All language subtitles for The Penguin Lessons 2024

[JOYFUL MUSIC PLAYING]

[TIRES SCREECH]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER ON RADIO]

[HORN BLARING]

KISSINGER OUT OF ARGENTINA

[VEHICLE APPROACHING]

MONTONEROS IN THE STRUGGLE
AGAINST THE FASCIST BASTARDS

TOM: Gracias.

[PAINT SLOSHES]

Hey. [SIGHS]

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

TOM: Hola.

- [EXPLOSIONS IN DISTANCE]
- Whoa!

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[IN ENGLISH]
I'm the new English teacher.

[GUARD SPEAKS SPANISH]

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

TOM: Gracias.

[ROOSTER CROWS]

Mr. Michell.

Leave your bags.

We'll take them
to your accommodation.

- Ah! Mitchell.
- Mr. Buckle.

BUCKLE: Welcome to St George's.

Timothy Buckle.
Headmaster, known as Timbuk.

- It's, uh, Michell.
- Yes.

How was your flight?

Good. Uneventful.

Explosion-free.

Ah, yes, I heard that
from my office.

Another bomb, I expect.

- Another?
- Oh, yes. Argentina's in chaos.

A military coup is imminent.

Now, we're thinking of putting
you up in Chaucer Wing.

Follow me.

[BELLS PLAY
WESTMINSTER QUARTERS]

A crackdown by the military
has not gone down too well

with the countless
revolutionary factions.

Trouble on the streets,
economy in free fall,

the government
are losing control.

It's a ghastly business.

"Don't let the bastardos
grind you down".

- Come again?
- I saw some graffiti

on the wall outside.
It doesn't matter.

Well, we try to keep out
of it all, you know?

Very much a small "p"

when it comes to politics
here in St George's.

Lots of rich families
send their sons here.

- Understand?
- Yes.

Excellent.

Thank you for coming on board
at such late notice.

English teachers like you

are in short supply
over here these days.

Anyway, I haven't had a chance
to read your CV.

Where have you been lately?

TOM: Um,
I was teaching in Ecuador,

and before that
Venezuela and Brazil,

and before that Chicago,

so I've been steadily
working my way down.

- Hm?
- Geographically speaking.

Oh. [LAUGHS] Yes, yes.

Well, you're up here, room 23.

No loud music,
no smoking, no pets.

- End of lecture. Hear, hear.
- Huh.

Now, we have a meeting in
the common room at 1630 hours.

Don't be late. Pet peeve.

Welcome.

[SOFT PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]

[BOTTLES CLINKING]

[FRIDGE CLOSES]

¿Hola?

¿Hola?

¿Hola?

- [SCREAMS]
- [GROANING]

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[WOMAN SPEAKING]

You should not
sneak up on me like that.

I said 'Hello' several times.

You must say it loudly
so I can hear.

[IN ENGLISH] It's definitely
all my fault.

Yes, it's your fault.

Well, you heard that all right.

I bet your husband
does as he's told.

- No, he's gone.
- You didn't kill him, did you?

No, cancer.

Oh. Right.
Well, sorry to hear that.

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

BUCKLE: Welcome,
welcome to St George's.

[SIGHS]

[LIVELY CHATTER]

Hey. You're Michell, right?
I'm Tapio.

I'm a physics master
from Finland.

[SPEAKS FINNISH]

[IN ENGLISH]
This means good day in Finnish.

A lot of umlauts in that.

- Sorry, are... are we roommates?
- TAPIO: No.

It's just that
you walked right in.

I was just being friendly.

Oh. Okay.

- You have the terrace.
- Yeah.

Maybe we can have parties
out here.

[LAUGHS]

You have any vodka?

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

There's a bottle of gin
in the kitchen on the side.

Help yourself.

Gin.

Well, yes.

[LIVELY CHATTER]

TAPIO: So the boys here,

they're very privileged
and spoiled.

And Mr. Timbuk, the headmaster,
believes he's Napoleon.

Hm.

He was very nice to me.

Some people
have two sides to them.

Mm. Even Josef Mengele was
a nice doctor to some people.

In fact,
doesn't he live around here?

Yeah, there were a lot of Nazis

emigrating to this part
of the world

after the Second World War.

Not very funny.

But also funny.

BUCKLE: Icelandic fishermen,
commercial whaling,

the hydrogen bomb,

the political situation
here in Argentina.

Whatever strong opinions
you may have,

I strongly urge you
to keep them to yourselves

and don't bore the rest of us
with them. Hm?

- Hear, hear.
- GROUP: Hear, hear.

Now, we are joined this term
by Mr. Tom Michell.

GROUP: Hello.

BUCKLE: Michell will be
teaching English.

TOM: Hola.

Now, I've assigned you
to Woolsey House,

where you'll be in charge
of the Lower Fourth Remove.

Oh. And I've also got you down

as assistant rugby coach
to the under-14 second team.

That may be a problem,
Headmaster.

Because?

I don't know
anything about rugby.

In fact,
I... I actively dislike it.

Why's that?

I like my balls round.

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

Excellent. Yes.

- [BELL RINGING]
- [LIVELY CHATTER]

[LIVELY CHATTER]

[KIDS SHOUT]

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[TOM SIGHS]

[SPEAKING SPANISH] Good morning.

My name is Mr. Michell,

and I'm here
to teach you English.

So, from now on,
I will only speak English.

[IN ENGLISH] Sit down, please.

So, English from now on.

Let's begin
by you telling me your names.

Uh, you.

What's your name?

[SPEAKING SPANISH]
Tell him your name, little turd.

- [LAUGHTER]
- Ernesto Castillo.

Ernesto.

[IN ENGLISH]
The importance of being Ernesto.

Oscar Wilde. [GROANS]

[LAUGHTER]

[SIGHS]

[SIGHS]

TOM: So, uh...

you.

What's your name?

[SPEAKING SPANISH] Mummy's boy.

[LAUGHTER]

[IN ENGLISH] Quiet, please.

- Diego.
- TOM: Diego.

And what did you do
at the weekend, Diego?

Did you go to the park?

Did you go to the shops?

Did you dress up as an astronaut
and go to the Moon?

[LAUGHTER]

No.

No what?

I did not go to the Moon.

[LAUGHTER]

That was me being sarcastic.

That was...

[IDLE CHATTER]

There are different forms
of sarcasm.

[IDLE CHATTER]

Uh, to be sarcastic, you can
employ one of the following.

[IDLE CHATTER]

Metaphor, bathos, puns, parody,
hyperbole, litotes and satire.

[IDLE CHATTER]

So I'd like you to write down
a sarcastic sentence in English,

employing any one of those forms
of humor.

And I will look in
this English newspaper

for some sarcasm...

for us all to discuss.

- [LIVELY CHATTER]
- [WHISTLE BLOWS]

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[GROANS]

[WHISTLE BLOWS]

All right. Scrum down.

- No!
- What, sir? Why?

Scrum? What for?

- Forward pass.
- For who?

- Ernesto.
- What?

- No, he didn't.
- No, I didn't.

- He didn't.
- Didn't he?

BOYS: No!

Okay, I thought he did. Um...

Look, why don't you
keep playing by yourselves

for another 15 minutes,

then get into groups
of three or four

and discuss why
it's important in rugby

to use oval-shaped balls
and not spherical.

Okay?

I'm gonna check on the rules
about forward passes.

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[LIVELY CHATTER IN DISTANCE]

- [IN SPANISH] That's everything.
- Thank you.

Fish delivery!

Sofía, I haven't finished
talking with you.

You always say the same.

MAN: The Montoneros need more
people to fight for the workers,

for the poor.

SOFÍA:
I don't agree with violence.

MAN: We have to defend ourselves
against the military.

SOFÍA: When you use bombs,
when you kidnap people,

you are no better than them.

I've got work to do.

Sorry, sir.

Did my conversation
with the fishmonger disturb you?

Conversation?
What conversation?

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

[THE LIBERTY BELL (MARCH)
[PLAYING ON SPEAKERS]

[CHANNELS CHANGING]

[MARTIAL MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO]

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

TAPIO: Michell?
TOM: Yeah.

TAPIO: Are you in there?
TOM: Come in.

[DOOR OPENS]

- [TAPIO SIGHS]
- [DOOR CLOSES]

What are you feeling about
this crazy but serious day?

Oh, yeah.

I woke up this morning

to the theme from
Monty Python's Flying Circus

and now there's
all this marching band music.

- [ALARM BELL RINGING]
- It's martial music,

just like all the music
on every channel today.

There's been a coup.

- [BUSY CHATTER]
- [ALARM BELL RINGING]

TAPIO:
The boys are being sent home.

- The college is shut for a week.
- Well, that's good news.

The situation is very serious.

There have been reports
of shootings.

The generals have taken control.

The army are fighting
the Montoneros guerrillas.

Next, they will round up
all of the left-wingers,

unionists, activists, intellectuals.

We got a week off?

Until this situation
becomes clearer.

[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT ON PA]

Say goodbye
to freedom and democracy.

Week.

Say hello to fear,
intimidation...

- I might go to Uruguay.
- and brutality.

- To Uruguay?
- Yeah, for a couple of days.

Why do you want to go
to Uruguay?

Uh, you know,
architecture, history.

- Really?
- Yes.

Actually, this is a good idea.

Because there's very little
practically that we can do here,

and Uruguay
fascinates me very much.

It became independent of Spain
in 1811,

but it's a common misconception.

It became an independent nation

- at this moment...
- Uh...

because it was immediately
annexed by Brazil until 1825.

I'm only partially interested

in the history
and architecture of Uruguay.

I mainly want to get away
from this place,

go dancing, drinking,
maybe meet a couple of ladies.

That's, uh, probably not
your sort of thing.

Uh, I would still
like to go with you.

[SHIP HORN BLOWS]

[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]

TAPIO: Isn't it interesting?

All these people
on their journeys.

All with their stories to tell.

I just find people's personal
circumstances so interesting.

Don't you?

Uh...

No.

I do.

Even for example, e.g.,

at some point
I would like to know your story.

Interesting.

People's lives.

Why we end up where we do.

One door closes
and another door closes.

Okay, what's her name?

Who?

The woman that you're desperate
to tell me about.

Annie. [SIGHS]

Girlfriend?

Wife.

She left me. For Alexei.

Is he better looking?

Slightly, I suppose.

Richer?

Yeah.

More fun?

I don't know, maybe.

Bigger cock?

This is now not funny.

I lost my wife
and I lost my best friend.

Look, they'll probably split up.

You really think so?

Yeah, but then what?

People break up
for whatever reason,

and then
they wanna get back with you,

but you say no because
of everything that happened.

And then one day you think,
well, maybe I will try again,

but it's too late
'cause she's moved on.

Anyway...

none of it matters anymore,
does it?

Or something like that.

- I like you, Michell.
- Do you?

I don't.

I think this place
has a bad reputation.

Sordid and pleasure-seeking.

Yeah, I know.

You still wanna go in,
though, right?

- Yes, very much.
- Good, good.

[TANGO MUSIC PLAYING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[MUSIC ENDS]

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[DISCO MUSIC PLAYING]

[IN ENGLISH]
Annie was a really good dancer.

One week ago from today,

it'll be eight years
since we had our first dance.

There are two ladies
over my right.

We were so happy together.

We loved to hike.

Then one day, she said
she was going to buy some bread.

She never came home
and I never saw her again.

Suddenly I was alone.

- And with no bread.
- Yeah.

I was sad and hungry.
I remember.

Well, it's good that
you've been able to let it go.

Now, over my right shoulder
there are two ladies.

- Those two over there?
- I could have pointed.

I was trying to be subtle.

They are walking towards us.

Compliment my dancing.

Pretty good dancing.

Yeah, yeah, he moves well.

Please. But thank you.

He is quite supple.

I only saw three mistakes.

- I'm Carina.
- I'm Tom.

Stamina, discipline,
pelvic thrust.

And this is Tapio.

Yeah, we're teachers
here on a break,

and to avoid getting blown up.

[UPBEAT DANCE MUSIC PLAYING]

Okay, welcome to Uruguay.

CARINA: I think this place
is full of lost souls.

TAPIO:
Does that include all of us?

CARINA: Maybe.

I think everyone who comes here
is looking for something.

What are you looking for?

Well, I'm like Ernest Hemingway,

but with no money

- and haven't written any books.
- [LAUGHS]

So people say
elements in a periodic table

cannot be changed.

That's a common misconception.

They actually can
during fission or fusion.

Anyway, who cares, right?

No, I think it's interesting.

Yeah. Yeah?

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you.

[DANCE MUSIC CONTINUING]

CARINA: Why did your friend
leave so suddenly?

TOM: He got the early ferry
because he's got a broken heart.

CARINA:
My friend really liked him.

TOM: Then he's boring.

It's so beautiful
at this time in the morning.

I come to the beach when
I want to think about nothing.

Yeah, I'd... I'd love
to think about nothing.

Hey, Ernest Hemingway.

Hm?

The Old Man and the Sea.

Well, I'm not...
I'm not that old.

All right, middle-aged?

Yeah, middle-aged man
and the sea. Yeah.

You know what?
I have a feeling about you.

Everything you deflect away.

But I think
you have hidden depths.

Oh, no, I'm...
I'm pretty shallow, really.

- [SLOSHES]
- Oh, shit.

- TOM: What's this?
- This is oil, I think.

From a spill.

They're penguins.

TOM: Oh, boy!

Oh, my God,
this little one is still alive.

Poor thing.

[SQUAWKS WEAKLY]

TOM: Oh. That's...

Oh, that's terribly sad.

But, you know,
there's nothing we can do.

It's frustrating, but...

It's... You can't really
interfere with nature.

I'll never get this crap
off my shoe.

I've such bad luck with shoes.

- An oil slick is not nature.
- Sorry?

All these penguins
are killed by us,

the human beings.

We have to at least do something
for this little guy.

I hate to say it, but I think
he's as good as dead already.

You know, it's not like we can
take him back to the hotel room.

[SOFT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING
ON SPEAKERS]

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

CARINA: Okay.
Let's get you cleaned up.

TOM: All right. Um...

- CARINA: You grab the shower.
- You get the soap.

- CARINA: Wash him up.
- Make a lather.

- CARINA: This should do the job.
- I'll get the water.

CARINA: Good boy.

TOM: How do you know it's a boy?
Don't answer that.

- There you go.
- Should I make it warm?

No, cold.

- You sure isn't it hot?
- TOM: It's tepid.

Work it into his feathers.

They're horrible. Oil.

[BOTH GROAN]

[CHUCKLES]

Well, that's nice,
isn't it, Mr. Penguin?

- He seems a bit happier now.
- Yes.

- [GROANS] Christ!
- [LAUGHS]

- Ooh!
- Jesus!

[SIGHS] Bastard!

I honestly think
it would be kinder to drown him.

Maybe he's just trying to
show affection.

That's what I do.

[TOM SIGHS]

Okay.

CARINA: There you go.

Yeah.

Now that's resourceful.

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

CARINA: All nice and clean.

There you go.

CARINA: This is good.

Okay.

[BOTH EXCLAIM]

[LAUGHS]

You're a happy penguin now.

Look at those lovely
white feathers.

Beautiful.

You like that, don't you?

I think we can untie
his beak now.

Yeah?

Has he said the safe word?

[LAUGHS]

It's okay, he trusts me.

See?

You just need to show him
some affection.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

I'm sorry.

I have to go now.

You're kidding. Why?

[SIGHS]

Because I'm married.

[SIGHS]

You're married, okay.

I mean...

I'm quite pragmatic about
these things.

[CHUCKLES]

I came out tonight for some fun

and I thought
I could go through with this.

But I can't.

[TOM SIGHS]

I hope you can understand.

- I'm sorry.
- Don't be sorry.

Goodbye.

[KISSES]

Adiós.

[SIGHS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

Hey, what about the penguin?

[SIGHS]

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Okay.

Off you go.

Thanks for the souvenir.

Go and join
your penguin friends.

[EMOTIONAL MUSIC PLAYING]

Go.

Go and be free in the sea.

Go away.

Adiós.

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[SQUAWKS]

Adiós.

[LIVELY CHATTER]

[SIGHS]

[CHIRPS]

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

Where did he come from?
Is he yours?

[IN ENGLISH] Sorry.

Where is he from? Is he yours?

Sorry. Who?

That penguin.

A penguin?

That one.

Is he your pet?

Oh!

No, I don't know
where he's from.

Yeah, yeah, you were with him
next to the sea.

Really?

Okay, I've known him
for less than a day.

I rescued him from an oil slick.

You rescued him
from an oil slick?

- Yeah.
- He rescued him.

Yeah, and how he thinks
he's my friend,

but he's not my friend.

Well, you can't leave
your penguin here.

He's not my penguin.
I don't like penguins.

Then why did you save his life?

Because I was trying
to impress a woman

I wanted to have sex with.

Now I've ended up
with no sex and a penguin.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[DINGS]

[IN ENGLISH]
I'm sorry to interrupt,

but I'm in a bit of a hurry.

I want to check out.

I called down earlier
for the bill.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[IN ENGLISH] Glacial.

Uh, yes, that's fine.
Thank you. I'd like to pay.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[IN ENGLISH]
I've left my wallet in my room.

I don't need that.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[IN ENGLISH] There he is.

[CHUCKLES]

And I thought it was probably
illegal to own a penguin,

which is why I left him
in the room.

Sir, you have to take
the penguin with you.

I don't have to take
the penguin with me.

If you don't take the penguin
with you, I will arrest you.

Yeah? On what charge?

[SCOFFS]

I will just arrest you.

Well, I'll take...
Obviously, I will take it.

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER ON PA]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER ON RADIO]

Buenos días.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]
Anything to declare?

[IN ENGLISH] Uh, no.

[CHIRPS]

Gracias.

[CHIRPS]

[SQUAWKING]

Stop! Stop, sir!

What was that?

What is in your bag?
Show me now.

Okay, I was going to speak
with someone about this.

To cut a long story short,
I want to claim asylum for him.

Asylum?

Yes, uh, in a zoo.

[CHIRPS]

Okay.

You can take him.

But you must pay import fee.

Dollars only.

- Dollars?
- $50.

Oh. I...

I don't have $50.

How much do you have?

Um...

Oh, yeah. Uh, none.

So you cannot take him.

Really?

Oh, that's...

Well, I tried my best.

Uh... That's... I suppose
if I can't take him, then...

Damn, that's so sad.

Oh, well. Um...

Sorry, little fella. Um...

I'm afraid it's adiós.

Hey. What is his name?

Peter.

- Peter Penguin?
- Yeah.

- Okay, you can take him.
- It's okay.

I know you have your job to do.

Please, you take Peter.

I don't want to get into
trouble, honestly, it's fine.

- You take Peter.
- It's okay.

Take the fucking penguin.

I don't want him.

I will arrest you.

On what charge...
For Christ's sakes!

Come on, Peter.

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

Buenas tardes.

BUCKLE: Ah, Michell!

- Just the chap I wanted to see.
- Headmaster, I was hoping to...

Now, I'm painfully aware

that we've yet to have that chat
about targets.

You know where we want the boys
to be in terms of performance.

- Yeah.
- Are you all right?

Yeah, sorry,
I just saw a bird of prey.

I can't tell if it's a kite
or an eagle.

Can't see a thing.

Well, it's quite simple.

Your job is to get the boys
up to O-level standard.

And as far as I can see,
they are some way off.

- Mm-hm.
- [CHIRPS]

You have a passion for our
feathered friends, have you?

Uh...

I dabble. Yeah.

Ah. Right. Well, your boys,

they have
to pull their socks up.

And quite frankly,
Michell, so do you.

Mm?

Loud and clear.

Good. Well, off you go.

Cheers.

[CHIRPS]

BUCKLE: Huh.

[IN SPANISH] It doesn't matter
where I got it from,

the fact is I have it and
it will be better off with you.

It needs to go to a zoo.
You are a zoo.

I can't look after it,

so you have to take it
off my hands.

[SQUAWKS]

I can't tell you
where I'm calling from,

it's very sensitive.

Okay, just give the head keeper
a simple message.

Tell him I have the penguin,

and if he doesn't
take the penguin,

I will kill the penguin.

Tell him it's The Penguin Man.

Sorry, one more thing.

What kind of fish
do penguins eat?

ARGENTINIAN SARDINES

[IN ENGLISH]
Here you go. Smell this.

Smell this.

I'll take that as a no.

[IN SPANISH] Sleep here.

[IN ENGLISH] What?

It's because you smell.

Good night.

[LIVELY CHATTER]

TOM: Here we go.

[BELL DINGING]

Well, here you are.

This is your area for now.

Bathroom at night,
terrace in the day.

Yeah.

Um...

[CHIRPS]

TOM: No?

You know, fussy eaters

eventually become food

for less fussy eaters.

So, eat here and shit here.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[SIGHS]

[CHIRPS]

[IN ENGLISH] "To be, or not
to be, that is the question."

In other words,
should I be here or not be here?

"Whether 'tis nobler
in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune..."

[IN SPANISH] Tell me
where they are, fat tie.

TOM: [IN ENGLISH] ...or to take
arms against a sea of troubles

"by opposing, end them."

A sea of troubles.

[IN SPANISH] Socialist rat!

[IN ENGLISH] ...an example
of a sea of troubles?

[IN SPANISH]
Speak or we'll torture you.

[IN ENGLISH] Okay, López,
Domínguez, what's going on?

Nothing, sir.

What are you doing to Diego?

It's just a game.

We're soldiers
and he's Montoneros.

My father says we fight a war
with the socialist pigs.

So we just play.

We're the soldiers
and he's Montoneros.

Right? Huh? [LAUGHS]

VICTOR: [IN SPANISH]
Tell us where they are

or we'll kill you.

[IN ENGLISH] Untie him now.

We need to stop relying
on the present tense.

It's lazy.

So, Ramiro,
I am a socialist pig.

Can you give me
a couple of first-person

past tenses, please?

I was...

I have been, and I used to be
a socialist pig.

Good.

Now, from a...

For the purposes
of this exercise,

a socialist pig's point of view,
of course,

Ramiro's father would be,
let's say, no offense,

uh, a fascist brute.

Yeah, let's use that.

Uh, Diego, as the nominated
socialist pig,

can you throw in
a future perfect, please?

Ramiro's father was, has been,

and will have been
a fascist brute.

[LAUGHTER]

Excellent. Yeah.

See what you can achieve
when you apply yourselves?

450...

500,000.

So your first month wages.

Two and half million pesos.

Argentina,
where everyone's a millionaire.

So, you must spend all of it
straight away, yes?

It is important
you buy lots of things,

then you bring them back to me
to show me.

I'll be sure
to have a good look round.

You can count on it.

[TANGO MUSIC PLAYING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Muchas gracias.

[SPEAKS SPANISH]

Oh.

[IN SPANISH] Hello. You deliver
fish to St George's.

Hello, how are you?

Good. And yourself?

- Good. What do you need?
- A kilo of sprats, please.

[IN ENGLISH]
You have been shopping, señor?

Yes, a few bits and bobs.

Make sure
you drive a hard bargain.

In this life,
nobody gets what they deserve.

They only get
what they negotiate.

So, uh, how much?

No, please. On the house.

- Gracias.
- De nada.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

The penguin is still alive.

Yes, this is The Penguin Man.

No, I have no wish
to harm the penguin.

But if I cannot talk
to the head keeper about him,

his safety cannot be assured.

Saturday? Yes, I can come then.

Thank you.

[SIGHS]

[IN ENGLISH]
Pack of playing cards.

Dart board, uh, three darts,

which was all they had,
but all you need,

and a long shoehorn,
which I can highly recommend.

A shoehorn?

Yeah. If you're over 50
and you wear slip-ons,

it'll change your life.

You never
have to bend over again.

Shoe-wise.

- Is that it?
- Yeah.

What is that?

That's just a pair of shoes
and some sprats.

Sprats?

Yeah, I like sprats.

You have to spend all of it,
don't you understand?

Well, I thought I'd spend
some this month

and then save the rest
till next month

when I find something
I really want.

You don't listen to what I say.

By Monday, that money I gave you

will be worth
half of what it is now.

Really?

You will
have to go shopping again.

- Fine.
- Okay.

I can give you
a pair of socks for it.

For what?

The shoehorn.

Nuh.

Okay.

Two pair of socks, orange color.

Final offer.

Look.

MARÍA: Hello!

Ah. Okay. Okay. Uh...

Keep that out and that shut.

Although I suppose it's all
the same thing to you, isn't it?

Just a minute! [CLEARS THROAT]

[MARÍA SPEAKING SPANISH]

- Hello.
- MARÍA: Hello.

This is my granddaughter Sofía.

Oh. Granddaughter, wow.

Yeah. I think
we met before briefly

when I didn't hear
what she was saying.

But I don't really need
any cleaning today, thank you.

MARÍA: Do you want us
to lose our jobs?

TOM: Uh, okay, well maybe just a
quick swish around the kitchen.

You must open the curtain.
It's very dark and sad in here.

No, no,
I don't like the sunshine.

- These are yours?
- Yes, why?

I don't know,
they look very old-fashioned.

[LAUGHS] Yeah, no,
some people confuse

- fashion with style...
- [TAPPING]

- which is of course timeless.
- What is that?

It's just some boys
throwing stuff.

What is this?

That's a lot of questions.

That's, uh, some...

- Shit.
- Whose is it?

Uh, well, it's not mine.
[LAUGHS]

I'd definitely be seeing
a doctor if that was...

It's bird shit.

Bird shit? It's a big bird.

Yes, it is a big bird.

Um...

Because it's a penguin.

It's penguin shit.

[MARÍA SPEAKING SPANISH]

[IN ENGLISH]
What is he doing here?

I found him in Punta del Este
covered in oil.

I cleaned him up
and brought him back here.

- MARÍA: Why?
- To take him to the zoo.

I tried to release
the bloody thing into the sea,

but it wouldn't go.

[SOFÍA EXCLAIMS]

[SOFÍA LAUGHS]

Does he have a name?

TOM: Well, I flirted with Peter,

but I prefer just The Penguin.

No, he must have a name.

I know.

We should call him
Juan Salvador Gaviota.

He reminds me to the
main character of that book,

a seagull who must learn to fly.

Salvador. It mean savior.
It's a good name.

Ah. Well, Juan Salvador Gaviota
it is.

It's just Juan Salvador.
It's okay.

Well, if I can keep him alive
long enough to get him to a zoo,

I'll consider it a job done.

- Keep alive?
- TOM: Yeah.

I've been trying to feed him.

He hasn't eaten a thing
since I found him.

[SPEAKS SPANISH]

[IN ENGLISH]
Yeah, I did try that.

Let me try.

And why do you want
to lock him up in the zoo?

Well, it's not a case of wanting
to lock him up, is it?

It's just...

I want to put him somewhere
he can be taken care of,

and now that's generally
regarded as a zoo, so...

- Just obeying the rules.
- And you always obey the rules.

Hang on a second.
I'm the one that rescued him.

So now you have a responsibility
towards him.

- TOM: Oh.
- [MARÍA LAUGHS]

She really is
your granddaughter, isn't she?

[LAUGHS]

TOM: Sometimes in life, Sofía,
things don't work out

quite the way you want them to,

and you have to take measures
which aren't ideal.

You should be a spokesman
for the military.

TOM: Right. Just for the record,

fascism is one of my
least favorite things.

Really? I haven't seen you
in any march recently.

Because I'm a teacher,
and this is not my country.

And you are happy to take work
and money from this...

I've learned to keep that out,
that shut

and that's served me
quite well so far.

Well, I'm a cleaner
and I speak out with this

about the bullshit I smell
with this.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

SOFÍA: [IN ENGLISH]
When bad people

do bad things, I expect it.

When good people do nothing,

I just want to fucking
punch them in the face.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[IN ENGLISH] No, wait, please.
Both of you.

Stay. Stay and have some lunch.

Why?

Because...

I haven't had a good argument
in a very long time, and, uh...

Well, I miss it.

So stay. I'll make you
sausage mash and onion gravy.

Good imperialist British food,

foisted mercilessly
upon the colonies.

[CHUCKLES]

[LIVELY CHATTER]

[WOMEN SPEAKING SPANISH
CHEERFULLY]

TOM: [IN ENGLISH]
Wait, he's eating.

- How did you do that?
- [LAUGHS]

Now he won't die. [LAUGHS]

TOM: Good.

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

[BOTH LAUGH]

- You just need to be his friend.
- TOM: Ah. Yes, of course.

[SPEAKS SPANISH]

- TOM: [IN ENGLISH] Okay.
- Here.

TOM: Let's have a go.

- [SQUAWKS]
- MARÍA: Juan Salvador!

You know, I used to be young
and idealistic like you, Sofía.

But, uh... life changes you.

Then I look forward
to being old and cynical.

[SOFÍA LAUGHS]

[LIVELY CHATTER]

Mm.

[LIVELY CHATTER]

- [LIVELY CHATTER]
- [PLEASANT MUSIC CONTINUING]

[LIVELY CHATTER]

[CHATTER ECHOING]

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

Fusion is when two atoms collide

to create an even heavier atom.

TOM: Hola.

[LIVELY CHATTER]

[CHIRPS]

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[CHIRPS]

[BOYS MURMURING]

TOM: [IN ENGLISH] Now,

"I must go down To the sea again

"To the lonely sea and sky"

"And all I ask is a tall ship
A star to steer her by."

What does John Masefield
mean by that?

Igor.

Sir, you have a pingüino
on your desk.

English, please. It's a penguin,
and his name is Juan Salvador.

Why do you have a penguin
on your desk?

To get you all to pay attention.
And I think it's worked.

Yes, Walter.

But where did you get
the penguin from, sir?

TOM: I found him.

And let's just keep this between
ourselves for the time being.

If anyone finds out,
he'll be confiscated.

Look, I'll make you a deal.

If you spend
the rest of this lesson

helping me figure out
what this poem actually means,

then I'll let you all feed him
some fish at lunchtime.

Deal?

Well, go on, nod your heads.

Juan Salvador, deal?

[CHIRPS]

Yes, yes, he's okay with that.

All right, so, concentration
from now on, please.

[BOYS MURMURING]

Right.

"And the wheel's kick
and the wind's song

and the white sail's shaking

and a grey mist
on the sea's face

"and a grey dawn breaking."

Sea Fever, by John Masefield.

One of my favorites.

But, uh, what's it about?

I'll give you a clue. Yes, Igor.

Can we put the penguin in a box?

- No.
- Can we take it for a bike ride?

- No.
- Can we put him in the pool?

BOYS: Yes, please, sir!

Sir, the penguin
came from the sea.

Just like the poem.

Maybe he would
like to swim in the pool.

Yeah, please.

No, we're not going to put
the penguin in the pool.

BOY: Why not?

Because it's against the rules.

Yes, um...

Ramiro's correct.

So, the poem. A clue.

It's not just about ships,
and it's not just about the sea.

Any ideas?

Come on, concentrate.

Think of Juan Salvador,
the wide ocean before him,

just going
wherever the wind takes him.

- Diego.
- Is it a metaphor, sir?

Very good. A metaphor. For what?

To be free.

Mm. Yes. Very good. Freedom.

Freedom!

Freedom from what?

What do we mean by freedom?

Freedom from... idiots?

From school?

Freedom from tyranny?

From yourself?

[BOYS SPEAKING SPANISH]

TOM: [IN ENGLISH]
Okay, get the sprats.

One at a time.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

No, no, hey.

Diego is in charge
of feeding Juan Salvador.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[IN ENGLISH] Yeah.

But why do you choose him?

Because I'm a dictator.

Give him the bucket.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

[IN ENGLISH] Juan Salvador...
He looks hungry.

[LAUGHTER]

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

- [PLEASANT MUSIC CONTINUING]
- [LIVELY CHATTER]

Flashlights.

Oh, hello.

The bursar has a thing
about flashlights.

Yes, yes, he does.

He also has a thing
about shoehorns now,

if we're swapping bursar gossip.

- He's weird.
- I know.

He prefers it
that we are in the middle ages

and we barter everything.

[BOTH LAUGH]

Is that something
I should be looking out for?

Some fresh figs.

My grandmother's favorite.
Would you like?

Thank you.

And how is Juan Salvador?

He's, uh, very well. Yes.

Now he's started eating,
he won't stop.

I was thinking
maybe I could look after him.

And he don't have to go
to the zoo.

I will be his mother.

[LAUGHS]

That's, uh... That's very kind,

but I do think the zoo
is the best place for him.

- Would you think about it?
- Sure.

Uh, uh...

By the way, I wanted to say
I... I admired you the other day

for fighting your corner.

You showed great spirit.

My grandmother says
this will get me into trouble.

You should listen to her,
she's a wise woman.

She's been through a lot,
losing a daughter and husband.

My grandfather?
He lives in Córdoba.

She told me he was dead.

Mm. Yeah, she says that because
he left her for a fat woman.

[LAUGHS]

Anyway, I must go back to work.

- You come?
- TOM: Uh, no,

I've got to get some more sprats
from the fishmongers. Sorry.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER ON RADIO]

[VEHICLE APPROACHING]

[TIRES SCREECH]

[SHOUTING IN SPANISH]

[SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING]

Tom!

Tom!

[IN ENGLISH] Help me!

Tom!

[TIRES SCREECH]

[SOMBER MUSIC CONTINUING]

BUCKLE:
They grabbed her off the street?

Yes.

MARÍA: Did she call out?

Um...

Yes.

And I was not there to help her.

But, sir,
what did my sister say?

She cried out for help, I think.
Uh...

I wanted to push through
the crowd to help her, but...

there were too many
people and...

As I say,
it was all over very quickly.

I'm sorry.

TAPIO: So, what happens now,
Mr. Timbuk?

Are you going to write
to the authorities?

She's an employee
of the college, after all.

MARÍA: Yes, she works
for the college, sir.

Subcontractor, actually.

But the boys here have fathers

who can talk to the right person
in the government to help us.

BUCKLE: Yes, yes, of course.

But the whole thing's become,
well, rather complicated

by some news
I received this morning.

It's bad news, actually.

The Montoneros have kidnapped
the father of Mateo Simeone,

one of our sixth formers.

[LAUGHS] I think
it's some kind of tit for tat

for all the government
arrests lately.

Like Sofía? No, no.

The two sides are not equal.

The Montoneros target a few.

But the government, they take
thousands from the street.

BUCKLE: But the thing is,

señor Simeone
is a parent representative

on the school's board
of governors,

so we have to tread lightly.

Because he's more important
than Sofía?

BUCKLE: No, María, not at all.

Because the Montoneros

are demanding a ransom
for his safe return

and the negotiations
are ongoing.

It's a filthy business.

As I'm sure you can appreciate.

No, I do not appreciate it, sir.

SOFÍA'S BROTHER:
Come on, come on.

We go now. Come on, let's go.

- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- [SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING]

TOM: I don't get involved.

I didn't do anything
because I don't do anything.

It wouldn't have any effect.

I can't prevent
these things from happening.

If I'd been arrested as well,
would that have helped?

And I was scared, okay?

I was scared.

- [KNOCKING ON DOOR]
- TAPIO: Michell?

Are you in there?

- TOM: Hey.
- Hey.

Do you have a penguin in there?

What are you talking about?

- A penguin.
- A penguin?

A penguin.

Yes.

[LAUGHS]

How did you know?

I've been to Patagonia.

I could smell you, Mr. Penguin.

You know that if Mr. Timbuk
finds out about him,

he's going to bring all hell
over your head.

It had occurred to me.

TAPIO:
You think he's listening to us?

No, he's an animal.

He just wants food
and somewhere to sleep.

No, no, no, no.

You know, the penguins,
they're very sensitive.

It's a common misconception
that penguins have no empathy.

But I believe,
at a certain strata,

he is aware
he owes his life to you.

TOM: Hm.

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

[URINATING]

[SIGHS]

[FLUSHING]

[SIGHS]

[CHIRPING]

[LAUGHS]
It's not an egg, you dozy berk.

It's a bar of soap.

- [BIRDS CHIRPING]
- [PLEASANT MUSIC CONTINUING]

MAN ON RADIO: [IN SPANISH]
In our plan,

true authority is most effective

when it is based
on the principle of freedom...

[RADIO TURNS OFF]

[IN ENGLISH] Juan Salvador?

TAPIO: all these
negative thoughts from my head.

It's not that
I wish them any ill.

Annie and Alexei
are both nice people.

But actually...

I do wish them ill.

I sometimes wish Alexei
would meet with a fatal accident

and Annie would be sad
and come back to me.

Does that make me a bad person?

I don't think...

[SIGHS] Uh...

I couldn't sleep.

I just needed to get this monkey
off my chest.

You shouldn't have
told him all that.

You know he can't keep a secret.

[LAUGHS]

Another joke?

No, he doesn't talk.

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

MARÍA: Hola.

María.

Why are you working today?

Uh, I prefer to be busy.

Hello.

Hola. Hola.

- Do you want a coffee?
- Yes, thank you.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[IN ENGLISH] Come on.

MARÍA: Sofía,

she lived with me
since she was five years old.

Her mother gets sick,
her breast.

They cannot cure, and she die.

People do not understand
the pain of this.

No.

No, they don't.

- Please.
- Thank you.

[SIGHS]

To my friends, to my neighbors,

she has already gone.

They don't talk to me
because they are scared

to be connected with her
in any way.

The military, they take you
just for thinking another way.

They don't need a reason.

I cannot stop thinking.

Is she frightened? Is she cold?

Is she hungry?

Today is Sofía's favorite day.

She go to the football,
she go dancing.

Now she only see iron bars.

- Uh, wait, it's Saturday.
- Saturday.

Saturday. Okay, I have to take
Juan Salvador to the zoo.

They've agreed to meet,
so I better get a move on.

You take Juan Salvador
to the zoo?

Yeah. It's the best place
for him, trust me.

I mean,
you've smelt the apartment.

Look at the carpet,
that's not the pattern.

That's his shit, he's got to go.

I go with you.

To say goodbye.

Really?

I don't think
that's a good idea.

[ANIMALS CHATTERING LOUDLY]

I lie about my husband,
he didn't die of cancer.

I know.

Sofía told me he left you
for a fat woman.

She was fat.

I think I will write a letter
to ask about Sofía,

so they know
I will never go away.

Yes, it's a good idea.
You should do that.

You can write it for me.

- Oh, I'm... I'm not sure.
- Oh, you are good with words.

- I don't think so.
- You can write it like a poem.

I don't think
the military dictatorship

is going to be persuaded
by a poem.

They probably think
poetry is boring.

Okay, I will write it.

Well, I don't mind helping out.

[IN SPANISH] Hey, you!

What's in the bag?

Open it.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

[SQUAWKS]

This penguin is not a communist.

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

WOMAN:
So you are the Penguin Man?

Yes, yes.

Uh, and you can call me Tom.

And here's the penguin.

You decided not to murder him.

Ah.

- That was just a jokey threat.
- This way.

- Okay.
- No, no, no.

I don't want him
to go down there.

You can have a few minutes
to say your goodbye,

but I'm coming back for him.
He will have to go.

[MARÍA SPEAKING SPANISH]

[ANIMALS CHATTERING]

[IN ENGLISH] This is where
your penguin will be quarantined

before being introduced
to the other penguins.

Gosh, they're, uh, quite small,
aren't they, the cells?

How long will he be here for?

The period is for six weeks.

And good news,
we have a cell for him.

Right.

Um, six weeks.

I'm sure he'll get used to it.

You get used to anything
in the end.

So, you come with me to sign
the release form, please.

TOM: Yes.

[MARÍA SIGHS]

[SIGHS]

Yeah, yeah.

[SQUAWKS]

So, the thing is, um,

they don't have any spaces
at the moment,

so they can't take him.

Until something can be sorted,
they said,

"Best just take him home."

Take him home? [LAUGHS]

- [GROANS]
- Wait, um...

Uh...

- You all right?
- No, un poquito de water.

Okay, uh...

I think we should get you home.

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

[SPEAKS SPANISH]

Oh. She had a funny turn.
She's over the worst of it.

Okay.

I think she was overwhelmed.

MARÍA: Oh, this is
my grandson's wife, Teresa.

And my little ones,
Jorgito and Claudia.

Hola, Jorgito. Hola, Claudia.

This is señor Tom,
a teacher from the college.

Please, you stay for some food?

Uh...

- Thank you, but I...
- You stay. You don't shame us.

Well, there you go.
I suppose I'm staying.

- [SPEAKS SPANISH]
- Oh! Um...

[SOFÍA'S BROTHER SPEAKS SPANISH]

TOM: Come on.

[JORGITO SPEAKS SPANISH]

[GASPS, SPEAKING SPANISH]

TOM: [IN ENGLISH]
Come say hello.

Say hello. Hello.

[SOFÍA'S BROTHER SPEAKS SPANISH]

TOM: [IN ENGLISH] Come on.

This is Juan Salvador.

- [CHILDREN CHATTERING]
- Come on. He's hungry.

He wants some food.

TOM: Mm!

And, um,
what kind of meat is this?

Tongue.

Right.

SOFÍA'S BROTHER: Here
where we live is called El Bajo.

The Low, that means The Low.

Yes, low down, by the water.

It also means
we are the low people

who have not anything.

Yeah, my great-grandfather
built this house,

but everything
he used he had to steal.

The brick, the wood...

But not because he's a thief,
because he's el bajo.

He built this house,

or his family sleep
on the street.

And this
was your great-grandfather?

- Yeah.
- And you all live here together?

Yeah.

I know that my children
will have to live here too.

MARÍA:
So we are the same as the rich.

We pass our house down
through our family.

[LAUGHTER]

Do you have any children,
señor Tom?

Um...

Yes.

A daughter.

But, uh, we lost her.

It's interesting, uh, how...

how, uh, people won't eat tongue

because it's been inside
an animal's mouth,

but they're quite happy
to eat an egg,

which, you know, has been...

Oh!

[LAUGHTER]

- Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
- up a chicken.

- Funny.
- Yeah.

[SOFT PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

TOM: "To whom it may concern",

regarding the recent
unpleasantness in the country,

I respectfully
request that you...

find an alternative approach

to achieving a satisfactory
outcome for all concerned,

ideally avoiding,
if at all possible,

the torture and murder
of an innocent 19-year-old girl.

Apologies for the inconvenience.

Uh...

Best wishes to you and yours.

"P.S. Why do you all
have moustaches?"

What do you think?

Catherine.

My daughter.

Knocked down and killed
by a drunk driver

when she was 13.

And that's not even a joke.

[SOFT PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

TOM: I want Juan Salvador

to be the tallest person
in the room for a change.

You see, penguins only ever see
people's legs,

which means they have to listen,
so... so let's try that.

"Seventeen years ago you said

"Something that sounded
Like Good-bye"

"And everybody thinks
You are dead

"But I

"So I, as I grow stiff and cold

"To this
And that say Good-bye too

"And everybody can see
That I am old

"But you

"And one fine day
Down a sunny lane

"A boy and girl will meet
and kiss and swear

"That nobody could love
Their way again"

"While over there"

"You will have smiled"

"And I will have tossed
Your hair."

[BELL RINGING]

[MURMURING]

WALTER: Good lesson, sir.

- Bye.
- Thank you very much.

Bye, sir.

Bye.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

[MARTIAL MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO]

[MUSIC STOPS]

[BELL TOLLING]

[IN SPANISH] Excuse me.
Where is the fish guy?

Two nights ago,
they came and took him away.

TOM: "And these words
Shall then become"

"Like Oppression's
Thundered doom

"Ringing through
Each heart and brain

"Heard again, again, again"

"Rise like Lions after slumber

"In unvanquishable number

"Shake your chains
To earth like dew

"Which in sleep
Had fallen on you

Ye are many, they are few"

These aren't just lofty words.

Shelley was actually
trying to say something.

[SOFT PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

[CHILDREN CHATTERING
IN DISTANCE]

TOM: Here, Shelley is saying
that there are so many of them,

he says
they can't possibly be beaten.

He uses the adjective
"unvanquishable".

It's emphatic that they cannot
be overcome or subdued.

[LIVELY CHATTER]

TOM: "Ye are many"

so...

You know there are many of them.

Walter, who are "ye"? What "ye"

is Shelley asking to rise
like lions after slumber?

Everybody?

TOM: Yes, everybody. All of us.

Shelley means,
what, most people.

When he wrote this,

people in England were rioting

because they were starving.

The money
was being spent on wars,

not on feeding the children.

So who then,
Ramiro, are they, the few?

Um, the leaders.

Yes.

Shelley is saying

if we, uh, rise like lions
against them

and all stand together,

we are...

unvanquishable.

So Shelley's warriors

- are like lions.
- [SNIFFING]

They stand up
and they shake off their chains,

which he says
have fallen on them.

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

- Anna.
- Sorry to disturb you.

Mr. Buckle
would like to see you. Now.

Okay. Right now?

WOMAN: Please.

Okay.

- Ah.
- Ah.

[DOOR CREAKS]

[CHILDREN CHATTERING
IN DISTANCE]

[DOOR CREAKS]

[CHILDREN CHATTERING]

BUCKLE: Now, it's not just that
the last set of grades were low,

but that the content
of your lessons is becoming,

how shall I put it,

increasingly questionable.

I mean, "Hamlet is an idiot.

Dickens is overrated.

Byron is a tart?"

I'm allowed to have an opinion.
It's a free country.

Oh, no, it's not. I forgot.

Urging the boys
to rise like lions.

I see from your notes
that you intend to teach

Wilfred Owen
later on in the term.

Yes, the ironically titled
Dulce et decorum est.

Yes, well, you seem to be
deliberately focusing

on this antagonistic
sort of poetry.

Look, Michell,

I had you
as a head-down sort of fella,

you know,
anything for a quiet life.

And what happened to you?

[CHIRPS]

BUCKLE: Mm?

I met a penguin.

What?

[CHILDREN SHOUTING]

Sorry, I should
have told you earlier.

Good God.

And, um...

He's living with me.

What?

[TYPEWRITER CLACKING]

Look, you... you can't keep
a penguin in the college.

I've never actually seen that
written down.

Michell, are you having
some sort of breakdown?

I don't think so.

Well, it's insanity.

Not to mention insanitary.

I bought him a bath
and I've had him in class.

The boys respond well to him.

No, no, no.

A line has been crossed.

Either you go
or the penguin goes.

You mean if I go,
the penguin can stay?

[STAMMERS] I said
either the penguin...

Either you or the...

Look, you and the penguin
both need to go.

[SOFT PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

[POURING]

[SIGHS]

[SIGHS]

[MARÍA SPEAKING SPANISH]

TOM: [IN ENGLISH]
"Please hear my voice."

I'm an old lady

and I don't
have many years left.

I have lived my life.

I have loved my family.
I have loved my country.

You have taken my granddaughter,
Sofía Alvarez.

My beautiful granddaughter.

You don't let me see her.
I don't know where she is.

Please, I beg you,
take me in her place.

Please, let her live her life,

and I can go into prison
where she is,

"and my life can end there."

Hola.

[LAUGHS] Hola.

Why are you come here,
señor Tom?

We came to wish you luck.

Ah.

MISSING
SOFÍA ALVAREZ

MARÍA: My letter?

- Oh.
- You change it all for me?

You make it better?

I haven't changed a word.

Your letter is better

than anything
I could have written.

It will not make any difference.

TOM: Perhaps not,

but at least your words
will be out there somewhere.

Did you hear?

Mateo's father
has been released.

The company he worked for
paid a ransom.

Even if they ask for Sofía,

we don't have any money.

[WOMEN CHATTERING]

Um, María.

She called out my name
the day she was arrested.

And, uh, I didn't go to her.

Maybe you could not get to her?

No, I could have.

MARIA: They would have
arrested you, too.

Maybe, but I didn't try.

I just did nothing,
and I'm sorry.

[SIGHS]

You'd better go.

[WOMEN CHANTING IN SPANISH]

- Tell us where they are.
- Tell us where they are.

[SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING]

[IN SPANISH] Daddy, a penguin!

[MAN LAUGHS]

GIRL:
Señor, I love your penguin.

What is his name?

[TOM LAUGHS]

Thank you.
His name is Juan Salvador.

GIRL: Can I stroke him?
TOM: Of course.

[MAN LAUGHS]

Is he yours?

No. I'm looking after him
for a friend.

She was going to adopt him,

but she can't look
after him now.

Ah. A shame. Why not?

[IN ENGLISH] Because
we don't know where she is.

Ah.

[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]

[IN ENGLISH] You're English?

Yes, I teach English
at St George's.

Have we met before?

TOM: [STAMMERS] This woman,

by the way, she's a lovely girl
from a good Argentinian family.

They pay their taxes,

they raise their children,
raise their family.

Well, in fact, this market
was the last place I saw her.

She was buying some figs
for her grandmother,

and then...

Well, I think...
I think you know her.

Huh.

Sofía Álvarez is her name.

Mm. [SPEAKS SPANISH]

[SIGHS]

[IN ENGLISH]
Of course you know her.

You and your men kidnapped her

and bungled her into the back
of a car in broad daylight,

didn't you?

And I am asking you,

please,

to let her go.

Interesting.

Why would you speak to me
of this girl?

Hm?

Well, because the truth is,
and this is the truth,

I lost my daughter
some years ago.

Well, 17, to be precise.

Um...

Drunk driver.

It doesn't matter.

It was a pointless death.

It ruined my life
and her mother's,

and Sofía reminded me of her.

And for that reason, I...

I wanted to try and help her.

MAN: Mm.

And the penguin?

He's just a...

a weird pet.

MAN: Mm.

So you thought...

you'd come here
with your sad story

and your penguin, I...

and I will make everything nice?

You should walk away from me.

Right now.

It's a waste of a life.

You should go.

- Okay.
- Now.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

Forgotten my penguin.

[JUAN CHIRPS]

GIRL: Ciao.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

[TIRES SCREECH]

[CAR DOOR CLOSES]

[IN ENGLISH] Shit.

[IN SPANISH]
Can you please make sure

he gets back
to St George's college?

- MAN: Mr. Thomas Michell.
- Okay.

- You're under arrest.
- I'll come quietly.

[DOOR OPENS]

To hell and back.

What did they do to you?

You should see the other guy.

Did you fight him?

No, it's just a thing
people say.

No, he's fine.

I mean, I think he hurt his fist
when he was punching me,

which I was pleased about.

So, uh, is Juan Salvador okay?

TAPIO: He's back at the school.

By the way, Mr. Timbuk
knows you've been arrested.

TOM: Oh.
Is he gonna beat me up as well?

[SOFT PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

[SIGHS]

- Sit.
- Ah.

- You have ice?
- There's... Yeah.

TAPIO: You know, you are
very lucky to be released

after just one night.

BUCKLE: This country
is at war with itself,

and everyone here expects me
to sort it out.

You know, I make hard decisions,
tough decisions.

It comes with the territory.

[SIGHS] But I mean,

Michell has been here
five minutes

and everybody loves him.

Well, it's partly
because of you, of course.

But you see,

I don't have the camaraderie
of the common room.

And whenever I go in there,
[SIGHS] all goes quiet.

I mean, I try
to put on a happy face. [LAUGHS]

Hey, old fellow,
well met and all.

Even try to make them laugh.

Have you met my wife,
"Timbuk two"?

[CHUCKLES] Nothing.

Oh, I don't suppose
I should complain, really.

It's not too bad.

TOM: Hello.

Michell!

What in God's name
do you think you were doing?

What's happened to you?

Are you all right?

To be honest, I...

I haven't felt this good
in quite some time.

BUCKLE: So I've asked
the Board of Governors

to raise with the authorities

the question
of Sofía Álvarez's case.

Not strictly an employee,
as I've said before,

but I argued

that she does come under
the general aegis of the college

and as such we might
bend the rules a little.

I personally don't hold out
a great deal of hope,

but they're prepared
to do what they can.

[SIGHS] Oh. Well, good.

Now, on the question
of letting people go,

you or anyone else, that is, um,

on reflection,

I think a change now might be...

too disruptive for the boys.

And on balance, it, um...

Well, it...

might be better
if you would stay.

Hm.

And that extends
to the penguin, too.

TOM: Juan Salvador?

Well, with his assistance,
you've made inroads.

And the boys' results
have improved.

They've gone from disastrous
to slightly below average.

[LAUGHS] Yes,
but the curve is upwards.

My eyes are moist with emotion.

Please, stay with us, Michell.

[SNIFFLES]

BUCKLE: Hear, hear.

[SOFT PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

[INAUDIBLE]

See?

I'm gonna tilt.

MAN: [SINGING]
I never felt magic crazy as this

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

I never saw moons
knew the meaning of the sea

I never held emotion
in the palm of my hand

[ALL SHOUTING]

Or felt sweet breezes
in the top of a tree

But now you're here

Brighten my northern sky

I've been a long time
that I'm waiting

BOYS: Penguin!

I've been a long time
that I'm blown

I've been a long time
that I've wandered

[BOYS CHEER]

Through the people I have known

Oh, if you would and you could

Straighten my new mind's eye

BUCKLE: As we approach
the end of another year,

we salute those
who made their mark in 1976.

And we begin
with the prize for...

In first place, Jorge Calando.

- [APPLAUSE]
- [PLEASANT MUSIC CONTINUING]

In second place, Álvaro Díaz.

And in third place,
Walter Jiménez

from Lower Fourth Remove.

Igor...

Ramiro López
of Lower Fourth Remove

gets the third place prize.

The annual
William Wordsworth Award

for Excellence in English
goes this year to...

Diego Camelia!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

[WHISTLES]

Well, that went rather well.

People asked after you,
you were missed.

We didn't come bottom.

First time in a long time,

Lower Fourth Remove
haven't come last.

So I got a few
pats on the back, too.

And that's due
in no small part to you.

So...

I think you deserve some sprats.

See if you regained
your appetite.

[CRICKETS CHIRPING]

No.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

No.

[SOFT EMOTIONAL MUSIC PLAYING]

What did you go and do that for?

[DOOR OPENS]

[SOFT EMOTIONAL MUSIC
CONTINUING]

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

[TOM GRUNTS]

Do you want me to help you?

[SIGHS]

No.

I, uh, want to do this myself.

Penguins only have one partner.

When they lose their mate,
they never take another one.

They separate
from the other penguins,

and they die.

So if you had not brought

Juan Salvador
home with you, sir,

he would have died anyway.

And the time he spent with us,

this is time
he will not have had.

Thank you.

[WALKING AWAY]

[BELL TOLLING]

TOM: What can we say
about Juan Salvador?

Well, he was quite short,

about two foot tall.

He, uh, couldn't speak.

He smelt quite bad.

And he shat everywhere.

[LAUGHTER]

But then real friendship

is about being able to see

beyond all that
superficial stuff.

Because he... he was my friend.

It must have
been difficult when...

when Juan Salvador
first arrived here.

He must have been thinking,
"Who are these people?"

They're nothing like me.
What am I doing here?

I just want to be left alone.

I don't care about this...
this college

with its overinflated
opinion of itself...

[SOFT EMOTIONAL MUSIC PLAYING]

But then he probably
started to think,

"These people
are all right, actually. Uh..."

They're being quite kind.

Perhaps I'll hang around
and make myself useful.

Maybe I can make a difference.

Especially if they let me
swim in their pool...

[LAUGHTER]

And, uh... That's the thing,
you see.

In life, sometimes...

you have to put the penguin
in the pool.

And I don't just mean
literally, of course,

because it's a... Anyone?

It's a metaphor, sir.

TOM: Correct.

[WHISPERS] Not a very good one.

TOM: I mean, he might not
have been thinking any of that.

The only thing
I'm certain of is...

Juan Salvador is gone

and I'm sad.

But I'm happy that I'm sad.

[SOFT EMOTIONAL MUSIC
CONTINUING]

[CAR DOOR CLOSES]

[CAR DOOR CLOSES]

[GATE OPENS]

[GATE CLOSES]

[MUSIC SWELLS]

[MURMURING]

[BOTH SNIFFLING]

[MARÍA LAUGHS]

[SOFT EMOTIONAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[CROWD CHANTING, CLAPPING]

[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]

[TANGO MUSIC PLAYING]

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[SOFT PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC FADES]