Original subtitles

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT

Marius?

- Good evening, sir. - Come on!

- Can I stay a little longer outside? - No, let's go!

It got dark, you're going home.

Can we decorate the Christmas tree today?

No, we'll do it on Christmas Eve. Have patience for a few days.

- All right. - Otherwise, it's gonna wither.

But can I play with the decorations?

- Fine, but don't break them, all right? - Yes.

All right.

- Good evening. - Good evening.

Wow! What a beautiful Christmas tree you've got there, Marius.

This one needs no decorations.

We bought what we could find. And you, sir? Taking a walk?

Taking a walk, my ass! I waited in line at Lamoteşti.

They brought groceries.

To please the people, you see.

After everything that happened in Timişoara.

The streets are filled with police.

I've heard rumours, too.

I wonder if anything was left standing in that city.

As if we can do anything...

- All right, take care! - Take--

Wait a second! Let me see what I have here for Marius.

- Here! - Thank you.

- You shouldn't have! - Leave it! Godspeed!

- Put it under the Christmas tree. - Yes.

- Thank you. - Good night.

- Go wash your hands, all right? - Yes.

- It's beautiful. - Yes.

- Where did you take it from? - From Reşiţa market.

People were frantic to buy them. I took the last one.

- Did you buy something for him too? - Yes, this.

A pencil box!

- Put on your slippers, the floor is cold. - Yes.

- Put it on the balcony. - Yes.

- And close the door properly. - Sure, sure.

During the 16th and the 17th of December,

under the pretense of preventing

the implementation of a legal judicial ruling,

several groups of hooligan elements

have put together a number of manifestations and incidents

because the anti-national groups' actions...

Where are the Christmas decorations?

Down there.

According to the constitution and under state law,

the military units were forced to defend...

- May I play with the Christmas lights? - Yes, you may, just shut up!

...the valuables of the whole city.

In fact, to protect order in the whole country...

Law enforcement agencies and the district attorney have conducted...

What is he saying?

...and are still carrying out investigations...

He brought out the army on the streets of Timişoara.

Shooting at people.

...to establish the cause and find the ones responsible

for these fascist and reactionary deeds.

Bloody bastards. I've heard about dozens of dead people.

- Who's dead? - No one, dear.

Turn it off, for God's sake!

We should write to our relatives in Târgu Jiu. I bought postcards.

They always write to us, and we...

- Have you written to Santa? - Yes.

He did, he did.

Did you first write a draft, to make no mistakes, or you wrote it directly?

First on a draft.

As mommy taught you to do it? With your address, name, and everything?

Yes, Ioniţă Marius, seven years old, form 2nd B, School no. 96,

Giurgiului Avenue, no. 3, block A6, 4th entrance.

- And what did you write on the envelope? - To Santa Claus.

Let me see the letter.

But I don't have it anymore.

- Where is it then? - I've put it in the post box.

- You took it to the nearby post office? - Yes.

How many times did I tell you, Marius, to stay here in front of our block?

Don't go around by yourself!

If I look for you out of the window, you'd better be in the courtyard!

Put those back in and come.

Here you are.

- It's very spicy! - Hmm.

What did you write to him?

I wrote, "Dear Santa Claus, I've been good and I did well at school."

And what did you ask for?

I asked for a locomotive.

What do you need a locomotive for?

Don't you want something more useful?

A pencil box, for example.

I already have a pencil box.

Yes, but that one...

That one is worn-out. Don't you want a new one?

I want a locomotive.

Well...

I don't know why, but I think he's gonna get you a pencil box.

Did you ask for a gift only for you, or also for your mom and dad?

For them too.

What did you ask for?

For Mom, a new handbag. 'Cause the old one got torn.

- Do you hear this, Mommy? - What?

You ran Santa into expenses. He's gonna bring you a handbag.

Very well, let him bring it.

And for your dad?

What you've always asked for, what you've asked for yesterday.

And what have I asked for?

For you to grow handsome like me and smart like your mother.

No, you've asked for something else.

For what?

For Uncle Nick to die.

Marius...

Tell me once more, word by word...

what have you written in that letter?

- "And for Dad..." - Go on...

"... the death of Uncle Nick, because that's what he wishes for."

"Because that's what he wishes for"?

Yes.

When did you hear me saying such a thing?

Yesterday. I asked you.

Yesterday when? Where was I?

Yesterday when? When?

In the evening. That's what you said.

And if that's what I've said, do you really have to tell everybody?

You stupid child!

- What happened? - I'll break your bones!

What happened?

- Your son wants to throw me in prison! - What's wrong with you? Wait a minute!

Ask him yourself!

What did you do, Marius?

I told Santa you want the death of...

- The death of whom? - I'll tell you.

He wrote the letter like you told him, with name, surname, address...

- and he put it in the post box. - Okay, so?

And what do you think he wrote his father wants for Christmas?

What his father wants for Christmas? Maybe you know!

- I don't know! How should I know? - The death of Uncle Nick.

- Is it true, dear? - Yes.

Why did you do it?

You really put that letter in the post box, or are you joking?

Yes, I did.

- Do you realize what you've done, dear? - No.

- How could you do this? How could you? - Don't hit him!

How many times have I told you not to tell anyone what we're talking at home?

- Have I or have I not told you that? - I didn't tell.

You didn't tell, you wrote, it's worse, you prick!

Please, it is not his fault!

He has no fault? But what's my fault? What shall I do now?

Go to your room! I'll beat the crap out of you!

Go to your room. Stay there till...

Tell me, are you content now about your stupid idea? Tell me?

- I'm to blame again? - Who else, mom? Who taught him to write?

And who's always speaking loudly at home, you, big mouth?

- So? - The child hears it all!

The child? He's no child, he's a snitch! You raised a snitch!

This is spiteful behavior or whatever the fuck it's called. Reactionary.

- You heard what Uncle Nick said on TV! - Maybe it won't be that bad.

Won't be that bad...

If I want Ceauşescu dead, won't be that bad?

- Lower your voice! - I'm not lowering anything!

You always speak so loudly!

They came after our colleague, Tudose, just because he cursed the Party!

Not the most beloved Son of the country!

In Timişoara, they're shooting people in the streets just because they booed.

I'll rot in prison. I'm racking up quite a stay.

I still can't believe he's done something like that.

- For Christ sake, you Goddamned child! - No, don't beat him!

I won't hit him!

What are you looking for? I'll help you.

Where's his notebook? The draft notebook...

It's there, in his schoolbag!

That one.

He really wrote it...

What did I tell you?

You go.

- I need to use the bathroom. - Okay, go quickly.

- Hello, Mariana. - Hello.

Forgive me for disturbing you at this hour.

It's no bother.

I wanted to ask you if you have a little flour to borrow.

I do have a few teaspoons left, but...

Then forget it, I don't want to take it all.

- I'm sorry! - Don't worry.

- Hi, baby! How's your holiday? - Fine.

- What have you written to Santa? - Marius, go to your room! Now!

- Good evening! - Good evening, ma'am.

- Did the little one make any blunder? - Like all children do.

Please forgive me for disturbing you.

- It's no bother. - Good night.

- What did she want? - Some flour.

Flour at this hour? She listened with a jar through the wall.

Stop being paranoid!

Why did she ask the little one what he wrote to Santa Claus?

- Don't know, she wanted to be nice. - Nice, my ass!

She came in to make a report.

You God dammed child! What have you done to me?

- What are you doing with that? - I'm going to break the post box.

- Break the post box?! - Break it and tear it down.

Have you gone mad?

What do you want me to do? I'll take some gasoline and burn it.

- Burn it?! - Burn it all!

No! Wait a minute...

I'll take some red wine and destroy everything that's in there.

- Tell me! - I don't know!

- What am I to do? - I don't know.

What am I to do now with this bloody letter, tell me!

Make some coffee.

- At this hour? - Make a coffee!

Come here, Marius!

I won't hit you, come here!

Sit down there!

- Write down another letter. - Yes.

"Dear Santa Claus..."

- Exactly like here. - Yes.

"My name is Ioniţă Marius, I am seven, I live in Bucharest, I am a pupil."

And write this down...

"For me, a locomotive, for mom, a new handbag because the old one is torn,"

and at the end, you write this...

Like here, but with a change.

"And for Dad,

the death of Uncle Nick Chican, from the second entrance,

because this is what he wishes for."

But I don't want Uncle Nick Chican to die.

Me neither, no one will die. You write this down as I tell you.

"Dear Santa Claus, and for Dad,

the death of Uncle Nick Chican. This is what he wishes for."

- Come on, write it down! - But Uncle Nick Chican did nothing to me!

Write it down the way I tell you, Marius! Come on, do it!

- Take your pencil... - But he did nothing wrong to me!

No one will die!

No one will die. You just write this down.

- Write what? - We'll write another letter.

- "Dear Santa Claus..." - Why write another one?

...and at the end, you write this:

"The death of Uncle Nick Chican, because this is what Dad wishes for."

Come on, write it down!

- But he did nothing wrong! - I know he did nothing wrong.

-That's stupid! Why write another-- -Write as I tell you.

Shut up! Stop interfering!

Write it down the way I tell you. "The death of Uncle Nick Chican,

because this is what Dad wishes." What's so hard?

- Are you writing it or not? - No.

Write it down the way I tell you!

"The death of Uncle Nick Chican, because..." Aren't you writing?

No.

- You fucking God dammed child! - What's wrong with you?

- You fucking prick! - Don't hit him!

Go to your room and don't come out!

- What's wrong with you? - What? What?

- Hit me, if you dare! - Hit you?

And if I hit you, you'll turn me in to the police?

- Stop this! - How can I stop it?

- Stop it! Are you mad? - Mariana, tomorrow I'll be in jail.

Are you mad? Stop it!

- You fucking God dammed child! - What are you doing?

- You fucking God dammed child! - What are you doing? Not the pencil box!

- You fucking God dammed snitch! - Stop it! Calm down! Please!

Stop it!

Hello.

Good evening, comrade Marcel.

He's not at home, he's in the neighborhood.

Should I give him any message?

Yes, sure, I'm listening.

Sure, I understand.

Good evening.

Tomorrow morning, at seven, at the factory, properly dressed.

Properly dressed?

That's what he said...

Gelu!

Come here!

What is it?

Come quickly!

Look!

This is it!

See?

Ask him in which one he put it in, because there are two.

Dear, in which box did you put it, the first or the second?

In the first one.

In the first one.

- Are you absolutely sure? - I'm sure.

- And the detergent too? - You have everything in there.

- You want me to come with you? - No.

What is it?

You can't sleep?

I can't stop thinking about it.

The first post box when he's coming from home...

or the first post box when he's coming from school?

THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ROMANIA

It's 8 o'clock a.m.! Good morning, dear listeners.

Today, on the 21st of December 1989,

under the adamant support for the socialist future of our country,

tens of thousands of working people

will attend in the capital a great popular gathering.

The great gathering will be broadcast live on the radio and on the television.

THE IMPERIALIST INTERFERENCE OF FOREIGN CIRCLES IN ROMANIA MUST STOP!

No! Stop!

Someone threw something!

Hello! Hello! Hello!

Hello! Hello!