- The
scene opens in a little Greek town by the sea, with
costumes and environment relative to the first half of
the 20th century, around 1920: a town holiday where
people eat and sing in a place out in the open. A huge
table with plenty of food where at least 60 or 70
persons, men and women, typically Greek, sit around
the table; a lot of food and drink is visible and
everyone eats and drinks and laughs loudly, having a
good time.
- In
a bedroom situated above the banquet, two middle aged
people, man and wife, are trying to sleep; they are
foreigners and guests at the inn; he turns on his bed
nervously, he stirs and tosses, covers his head with a
pillow, his wife goes to the window to see where all
the noise is coming from. The people down below are
laughing and singing and having a good time. The
husband can't take the noise anymore, he gets up from
the bed in a hurry gets dressed, puts his shoes
without tying up his shoe laces and goes out of the
door, his patience has been worn out. A group of seven
young people gets up from the banquet table a couple
of them pick up from a small table near by some
typical string instruments and start singing together
a classic of the Greek musical repertory,
extraordinarily beautiful.
-
- Track
N° 1 From cd : greek chorus
-
- In
the group that is singing there is also a young tall
man, very handsome, incredibly handsome, typically
Greek, his name is Panaiotis.
- Suddenly
the man that could not get to sleep at the inn appears
wanting to complain, but hearing the choir that has
just begun stops and slowly becomes more serene: the
initial noise in the meantime has ceased and it is
plain to see from the man's face that he is fascinated
by the beauty of the singing ; slowly he sits at the
end of the table where the other guests are
sitting.
- One
of them near him offers him a glass of wine that the
man accepts with a shy smile. After a while, his wife
joins him in her housecoat with a wondering
expression; her husband offers her a chair and nods
her to be silent because he wants to listen to the
chorus that continues to sing an infinitely sweet
musical piece made even more so by the talent of the
singers.
- The
lead, singer Panaiotis, dark eyed, spacious forehead,
while singing keeps looking at a girl sitting at the
table, an extraordinarily beautiful girl, typically
Greek, dark brown eyes, sparkling, and as beautiful as
two stars; her name is Anna; she looks at the young
man fascinated by him. The young man appears to sing
just for her.
- At
the end of the song everyone applauds heartily and the
young men sit down again at the table
- There
follows a series of toasts dedicated to friends living
and dead: a middle aged man with thick black moustache
gets up:
- First
man: I drink this wine to the health of this
individual who is as ugly as our friendship is
beautiful (and nods towards one of the guests sitting
next to him, who smiles entertained)
- Second
man : (the guest sitting near to him, same age, same
type) I sit beside this drunkard because I am proud to
have such a true friend!
- Third
man: The sea gives, and the sea takes away… I
drink to you my dear Mirko… my dear
brother.
- Everybody
gets up and after a short time of total silence they
clap their hands loudly.
- A
fourth man gets up with a faint smile, evidently
intending to recreate the same festive atmosphere as
before.
- Fourth
man: I drink in honour of all of you, to all our
friends who are looking at us from above wishing to
all my friends here that they may find the key hole
tonight when they go home.
- The
sleepless guest at the inn: My wife and I have came
from far away, not dressed like this, when we will go
back to our country maybe we will sleep longer, but we
will miss the warmth and the sweetness of this land;
we came here because we love Greece and its
people.
- After
the applause, the other guests sit tightly together to
make them room; while setting the table with very
modest plates and glasses they proceed to offer foods
and drinks.
- Another
man gets up: he appears to be of a higher class,
dressed elegantly, a carefully trimmed white beard,
very refined. He begins to speak in a paternal way
towards his guests. He is a notable in his
community
- The
notable: my welcomed friends, the people here call me
the sultan of Missolungi because of my richness and
properties; a lot of them work for me, I help every
person in this town who is in difficulty because the
nicest thing for a man my age is to be greeted when I
walk among them, not only with respect, but with
affection as well, you are welcomed in this place
where peace and harmony reigns.
- Warm
applause, more than ever, followed by drinks. After a
few seconds Panaiotis gets up:
- Panaiotis:
I dedicate this delicious nectar of the earth to an
angel descended from above… the words are not
sufficient to describe the feeling that comes from the
heart while I look at her face: I drink to the health
of a long time friend who has now become as beautiful
as a sunny day, with eyes as deep as the sea, when you
look at her you are overrun by passion that removes
every trace of bitterness in life.
- The
applause is cut by the severe look on the face of
Anna's father who is sitting beside her; he takes her
strongly by the hand and drags her away. The guests
remain astonished and after few seconds Panaiotis gets
up, irritated and goes away as well.
- Scene
changes: Panaiotis is sewing the nets sitting on a
stool by the sea in a little harbour where there are
some little old boats; Anna looks at him from a
distance; Panaiotis sees her, they exchange glances,
he immediately understands Anna's intentions. He
leaves his work and runs towards her. Anna runs away,
evidently wanting to be followed and goes and hides
behind some thick vegetation near some houses at the
outskirts of the town. She lays down on the burned
grass and the two love each other intensely: it's
obvious that their love is true and complete that
stems from their childhood desires
- Panaiotis:
You are my life; you are part of me…. When I see
you I feel a burning inside of me I have to have you
near me to be able to hug you until I hear your heart
beat next to mine for my whole life long and
thereafter
- Anna:
I can't live without you, even if you're far away you
are always with me …. Every day.. every
hour… at night always near me, with your head on
my pillow… I want you forever with all my
heart… I want to stay beside you even after
death…our great love will never end because it is
endless.
- Scene
changes: a very humble kitchen with the bare
essentials. Anna's father with thick grey moustache
speaks to Anna loudly while she is sitting at the
kitchen table:
- The
father : You have to forget Panaiotis! He is only a
poor fisherman.. do you want to have a miserable life
like mine and your mother's ? You are the most
beautiful woman in the village, you have to go to the
city where we will do the utmost to allow you to study
and where you will find someone that can assure you a
better life.
- The
mother, dressed in black, with a very proud attitude
because it is her that runs the house turns to her
husband who is Anna's father:
- The
mother : What are you saying? What's this about city
and studies?
- Haven't
you noticed that Anastasio, the son of the owner of
the inn has only eyes for her? You are always on the
sea, you eat, drink and sleep, and you don't know
anything about this town! Don't you know that
Anastasio owns more than ten boats for high sea
fishing and that he is the only son?!
- Anna
gets up she wipes her tears with her sleeve and looks
at her parents with a determined glance:
- Anna:
I want Pnaiotis! I have loved him since childhood. if
you get in the way I will kill myself and it will be
your fault. I swear I will as true as I'm standing
here!
- After
a long pause, Anna's parents sit down forlorn, look at
Anna bewildered and realize, this is something bigger
then them
- Scene
changes: a little village church; at the centre door,
a wedding, the couple is posing for a picture, dressed
in modest but dignified clothing of the time together
with friends and relatives. The photographer has an
old fashioned camera of the time. Everybody
congratulates the bride and groom with hugs and
kisses. Zoom on the face of Anna's father who smiles
to Panaiotis and hugs him clearly moved.
- Scene
changes: same place of the fist scene. It's a sunny
day; on a side there is a little orchestra: three
violins, a viola and a violoncello playing classical
pieces on the open air terrace by the sea. There is a
horse shoe shaped table with fifty guests sitting
around it. After a while the bride and groom enter,
everyone get up and applauds, the orchestra starts
playing the waltz from the opera Coppelia by
Delibes
-
- Track
n° 2 from cd waltz from the opera
- "Coppelia"
by Delibes
-
- The
bride and groom gently start to dance holding each
other's head with their hands as if they wanted to
consolidate the fact that they belong to each other:
They keep dancing this way while looking dreamingly
into each other's eyes. When the music is over
everyone stands up and applauds, the two kiss
tenderly.
- After
a couple of seconds the notable starts to
speak:
- The
notable: you young people! You can continue when
you'll be alone! (everybody laughs) now come and sit
down.
- Once
the bride and groom are seated, a little boy and a
little girl around 12 years of age start dancing the
same waltz that the orchestra is beginning to
play
-
- Continue
Trace n° 2 from cd waltz from the opera
"Coppelia" by Delibes
-
- You
can tell that the two youngsters' dance has been
carefully practiced and tutored by adults for the
ceremony; you can tell that love is budding between
the two even though the little boy tries hard to hide
it, then, red in the face they both go back and sit
with their respective parents
- Scene
in the afternoon after all have eaten.
- The
notable : Dear Panaiotis, being that you are a good
lad, and long time friend of my son Anastasio, we have
decided to give you a gift that will allow you to
finally fish on the high sea, where, as you know there
is an abundance of fish that I will buy from you daily
at the current rate, so that you and Anna will be able
to live as you deserve. Inside the boat there is 5
kilometres of netting ready for use.
- Toasts,
hugs and kisses follow. After a while the newlyweds go
and see the boat:
- A
12 meter boat with on board motor with mechanical turn
on by the handle, as it was in those days. The two hop
on board and Panaiotis turns on the motor, Anna picks
up her bride dress and goes and sits astern; the groom
takes the boat slowly towards the open sea; the two
wave to the guests on the terrace while slowly moving
away on the open sea..
- The
focus is now on the boat on a calm sea like a mirror,
the sun lifts a mist above the water. You can se the
boat floating away in the distance with Anna's head on
Panaiotis' shoulder seated on the stern of the boat;
you don't hear the noise of the motor any longer and
gradually you hear music by Schumann:
-
- Track
n° 3 of the cd "children games &endash; vision-"
By Schumann
-
- The
scene lasts until the boat is no longer
visible.
- Scene
changes: it's summer-time at dawn. Anna and Panaiotis
dressed in their working clothes typical of those
times get on the boat that is slowly leaving the
harbour. The last picture dissolves while a new
picture of the boat on the high sea at noon comes
forth. The sea is calm without a breath of wind , Anna
and Panaiotis work harmoniously, together as always,
they pull in the nets: the day's fishing is abundant.
Suddenly Anna cuts her finger on the dorsal fin of a
fish in the net. Panaiotis is worried:
- Panaiotis:
be careful Anna! Give me your hand, let's see your
finger… quick… it could be a poisonous
fish…. And I know very well how painful it can
be….. it can be really painful.
- Panaiotis
picks up a knife and makes a small cut on Anna's
finger and sucks the blood off repeatedly while Anna
smiles lovingly, realizing that the fish is not at all
poisonous. Nevertheless she does not interrupt him
because she likes seeing her man worried about her.
After a while, still smiling:
- Anna:
Panaiotis….. the fin of this nice fish is not at
all poisonous. It's the other fish that is… but I
really liked what you did even though you ruined my
finger! Now we have finished let's sit and rest and
enjoy this serene silence.
- Panaiotis:
to-day's fishing has been exceptionally plentiful!
Finally we can relax… when the sea is calm I can
hear its voice that sends me an infinite serenity and
it tells me how fortunate I am to have received such a
gift as you.
- Anna:
you'll never be a minute without me… if I even
see a woman looking at you I'll take her eyes out! You
are mine. I feel and always have felt you inside of
me!
- The
two sit astern on the boat that is still on a sea of
glass; Anna leans her head on Panaiotis' shoulder,
they're both silently enjoying each other's company.
The zoom slowly moves backward from the boat stopping
for a long time to look at it from far away. The boat
at This point looks very small while Shumann's musical
piece returns.
- Track
n° 3 of the cd "children games &endash; vision-"
By Schumann
-
- Scene
changes: it's getting darker, the boat has returned to
the little harbour. Panaiotis gets out and helps Anna
and they both go towards the house holding hands. The
house is cute, small and white like all Greek
fishermen houses.
- The
two disappear inside the house and shut the door.
- Scene
changes: its getting darker, same harbour, some time
has gone by. It's winter, Anna and Panaiotis wear
modest winter clothing, there is a strong
wind:
- Panaiotis:
I have to go and retrieve the nets, if the sea gets
stormy I might lose them.
- Anna:
I am coming with you
- Panaiotis:
no! it's dangerous
- Anna
: I said I'm coming with you!
- Panaiotis
: go home, you are not coming with me! The storm is
coming!
- Anna
: please Panaiotis, I can help you I won't let you go
alone!
- Panaiotis
: not at all! Go home
- Panaiotis
jumps into the boat, starts the motor and begins to go
away. Anna screams desperately at
Panaiotis.
- The
boat is two metres away from the dock, Anna jumps into
the water and tries to reach the boat by swimming.
Panaiotis immediately sends the boat back in order to
take Anna into the boat.
- Panaiotis
: (flustered) take these clothes, put on my dry
clothes, hurry or you'll get cold.
- He
helps her to get dry and to dress. He dries her hair,
looks at her with his hands on the side of her face
and smiles having understood her gesture of love and
hugs her.
- Panaiotis
: hard headed! I imagine that you won't go
home…… Please it's dangerous
- Anna
: we either go back together or I'm coming with
you!
- Panaiotis
: I can't lose kilometres of net!
- Anna:
( calmly, determined, caressing Panaiotis' face) you
can't do anything about it, I am coming with
you.
- Zooming
on the boat, you can see it slowly moving away until
the light fades away, while you can see a storm coming
on towards the open sea and here you begin to hear the
musical piece
-
- Track
n° 3 of cd :Prelude of the second act
- from
"peer gint" by grieg
-
- Sundown
the day after: the village people search for Panaiotis
and Anna, repeated zooming on a wrecked boat against
rocks; the sea is now calm. A little further away
there are two lifeless bodies. People are running
towards them, some kneel over them: scene of
desperation; the action is silent you can only hear
the melody by Grieg. All actions develop in relation
to the musical variation.
- Scene
changes: the musical score proceeds without any
interruption varying the volume intensity in relation
to the scene; funeral: 2 caskets on a carriage full of
flowers, even on the wheels, two black horses pull the
carriage with two men dressed in black slowly leading
the way. Zoom on the faces of the people at the
funeral, faces already seen at the wedding. People are
dressed in black, some throw flowers on the caskets.
The focus moves slowly from the funeral to the village
on the sea and finishes on the white clouds of a
winter sky.
- Scene
changes while the piece by Grieg continues: the two
caskets are slowly lowered side by side into the
ground by 8 men, 4 on each side. Scene changes, same
musical score; the zoom is used as if someone's eyes
are searching a tombstone in a graveyard: the movement
of the zoom is gradually faster until it stops on a
tombstone worn out by time and almost abandoned, that
has an inscription in illiric alphabet and a date. It
says:- two pure souls that lived together for a short
time - wrapped in an infinite love, died together,
were buried together, and together up above are
wrapped in God's love - June 3 - 1921 &endash; up
above it, it's visible the number of the tombstone :
72.. Then you see a hand that places two red roses on
the tombstone, caressing the stone gently, almost
trying to feel its warmth. The hand appears that of a
woman, a young woman with long, slim fingers.
- The
music by Grieg proceeds becoming lighter
-
- Track
n° 5 prelude II act of "peer gint" by
grieg
-
- A
young woman around twenty years of age accompanied by
a man of the same age walks down a solitary country
lane, while the camera zooms toward them. The music
faints.
- The
two enter in a little villa in a Tuscan countryside in
present time.
- He
has flowers in his hands: they are engaged and the
girl presents her fiancé to her parents for the
first time (her name is Angela, his name is Albert,
he's American)
- Anna:
don't be embarrassed, I am serene, because I know my
parents, they'll welcome you like a son.
- Albert:
let's hope so
- There
is a light smile on his face; they walk into the well
to do villa, with a little swimming pool, very lovely,
and a beautiful lawn. Three people meet them: Angela's
father, Massimo, her mother, Miriam, and her
grandmother, Matilde. They are greeted with
spontaneous warmth due to the fact that Albert has
made a good impression with his gentle, respectful
manners and his good lad aspect.
- Angela's
mother, Miriam, goes towards the couple smiling and
Albert gives her a bunch of red roses.
- Lunch
time: the table setting reveals the family's class
culturally as well; Massimo, Angela's father Miriam's
husband starts to speak:
- Massimo
: Albert, I know that you' are an electronic engineer,
its' a beautiful degree, how do you like your job? We
know all about you because Angela is always talking
about you.
- Albert
looks at Angela knowingly.
- Albert
: I love my job and am grateful to the general manager
in Los Angeles for having given me the management of
the Florence branch, that way I can live here with
Angela without taking her away from her
family,
- I
know how attached she is to you. (He holds her
hand).
- While
everyone starts to eat Albert makes the sign of cross:
- Albert
: excuse me, it's a family habit…
- Massimo:
oh not at all ,it's a beautiful habit, its a habit
that we hardly ever forget ourselves... hardly
ever.
- Matilde
: (ironically) yes hardly ever like going to church
every Sunday.
- Massimo
with a light smile makes the sign of the cross with
all the others and they start eating. After a short
time:
- Albert:
I don't know much about your habits but is it ok to
compliment the cook, I've never eaten such a good
sufflè and such a great roast!
- Matilde:
of course you can! Even though they are oven baked
lasagne and I'm the cook (with obvious pride)
- Massimo:
My mother in law is a great cook even though she
doesn't know what a sufflè is.
- Matilde
looks at Massimo with a questioning smile and suddenly
looking towards Albert:
- Matilde:
You are a good boy, Albert… you speak Italian
perfectly, you'll like being in this family… you
know you look strangely like my husband, Angela's
grandfather, when he was young.
- Albert
: (curious) if you have any pictures, I would like to
see them.
- Scene
changes: everyone is sitting in the living room,
Angela shows some pictures of her
grandfather:
- Angela:
look Albert, see this little dark spot on his
forehead, see? It's shaped like an A, when I was small
he always told me that it was a sign from the sky
announcing the arrival of an angel in our family and
he always said that I was this angel.
- Angela
tries to keep back her tears and goes towards the
piano and starts to play with eyes full of tears
-
- Track
n° 3 "children's games" by Schumann
-
- Angela:
I lived with him all my life until six months ago,
when he passed away, he was always cheerful, never
boring, he was an extraordinary soul, he really liked
this musical piece, I remember the first time that I
played it from beginning to end….
- End
of the scene, same place with Angela's parents and her
grandfather and all the family a lot younger, they're
sitting on a couch, the grandfather (elderly man but
still young good looking) sits on an arm chair,
Angela, eight years old, is at the piano playing the
same musical piece as the preceding scene when she was
an adult. The camera zooms in on the grandfather's
face visibly moved, two tears fall down his cheeks.
Matilde looks at Ettore ( the name of the grandfather
and her husband)
- Matilde
: Ettore! What's the matter? Really you are getting
old!
- Miriam
: (impetuously) no! dad will never grow old! He's
always been very sensitive and that has not always
been understood!
- When
Miriam stops speaking, little Angela runs towards her
grandfather's arms and they hug each
other.
- Matilde
: I know… I know…. even though at times he
makes me mad because he is so stubborn!
- Scene
changes _ the whole family is at the dinner table.
While the maid is serving, dinner, there's a moment of
silence: Ettore makes the sign of the cross, 12 year
old Angela sitting beside him, looks at
him.
- Matilde:
(speaking to Ettore) this is the first time that I see
you make the sign of the cross before eating, what's
the matter with you?
- Ettore:
as you know to morrow is my last day of work and I
feel a little sad… the end of one's working life
is a sad time for anyone … and when you have
worked with satisfaction and among great men
- Matilde:
(ironically) and women..
- Ettore:
sure … and women.. detaching yourself from all
this is very difficult…. But then I realize that
I'll have more time to be with my angel (looks at
Angela smiling) then I know I'm the luckiest man in
the world.
- Massimo
: we will be happy as well, first of all for Angela,
who will have a first rate tutor and secondly because
we are often away because of our work.
- Scene
changes: a luxurious meeting room: all the leading
managers and doctors at the hospital where Ettore is
the top manager; 10 people are present of which 4
women dressed in white the eldest is speaking and
everyone stands up:
- Elderly
doctor: Dear Ettore, what I'm about to say is, I am
sure, in everyone's heart. It has been a pleasure to
have worked under you., because you have motivated us
to make this place one of the most famous medical
centres in Italy and in the world. Also your sense of
justice has guided us through the difficult periods.
We were happy to have you by our side because of your
top level preparation and manners and, why not,
because of your humour, as well. With you, everyone of
us has always felt secure: now that you are leaving
us, you will leave behind your teachings, but also a
great emptiness. We hope that you'll often come to
visit us not as a patient but as a friend among
friends. We wish to give you this gold watch as a
gift, so that the time that will pass from here on may
be golden… no gift was more deserved … you
gave us much more.
- He
gives him the watch, everyone is moved, Ettore,
standing up, takes off his white uniform and puts it
on his chair as a ritual, and looking at the watch:
- Ettore:
It's a very valuable watch, I'll wear it with great
respect and think of you every time I look at it.
People say that you become a better person if you stay
with better people… working with you has been a
privilege (visibly moved).. here I have spent a lot of
the time of my life and I loose here a lot of my
life… I'd like to say a lot of things but I can't
go on, I'll miss you all!
- While
he starts to go out of the room people line up to
shake his hand and hug him. The last person is a
beautiful woman with red hair, beautiful green eyes, a
doctor, (it's evident that she feels a particular
fondness for him) after shaking hands she hugs him and
cries and kisses him on the check near his mouth.
Ettore turns away in a hurry, visibly
moved.
- The
musical piece to play is:
-
- Track
n° 6 "Sad waltz "
- by
sibelius
-
- And
this accompanies Ettore down the hospital lane. He
turns to look up towards the hospital windows where
his fellow doctors are looking down on him, and he
throws them a kiss, then turns his head again, and
continues to walk. Slows down again but suddenly
begins to walk faster.
- Scene
changes: afternoon in the leaving room, in the house
Massimo, Miriam and Ettore's wife, Matilde, are
getting ready to go out
- Matilde:
- Ettore
why don't you resume your activity in the operating
room? You are still young not even sixty.
- Ettore:
for three reasons: first of all I don't feel like
taking the place of a younger doctor, secondly after
having been behind a desk for so many years I wouldn't
even be able to sew a wound and also I have no
knowledge of all the new medical instruments and
electronic gadgets now in use in the operating room,
thirdly I don't feel like working under someone who
was once under me
- Matilde:
OK but you don't have to be so sad , now you have to
enjoy life!
- Now
I'm going to play cards see you for supper
….
- Waves
to Ettore who is sitting beside his daughter Ettore
doesn't seem too convinced.
- Miriam:
dad please don't be sad, to night I have to go with
Massimo to Milan for business but we will back soon.
- She
kisses Ettore on the head and Angela as
well
- Massimo:
we are glad that we're leaving Angela with such a
tutor!
- The
image of Angela as an adult reappears at the piano
playing the same musical piece by Schumann
-
- Track
n° 3 "children games" by Schumann
-
- Angela
as an adult: My life with him has been enormously
happy. He has lived beside me longer than anybody. He
always spoke with me as if I were an adult and I felt
like an adult near him; he has greatly influenced my
growing up years through his intelligence, and any
good quality that I have I owe it to him. The affinity
that we had allowed me to understand everything he
said to me … he always had an answer for
everything even for the most difficult things …..
then, I remember that he always made me laugh he had a
terrific personality.
- The
previous scene returns in the living room on the
couch, 12 year old Angela is seated near her
grandfather Ettore
- Angela:
grandpa now you're all mine… teach me to dance
- Ettore:
sure my dear miss!
- He
picks a tape and puts it on and the music starts a
waltz from "Coppelia2 by Delibes.
-
- Track
n° 2 waltz from "coppelia" by delibes
-
- Ettore
goes towards Angela :
- Ettore:
may I have this dance miss?
- Angela
steps on her grandfather's toes and trips
- Ettore:
watch out! You have to go like this … one …
two three, one….two…three
- They
dance for a bit then Ettore picks up
Angela
- Ettore:
you see Angela, a waltz has to be danced by turning
fast like this…..
- While
doing this after a few seconds, Ettore begins quietly
to be moved and frowns as if something not fully
comprehensible is turning up in his mind, while Angela
laughs and doesn't see her grandfather's
face.
- Ettore:
(sitting all at once on the couch)……. Until
everything doesn't continue to dance around you even
after you have stopped.
- Angela:
grandpa why do you have tears in your eyes?
- Angela:
because…….because you are now the only
reason for living .. and being that it is a wonderful
reason I'm moved and then you know, a man is not a man
if he's not moved at least once a day!
- Angela:
grandpa I like being with you, I wish it would never
end.. I even like you when you're crying although you
make me cry too
- Ettore:
My sweet baby! (hugs her)
- Angela
resumes telling Albert the story.
- Angela:
one time I remember we were waiting for mom and
grandma to come back from shopping
- Scene
changes: you see Ettore picking up a ladder and
talking to 12 year old Angela
- Ettore:
come honey we'll play a joke on your mother
- Angela:
yes let's grandpa
- Ettore
fills up a coloured balloon with water, puts it on top
of the door and puts a needle in it that will pierce
the balloon and everyone underneath will get wet.
- Ettore:
(talking to Angela) you know, water jokes in the
summer are not in bad taste especially if played on
women, because they wear very light clothes and
everything ends up in a laugh.
- Angela:
Yes grandpa (claps her ands)
- Ettore:
now let's sit here to catch the scene, in the meantime
let's pretend we're playing chess
- Angela:
Yes grandpa.
- They
both start playing chess. After a while the door opens
and Matilde and Miriam are preceded by a distinct,
elegant bald man: he is Angela's piano teacher; all
the water from the balloon falls on his
head
- Matilde:
(looking up) what's this!?
- Miriam
realizing what happened, hides outside near the door
laughing. The piano teacher, after a few seconds looks
up and looking at Matilde
- Piano
teacher: Oh madam "what is this" I say! Look at me!
- Ettore:
I'm sorry (and tries to dry the water away from his
jacket)
- Piano
teacher: what are you doing, dusting me ?! oh please!
- Matilde
is embarrassed and Miriam goes towards the garden
trying not to laugh loudly.
- Ettore:
I'm sorry, maestro, the joke wasn't meant for you, I'm
always kidding around with my daughter and
niece…. It wasn't at all meant for
you.
- Piano
teacher: (ironically) well thank goodness… then I
can be happy for that!
- In
the meantime Matilde comes forth with a shirt and a
sweater.
- Matilde:
here you are, maestro, you can wear this for now while
your clothes are being dried, these belong to my son
in law, naturally they are clean and
ironed.
- Piano
teacher: well I would hope so!
- Scene
changes: the piano teacher is sitting at the piano
beside Angela wearing a shirt with sleeves longer than
his arms. He puts his hands on the keyboard and the
cuffs almost cover his hands: he looks seriously at
Angela and rolls up his sleeves solemnly:
- Piano
teacher : and now let's begin to play…. Without
laughing!
- Scene
changes: the piano teacher goes away and says hello to
Ettore at first shaking his hand, he looks at him
seriously and then bursts out laughing .
- Ettore
waves back, amused at the fact that the piano teacher
has a sense of humour, and that he is not at all
offended by what has happened .
- Scene
changed: everyone is sitting at the table at lunch
time waiting for grandpa: he walks in solemnly wearing
a blue jacket with a big red cross and a diagonal
strip on it, the uniform of a voluntary beneficial
association; everybody claps their hands, 12 year old
Angela as well, more then the others.
- Matilde:
it's a great honour for you to be called by the mayor
of our city to become the manager of the biggest
voluntary association in the place.
- Ettore:
yes.. maybe because they needed an idiot to work free
to set up and better the organization, so they called
me.
- Matilde:
but as I understand you'll be helping out as well.
- Ettore:
surely, Seneca used to say "the word convinces but the
example spurs you on"
- Angela
(sadly) grandpa, but aren't you going to stay with me
then?
- Ettore:
I'll stay with you always, after school we'll be
together in the afternoon, we'll do your homework
together, play chess, go for walks with grandma we'll
cook and naturally dance.
- Angela
: thank goodness
- Having
said that Ettore sits at the table near Angela
squeezing her nose between his thumb and his
finger.
- Ettore:
look I got your nose don't you want to check if it's
still there?
- Angela
:I'm not checking any more, grandpa, because I am 12
years old, not 3 or 4! (smiling)
- Matilde:
stop squeezing her nose you could hurt her with those
big hands.
- Miriam
: mom, if you remember he always did it to me when I
was small and he never hurt me… (smiling) I'll
tell you, lately he has done it to me a couple of
times.
- Miriam
looks at her father affectionately, smiles to
him.
- Scene
changes. The scene goes back to the initial one:
everybody gets up and walks out of the living room;
Angela and Albert seen from behind walking on the
grass holding each other.
- Angela
:it's true, you look a bit like my grandfather and now
that my mother makes me notice it I love you even more
if that's possible
- Albert
: (kidding) you and your mother have made me jealous
of your grandpa, but good grief didn't he have any
faults?
- Angela
:Yes, he really liked women and women really liked
him… mom has suffered because of it.. but no more
than she should have, she had her life, her friends
and didn't dedicate herself entirely to him. Maybe it
was both their fault that their relationship was
troublesome, I faintly remember their discussions
because my mother told me that when I was born they
became a lot sweeter and reversed all their love on me
- Albert
: I think if a man likes women it is not at all a
fault, if it's true that the love you receive betters
people, then I can understand why you're the best
person in the world (they kiss tenderly)
- Angela
resumes her story again:
- Angela
: He knew how to do every thing he was incredibly
good! And I'm not saying this because I loved him come
and see…
- They
both walk towards a shed at the far end of the villa,
Angela opens the door:
- Angela
: look at this boat…. I was there while he was
making it …. Now you have to learn to drive it,
because my father doesn't like boating, neither does
my mother or my grandmother. My grandfather and I were
the only boat and sea lovers.
- Albert
: I love the sea, and I don't have to learn to drive a
boat because I have a nautical license that allows me
to drive boats a lot bigger than this one!
- Angela
: You never told me that!
- Albert
: because you never asked me!
- Angela
: this is a real surprise and you can't imagine how
happy it makes me because every time I looked at the
shed I would think about grandpa and the times I spent
with him fishing at the sea. I never thought I would
be able to go back on it being that everyone in the
family gets sea-sick!
- Albert
: well as you know, I live by the sea, that's where my
home town is and I used to fish with the fishing rod
really well…I can't wait to go and fish where you
and your grandfather did.
- Angela
: It's obvious that you are the perfect man for me,
we'll go exactly there where my grandfather used to
take me…. I remember once, we stayed the whole
day on the boat, it was a beautiful day. We didn't
even realize that we had been at sea from nine in the
morning till five in the evening without even eating
or feeling the need to.
- Scene
changes.: Angela as a youngster, sitting on the boat
with her fishing rod and Ettore on the other side of
the boat with his own fishing rod, both fishing
without results.
- Ettore:
today the fish are not hungry.. but can you feel the
serenity ? Everything is dead calm…. When the sea
is as still as glass, it seems like it's talking to
you…. listen to its voice … you don't know
what it is saying but it gives you an incredible
serenity. You feel immersed in universal love.. closer
to God.
- Angela:
it's true grandpa…. I can hear the voice of the
sea! …. Grandpa…grandpa! I caught a
fish… look how it's pulling…
- Ettore:
Beginner's luck! Give me the rod
- Angela:
not on your life! I'm pulling it in besides, I'm not a
beginner … I'm just a lot better than you at
fishing!
- Ettore:
now, thank to this fish, I can't hear the voice of the
sea anymore (jokingly) and frankly I'm jealous and not
at all at ease….. I have gone fishing all my
life, I got your rod and your bait ready for you and
you're the one that catches the fish instead of
me!
- Angela:
(smiling ironically) you see, grandpa, it's how you
fish that makes all the difference… now if I
catch another one don't get angry.
- Ettore:
Of course I will (jokingly) but on a second thought I
take all the credit because I'm the one who taught you
so well ( the two look at each other and
smile)
- After
a few moments of silence, the camera zooms backward,
you see the boat in the middle of the glass-like sea
with Angela and Ettore fishing both wearing very funny
identical hats while in crescendo you hear the musical
piece by Schumann
-
- Track
n° 3 "children games" by Schumann
-
- The
scene turns again with Angela and Albert:
- Angela
: my grandfather died only six months ago in his
sleep, like he always wanted to, and I cant' find any
fault in him. I remember that night distinctively, I
woke up suddenly….
- Scene
changes: Angela' bedroom: Angela wakes up and runs
towards her grandfather's bedroom
- Angela
: grandpa!.. grandpa!!!
- Matilde:
( who is sleeping there also) Angela what's wrong did
you have a nightmare?
- Angela
runs towards her grandfather and continues to call him
loudly: Matilde realizing that Ettore doesn't answer
gets up from her bed
- Matilde:
my God, Ettore.. Ettore!! hurry Angela call mom call
an ambulance!!
- Scene
changes:: operating room in a hospital: the same
elderly doctor that spoke on the day Ettore retired,
takes off his green mask and glasses:
- Elderly
doctor :dear colleagues our dear Ettore has passed
away…..
- The
woman with the red hair the one who kissed him
lovingly, takes her mask off and deeply moved caresses
his forehead. She has a very painful expression…
long time memories … her beautiful green eyes
filled with tears.
- Scene
changes: funeral home: Ettore is in an open casket
lined with white satin: relatives and friends all
around; Angela enters crying
- Angela
: Please, I want to be left alone with my grandpa just
a few minutes.
- Everybody
leaves the room realizing her great sadness. Angela
places her hands on either side of the casket, with a
crying voice:
- Angela
: dear sweet grandpa (and touches his A shaped spot on
his forehead) I'm not the angel that you said I
was…you are the angel that came from above to
give me all… I cant' believe that I won't be able
to see you again, my love will never die…because
its' immense and the Lord up above won't let it
die… I'll always keep you in my heart, I'll
always speak to you and you will always be with me and
you will listen to me with that wonderful smile that
was part of me and that has always been with me.. I'm
certain ..and I want to be certain with all my might
that we will see each other and be together again..
thank you dear grandpa…. I love you very much and
always will. ( she cries her eyes out ) Miriam, the
mother enters quietly and hugs Angela . while you
hear:
-
- Track
N° 6 "sad waltz" by sibelius
-
- The
scene goes back to the previous one, where Angela is
talking to Albert
- Angela
: I still suffer a lot when I think about him…
but the pain ends when I feel his presence near me and
I'm so sure of it, I often speak to him out loud. He
was a little strange lately, before his death because
of an incredible episode that happened to him, but I
have never known quite what is was all about. He had
told me that this was why he had gone to the States
alone and had stayed there about a month giving us
explanations that we never believed and that was the
first time that he lied. A little while after he died
but before that he told us that he had to go to Greece
to visit a graveyard in Missolungi.
- Albert
: did he ever tell you the reason why he wanted to go
to Greece?
- Angela
: no, he didn't want to talk about it.
- Scene
changed: the whole family is present: Angela (as an
adult) Miriam with her husband Massimo, and Matilde
everyone is sitting around grandpa Ettore
- Miriam
: dad.. you know… everyone wants to know why you
went to the States for a month on your own! You always
said that you wanted to go with mom and
Angela….instead you left, as you said, for a
personal spiritual need?! Being that you can't lie
very well, it's obvious that there is another
reason… what is it.. mom even thought that you
went with another woman!
- Ettore
shows embarrassment , he feels under fire but he is
firmly determined not to answer
- Angela
: grandpa, if you went there with another woman I
swear I could kill you because you would no longer be
the man I always knew!
- Ettore:
No my child! I swear to God that I didn't go with
another woman and you know that I am very religious.
- Angela
: (very reassured) I believe you grandpa, I could have
never killed you for any reason; I'll always be your
baby even at 80 years old, but I realize that there is
a serious reason that made you go away and that
worries me.
- Matilde:
(addressing the family) he is as hard headed as always
he'll never tell us anything!
- Ettore:
(speaking to Miriam ironically) of course your mother
is as sweet as always! I'll have you known for now
that there is a very serious reason that has nothing
to do with my physical or mental health; when I'll
become spiritually ready I'll let you know, first of
all I'll have to visit the graveyard in Missolungi in
Greece.
- Massimo
: (opening his arms) Ettore things are becoming
complicated! Now you're talking about Greece…
graveyards… Missolungi .. are you feeling
ok?
- Ettore:
never been better!
- Angela
: Grandpa I'm convinced that after a while you'll tell
me everything,
- Scene
changes: Angela and Albert alone in the villa's
garden:
- Angela:
then grandpapa died and didn't go to Greece. He told
us about this trip to the States and of a letter that
he had mailed to some people but we have never known
anything about what it said and he never told us about
the reason for wanting to go to Missolungi. I'll
always have this regret with me all my life, because
I'm certain that it was very important for my
grandfather and I'm certain that sooner or later he
would have revealed this secret, but now I will never
know.
- Scene
changes: Angela and Albert's wedding day: everybody is
all dressed in light summer clothes. The reception has
been catered in the family's villa.
- Everything
is very lovely, refined. The bride is in a modern long
white dress, Albert in black with a particular high
neck jacket embroidered in black satin, very elegant.
Everybody is sitting at the horse shoe shaped table;
Angela's parents Massimo and Miriam with grandma
Matilde on Angela' side and Albert's parents (George
and Sally) very young distinguished looking are
sitting next to him. The bride and groom cut the cake
toats and greetings are directed to them by everyone.
Immediately next to the bride there's an empty place
with the proper table setting with two red roses on
the plate.
- There's
a relaxed atmosphere, it's warm, the men take off
their jackets, it's the time for speeches:
- George:
(Albert's father) dear Massimo, Miriam, Matilde, and
Angela, I know you only through Albert' words but you
are a lot better than my wife and I ever imagined.
We're very happy and proud to be part of this reality,
in the short span of time that we were together we
realized that you have solid values and feelings, that
Angela expresses in the highest form. The union of
these two people has united our families as well and
that for us means new heart felt relations but also
intellectual and moral growth. Also I would like to
point out that Angela is one of the few women that I
know to have a strong sense of humour…. aside
from my wife. A sense of humour is not only amusing
but denotes vivid intelligence. It's a natural quality
that cannot be acquired therefore
precious.
- Everybody
claps.
- Massimo:
dear newlyweds, dear Sally and George, first of all
I'd like to say that I agree with what George has said
about the newlyweds. This marriage as a collateral has
united two families. The affinities described by
Goethe are highly verified in our case. I also want to
underline Angela's great heart and that of her mother,
my wife Miriam: as you see that empty place near
Angela is in remembrance of Angela's grandfather,
Ettore, a man that was impossible not to love. He was
my father in law, but not for me; he was like an older
brother that I've never had. On that plate there are
two red roses, that was his favourite flower; two,
because to him it was a perfect number that indicates
male and female, night and day, the sun and the moon,
the Yng and Yang and so on. His passing away left us a
particular gift: his strong personality often has
shadowed my mother in law Matilde, who superficially
had an antagonistic attitude towards him and often hid
her great qualities and innermost feelings; but now we
have realized who she really is and love her even
more.
- Matilde
cries and Angela runs to hug her; everybody
applauds.
- Scene
changes: a luxurious car is moving away from the big
gate at the villa with the newlyweds inside, after
having kissed and hugged relatives and
friends..
- Scene
changed: some time has gone by, it's late afternoon,
in the fall, Angela, Albert, Matilde and Massimo sit
around the table playing cards. The bell rings and
Albert goes to open the gate, a beautiful woman, dark
hair, intense expression, is standing
there.
- The
Woman: excuse me, I'm Jennifer Carter and I'm looking
for doctor . Ettore Rinaldi…
- Albert:
yes he lived here, unfortunately he passed away less
than two years ago.
- Jennifer:
my God
- Jennifer
looks at her husband astonished while he gets out of
the car with a baby no more than a few months old in
his arms.
- Matilde:
(from a far) Albert who is it ?
- Albert:
it's Jennifer Carter
- Matilde:
Jennifer Carter? Let her in!
- Matilde,
Angela, and Massimo look at each other surprised.
Jennifer holds her baby in her arms while her husband;
Carl, gets the baby stroller out of the rented car and
they all proceed towards the house.
- Angela,
Matilde and Massimo stand up astonished.
- Massimo:
why it's the actress in "Atlas"?
- Miriam:
yes it's really her! That's strange! Maybe she made a
mistake; Sting lives near here maybe she's one of his
guest
- Massimo:
wow! What a woman!
- Miriam:
Massimo! Get hold of yourself please!
- Angela:
Sting has nothing to do with this she probably came
from her country for grandpa.
- Jennifer:
sorry to bother you I'm Jennifer Carter, this is my
husband Carl and this is my son Ector.
- Everybody
is getting curious, Angela's intuition is beginning to
tell her something.
- Everybody:
(one at the time) pleasure is all ours, we know who
you are and we're your fans
- Jennifer:
I came here from the States to meet doctor Ettore
Rinaldi, but this gentleman has told me that he passed
away and you cannot imagine how sorry I
am:
- Angela:
(gets up from the chair) you met my grandfather
?
- Jennifer:
just barely, he came on the set at the studio as an
onlooker in the place and at break I noticed him
because he was the only stranger in the place, and
also because I liked the expression on his face. He
told me that he wanted to see the inside of a movie
studio out of curiosity and that he had a pass because
he was a medical doctor. Then he disappeared. I never
saw him again; in my town, people remember doctor
Rinaldi when he came.. and my father,, of course,
spoke to me about to him…
- Scene
changed: Ettore enters in a bar with pool tables and
sits at the bar and asks the bar tender
- Ettore:
please, do you know Billy Carter?
- A
man interrupts and sits beside Ettore
- The
man : who are you! we don't want nosy people around
here!
- Ettore:
well sir, I come from Italy and I would like to talk
with this person
- The
man :I told you we don't want nosy people around here!
Do you understand, or do I have to tell you in other
ways
- The
man pours his beer on Ettore; the robust bar tender
throws himself on the man.
- Bar
tender: we're tired of your behaviour, get out of here
and don't ever come back!
- Grabs
the man and violently throws him out of the door. The
man falls down and suddenly Ettore helps him to get
up, the man looks at Ettore surprised while dusting
off his trousers.
- Ettore:
come , my friend I'll offer you a beer, I want you to
be able to come back in this beautiful place again.
- Ettore
puts his hand on the man's shoulder and they both walk
into the bar.
- Ettore:
barman, two beers please for me and my new friend
- They
both sit at the bar drink their beer while people
around express admiration for Ettore's
behaviour
- The
man :I'm sorry, excuse me , I behaved in a silly way.
It is only that lately a lot of people have bothered
my friend Billy
- Bar
tender: here is your beer and thank this guy for the
lesson.. anyway, welcome back.
- The
man : Billy Carter? Everyone knows him because he is
Jennifer Carter's father.
- Bar
tender: she's that famous actress on the soap opera
"Atlas" seen all around the world, she 's the pride
and joy of our town they live to the right at number
25
- Ettore:
Thank you… I see that you have pool tables, do
you have the ones for the Italian pool game? Being
that I'm not in a hurry I'd like to play a game with
one of your guests.
- Bar
tender: certainly, it's the last one over there
they'll be glad to play with you, but I warn you they
play really well over there and the bets are usually
very high
- Ettore
gets up and shakes the man's hand.
- The
man : sir, thank you for the beer.. and excuse me
again..
- Ettore:
no problem.... thank you for keeping me
company
- Ettore
goes towards the pool table where two men are playing,
the barman says to them:
- Bar
tender: this gentleman would like to play a game with
you don't shake him too hard (kiddingly)
- First
player : please to meet you I'm Tony
- Ettore:
hi, I'm Ettore
- Tony
: you are a foreigner, aren't you? where do you come
from?
- Ettore:
I come from a little town near Florence,
Italy.
- Tony
: Oh Florence, beautiful city.. you behaved like a
real gentleman with Arnold… that's the way he is
.. but he's not as bad as he seems … but now we
want to see how you play.
- They
start to play and after a few shots Tony realizes that
Ettore is much better than him: everyone comes around
to look at them play: after a while and as the score
is greatly in Ettore's favour, Tony accepts his defeat
and shakes Ettore's hand.
- Tony
: We need someone like Julius here, if you wait a
minute he owns a store right across from this
bar
- Tony
calls him on the cell phone
- Tony
:he's coming right away
- After
a while Julius arrives, he is about 45 years old, tall
gentle manners, and determined.
- Tony:
( with respect) Julius, this is the Italian I told you
about, he's right for you.
- Julius
: honoured shall we start right away? Do you play for
money or for sport?
- Ettore:
better play for sport because by the looks of you I
believe to have very little chances for
winning
- Julius
: until now, very few have made it.. put the balls on
the carpet and you may go first.
- The
first shots are in Julius' favour, and he's having a
good time trying to make things difficult for Ettore
who is trying hard, and has a very serious expression
on his face, while Julius smiles amused, a smile that
is immediately wiped away by Ettore's shot that hits
the five sides of the pool table and makes him the
leader in the score. The game proceeds with high and
lows, very intensely. The first match is won by
Julius, barely; the second by Ettore by a large span.
Julius shakes Ettore's hand with respect. Everybody
applauds.
- Julius
: I didn't think you could play that well where did
you learn? Because I realize that you play like a real
pro.
- Ettore:
I'm a medical doctor, I was the top manager at the
hospital, and every day at the two hour lunch break we
would play pool on the pool table in the doctors'
quarters and I wasn't even the best. That is
all.
- Julius
: my compliments, you're really good, you can see that
you have a surgeon's hand. My son studies medicine and
I'd be happy if you accept a dinner invitation at my
house.
- Ettore:
I accept with pleasure, I'm here to visit Mr. Billy
Carter for a personal matter. He doesn't know me and
this makes me feel uneasy.
- Julius
: Billy is a good friend of mine, he's Jennifer
Carter's father, you know the
actress…
- Ettore:
yes, I know her very well, we see the television
series "Atlas" in Italy as well.
- Julius
: I'll present you to Billy.
- At
lunch, Julius' house ; Julius sits at the head of the
table, Ettore at the other end, Julius' wife Jenny and
son Marcus sit on either side. It's obvious that the
family has an attitude of superiority in relation to
Ettore, being that he was invited there as a pool
player.
- Jenny
: Julius told me that you're a doctor, is that
true?
- Ettore:
(a little surprise) of course it's true
- Jenny
: (very haughty) you see dear sir, my husband has
invited here an electronic engineer, an industrial
manager, an ex senator even a scientist, but they were
none other than professionals of the pool game with
whom my husband lost a lot of time and sometimes a lot
of money.
- Ettore:
That's not my case.
- Marcus
intervenes promptly to try to embarrass Ettore.
- Marcus:
my father told me you directed a hospital… I
study medicine…
- I'd
like you to explain an argument in health economy that
I haven't understood very well: what is "break even
point"
- Ettore:
the analysis of the convenience in producing or buying
service that are done in a hospital centre starts from
an examination of the budget of the places whose
responsibility determines speed and facility. These
places are none other than centres of production for
tariffed activities and they also present the
corresponding prices for the same activities produced
outside of the hospital centre. Generally you
calculate the "break even point" by placing on a
Cartesian diagram on an axis of abscissa, the quantity
of product and on the ordinate their relative values:
with these characteristics you determine the curve of
the variable costs, of the invariable costs, of the
total costs, and the tariffs external to the hospital
centre for the purchase of the same quantity of
product. The intersection between the curve of the
total costs and that determined by the tariffs is the
Break Even Point. For the production of minor
quantities at the point of intersection in which the
curve of total costs for the internal production is
superior to the tariffs for the same services produced
externally, it is convenient to buy the goods or the
services instead of producing them; for greater
quantities in respect to Break Even Point the contrary
happens.
- My
dear son I think you have understood this simple
theory because if you haven't maybe you should
consider abandoning your medical studies and help your
parents in that beautiful store.
- Everyone
remains impressed, and the initial haughty attitude
disappears and changes into a humble admiration
towards the guest.
- Ettore
looks at everyone as if he had just explained a very
simple thought.
- Julius
interrupts, proud of his guest, that has made a hit
with his family.
- Julius
: and he is also a magnificent player!
- Jenny
gets up and asks Ettore if he would like a
coffee.
- Ettore:
(little amused) Thank you I'd love a cup
- Jenny
: I'll try to make it as you do in Italy
- Ettore:
oh, it doesn't matter even in the American way…
it was a lovely lunch and wonderful company, I'll keep
in touch because as of now you're all invited to my
little villa in Florence, in the
countryside
- Everybody:
(happily) certainly… oh Florence what a beautiful
city! We wanted to go next year
- Ettore:
Julius has my address, now I have to go because I have
to see Billy Carter have to give him a message
personally
- Jenny
: Julius better take you there because he is a friend
and also they have become very reserved and weary of
others since their daughter Jennifer became famous.
They continually receive visits and phone calls from
all types of strange people so that's
understandable.
- Scene
changed: Ettore and Julius ring the door bell at
Billy's house and a distinct man appears
- Billy:
hi Julius
- Julius
: Hi, Billy, I'd like to present you a friend of mine,
an illustrious doctor from Florence.
- Billy:
please come in
- Julius
: I have to go back home, I have some things to do,
see you Ettore.. it was a pleasure knowing
you.
- Ettore:
me too.
- Billy
and Ettore go into the living room and sit down on the
couch, they're joined by Billy's wife Pat.
- Billy:
I know who you are and why you came here
- He
gets up and opens a drawer from which he picks up an
envelope
- Billy:
this is the letter that you wrote to us, and with all
due respect, we don't believe a word of it even though
we realize now that we met you, that what you said
about yourself is true.
- Ettore:
let me ask you a question: what reason could I have in
telling you such a story being that I didn't know
Jennifer, nor you, nor your wife, how do you explain
this coincidence?
- Billy:
Well… I don't know.. I see that the A shaped spot
on your forehead exists, and we know that Jennifer's
second name is Anna, like we call her.
- Her
wife Pat: maybe it's a tattoo
- Ettore:
No madam It is a small angioma that I have from birth
and I am honest enough not to draw people's attention
by such means.
- Billy:
we believe you but put yourself in our position, how
can we believe a story like that?
- Ettore:
You are right…….. but I'm not a fool, nor do
I suffer from illusions of grandeur or from
perversions and I'm no longer enchanted by the female
attributes of any woman, … but I would like to
know Jennifer's thoughts on the matter.
- Pat:
Jennifer is very busy and doesn't have a minute of
free time, if she had to answer all the mail that she
receives she would have no time for anything
else.
- Ettore:
(gets up) well maybe its' just as well I'll keep this
story locked up inside of me, hoping that I'll forget
what has happened to me, see you and I am sorry. Mr.
Billy, aside from everything that has happened I wish
we could have been friends … sorry for the
bother.
- Billy:
no bother… and as for the friendship… you
never know.
- Scene
changed: a Hollywood studio: Ettore comes in, from the
main door and asks the doorman to ask permission to
assist to the film making.. the doorman picks up the
phone and after a short time a very elegant business
like man appears
- Businessman:
can I help you?
- Ettore:
I'd like to see the filmmaking in the
studio
- Businessman:
that's impossible.
- Ettore:
excuse me if I insist, I'm writing a script for a
movie and I'd like to watch for a professional outlook
…. This is my ID, as medical doctor a degree that
is recognized by the US as well and that gives me
access to any kind of show as a spectator.
- Businessman:
wait, I'll ask
- After
a while another person comes along older and well
dressed;
- 2nd
Businessman: I am told that you're a doctor, could I
see your medical identification please……
ok…. You can stay over there but you have to keep
still and silent, leave your ID at the reception where
they'll give you a card that you'll have to wear
outside the pocket of your jacket.
- Ettore
arrives on the set following the man who tells him
where to stand then shakes Ettore's hand and goes away
nodding to him to be silent. The actors on the scene
yell and shout their action scene…
- The
movie director: ok, 15 minute break.
- People
start relaxing and talking among themselves, some sit,
adjust their clothing. Except for the actors, the
troupe is in casual clothing and that allows Ettore's
elegant clothes to be even more showy.
- Jennifer
Carter looks at him carelessly, but on a second
thought, she look at him again, she turns around,
stops for a moment and looks at him again. Then with
indifference she speak to the director, obviously
asking about Ettore.
- The
director looks at Ettore and shrugs his shoulders, not
knowing who he is.
- Jennifer
pretends to be indifferent and while chatting with an
actor she come closer towards Ettore, turns to look at
him and with typical female curiosity she looks at him
again with a faint smile.
- Jennifer:
hello, looking for someone?
- Ettore:
no thank you, I'm here as a tourist.
- Jennifer:
it's odd that you were allowed to get in
- Ettore:
I'm a medical doctor and as such I'm allowed to go
almost anywhere, being that I could be useful
anytime.
- Jennifer
nods her head, then she looks at a little angioma on
his forehead as if an indefinite and instant thought
was passing trough her mind.
- Jennifer:
good bye, have to work
- Ettore:
see you again Jennifer.
- Jennifer
hearing that he called her by her first name, looks at
him questioningly, they both wave to each other,
Jennifer is amused.
- Scene
changed: shooting stops on the set for lunch break,
Jennifer looks towards the spot where she last saw
Ettore but he's not there anymore, with a light smile
shakes her head and continues talking to her
colleagues while walking out of the set.
- Scene
changes:
- Angela:
he told us about it even though we never knew the real
reason about his trip to the States.
- Jennifer:
in this letter that doctor Rinaldi has sent to my
father, as you see it's a long ten page letter, the
secret that you want to know is fully documented, this
coincides with my reason for the trip to Italy but
beforehand I would like to know everything about him,
I need to know all about him and I'll explain why
later on.
- Angela:
he was an exceptional man and he had an extraordinary
relationship with me. Even without seeing him, I
always knew when he was around and he seemed to
realize it because when I would look at him, suddenly,
he always had a wonderful intriguing smile on his face
that I'll never forget. There was telepathy between
us. Once, when he came back from the States, I hadn't
seen him over a month, I was playing in a concert in
our town theatre; I was playing music from Chopin,
Mozart and Beethoven.
- There
was a piece of music that my grandfather loved so
much, "Rustle of Spring" by Sinding, that wasn't on
the list..
- Concert
scene with Angela at the piano playing " Rondo in la
minor" opera 511
- by
Mozart; she plays it for about 30 seconds, after that,
Angela stops and has a faint smile and her eyes are
full of joy, being sure of Ettore's presence, always
looking at the keyboard she interrupts for 5 or 6
seconds and starts to play
-
- Track
n° 7 of cd "rustle of spring"
- by
sinding
-
- from
beginning to end. Then you see Ettore smiling as he
enters the theatre . Everybody is wondering why the
sudden change in the programme Even backstage you can
see people looking at each other bewildered. Ettore
moves near the stage to be as close as possible to
Angela who looks at him smiling while she masterly
plays her grandfather's favourite musical piece. When
she ends everyone understands that the musical piece
not in the programme was meant for that man looking at
her standing by the stage; the audience gives a
standing applause, Angela stands up as well nodding
towards her grandfather letting everyone know who the
musical piece was dedicated to.
- The
previous scene returns when Angela is telling
Jennifer.
- Jennifer:
fate did not mean for us to meet, I'd give anything to
go back to that fleeting moment to be able to know
him. I believe that for you, to have lived with him,
was an extremely fortunate experience. Now I know
that, what at first seemed to my father and I, the
story of a deranged person is really true. Anyway I
came here for another strange coincidence as well that
I'll show you… but before tell me more about
Ettore.
- Angela:
a particular trait of his personality come to mind
from an episode that he told us about when he went to
the States, even though this wasn't the real reason as
to why he went there, nor the essential
one.
- I
don't know if this was a fault in my grandfather's
personality but he was tenaciously obstinate as well
as incredibly naïve. The reason for his trip to
the States was this as well: he told me that he had to
confer with the head people responsible for worldwide
politics, in order to give his contribution to world
peace , against wars, torture, death penalty and
against any kind of abuse perpetrated by any nation
against any other nation for any reason.
- What
for any normal human being appeared incredible, to him
it was the most normal thing in the world, especially
when the issue at stake had to do with concepts of
values, principles and morals. He knew no
obstacles…. He told me once how he succeeded in
speaking with the secretary general of the United
Nations… an incredible story, as incredible as he
was… When he arrived at the reception of United
Nations' building….
- Scene
changes: entrance of the United Nations' building.
Ettore is seen from behind , he is speaking to an
usher, the usher calls someone on the phone, to come
to the entrance, after a while the man shows up and
tries to tell Ettore that he cannot enter, Ettore
insists, another man intervenes, and tries to calm him
down tries to make him understand that what he wants
is not possible, Ettore insists again, at that point
the security guards intervene and invite Ettore to
leave the premises. Ettore does not move until a
police car comes around and forces him
inside.
- The
scene is in the office of the police chief in the
police station.
- Police
chief : so you say you're a doctor and you're on a
mission and that's why you want to confer with the
secretary general of the United Nations.
- Ettore:
Exactly !
- Police
chief : do you want to speak with the president of
United States? And with uncle Tom?
- Ettore:
you're very funny and by the looks of you I can tell
that you're the type that uses force on people even
when you don't have to, as in my case.
- Police
chief :I think you should know, dear "doctor", that
you say you are, that we lose precious time with mad,
deranged people as you, that believe to have a mission
to accomplish, claiming the right to bother people in
high up offices for one reason only, to get personal
publicity. And I don't want to further this discussion
any longer. I think you should be ashamed to behave
like that at your age: for now we have to hold you to
verify who you are and being that we're not violent
we'll allow you to call up your lawyer or your embassy
- To
days later in the some office the police chief speaks
to one his officers showing him an article in the
newspaper.
- Police
chief : well, look here! It seems that this Italian is
really a doctor, and a very famous individual in the
field of economic health! The chancellor of the
university of Yale himself has given this information
to the press and personally guarantees for him being
that he has published a few books and presented them
at Yale! Look here!... it says that we have committed
an aggression… send him away, I'm fed
up!
- The
officer: do you think we should? Send him away now?
The press is outside the door and they are not on our
side.
- Police
chief : we'll send him away now, but first of all tell
him to come here
- Ettore
walks in accompanied by the officer.
- Police
chief : you are free to go, but first of all you have
to know that we risk our lives every day for the
security of everyone in our territory being them
citizens, doctors foreigners or street cleaners, tell
the press that! It was our duty to take you out of the
United Nations building because people do not have
written on their face who they are and with all this
terrorism even people like you might be dangerous.
This newspaper article that you have inspired, is
shameful.
- Because
the police station and the police do not deserve to be
described in such a way now please leave!
- Ettore:
I find that you are right. Please allow me to say a
few things: I called the chancellor at Yale because he
was a colleague that had come to Italy for a series of
studies, therefore he was the only one that could
confirm my identity and could guarantee my mental
heath. I didn't inspire this article because I'm aware
of the fact that your sacrifice and sense of duty and
the service you bestow to the community are
fundamental. It will be my duty to inform the press
that I have been treated civilly and that you had good
reasons for doing what you did . I hate every form of
speculation and this article is an example. To morrow,
there will be another article in the newspaper and
that will be inspired by me.
- Police
chief: I thank you, I see with pleasure that you are
an honest man.
- Even
though I haven't quite understood the reason why you
wanted to enter in the United Nations building…
It is my duty to inform you that I have to know where
you reside and about your every move while you are
here.
- Ettore:
to morrow in the newspaper you'll read about my reason
for wanting to meet with the secretary general of
U.N., as to where I'm residing while in the States, I
am at the Ritz hotel on 5th street.
- Day
after, in the police chief's office, the police chief
with a newspaper in his hands is talking to the same
officer of the day before:
- Police
chief: our friend has kept his word. Look how nice
this article is about us, it doesn't happen everyday
that the press writes like that about us. Give me the
phone number at the Ritz Hotel….. thank you, with
the excuse that I have to check up on him I'll thank
him….. hello… this is the police station,
I'd like to speak with doctor
Rinaldi……What?.....are you
sure?....(speaking to the officer) they told me that
doctor Rinaldi has been convoked by the secretary
general of the UN, they said that the invitation is
authentic…. incredible!
- Scene
changes: office of the secretary general of the UN, an
official accompanies Ettore inside the
office.
- Secretary
general: Please sit down, I read in the paper about
your adventures while trying to see me and your lovely
article in defence of the police; anybody would have
written exactly the opposite.. you must have important
things to tell me being that you are in your right
mind.
- Ettore:
for me, to be here speaking to you is, believe me, a
great privilege, but the reason that has made me come
here is due to my great anxiety for the international
situation. I'll be relieved of that only after I have
given you some recommendations.
- Secretary
general: let's hear them. To day is my free day so I
have all the time to listen to you.
- Ettore:
I believe that the UN's first duty is to avoid wars,
any kind of war should be outlawed, regardless of who
where, or why they have begun and for have whatever
reason they have begun.
- Secretary
general: (ironically) ah good idea, and what would you
do in my place.
- Ettore:
maybe I would try to do a bit more ( the secretary's
smile fades away) I would start from a general reform
of the organization, being that it is not longer in
keeping with our time:
- 1st)
I would eliminate the security council and attribute
full power to the
- assembly
through a new statute in which all the various types
of majorities are indicated as necessary, in order to
take the most dissimilar decisions. The majorities
would range in order of importance from a simple
majority to a more qualified majority and a closely
unanimous majority. I would exclude from the decisions
all those resolutions that would create unfavourable
or dangerous situations to one or more
states.
- 2nd)
I would reform the whole bureaucratic apparatus,
reducing it to the least essential create the utmost
automation in the service department and drastically
eliminate useless and unnecessary
expenses.
- 3rd)
I would introduce a rule that all states have to
respect: they should carry out free elections through
universal suffrage to elect their own political
authorities for the government of each state for a
period of seven years at the most and not immediately
renewable. Every state must allow the control
commission, decided by the assembly representing at
least seven states members, to guarantee that the
local citizens have regular and proper
elections.
- 4th)
every state should be under the obligation to be part
of the assembly of the U.N. in order to have the
benefit of protection and international recognition .
They must also contribute to the organizational
expenses in due time, and in relation to their
population and their economic weight.
- 5th)
Abolish torture and the death penalty
- 6th)
create an executive commission elected by the assembly
to last for7 years, their function being that of
carrying out the assembly deliberations. The assembly
should have the right to substitute the commission
members partially or totally at any moment motivating
the change.
- 7th)
the UN should have the possibility to become the
executive power in those member states that have
created serious and dangerous situations like
discrimination and genocide.
- 8th)election
of the secretary general; his duty should be to
preside the assembly and the executive commission. His
mandate should last seven years but the assembly
should have the right to decide on his immediate
removal through the qualified majority with the
obligation to motivate such an action: The assembly
can also elect him again for another seven years.
- 9th)
every resolution approved by the UN should become
"erga omnes" obligatory.
- 10th)
An international police force should be created
through the armed forces of each member state and this
should be at the disposal of the executive commission
to impede international conflict, and the abuse of
power and violence.
- To
defend the population of the weakest and to advocate
the power of reason against force.
- 11th)
all the armed forces of the different member states
should furnish the necessary instruments as in an
orchestra directed by the secretary general that from
time to time will choose the necessary players and
instruments in the use of force.
- The
use of force will be the very last choice accepted
only after the ultimate analysis of every other option
available has been tried and found useless in
resolving the international controversy and creating
peace.
- The
existing international organism like FAO, UNESCO,
UNICEF and so on should have more power and be
available to the assembly with their assigned economic
balance sheet.
- 13th)
Declaration of the fundamental principles that every
member state must respect in relation to civil and
peaceful cohabitation within each state and among
states in the world.
- 14th)
Eliminate the principle of "non interference in the
internal affairs" of those states that harm or don't
respect the fundamental rights of the
individual.
- Secretary
general: I see that you live in an utopia. If utopia
would equal realty I'm sure that you could do better
than me, as you said.
- Maybe
you don't realize the great difference in tradition
and culture existing among various states, do you have
any idea how unsettling your proposal is? Some of
those proposals are operating right now. You seemed an
intelligent person, this is what I thought reading the
newspaper.
- Ettore:
Mr secretary, aside from any personal evaluation, even
Cesare Beccaria's idea against the death penalty, at
the time, was considered pure utopia and the various
states continued for a long period of time the death
penalty. But to day in our great and civil European
Union the death penalty has been abolished, so I
believe that universal principles which every peace
loving person accepts should be proposed, advertised
and allowed to spread and if at first not successful,
reproposed again with modifications. We should never
stop and give up. At first a minority will consider
them, but continuing this effort, sooner or later
every civil state will come around to respect and
accept the principles of peaceful cohabitation in the
realm of a universal justice; and being that time
betters humanity as history shows proposals far better
than these will be universally approved and put into
action. The important thing is to start to let
everyone know about the existence of such principles,
to induce people who don't agree to realize the
responsibility that their stand entails. To try to
understand the reasons for their dissent and help them
to accept at least part of these proposals, for now,
and gradually help them along until they fully accept
universally fundamental principles of civil
cohabitation.
- Secretary
general: ( in silence touches his chin, with a light
smile, seems to agree) let's go and have a coffee ( at
the bar in the building) how do you want your coffee
American style or Italian style like I do.
- Ettore:
the way you prefer is fine with me. I thank you so
much for receiving me, it was a great honour, and I am
sorry if I was a little arrogant, I shouldn't have
been. I really admire you not only for the position
that you hold but for your extreme kindness.
- Secretary
general: well, I was a little harsh with you myself.
My secretary will see you out , I'll keep your ideas
in mind because I really like them. You are a very
particular person and it would please me to see you
again if you can make it through the barriers that
keep me prisoner.
- Scene
changes: scenes goes back to the Rinaldi house with
Angela, Jennifer, Carl, the baby, Miriam Matilde and
Albert.
- Jennifer:
here is the letter that doctor Rinaldi mailed my
father
- Scene
changes: Ettore is at the computer writing the letter
to Billy Carter: you can hear Ettore's voice, when he
writes:
- In
the letter: dear Mr. Billy Carter through internet
research I found your address and have also found that
you are Jennifer Carter's father, I am Ettore Rinaldi.
First of all let me say that before all the strange
happenings that fell on me out of the blue, I have
never known about your daughter's existence, being
that I do not usually watch television. To assure you
that it is not a letter from some kind of fanatic or
fool or strangely perverted man, I'm sending along my
curriculum with relative addresses so that you'll be
able to check my authenticity and good faith. Here is
also a picture of me that is particularly significant
in explaining the episode that I have experienced. As
you can read from my curriculum now that I have
retired I have become president of a non profit
benefit organization that assists hopelessly ill
patients.
- Scene
changed (a story inside a story): in an ambulance you
see Ettore and the driver in his uniform already seen
in the previous scene.
- Ettore:
Alfredo take this stuff
- The
two enter a house in the county with a small suitcase.
It's a two storey house; a lady on the ground floor
gives Ettore the keys to the first floor.
- The
lady: (elderly) here you are doctor, to day she's a
little worse, she hasn't eaten anything in two days
and she refuses to drink
- Ettore:
we'll give her a strong sedative for the pain and a
glucose solution to give her strength
- The
lady: if you say so doctor… but I don't know if
it's useful to prolong her suffering.
- The
two walk up to the first floor and go in the room,
furnished with antique pieces; on a bed there's an old
lady, around eighty years of age, very thin with large
wide open eyes, her features are antique and
noble.
- Ettore:
how are you to day Marta?
- Marta:
feel bad doctor…bad… I feel that I won't
last long.
- Alfredo
in the meantime changes the tube of the intravenous
- Ettore:
here we are…. you'll see now you'll feel better
we gave you a glucose solution as well so that the
painkiller we gave you will be reinforced. I'll be
back soon to visit you. now I have to go because we
have other visits.
- Marta:
no doctor!..... please stay, I have an important
message for you. I am a medium and I have something
important to say but we have to be completely alone
otherwise the entity will not come. I was given this
message and I was really impressed, it was so
strangely real that I wasn't aware whether I was
sleeping or awake.
- Ettore:
yes … yes.. sure, now relax, now I have to go to
visit other people but I assure you that I'll be back
soon
- Marta
with all her strength grabs Ettore's arm almost making
the intravenous needle on her arm fall off
.
- Marta:
doctor, you don't believe me do you? …. Believe
me it's a serious matter.
- Ettore:
(patiently) Alfredo you go on and finish the round,
first go and pick up doctor Di Giacomo and take him
with you .If you can make it come and pick me up
within an hour, otherwise I'll walk, it will do me
good.
- Ettore:
(after the driver has left) tell me pretty
lady
- The
old lady looks intensely at Ettore
- Ettore:
I'm here, I'm waiting even if you don't have anything
to say to me, I'll stay here with you anyway, Happy? I
want to say…
- Ettore
hasn't finished the sentence that the woman grabs his
wrist shut her eyes, her body has a tremble and she
emits an indistinct sound, while her forehead starts
to sweat and she starts speaking with a very different
voice , a very clear voice like that of a young woman.
Ettore is shocked.
- Entity
: I have had permission to give you a message through
this medium.
- We
feel your suffering because of the behaviour of others
and how you have intimately searched inside yourself,
all your life, now she's reborn anew born in different
time and in different clothes that you are not allowed
to have access to, because the Almighty has plans that
we are not allowed to know.
- Ettore:
Marta! Wake up!!…who are you, tell me who you
are!
- Entity:
don't ask anymore questions there is no time .. Marta
will now go in peace now, I have to end this …
there is very little time.. in your previous life you
had a great love the echo of which is still in the
universe that we live in. That love was very brief and
ended in the garden of peace of Missolungi: late bride
is now a great actress that you'll be able to see in a
new form where she pretends to live a life full of
horrible violence.
- In
the future great mission to educate you as child out
of these bad habits. Follow the right way and you can
teach peace in the world in the far
future.
- Scene
changes: Ettore appears again writing the
letter
- Ettore:
(his voice is heard reading his letter out loud even
though his mouth is closed) Dear Billy, I understand
perfectly that you will not believe what I am about to
tell you as I or anyone else in your place with an
average intelligence would not. But it is a liberation
for me to share this incredible experience with you
and Jennifer. I feel I can only tell you about it
being that I don't know you at all. I couldn't
possibly share this with my family because strangely I
feel that something hinders me from doing it. Believe
me, this episode has shocked and worried me
profoundly. I have been informed that the language
used by the entity is typical of any esoteric message.
Their sentences are not easily understandable, at
least not immediately, or after when things have
already happened. Also they use periphrasis to
describe the products of modern technology because
they evidently refuse them. You might have noticed
that instead of saying television they said "new form
where you live a life" of pretending full of horrible
violence, because of all the killings reproduced in
these unpleasant shows.
- Scene
changes: medium in trance on the bed:
- Entity:
you have to remember that now you two are not the same
individuals as before, with different destinies now,
and its not up to you to explain to Anna, alias
Jennifer what we are telling you. She will know from
other sources. You receive much grief from the fact
that people will not believe what you now know. Speak
to those that know how to receive… negative
influence not doing or saying to other.
- Ettore:
(nervously) I don't understand! I don't understand!...
who are you… Marta awake!!!
- Entity:
there is no time…remember… you child follow
write.. for your important mission… in your
destiny.. the love will win..
- The
medium (or Marta) picks up an envelope from the table
on the other side
- of
the bed near Ettore and writes with the pencil on the
envelope, then gives it to Ettore.
- Entity:
(solemnly) After the number you will study, now
listen, we gladly look at you because you are
intelligent and meek,
- and
just and will enjoy celestial peace with us soon…
you have comprehended the great universal love in all
its components marital love, fatherly love filial love
that you will live again in all forms. Your perennial
suffering will end and you will be in peace, with the
woman that the Lord has given to you, to understand
many things, forgive her faults and forget
them….discover her virtues and remember
them.
- Mechanically
Ettore puts the paper in his pocket
- Entity:
In the right thoughts and in the truths of the
Upanishad, through Plato, Aristotele and Pitagora you
will go back to be according to their doctrines until
you'll be allowed to enjoy the love of the same people
dear to you but not the same quality, with the same
sign in the forehead, great gift will have the great
actress when double your years she'll be half
years.
- Ettore:
how should I call you… I don't understand what
you are saying..
- Entity:
have to go… have to go.. peace be with you..
she's already with us.
- Marta
opens her eyes stares at the ceiling and lets out a
scream as if she had just returned from hell, and all
at once she yanks the needle from her arm detaching
the connection with the solution that is feeding her.
- Ettore
tries his best to prevent it but realizes that its'
too late. Puts a hand on her forehead
- Ettore:
Marta…Marta.. for God sake, answer
me…
- Marta's
lifeless body lies still on the bed. Ettore closes her
eyes, kisses her on the forehead leaves gently while
looking at her for the last time. You can hear the
musical piece:
-
- Track
n° 6 "sad waltz" by sibelius
-
- Scene
changes: Ettore at the computer
- Ettore:
dear Billy, there is one thing that is clear to me,
this woman is not a swindler and is incapable of
fraud. I've gone to a famous medium in Turin here in
Italy
- Scene
changes: Ettore sitting by a desk in a studio in front
of a middle aged person , white complexion and blue
eyes.
- Ettore:
I am here, not because I need your services as a
lawyer, but for your other capacity, that a common
friend has spoken to me about, doctor Maurizio
Bencini.
- The
Medium : oh yes….Maurizio…I'm under his care
for a very boring diabetes, he is a dear friend, are
you a doctor as well?
- Ettore:
yes, sir.
- The
Medium : nice profession.. what can I do for
you?
- Ettore:
Maurizio told me that you're a medium, being that he
has witnessed a couple of meetings and was amazed at
your exceptional qualities
- The
Medium : no… you see doctor… what did you
say your name is?
- Ettore:
Ettore Rinaldi
- The
Medium : no .. you see dr. Rinaldi, I don't have any
exceptional quality. When I meet for a sitting with
others who believe in this, I simply faint and I don't
remember anything that I say or do, if I wasn't sure
of my friend's good faith maybe I wouldn't believe it
myself … there are however, and my friends have
confirmed it, some concrete proofs created by the
appearance of small objects like rings and necklaces,
that turn up in my hands when I'm in trance. See this
ring, it's a proof and some specific writings on the
issue say that the objects are not created, but
transferred from where they have been lost in a state
of "res nullius".
- These
objects are of little commercial value and this is a
rule in esoteric nature.
- But
tell me how can I help you.
- Ettore:
I received one of these messages from a woman who
lived on the outskirts of Florence, she gave it to me
in trance, now she has passed away.
- The
Medium : Marta Goggioli?
- Ettore:
yes her, how do you know her?
- The
Medium: it's not odd, proper mediums still living are
far and few and we all know each other, I'm sorry that
she passed away, although she was getting on with the
years….you can be sure that the message you
received is not a swindle.
- Ettore:
look, I wrote it down almost entirely, even that
strange language….
- The
Medium: (putting on his glasses to read the message)
yes this is the classical language that is
used.
- Ettore:
frankly, I never believed in this kind of thing but
now I'm puzzled
- The
Medium: (reads silently and nods with his head
knowingly) I'll need some time if you don't mind ,
I'll have to listen to the interpretation of a dear
friend of mine who is really exceptional in this
field, I assure you complete discretion. If you give
me your address I'll answer you by
writing.
- Ettore:
here is my business card, thank you very much, do I
owe you?
- The
Medium: not at all.. say hello to Maurizio if you see
him.
- Scene
changes: on a bench near a table Ettore is reading a
letter in the Rinaldi villa. As he reads it you hear
the voice of the medium (the lawyer)
- The
Medium's voice : dear doctor Rinaldi, this is the
translation of the message that you received from
Marta: naturally you're free to believe or not,
but…
- Same
scene:
- Angela:
what are you reading, some bad news?
- Ettore:
of course not, sweety.
- Angela:
your sweety is very worried about you, lately you've
been strange and sad…. You have always said
everything to me , do you have health problems that
you don't tell us about ?
- Ettore:
of course not, don't worry I'm fine
- Angela:
show me the letter that you have just put in your
pocket
- Ettore:
what's this a third degree ? It's a letter from a
lawyer friend that takes care of some of my business
through his office in Rome, has to do with my pension.
See the heading of the letter, "Lawyer Aristide
Tanzi"
- He
folds the letter and put it in his pocket
- Angela:
then please grandpa, tell me what's bothering
you.
- Ettore:
Angela, it's normal at my age to get depressed every
once and then. Atenagora once said the good times and
the bad times never last forever.
- Angela:
(sittings on Ettore's knees hugging him) remember that
I'm always near you, I love you and promise me that
you'll always tell me everything as you always have
- Ettore:
(embarrassed) of course… of course
- Scene
changes: same night Ettore is sitting in his housecoat
at the desk in his study at home, reading the lawyer's
(medium) letter:
- Medium's
voice: dear doctor Rinaldi, this is the translation of
the message that you received from Marta: naturally
you're free to believe it or not; it seems that you
are the reincarnation of a man who lived in Greece in
the 20s .
- He
had a wife who is now reincarnated in the actress
Jennifer Carter. It was easy to come up with that name
from the birth date indicated in this message of an
actress that works in a soap opera in television, we
realized it through internet on her web
site.
- 3.7.1936
this is your birth date
- 17.4.1972
this is Jennifer Carter's birth date now:
- 1+9+3+6=
19
- 1+9+7+2=19
- 17+4=21
- 3x7=21
- 1936+
36 = 1972
- 3.6.1921
+
- From
the numbers we got the following date 3.6.1921
probably the date the Greek married couple died; the
cross indicates the burial date in the Missolungi's
graveyard in Greece Also through intuition we
understand that in 2008 when Jennifer will have a baby
she'll be 36 years of age that is half of your age, 72
years then. The other interpretations are often
wrong.
- Scene
changes: Angela in the family villa with Jennifer and
the other persons looking at the letter.
- Jennifer:
Tanzi speaks of a mistake because he didn't want to
tell your grandfather about the foreseen death at the
time when my son was conceived. Now I really believe
that this story doesn't come from a deranged mind, but
I'm here to visit you for another strange coincidence
that I'll show you, it's incredible!
- Angela:
My grandpa never told anyone about it and now I can
understand why.. but even if it is a strange and
incredible episode I would always have believed him
fully, because I have always believed in him and I've
never been wrong.
- Jennifer:
now I believe him too and I'm sorry I couldn't tell
him
- so
personally when he was alive…I have another
letter, that your grandfather sent to me….. but I
cant' show it to anyone because it is strictly
personal………… I've got it at
home.
- Scene
changes: you can see Jennifer's face in a different
time and in a different place, who reads the letter,
before with a light smile and then quite moved . You
can hear Ettore's voice while Jennifer reads the
letter
- Ettore's
voice: Dear Mrs. Jennifer Carter, after having sent
that letter to your father, dealing with the medium's
message, I must say that a strange feeling has
overcome me upon seeing your image in the movies. I
know that the message of which you and I are aware is
incredible but upon seeing a close up of your face and
its intense expression, I realize that the message is
true. Seeing your face on the screen has made me
recollect a time in the past when a woman full of
intense love and devotion for a man, hidden in my
being, and reborn in myself, has dedicated her
infinite love. That wonderful woman is reborn through
you and I feel and believe it profoundly.
- I
hope that you will not believe that is letter is any
avowal of love. It is only the need to share a feeling
that has tormented me and that comes from a nostalgia
of a great love, that has lived and survived death
itself. When we met briefly on the set, I felt very
intensely the presence of Anna, and I tried very hard
not to show the violent beating of my heart. I
absolutely do not desire that you feel what I feel.
This past love has nothing to do with the present,
being that this existence has put us both in very
distant places, very different conditions, and has
created a far difference in our respective ages. This
is why I wish that this be our last and only exclusive
contact that I hope you will secretly keep to yourself
as I will. Surely my grandaughter Angela would
perceive it as a treason of her love for me and I do
not want this to happen. I hope not to intrude by
saying that I love you deeply because I feel that
Jennifer is Anna, the woman that I have deeply loved
since time began. What mitigates my suffering in the
hope that such great love should survive this lapse of
time, and in the future allow our souls to unite
again. Yours truly. Ettore Rinaldi.
- The
previous scene returns
- Jennifer:
This is my son and we wanted to call him Ector knowing
this story.. but now that name has a deep meaning,
what before we thought a curious coincidence, is no
longer
- Jennifer
takes the baby out of the carriage, takes his hat off
and you can see on his forehead the A shaped spot that
Ettore had in his forehead
- Angela:
oh my God! (she suddenly gets up)
- Jennifer:
you can visibly see the A spot on the picture that
doctor Rinaldi sent to my father; when I first met him
on the set I never knew anything about this, maybe
its' just as well because I would have thought him to
be crazy or fanatic.
- Angela:
can I hold him
- Jennifer:
of course!
- Angela:
(the baby smiles at her and Angela's face lights up)
you are so beautiful.. look !! he's smiling at
me!!
- The
baby grabs Angela' nose between his thumb and the
other finger)
- Angela:
(out loud, stiff, with an unbelievable look) mom!!..
dad!!..
- grandma!!
.. look !!
- Matilde:
(nervously towards Jennifer) Ettore used to do that to
my daughter and to my grandaughter Angela!
- Even
Jennifer is surprised. Then the baby takes his little
hand away from Angela's nose and claps his hands
instinctively (or maybe not) Angela hugs him and
whispers in his hear, crying
- Angela:
my sweet dear grandpa.. thank you… thank you
(kisses his ear) Jennifer you are dear to me we have a
common love, I feel we'll became great friends this is
always your house as well
- Jennifer:
and my house in Los Angeles will be yours Angela my
dear friend.
- Scene
changes: in front of a small graveyard in the greek
countryside , eight people are there: Massimo, Miriam,
Matilde, Carl, Billy Carter , Pat Carter, Jennifer and
Angela. One morning in the late afternoon . they are
about to enter the cemetery but Massimo stops
them.
- Massimo:
let Jennifer and Angela do the searching
- Angela
and Jennifer walk in the graveyard, both hold a red
rose in their hand and start looking around. After a
while Jennifer sees the tombstone seen in the previous
scene. She looks at it in amazement
- Jennifer:
look Angela! I'm sure this is the tomb: the date is
the same as the date in your grandfather's letter and
the tombstone is number 72 … all the numbers
correspond!
- Then
Jennifer goes to lay the red rose on the old tombstone
but Angela stops her:
- Angela:
(caressing Jennifer) no.. take my rose as well, its'
your right and privilege to lay them on the
tombstone
- Jennifer
kisses Angela and while she bends over the tomb, the
scene goes back to the initial one when you see a hand
laying 2 red roses on a tombstone and caressing it.
Then the camera goes from her hand to a blue sky with
white clouds while in crescendo you hear
-
-
- Track
n° 2 from cd waltz from the opera
- "Coppelia"
by Delibes
-
- About
seventy years later. At the UN assembly: the outgoing
secretary general is communicating the election
results for the new secretary general at the United
Nations.
- Secretary
general:
- The
result of the election for the new secretary general
of United Nations are as follows: 954 representatives
out 1250 have voted. Valid votes 954, blank ballots
one, 953 are the total favourable votes, none
contrary. Ector Carl Azelius Carter has been elected
as the new secretary general of United Nations
unanimously. Before passing the word to the new
secretary general I would like to say a few words
about hi personality and why he was elected
unanimously outside of one blank ballot (that was
his). Professor Ector Carter for many years was
president of the commission for "universal peace and
cohabitation" and has contributed fundamentally
towards the elimination of terrorism. He has searched
the causes that have created such terrorism through
discussion and recognition of equal dignity between
the contenders involved. He has proposed the
abolishment of any kind of war for any reason and this
has been approved by the UN assembly being that it has
a legal right over all states, converting all the
armed forces under the disposition of the executive
commission This police force is to be used within the
limits and form decided by the assembly and the laws
of each state member. The enormous savings have almost
eliminated world hunger. He has greatly contributed in
obtaining the consent of almost all state members in
the application of U.N. legislation over and above
that of the individual states. For those services Prof
Carter has deserved, unique case, twice, the Nobel
Peace Prize.
- Prof.
Carter has in his youth suffered because his
publications were believed to be incredible and
naïve, but times have changed; what people
believed to be principles of utopia turned into
reality; a long time ago he proposed that the UN's
resolutions become compulsory , now they have become
executive laws over all states and people. In the past
the inobservance of these laws has created fertile
ground for terrorism which is now almost extinguished.
The few actions done by small groups of fanatics are
now easily isolated and almost entirely eliminated
from those places where they once grew. Now I call
upon the new Secretary General of Unites Nations to
address us:
- Ector
Carter: I thank my predecessor Prof Hang Tse Pong,,
the whole world is indebted to him for having
harmonized the interests of the 4 world federations :
Europe, Asia, Africa and America and basing them on
the principles that ethically and morally sustain the
foundation of this organization. My infinite respect
goes to this great man who seems small and fragile but
is very big on a moral and intellectual level. It
won't be easy for me to be his equal. The program that
I will try to carry out is the general reform of the
UN organization that I studied together with Hans Tse
pong and other international experts in the judicial
field. This project, approved by a commission of
experts purposely created, will have to meet the
approval of the assembly, in order to respect the
spirit of transparency and clarity that allows public
opinion to know the proposals of legislation before
the assembly approval.
- I
will explain the main points of this reform that
enables the UN organization to be coherent with the
necessities and principles of the times :
- 1.
regulation of the accepted principle already operating
that forbids war independently decided between state
members and its substitution by the UN international
force, therefore cutting down the expenses for them.
- 2.
universal recognition of the sacredness and
inviolability of the human being. Punishment for
crimes through re-education of the individual and his
reintroduction to society if possible, otherwise in
isolation, in all cases treatment should respect human
dignity.
- 3.
resolution of international controversies through the
aid of an ethical and religious commission whose
composition may vary according to the circumstances
made up of experts in international law and
representatives of the assembly of those states
involved in the controversies , and the components of
an organism denominated "The only God the Father" that
unifies the main monotheistic religions. These efforts
should be ratified unless a negative situation arises.
- 4.
to assume the organism "The only God the Father" as a
consultive organ inside the UN whose point of view
must be called upon for the deliberation of any new
law entailing moral, religious and ethical
concepts.
- 5.
to prohibit the local religious centres of power to
interfere in any way in the administration of
political life and any other facet of life that deals
with the general needs of the citizens within the
state members. Also to forbid that these religious
centres discriminate forcefully or otherwise within
the different religions of their own
people
- 6.
to make the proper finances available as well as a
bonus for the production of television programs tended
towards cultural and political education; to enhance
values of universal solidarity and brotherhood, so
that everyone may feel to be a citizen of the
world.
- 7.
reform of the organization: maximum automation in
connecting services directly among state members with
consequential reduction of personnel from 8650 to 1200
persons.
- 8.
the legal commission should be increased in the field
of international and national law from 5 to 25 members
in each field, this can vary with the further addition
of experts chosen by the qualified assembly that will
give their expertise to the UN organ that will ask for
it. This will allow the UN organ to create laws that
will attribute, deny or modify pre-existing rights. To
arrange a list of different types of resolutions that
become binding for the assembly
- Scene
is dissolving while Ector is still speaking, so that
you can understand that he still has many other things
to say.
- The
scene turns again when Ector has ended his speech
- Ector:
That is my program for a short period (after a brief
pause he looks, with attention, at the extreme end of
the room and a faint smile) …. I see way down at
the end of this auditorium a little girl who wants to
get in; would the security please let her in, it's my
niece Angela and I can guarantee that there is no
danger involved for myself or others.
- A
little girl around 12 years of age comes closer to the
president's desk and very timidly hugs her grandfather
Ector and gives him two red roses. You can hear a
light buzzing in the auditorium.
- Angela:
mom dad and grandma told me to tell you…. I'm
flustered and I can't remember
- Angela
gives him the flowers and then runs away towards the
exit. The people in the auditorium laugh
amused.
- Ector
: I hope that you will excuse this personal interval,
my family has just reminded me that today is my
birthday, I'm 72 and would like to say that these two
red roses are a very special gift to me…
(speaking almost to himself) but this is another story
for me and my mother (moved)
- Everyone
stands up and strongly applauds. The zoom focuses from
the delegates and the public to Ector's face and the A
spot on his forehead; he looks at the red roses; then
looks towards the audience with a smile. The minute
the Greek chorus begins, the applause dies down and
Ector's mind goes to a time and a far away place where
a certain thought seems to bloom, he slowly takes off
his glasses, looks up to the left towards a large
window with tears and nostalgia in his
eyes.
- Ector's
pensive face is veiled by a blue sky with white clouds
while in the back ground the music of the Greek Chorus
goes in crescendo very loudly.
-
- Track
n° 1 greek chorus
-
-
Translated
by Emilia Zini
|
