The End of the Chain (2017) - full transcript

THE END OF THE CHAIN

Fuck me. Fuck me.

Fucking sell-out.

CULTURE IN CHAIN

I'm here regarding the performance.
- Sorry?

Because of that performance...

What do you mean? We agreed with Kaur
that you'll come in the evening.

What the hell...

Wait, but...

I'll do it right away. I have an idea.

When you climb outside the window
to see your room from the other side



where you yourself are being watched

the suburb's million pair of glasses
eyeing your face your body

your penis or vagina or both

when you want a second opinion and they
say you are ugly also you have arrived

when the clerks of Apollo bookstore
make you laugh

asking for Joyce and they answer
eyes locked onto computer screens

ah yes Ulysses an Estonian version
should be available

you have arrived

when you are...

when you are taking a leak on the street
and a police car passes by

someone is getting beaten up
in front of the Pub With No Name

and at least you are being honest
you have arrived

when you are afraid
to walk on the street

because you must be guilty of something



and you instinctively feel
the proximity of the police

when you wake up beside a strange girl

and faintly remember that it seemed
like a good idea

Hello! Ahah.

I understand.

Yes. Of course.
Well what else can we do.

Alright. Yes. Agreed.

CHICKEN BURGER

So?

How do you tell somebody,
that you love her?

What do you mean by that?

I have to talk to her.
I would need to meet her alone.

Last time I wasn't even able
to say anything.

I don't know what I was thinking about.

Maybe I was just grateful,
that I could walk like that with her.

We walked towards that same Chain.

You were sitting at that same table?

Yes.

What did she order?

Chicken burger.

I detest you.

You wanted me to talk.
- Excuse me...

What's wrong with you?!

Do you want me to tell you
about my lovers as well?

Alright. Very well.

There is this Englishman,
lives in the Old Town.

A bit bigger than you. In that sense.

Charming, does card tricks.
Knows all about wine.

Last time was last Friday. Remember?

I told you I was going to the movies.
- Helena!

We did it on his carpet.
It was very good.

Nice soft carpet.
Long white fur - like a Polar Bear.

The carpet I mean, not him.
He has dark hair...

Then he came inside me.
With his dick, his penis, his cock.

Did me. Fucked. Banged. Screwed.

Then I showered and came home to you.

Excuse me, we serve from the counter!

And the other one is Marko.

Marko?

Since when?

First time... when we met.

Or... shortly after that.

I'm sorry.

I wanted you to know.

That's it.

It's hard to talk to you directly.

I am so sorry. I wish we could have
at least become friends.

No Caesar salad?

Or some kind of soup?

Like borscht or...?

How should I know...
Like Tom Yum or Tom Kha?

No.

Bruschettas? No?

No.

I don't want to eat that junk.

I don't know...
Give me these baby carrots then.

Fuck... I don't have my wallet.
He was supposed to take his...

Let it be. Sorry.
Very good. Let's go home.

I still think I want to tell her.

Then tell her just like that.
If you know how it will end anyway.

How come just like that?

I can't invite her anywhere,
she will politely and sweetly decline.

She knows that I am hooked on her
and she isn't hooked on me.

You can't just stand here!

She won't answer my calls,
because we just talked for so long.

Not enough time has passed.
And then I thought...

What?
- You call her!

I will do the talking!
I'll give you the number.

Forget about that!

You call her. I'll talk.

Tell her she won.
I'll find the number.

You think 'm nobody?
You think I don't exist?

You think that I can't impose myself?
I impose myself.

Look! impose myself.

It's like a closed circle.
I can't talk to her normally.

I get tense. Nothing works.

Then I keep distance for a while,
till I don't care anymore.

Then I can talk to her.

But when we start talking again,
I get the feeling

that everything is going
so normally and well

and I fall in love again
and get tense again

and need to keep distance -
until I don't care again.

(in Russian)
Artist!

Alright, come here!

What did I do wrong?
What did I do wrong?

Tell me what did I do wrong?
Tell me what did I do wrong?

Take is easy!

What the hell...

Let's discuss it calmly.

Get in!
- Let's discuss it!

Excuse me! Have you got fire?

Yes.

You go to our school?

I doubt t.
Depends which school you go to.

The one here.

Are you a cop?

Idiot - he wouldn't tell us if he was.

It's like the Cretan
who said that all Cretans lie.

Greek?

Cretan. It's like whether you
believe me or not now?

Hello, I...

Too much? I overdid again.

I can't be normal.

I'll look around a bit. If I may.

Last time we slept side by side...
- I don't want to hear.

It was at our mutual friends place.

I spent the night in town,
at Eero's place. Remember?

There was nothing erotic about it.
I was even afraid to touch her.

I was so happy, because I thought
she touched me.

It might have been someone else.
Might not even have been her.

But still I touched her very gently,
carefully.

It might have been a male colleague,

who now thinks I'm secretly homosexual.
A gay in the closet.

You're right. I guess I still hope -

some kind of hope always remains.

How old is she?

25722? Done with high school at least?

Final year.

Pelgulinna High School. Arts class.
I know. It's not normal.

Do you even...?

There's something terribly
similar in the two of us.

Do you even understand yourself?!

You can love a 17-year old.

You can love a doll.

You can even love a doorknob
as long as you don't have to love me.

I get it now, I have thought
about it for a long time.

Finally I get it.

You are the most immature
35-year old, that I know!

Do you happen to have
something alcoholic?

Go away!
- 'm guilty! I'm guilty!

THE INTERVIEW

Tough day, yeah?

What would you like to have?

Work.
- Work?

Here or take-away?

You are looking for a waiter, right?

I came because of the advertisement.

We have no work to offer.

But you had a campaign recently...

that if you're not needed anywhere,
then Chain doesn't reject anyone.

OK then...

That's a pity...

I would have wanted to work here,
seems like a nice place...

Alright then. Have a good day!

Wait...

Do you have a CV?
- Yes.

Have you graduated high school?

University.
- Then you're overqualified.

I can't do anything with my hands.

How do you plan to work here if you
can't do anything with your hands?

I'll learn. How hard can it be?

I'll interview you. Please sit!

Here?
- Not good enough?

No-no - it's good.

27 years old.

Previous experience:
translations, voluntary work,

assistant in bank's
development department?

For a short period.
I stay away from money.

Language skills.
English: in writing and speech.

German; French; Spanish:
in writing and speech.

Latin: in writing.
Is this some kind of joke?

I can speak as well,
but it's a dead language.

Education.
BA degree: classical philology.

Tartu University, cum laude.

MA degree:
German Post-Kantian philosophy.

Basel University, cum laude.

MA, Descartes University of Paris...
- It's pronounced "dey-cart".

Interstice in theory and practice
in political thinking after John Rawls.

Do you think it's funny?

No cum laude?

Why do you want to work in Chain?

This place has better sauces
than the others.

You know the state of the job market.
- Are you mocking me?

No.

No, honestly!

I want to have a job...

Where I would have as little
responsibility as possible.

After my last university I decided,

that I don't want to do anything
that is connected to thinking.

I want to do completely pointless
work, without any perspectives.

I want to simply spend eight days...
Eight hours a day on something.

Do you get me?
- Yeah. Get out.

Just get out!

Go! No, wait! Tell me,
why is it pointless work?

I don't understand.
I'm & moron from the countryside.

You think you're so bloody educated
with your diplomas?!

You come here, to the riffraff,
to the simple people, to the slaves.

Oh, Your Majesty!
Can I serve you somehow?

Maybe a burger in French style?
A la cartel

Philologist! Do you even understand
this language of aborigines?

Maybe you would like to learn that?

You think burgers are not needed?

French fries are not needed?
That this is less worthy food?

That this work is less worthy?

I don't get it. That your translations
are more needed?

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.

I'm telling them this place would need
some cultural program. Or some music...

LUA

Where? I'm at home.
Yes, just walked in. Yeah, I can talk.

You also called yesterday?
My battery was dying. How are you?

Are you in a bad mood? Did you have
a bad dream? You poor thing.

One coffee, please!

Where was I? At home.

You called my mom? When?

My head was spinning.
I went out for a moment.

Regular or latte?

Where did you get my mom's number?

Maybe you would like to go out
with her instead?

I mean your age difference
is not so big.

Latte.

No, no. I can talk. That was mom.

Your new girlfriend. Yes.

Now I'm in my room. Sitting on the bed.
Talk to me.

What did you do last night?

Who did it?

That's my name.

Good boy!

Let's not waste any more money now.
We'll speak when you're back.

Okay. Bye, babe!

Yes. Hi! Where am I? At school.
I forgot my computer.

Had to go back half way
and come back again.

Yes-yes, I saw you had called.
My battery was dying.

You know what, I can't come today.

I have this research paper to write.
Irish or English literature.

Which one then?

Irish, I think...

Joyce.

Joyce.

James Joyce.

James Joyce.

No... This was Erki. Well, Brainy-Erki!

Say hi, Erki!

Hi, Erki!

No, that's what he's like.

So it seems it will be a boring
Friday night for me. With Brainy-Erki!

Hey, listen, can't talk now,
the principal is walking towards me.

Yes the grumpy one.

I don't know what"s wrong with her.
Hasn't gotten laid for a while, I guess.

OK, listen. We'll speak later, alright?
I gotta run now. Bye!

Yes! Ciao! No, oh my god,
i'm in the trolley.

You know what, I had this thing.
Wait for me, OK?

Wait, please, 'm on my way.
Yes, thank you! Bye!

Hello!
- Well, hello!.

What's up?
- Working.

Well, why do you work so much then?

Hey, could you drop me at Mustamäe?

Please, please, please. Pretty please.

Where are you?

Where am ? In the Chain.

Yes. Yes. OK.

Yes. Alright.

She forgot to pay!

She was in so many places at once,
it is understandable.

MOM AND DAD

What are you doing?

Thought, I'd help a little bit.

A strange feeling, like something
is in the air. A kind of evil.

Can't quite pinpoint it.
But it's fathomable.

On the surface everything seems normal,
but something somewhere is broken.

I don't know, didn't read
my horoscope today.

I don't mean horoscopes.

Don't you feel sometimes that
the city is one giant organism?

Same thoughts and feelings emerge
at the same time in different places.

Hello!

One cheeseburger, please.

For example yoga.

For some reason people suddenly

at the same time decide
to start doing yoga.

Or how diseases spread... They don't
simply go from one person to another

but they burst out - simultaneously -
in different places.

When the immune system is weak, it's not
just one person, it's the whole city.

It's like a chain.

The weakest link breaks
and the whole chain collapses.

And people go collectively
out of their minds.

Alright - offer a solution then.

Solution...?
- Yes.

You have to step out.
Get out of this rhythm.

You have to find your own thing and
devote yourself to it. Like Arvo Pärt.

Not to go along with the general
hysteria. Not to compete all the time.

Find work at a hamburger restaurant
for example...

You really think there is
no competition here?

Boy you've got the wrong idea.

Not competition in that sense.
I wouldn't be competing here.

Hello!

We came to see, how you're doing here.

Good Lord, yes, we haven't even
congratulated you.

You got in the meanwhile... what did
you get... promoted to a manager here?

Catering business...
Catering business manager.

Yes, very nice. Thank you.
I'm a little bit busy at the moment.

There ain't nobody here.

It's so empty, that it echoes inside.

We went to the movies.
We watched, what was it...

This new Estonian film.

Father's car is now working again.

We didn't really understand much.

There really wasn't much of a story.

But let's go out for a moment,
check that car and...

Hello!
- Hello!

Mother.
- Hello!

Let's go.

Keep your eye on everything.
I will go out for a moment.

Are you sill in touch with Kaarina?

Yes. Sometimes..

Still doing any sports?
- Nope.

Always so busy and tracks
are far away. Haven't had time.

METAGAMING

Four lost!

Four lost!
- Excuse me?

I'll tie you up.
- I don't understand.

You're imprisoned now and
have to come to the camp with us.

I'm sorry.

Hey! Look what I found.

The spy of the dragons!
- No...

Lucky one. The new cycle starts soon.
- And the spellpoints recover, I know.

Excuse me, 'm not sure
I am participating in this game...

Pulling a trick here?

If she's a thief, then she has to say
that kind of stuff.

No, I... really.
It's not some kind of costume.

Let's go to the camp, it's not far away
and there they'll find out, who you are.

What camp?
- It's right there, around the corner.

Hey! Shh!

What shh? She's imprisoned already!

Why did you tell her where the camp is?
You'll reveal the secret spells as well?

She will see where the camp is anyway!

Poison removal. Recreation. Healing.

Who's this?
- We think she's the Thief of Dragons.

She says, that she's not even
in the game.

I'm really just a random passerby.

I don't know her. But we have
a lot of new players today.

But she says
that she's not in the game.

Metagaming is not allowed.
- But maybe she's counting on that.

See - I untied her. She's not running
anywhere. She's just lost.

What is it by the way?
Why are you wearing these things?

It's LARP.

It's a game.
- Why are you playing it?

We're practising for the championships.

Mass spell!

No! Damn!

What?

Dragons! You can go now.

We can't move for three minutes. Bye!

Goodbye!
- I told you she's a Thief of Dragons!

I'm sorry.

Did anything happen in the meantime?
Did anyone come?

I already thought,
that you wouldn't be coming back.

Nothing happened. Nobody came.
Complete emptiness.

So empty, that it echoes inside here.

That's how this job is.

HORSE BURGER

Last week Lidl announced that
traces of horse meat were found

from products sold by the company's
Austrian subsidiary.

European Union Food Chain and Animal
Health Standing Committee gave orders

to the European Commission
and the EU Member States

to start immediate DNA-analyzes
of products labeled as beef and veal,

in order to verify the possible
horse meat content in those products.

The results must be submitted
to the Commission by April 15.

The meat scandal began in mid-January,
when the Irish authorities discovered...

I gave it a thought.
I would like this job.

Bat out french fries
with ideal saltiness,

put warmth and friendliness into
each movement for the client.

It doesn't demand anything from me...
That's what I meant earlier.

Seemingly pointless activity.
To cheer up people out of whom

at least half later regret
that they ate fast food.

But this one moment, good service,
a friendly, understanding person,

who feels for them
from behind the counter...

You would be fed up after a week
and want to go back to a warm spot.

Somewhere where they would
pay you ten times as much.

Maybe. But here I would be the happiest
and this is important to me.

I'm sure there is a better way.

(in Russian)
Hello. Do you have something to eat?

My stomach is empty
as a clock. Could eat a horse.

I'm sorry?
- Horse meat. They said on the radio.

Lošad? That means a horse?

No, we don't have horseburgers...

Hey, "lošad" is a horse, right?

So, very good, you're a philologist,
you talk to him.

(in Russian)
Please, speak!

Well, privet!

You're beautiful girlfriend wants to
offer me horse meat for some reason,

but I would take something
more peaceful for the starters...

I don't know.
I don't understand Russian.

You have learnt five languages
and you don't speak Russian?

No, I don't speak Russian.

Most of the Russian literature
is translated into Estonian very well.

Tammsaare himself translated
Dostoyevsky for example.

(in Russian)
I'm sorry. Do you want to eat?

Very much! Please -
a maxiburger and french fries. Big ones.

I'm sorry. I haven't seen
my wife for two weeks...

But where is your wife?

At home.

But why are you here?

Why - well there was a conflict.

Well you have to decide.

Here or take-away?

Take-away.

It's ok.

Thank you!

As I understand it,
you don't want to give me this job.

I don't have this job to give.

Very sad.

This place will be closed down.

Closed? Why...?

CABBAGE BURGER

Take it easy. We're almost there.

I promised a mega-meal and
cheeseburger combo to your cousin.

She hasn't been able to think about
anything else for 4 hours.

Yes we're in Chain. First you eat Chain,
then you throw it up.

We'll get ourselves full
and we're there! Ciao!

First the burger, then alcohol.
Phase one, phase two.

Phase three - party!
That's how things work in the capital.

Not like - where you come from -
in Viljandi.

In Jõgeva.

Viljandi - Jõgeva - same thing.
What do you want?

Cheeseburger? Bacon burger?
Regular burger?

Cabbage... anything with cabbage?

You want a cabbage-burger?
Hey - it doesn't exist.

Cmon, think quickly,
others are waiting...

...well... cheeseburger then?

Of course cheeseburger. Cheeseburger!

And then one mega-meal
and then another cheeseburger.

LARP?
- Excuse me?

From the forest?

Ahah. Good joke. Very funny.

Ahah. I get it. Metagaming.

Put away your money!
Stop flashing your money!

Sit here. I'll go to the loo.

What are you doing?

You know them?
- No.

I thought on my last day
I could do something nice

and forward your application to the main
office, they can have a look there...

Oh... no, don't...

What will happen to you then?

What will happen to me?
I'll find a new place.

Yuck! Stop it!

Phase one: build a basis.

Ouch, I spilled some over me!

Don't fret, we'll wash it off.

How can I go to the party like that?

Jesus, this doesn't come off either.
You unlucky bastard.

Hold the burger like this when you eat!
- Jesus, it won't ever come off!

It's nothing. Honestly!
Nobody will notice.

They're looking at your tits,
not the stain.

Culture in Chain.
- Culture in Chain?

Yup - to create some
added value to that place.

I had several agreements already,
but eventually only one came.

They called this morning
that that's it - they'll close it down.

I know that one. “You Have Arrived”.
- Exactly - “You Have Arrived”.

Climbed out from the ball-sea.

How many people showed up then?
- Not many.

There were no children here... I hope?

Sorry, it's hilarious.

My father is dead.

What?

My father is dead.
My mom texted me.

What did he die of?

There is nothing you can do about it.
We can't miss the girls night.

Hey! We'll deal with this tomorrow!
Tonight we'll have a party, okay?

No, fuck...! Don't you cry!

No, it's not because of that.
It's just that I also have

tough times with Meelis and...
- With Meelis? With Meelis?

Sweetie, you don't have to
think about Meelis at all.

Brighten up and work your bosom!

Do you want some more food?
- No.

Let's go then!

Fuck. How's that possible?

Fuck! What the hell? Fuck!

I've got some glue.
Instant. Dries immediately.

Jesus - give it to me then!

Did your father die as well?

No. My father is already dead.

What did he die of?

Liver.
- Same here.

It should work now.
Walk carefully in the beginning,

then it will stick.
- Superb! Hey, massive thanks!

Yay, hey, off we go!
I told you - everything will be fine!

Thanks!

So, you're not going out
on a Friday night?

So, you decided to give out free
burgers to people on your last day

and glue their heels?

Why not? What difference
does it make anymore anyway?

What time do you have to close?
- Very soon.

For the last time.

Hey, listen...
Have you ever tried E...?

E as Ecstasy?
- No.

Why do you ask?

It's just been over a year
since it was last available

and now I got this message
that they've got some.

So I ordered a couple here.
- Here?

Here as in the parking lot.
Won't invite them in.

Should be here in four minutes.

I promised myself that I won't try
any other drugs besides weed.

Reasonable.

How was it then, the weed?

Why do you do this?

I don't know...

It makes your mood good,
makes you happy...

Makes you want to talk to people,

tell them that they are beautiful,
relevant and special.

You feel so good yourself
that it starts to pour over

and there is also enough for the others.

Isn't it like that without it?

Depends on the season.
Right now not so much.

It isn't like a magic pill, but...

but it reminds you how you could be.

Content with yourself
and mindful of others. All the time.

I don't know. Dangerous.
- But why?

Unlike alcohol, it keeps your head clear
and you don't want to harm others.

I'll be back in a moment.

This place looks like a spaceship
from outside...

Listen...

I thought that
I would like to try it...

If you have any.
-1 do.

But we'll need something to drink.

Coke, Fanta, Sprite?

Coke.

It doesn't taste that nice.
That's why drink is good.

Sit.
- Here?

Not good enough?

No. I can't do this. There is the logo
of a competing fast food chain on it.

Yeah, really...!

I like their product development.

COMPOSER

Who's this?

Just an old man,
comes here in the evenings!

Tell him to go away!

I'm sorry - we are closed!

Oh, well then...

I thought that...

Is it that late already?

No, we are - terminally - closed.

Tomorrow we won't be here anymore.

Won't be here anymore?
This is a pity.

Areal pity.

This place has an interesting aura.

Avery interesting aura.

But... What would you like?
Coffee?

I could still make you a cup of coffee.

Yes, coffee, yes.

Excuse me.

This is a bit silly question now, but...

Are you by any chance...?
- Yes. It's me.

Very nice to meet you.

Do you come here often?
- No... Not at all.

I just happen to walk by sometimes

and then step in for a cup of coffee...

...think I broke the coffee machine!

I can do without, can do without, yes.

This is such a thing,
how everything repeats itself,

everything repeats itself.

Do you, kids, work here?

No... l am looking for work.
She is the manager of this place.

Just that today is the last day,
the last night.

This place will be closed down.

I'm sorry - I don't think
I can offer you that coffee.

The machine is broken.

But it hums.
- It's not the coffee machine.

D of the Great Octave.

This?
- D of the Great Octave, yes.

Here we could have a higher B now.

Are you...
writing something at the moment?

At the moment... something.

I am also looking for work in a way.

This goes so that sometimes,

sometimes we don't even know ourselves
that we are writing.

But maybe we are writing.

I tell this to my wife

when she asks me
when I will get to work.

This is...
Well, this is just this little thing...

You can try one if you'd like to.
We don't have coffee anyway.

What are you doing?

We were just about to take these
when you came in.

It's like these caffeine pills

that one takes
instead of drinking coffee?

Yes, exactly. But you can drink
something else with it.

So tiny.

You don't need to worry at all,
dear child.

If someone likes what you have done -
it's already enough.

Real progress is not in moving forward,

but in moving deeper - to the core.

To do what your soul tells you

and you have arrived...

In general I think I know

where I want to get to...

But when I listen
to these sounds here,

do you hear, these are completely
different sounds warm and radiant

and light not cold
and lonely and neutral.

It is like the fading evening
buzz of people exhausted from work.

Oh lord, how light it is to be.

Let them close it down then
if they want to.

I don't even care about this chain.
I don't even eat hamburgers.

I am a vegetarian and today
I ate my first ever hamburger,

after I was told
that I was no longer needed.

Just to find out what it tastes like
and it tasted like...

It isn't a bad place,

but still it is good that it gets
closed down for your sake,

and don't think that it means
you can't come here to work.

You can go somewhere else,
where you can put your education to use

and you'll do something big.

I haven't really talked
to someone in such a long time.

I have been waiting
for this moment for so long.

I feel like nothing has happened
for the past couple of years.

Since I came back from abroad,
things have gone continuously downhill.

When I came back
it seemed to be the best decision,

but now everything has stagnated.

I want to get out of this circle.

You should be there already,
you should be doing that already,

why aren't you making
good money already.

I understand it's so silly.

It feels so good to let go,
just let go and be in the moment,

like us right now,
three total strangers.

Look where we have ended up.

This place maybe is
the source of a new symphony.

Maybe it's the end of a small place,

its quiet disappearing
in the middle of suburban parking lots,

but maybe something new
and better is born,

something bigger
and more beautiful and...