seats.

I can't take you without seats.

If they stop me, what shall I do?

We'll pay for the diesel.
- It's not about that.

I have no space. There's no room to sit.

Look! I'll sit on my ass.

You're a fine one.
- Why am I a "fine one"?

I came 80 km in the trunk of a Dacia.

Really.

I don't have the seats anymore.
The car is empty. - Yes, me and others.

My whole car is a bed.

Yes, my car is a bed.

Live well!
- Good health!

I want to put my tent here.

Here?
- There's no room here, boss.

But I paid for 43 square metres. I have
the contract on me. For 43 square metres.

It's not possible.
- But I have the contract on me.

We've paid already
and we also paid a fine to the forester.

All of us.

But I have the contract on me.
- Look, it might be true.

But we each paid more than
100 lei in fines. - Really?

It's not about that.
- You can put your tent here.

I stayed here four years in a row.

I really have a contract.
- I believe you.

Somebody else also came
to put his tent here.

Here is the road where people cross by car.
- There's no space.

The only free space is
at the gateway of the road.

The cars pass here.

There's a man staying here
but he went home.

There where that car is parked.

And there we park the cars.

The police came.

The guards with the gendarmes to take us
away. - I know, they also came last year.

And after we gave them the money,
they came to destroy our tents.

Last year we had to move
from there to there.

We have a bill for the fine.
- Do you have a contract too?

What contract? From whom?
- They gave me a contract, for a year.

This only has something to do with the forester
or who made the contract, you understand?

The contract doesn't specify

where your place is.

I'll move somewhere else, then.

I'll go elsewhere and
prove to them that I paid.

If somebody asks,
you can show your contract.

150.
- Fine. Perfect.

300.
- Are you playing or not?

Let him, he has a big dice.

Take the dice.
- No!

Take the dice. - Fuck it,
I'll go crazy. I already lost 100.

Come on, lonel!

Come on, let's go.
- No, we're staying.

We aren't staying.
- What the fuck?

If you want to play, play normally.

I've told you twice.
- But if he doesn't want to...

And if I don't want to?

What can you do with that? 8...

With mine I lost 100, damn it.

Shall we go?
- Yes. Let's go!

10. Damn it, let's go.
- Who's next? 5000.

Give me a cigarette. Bobby doesn't play.
- I don't care. 5.

Go fuck yourself.
- Give me a smoke from yours.

Come on, damn it. - I'll give you
one but then let's go, damn it.

Come on.
- I think I play well. - Of course.

All right, go.

6. Fuck it.

The time.
- It's possible.

Do you know what happened to me last night,
when I woke up to drink some water?

Didn't you tell him?
- Play.

What rain, Leo!
I thought it'd break the tent.

And when it thundered once...

What the hell, you drink juice after
schnapps. I've never seen anything like it.

Don't talk like that when they're filming.

Buy us a schnapps. A schnapps.

I gave you money
so you can spend it back here.

Put down 1 leu. - I don't have one.
- Can we play together?

You have the big ones.

Come on, give me a break.

I'm winning here.

100 lei for two rounds.
- 11.

The sum of the dice? 11.

Did Bobby leave?
- He left.

We would've ripped him off again.

I don't have any luck.

I have to get my social
benefit on the 10th.

11 or 12. 8 plus 8, 16.
I've got you.

Tell me, Nicolae.
- You're good Nicolae.

You can't see them yet.

It's as if they didn't even exist.

They are laying on their backs
or on their bellies,

and dreaming, sweaty or quietly.

Some of them

are still in their clothes.

And their story could go on

in whichever direction,

if it were not for the living conditions

that sleep under the same plastic foils,
the very same blankets,

with only a limited number
of possibilities on offer.

Not long now, and we'll be able to witness

how they wake from their dreams.

Damn it. You look like a Pakistani.

I can't sleep and you woke me up
to make your fire in the night.

You're like Ceaușescu.

Damn you.

You let the cold in here.

Go to hell. Come on.

Do you have any energy drinks?
- What?

Do you have any energy drinks?
- I don't have any.

Where are the boots?
- I haven't opened the luggage yet.

Open the luggage,
go out and make the coffee.

I don't want to.
- The helmet.

Damn you, it's because of me
that you went to sleep at 2 a.m.?

You made it so hot in here!

You're crazy.

Give me a cigarette.

Are you stupid?
- I don't have any.

Go away.
- I have a whole pack in the car.

Go and get it.
- I can't go barefoot.

Come on, get out of my way.
- Give me a cigarette.

I don't have any.
- Bring me one from the car or I'll slap.

Damn you!
This side really hurts, damn you, stupid!

I don't give a shit.

Move so I can make some coffee.
- Do I bother you?

He went back to bed.

Go fuck yourself. Put your clothes on!

You feel like sleeping now.

It's not my fault you went to bed at 2 a.m.
Like an owl.

Fuck you. Can you leave me alone?

Costică, see to the fire.
Costică, do this, Costică, do that.

Suck my dick. I'm not your slave.

No, you're nice and that's why you do it.

That's also why I took
you here to the mountains.

Damn, it has too much sugar.
Damn you, you motherfucker!

Did you hear that?
- Go fuck yourself.

Don't add too much sugar.

Damn you, jerk!
Costică, talk decent, please.

If he is stupid...

I'm sorry.

You crazy man.

Oh, man...
- Costică, go and get dressed.

Give me a cigarette.
- I don't have any.

Give me a cigarette.
- Did you smoke the whole pack last night?

Dad, go and tell grandpa to open the car.

Open the car.

Take the cigarettes from
the back of the car.

In the back.

Where in the back?

Give him the warm jacket.

Where is your cap?

I have the hoodie.

This one doesn't have a zipper.

6, 7, 8.
- It's 8?

Why didn't you prepare that in the evening?

Do you drink coffee?
Great, I used 8 spoons.

I wanted to use 7.

Come on, go away.

Stefan, come and eat so we can leave.

Alex!

We'll do the ceremony and leave.

Alex!

What shall we eat?
- There is some meat.

Incense, Costică!

God bless you.
- Thank you.

Thank you.

What does Costică know?

For him it's all made of minced meat.

I have to go to a dentist.

I'm not hungry.

I put some wood on the fire.

My back hurts really bad.

Do you know how you can get
your appetite back? You smart-arse?

How?

Before you start eating
you have a spoonful of honey.

When you wake up, before breakfast,
you have a spoonful of honey.

What kind?
- Multiflower honey.

From acacia trees?

No, multiflower.
- What's that?

The last honey,

from fruit orchards, from the meadows.

Ștefan!

Ștefan, wait a bit. Why are you running?

You'll start sweating.

Where are you?

The road is here. Go back.

Which way are you going?

Go back!

Go back to the other side.

We didn't come down like this.

Where are you heading?

I'm sorry, Costică, I saw them first.
- Suck my dick. Don't walk in front of me.

Did you find something?

OK, you can take one. Take that one.

Here are two small ones
but I won't take them.

Didn't you see it?

Look, it's in front of you.

Ah, this one?

Go up that way and then we'll turn back.

I found three boletes. - We'll go
up on that side and then turn back.

Costică!

Look the boletes! Look the boletes!

You're lucky.

Look really carefully or we'll miss them.

Maybe other people will
come and we'll go there.

Let's go there first.

Only the shepherds pass by here.

Did you find any?

Three plus two small one. Five.

That's a shepherd mushroom.

We must go there and then to the valley.

Shall we go down to the valley
and up again with the guy who has a car?

Shall we go down to the valley
and up again with the guy who has a car?

Did you find any?
- Yes.

This is a find.

My fingers are frozen.

Completely frozen.

That's the way we climbed up, right?
- Yes.

Well, we'll meet him again.

Man, he'll find his way back.

Found anything?

There's another one there.

But how come your bag is always heavier?

Always?
- Always.

I think I topped you, but I had help.
- Let's see.

Looks good.

I didn't.
- You didn't?

The ground is wet. I can't sit down.

You can sit on the bag.

We climbed up but there are far fewer.

Shall we try our luck with…?

Give me the lighter.
- It's in the packet.

Inside? Yes.

Will we make five kilos together?

That's 100 lei.

In the afternoon we'll go up there
and make it. - Yes, let's.

And we'll make our money.

But it's really cold today.

Who is whistling?

Shall we help?

12.4 kilos. 12.4 kilos?

Will you sell them to Jimmy?
- Yes.

Jimmy?

Carry two boxes for me!

Don't complain.

Help me, please.
- Don't take them all.

Help me a little bit.

Up.

We woke up at 3 a.m.

At 3 a.m.?
- Yes, we left at 3 a.m.

To Șureanu. Do you know the place?
- Yes, the Șureanu Mountains.

That's where we've been.

Really?
- Yes.

Are they first class?

10.5 kilos.
- What's wrong with that one?

First class, 7.2.
- 5.7.

50.

60.

And 2.

And 530 lei for Marius, right?
- Give me two 500-lei notes.

30.

Good. Let's check yesterday. You had...
- 17.8 kilos.

17.8.
- 17.8.

These are 4.29 at Penny.
I can show you the receipt. - Alright.

4 multiplied by 4 is 16 lei.

What else?
- Two packets of cigarettes.

You wrote it down?
- Pall Mall? Plus 31 lei.

47 lei in total and the beer.

The bread is from me.

Give this man some bread too.
He brought lots of mushrooms.

And yesterday I had
lots of mushrooms for you too.

And I also gave you bread yesterday.
- Yesterday too?

Didn't I have 10.5 kilos?
- Of course.

Give me a packet of cigarettes.

I don't like these ones.

Victor, listen,
I go down to buy cigarettes.

Did you hear me?

Did you hear me?
- I'll go down to the valley to buy some.

It all fair, Marius, right?
- Yes, I like you, it's all fine.

Go and fill it.

Every day they take the detour of life.

Through the woods,

down to the intersection.

A diversion via paper
until we become bread

or cigarettes or beer.

And in the evening when
the lungs are filled

with the smoke of cigarettes

and that of the burnt fir trees,
it is then that we grow.

And we wait. We stay in places

where in two days time

we won't belong anymore.
We grow again.

We wait for the flexible
and the unhappy ones,

the greedy ones, the friendly ones,

those who whistle and those who cry.

The funny ones, and quarrelsome ones

who don't know our secret,

but who confide in us.

It's 7 kilos.
And 7 kilos multiplied by 6 is 42.

217 lei.

Did he write correctly?
- Yes, he did.

I can't say or promise
that I'll bring you 10 or 30 kilos.

Maybe I'll only bring you 700 grams.
- Of course, we don't determine the market.

But the price should be the same.
- The consumer determines the market.

The price should be the same.
- You don't understand me.

The consumer determines the price. Not us.

If today we sell for 3 euros in Germany,
how can I give you 5 euros?

You have to.
- Why?

I sell them. I sell to the consumer.

And I who does the walking and collecting?
What advantage do I have?

You don't understand.
It's about the price of the day.

If I sell them for 6 euros,
I can't pay you 7.

We must make a deal
that you give me the same price every day.

No matter what the quantity is. - That's
not possible. You don't understand.

If I bring you 100 kilos
you give me the same price.

It's not us who determines the market.
It's the consumer.

If the consumer doesn't pay,
you can't sell. - It's not fair.

Can you sell the tomatoes you plant at home
for the same price every day?

No, because my wife bent down
and got sunburnt.

And I said to her,
that she doesn't need to get sunburnt,

because there are
plenty of tomatoes at the market.

And the tomatoes
are growing out of the asphalt.

The big bosses from the companies don't
know what the collectors are doing here.

If we make a contract then it's between us.

No matter what happens,
the price stays the same.

It's not possible because it's
not us who determine the price.

It depends on the market.
If you don't sell there...

And if I come with two mushrooms today?

The cost is very high to get certificates.

They don't know what it means for a company
to be able to enter this area.

To be able to collect here

you have to pay 500 in taxes
to only one association.

After the environmental certificate,
the analysis test in Cluj.

And taxes for each county.

2000 to 3000 euros in taxes for one county.

We did this for 6 counties multiplied by 3.

You pay 18,000 to 20,000 a year in advance

and you don't even know if you'll win.

It's not possible
that you invested that much. It can't be.

Do you want me to show you the documents?
- Man, there's no way.

Man, it can be. For each county
the environmental certificate is 250 lei.

Only for one county.

In fact, it's forbidden
to collect second-class boletes.

Nobody says that you should collect them.

And after that are the contracts with
the city halls, forest administrations.

We pay lots of money.

So the city hall
from Voineasa takes your money?

All counties and communes.
It's 2100 euros for each county.

Just think how much money
we have to pay for each county.

It's 10,000 for 10 communes.
2100 euros for each county.

We as collectors...

know how it works... and you know it
from your side. - Do you want to see them?

You don't understand. - I know these
documents, everybody knows them.

Alone for the county of Gorj I paid
1000 euros for one certificate.

Which area?
- For the county of Gorj.

Just for the permit,

not to mention the contracts
with the city halls.

You don't know if it will be profitable
because you must pay in advance.

It's the same thing with the bars.

There wouldn't be any
if it weren't profitable.

Bars are different. You sell drinks
every day and you make profit.

But with mushrooms
it depends on the weather.

If it's good and God is gracious,
you make money, if not...

You can make enough in one year
to last you the next five.

It's possible. Any idea what your chances are
in the mushroom business? - I don't know.

To fail from the beginning.
- Sure, that's why Fofo got that rich.

Use this one instead, it's more stable.
Take it out and put on the other side.

There's a puddle here.

Here, Marin?

One pole is loose.

Take this!

Higher. More.

Place it higher.

This one has to be fixed with nails too.

Or take it and fixate it
at the bottom first, Vali.

Further, so that it covers the table.

I thought we'd take two more poles.

But we can do that the day after tomorrow.
Come on now.

Just pull it over to your side.

There's too much there. Pull at that end.

There's too much on my side.

Pull on this side.

Come on, pull!
- Wait!

Come on, pull.

Leave it like that.

What are you talking about?

What do you want? A pair with the price tag
still on? This is new stuff.

New stuff from the garbage.

Made in Germany, made in Germany.

Four million!

Damn you, the Lotru should get you.
- For these shoes, this quality?

Victoria, Nike, Puma costs...
- This is leather.

All come to the gypsy man!

I'll give you 70 and take them.
If you want.

46. Where is that model?
- There it is.

It's this one.
- No, it's not.

Yes, it is.

80 lei. Down from 100 lei.

These ones are new. 300 lei.

If we earn 300... - Tomorrow I'll
take him with me to collect boletes.

What?

Tell me, boss.

Two kilos for six lei. I'll give you two.
- How much is that?

100 lei. I reduced the price to 100 lei.

Don't be so hard or I'll lose myself.

Don't do that or I'll go crazy.

Boss, whose are these?

You're talking about prices
like you're in despair.

Fuck it, Jesus Christ!

I'll kill you, damn it!

Ioan, what happened?

To hell with you, you motherfucking sheep!

Fuck it, God damn it!

Costică, they'll eat your mushrooms.
- I don't have any.

Ioan, who upset you so badly?
- These fucking sheep!

Which sheep is the lame one?

Just leave them in peace.

God damn it, the dog didn't come after me.

What I had to suffer with them...

Some went that way, some the opposite way.

It took a long time till
I gathered them all.

Damn it, with all their mushrooms.

They made me so mad.

The sheepdog didn't come with me.
- My dog Igor jumped at a bear.

What, really? Which one?
- Igor, my dog.

The bear lacerated him.

Igor, that dog of mine.

Hell, no!

Where is your wife?
- Working.

Mine left. She left for Spain.

Now I'm like a homeless person.

We're staying a little
bit and then going home.

Are you staying longer?

What can you do, boy?

I'll go after them.

Go, loan, so you don't lose them.

Damn it, they made me mad today.

Are you collecting chanterelles?
- No, that's my rain jacket.

But it won't rain.

The sky is cloudy. You never know.

The shepherds from Salane

sold me 30 kilos of mushrooms yesterday.

They found a lot.

I also found 8 kilos two days ago.

I bought one and a half baskets from them.

I paid 10 lei a kilo.

But that was far away.

Indeed.

All right, boy, I'll be off.

Today I found only 2 kilos.
I gave them to someone who went home.

I won't catch them, they went to hell.

Why did you give him the chainsaw?

Costică, when did you learn
to file the chain saw?

There were more
before they arrived here.

10 to 15 cars.

And they got all of them.
They fined them all.

Look, Sorin is sitting
with his fine in his hand now.

That's Sorin.

You have to make an appeal against it.
It's too much of a farce.

I asked this policeman why he stopped me.
Does the basket on my back mean I'm stealing?

This is our livelihood. We're the ones
planting, collecting, clearing the deadwood.

We do all this forestry work for you.
- It's true.

Look, this was planted by us, by my father.

This is our livelihood.
We don't steal or do anything like that.

It's not right, man. It's not right.

We come here to make some money.

If you steal, OK,
if that merchandise is stolen.

But it's not like that.
- Didn't you hear what they said?

They should take care of the forest
not the mushrooms.

For 60 days I've been waking up at 3 a.m.

60 days of waking up at 3 a.m.

To go to the valley and get things done.

Yes, you earn your bread.

What are we supposed to do, steal?

That's what I told the policeman.
- He didn't care, said it's not his fault.

As soon as I got out my phone
and started filming, that was that!

None of them said a word anymore.
I didn't let them get away like that.

Yes.

"What are you filming for?"
"Well, you already gave me a damn fine,

so now I'm filming you to post it online
as soon as I get some signal.

Everybody should see what you did to me.

You'll be online and everyone will see
how you treat other people."

Did you post it? - I haven't yet,
I don't have Internet access.

It doesn't work well.

Only if you go down to the valley.

I walked on the meadow. All day.

And was there a bear?
- No, there was no bear.

But what if there had been?

If we pass the place tomorrow,

I'll show you a mother bear and her den.

With three cubs.

Were they big? - I don't know,
I didn't see them. He said they were.

The mother was next to a tree

and he was on the other side.

He barely had time to run.

Didn't he climb up a tree?
- No, he didn't. Because he saw the cubs.

If that tree hadn't been there,
he could've been killed.

A big mother bear.

She could've slashed him into pieces.

If she had hit him with her paw?

Daddy, I saw a movie.

Someone went to a forest house.

And there was a bear.

But the bear just stared at him
and didn't get close.

There were wolves, too.

The bear was big.

But he didn't see it. Just the tree moving.

Big trouble with the bear.

But he can't catch you.

You have to protect
yourself by climbing a tree

because the bear throws stones after you.

He throws with rocks.

You go to the side.

You have to go unobserved by the bear and
be lucky enough that he doesn't catch you.

You must run so fast.

At PRO TV they showed some people
who were camping

and the bears came and started to eat
their food. And others were filming.

Soon they will be falling
asleep in the valley

and they will dream of them.

Then they will start growing.

They are neither animals, nor plants,

more of a mystery than science.

They are a third-species creature

which builds its own kingdom.

They make alliances with the trees,
send them messages.

They are at the same time drugs,

poison, medicine and food.

You devils!

Can you carry on the basket?

Ioan!

My back hurts.

Not far to go.

Look at that.
- Did you find those? Alone?

Why didn't you go straight down to
the valley? - It's hard to walk there.

It's really ugly.

But there was somebody else?
- Marin.

No. Somebody got scared of your screaming.

Let's go.

My legs are hurting.

It's not my back, just my legs.

They're heavy.

There are 18 to 19 kilos.

We'll take 100 lei each.

They take lots of wood from here. Pine.

Look what they have here.

From here?
- They take out lots of wood.

Sure.

I think, in general,
that's what is destroying the forest.

Tourists!

If you look how sparse it is.
That's why it's dying.

Come on.

Come on, drive.

Drive on!

Did you find any mushrooms on the hill?

One or two kilos.

A bucketful.
- Two kilos? - Yes.

But the forest is searched.

Those devils...

Who?
- They've been in the young one, here.

In this one. We found almost nothing.

We should have gone much earlier.

We are at the centre, up at the crossing.

Where?

In the centre.

How much stuff have you got?

How much? One tonne.

Wait, not one tonne.
Did the quantities increase?

How much? Wait a second, Oana.

160 plus. I have 900 kilos.

Did the quantities increase?

There is something. At the lake
there are more mushrooms but not today.

Do you understand?- When will you arrive at the company?

Now it's 9 p.m. Around 1.30 a.m.

All right. I'll start, I'm in a hurry.

And these small ones are
prepared for Germany? - Yes.

Why? For Italy?

For Germany.

So can you manage to go buying tomorrow?

All right.

All right.

Why can't you take them out?

You didn't have money on your card?

You can leave if you want.

Just weight 10 boxes of picolini.

You need to collect all of them.

The big ones break.

Don't break them.

Here are big, medium

and second-class ones.

Where are you taking me, my princess?
- Be quiet and come.

It's 1.50 a.m.

We came at 1 p.m. and leave at 1 a.m.

You started at 1 p.m.

All right, tomorrow we'll start at 2 p.m.

Tomorrow I'm not coming, not even at 5 p.m.

We stay till the morning.

Should I arrange one or two cars?

None.

I just need to know, that’s all.

It's not about that,
it's about doing the job.

Just let me know,
so I can arrange the cars.

It's no problem, at least you have work.

It would have been OK,
if we had finished at 1 a.m.

If we have to work, we work.

OK, if we leave at 2 a.m.
and can sleep till the afternoon.

Stop it, you don't know how to talk.

Are you resting?
- Today we're not coming.

Marie, I can see you
cleaning that mushroom.

Can you see me on the screen?

Just me alone?
- Both of you.

Because we are the most beautiful.

Celebrities.
- We are celebrities.

I'm Sânziana Buruiană.

Mărie!
- What?

Marie, pretend you're doing your hair.

But I'm dirty.

One strand won't stay properly.

I have no luck with this work anymore.

When can I go home and sleep?

Sorry, dear?
- Fill your hand.

Make yours full.

Look.

Oh my God.

I have no air anymore.

Oh my God.

Honey, let's ask Gabi,

we'll give him money for the gasoline
so we can go and get our clothes.

The price has really gone up!

They've increased the price.

He has grapes at home
but mine are not good.

They're good for your teeth.

Are you going home?

Where are you, Claudiu?

See what you can do and lend me
1000 euros tomorrow. Just for a week.

I need to solve that problem.

Come on!

Will he lend it to you?
- Yes.

And then we leave for Holland.

They begged me to go there.
That guy called us. I said we're working.

Take it all.

Where?
- To do cabbage.

Take me with you.

I'm going to Spain.
- 300 euros...

With whom?
- With the "whale".

300 euros and I'll take you.

I'll give you 500.

I told him we have to arrange the car.

Look how cool your father is,
how he's opening the cigarettes.

I smoke three packets a day.

I smoke 500 lei a day.

I took them
but the gypsy took them from my pocket.

That Kent packet of cigarettes.

Give me the driving licence, he said.
I looked at him like this...

I gave him the licence, to go away.
He left and then he came back again.

I said to him,
I'm not obliged to give you the licence.

But I gave it to him
because I'm a man not a jerk.

It's not he who's in charge of the roads.

What did you eat today, Dobrin? - A big
soup. I hadn't eaten since yesterday.

Why not?

I made a ciorbă, but it was full of water
because it rained last night.

Where is Vali?

Man, where is Vali?

He must come. I don't know where he is.

Somebody hit the jeep
and they took the mushrooms.

What did they take?

All the people from Vulcan got a fine.
Just ask Bobby.

All the cars from Frumoasa got a fine.

They took all cars from Frumoasa to the valley.
- They came down escorted by the police.

We managed to get away.

Do you know who didn't get a fine, Bobby?

The fat gypsy from Vulcan.

You know him? That dark fat guy.

With the blue car.
- That guy wasn't fined.

That guy was from Sibiu.

From Sebeș.

Let's go.

Come on. Ready.

It's tied down well.

Don't worry.
- Shall I lock the door?

Where are the keys?
- Take your beer.

Alex, take those mushrooms.
I'll take them home.

I'll lock it.

Ready?
- It's locked?

Let's make the ceremony for the road.
- Let's do it.

Everyone to the front
to read the road prayer.

Costică, come to the front.

The prayer for the road.

Everyone gather.

God be blessed, now and forever.

Lord have mercy.

Our father who are in Heaven.

Hollowed by Your name.

Your Kingdom come, Yours will be done.

On Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we
forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory.

For ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

You travelled with your servant Josef.

Travel also with me,

your servant Victor,

and bless my journey.

Send your angel to protect me,

to advise and safeguard me

and keep me unharmed from all bad things.

Give me peace and health to go back home.

And all my life I'll glory Your name.

In the name of the Father,
of the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Safe trip.

Come on, boys.

I wish you a good trip, boys.
- Come, get in the car!

Come, Costică.

You should've entered on the other side.

Get in the car!

God bless.
- God bless.

There's enough space.

It's a sin to not have a sin,

It's a sin if you forget how to live.

How to love.

An when you've lived 20 summers,

you are young and you can ask.

When you ask, life gives you more.

Be young, don't be old,

be dreamers and a little bit crazy.

A crazy heart makes life good.

Don't pretend that you live,
don't pretend that you love,

make your life worthwhile
and do wrong beautifully...

I don't like money, I'm not lying to you.

But I don't exchange my money.
I don't give my life for the whole world.

I don't want to go high.
It's hard to carry it.

I would like to stay how I am.

Be young, don't be old,
be dreamers and a little bit crazy.

A crazy heart makes life good.

Don't pretend that you live,
Don't pretend that you love,

make your life worthwhile
and do wrong beautifully...

His father is still in the forest.
Give him a sign.

Look, they're making deals.

Good transactions.

Don't pretend that you live,
don't pretend that you love,

make your life worthwhile
and do wrong beautifully.

My dick, I lost 50 lei.

Man, I'm in.

This much, too?
- Yes.

I gave you some,
so you can give me some back.

You're getting heated,
your devils are rising.

You took them from my hand.

Listen, he also knows English.

If he went begging in Norway,
there and there, of course he knows.

It's their business to learn.

Damn you, we know
because we learned it at school.

You're talking about us begging.

But you Rudari must also know Greek.

Greek?

You didn't know anything
but to make wooden spoons all your life.

Yes, and to beg and trick people.
- But what should we do?

But is this not a good job, Marin?

It's not good because you can find somebody
who'll break your nose.

Till you find that person...
- They're listening to what we're saying.

What are you saying, Marcel?

If the Rudari didn't exist,
the Romanians would fuck themselves.

Don't say anymore,
they'll translate it into German.

That's not my but your problem.

Listen, we adapted
in the years of Antonescu and Hitler.

They wanted to take us to a camp in Balta Brăilei.
They took you there, but we didn't have to,

because Ana Pauker said:
"Those are my people."

Because she bathed in the
wooden tub made by us.

Sit down.
- No, I don't want you to see my pieces.

And my arse hurts.

Shall we bring you a sponge?

I had some shoes that hurt my feet.

I wasn't able to walk anymore.

A pair for 30 or 40 lei.

Patrăulea, what's up with you man?

Nothing special...

Out of 13.
- Did you collect 13 kg?

No, we took 13.

And that old woman?

I took almost 100.
- For 13?

And did you pay for what you had taken?

I paid for the food and I had 100 left.

Do you have a hole in your pocket?

They will leave soon.

They will lay down on their back
or on their belly,

between duvets and under roofs.

They will rest their head
on somebody's shoulder,

where man has his true home

And for the first time

they won't be dreaming of mushrooms.

And every summer

they will return here again.

As if the trade in mushrooms

were a matter of nature.