Original subtitles

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Yesterday I went up to the forest to look for yellow mushrooms.

There weren't any. But they were there last year.

Last year was last year. And next year will be next year.

Still there won't be any mushrooms.

Are you coming?

You promised. I am ready.

The bears are gone.

Maybe they have all been killed.

Where would they go? The forest is the same all around.

They are hiding in the mountains.

The sables are also gone. Haven't seen one for a long time.

The fishermen complain too.

Not enough fish in the river.

This land used to feed us,

This land used to feed us, Now everything is gone.

Now you can buy anything you want.

No need to hunt, fish or look for mushrooms.

Why do old people always complain?

LOVE IN THE YEAR OF THE TIGER

Too late. We are closing the office.

- Your papers! - I don't have any.

No entry without documents.

We're closing now. Please come tomorrow.

l came from far, from the mountains, Cheng brought me in his truck.

O.K., let him in. There are still people inside.

What can l do for you?

l want to go to Poland.

l am 91 and l haven't been to Poland yet.

We are here to grant visas for Poland indeed.

ls Poland a beautiful country?

People say so.

ls it worth going to?

We receive several thousand visa applications each year,

even though it is so far.

But Poles used to live in Siberia.

Poles never lived in Siberia.

Not now. 100 years ago.

100 years ago Poland was occupied by Russsia,

and Siberia was one great prison.

The Tzar used to send criminals and political prisoners

to Siberia, among them many Poles

who used to fight for the liberation of their country.

lf you are interested in the history of Poland,

l can offer you a book in Chinese.

l want to go to Poland.

Do you have an invitation, or a tourist agency voucher?

l only have this.

lrene, what are you getting me into?

He's a very old man. He reminds me of my grandfather.

You want me to read this? lt's in Chinese.

l wrote it. l can only write in Chinese.

l read slowly in Chinese.

No problem. l have plenty of time.

lt happened in the year of the tiger,

before l was born.

SlBERlA 1913

The river, Your Excellency.

Keep going! We're close!

Can't you hear?

The river!

Stan! The border!

All the same, l can't...

Look... China...

Tie yourself up to the log!

lf l die... Tell Helen l didn't give up!

They're already on the Chinese side, Your Excellency.

Don't shoot! l am a friend! Don't shoot!

Who is he? Where did you find him?

He fell into my trap.

Why did you take him?

You want to bring death into the house?

Don't you see he's still alive!?

All kinds of animals fall into your trap!

- lt's Fate who put him there. - You'll bring misfortune to the house!

A woman sees misfortune everywhere!

And men are blind!

You're wrong.

A man sees misfortune when it's really happening.

Helen!

Go fetch the shaman.

The Sun goes to sleep in the West. The Rain goes to sleep in the East,

Great sickness go to sleep with the Sun.

Small sikcness go to sleep with the Rain.

Move the table, bring some hot water and ginseng root.

l'll touch his wound.

lf it doesn't bleed,

it means he will die.

Today we are celebrating the Autumn Festival. He won't die.

He's not from here. He's lost too much blood.

He's in my house. Here we are celebrating.

As a Manchurian you don't understand.

Tonight every Chinese woman gives her Husband

a moon-cake to ensure his love.

No moon-cake will help him.

Where did you find him?

The Spirits threw him

into my trap to save him. Otherwise the tiger

would have eaten him alive.

The bullet went in deep.

lf l take it out his blood may poison him.

Then he will die.

Hold him still.

He was shot in the back. lt means he was escaping.

His clothes are still wet. lt means he came by the river.

He was escaping the Russians.

He fell into my trap, l told you.

lf it's a deer, l'd take it home.

Why then shouldn't l take a human being?

Since he was escaping, he could be a bad man.

A carbine bullet, Guo.

The soldiers shot him. lt means he was ecsaping prison.

You want to keep him home?

Maybe you're desperate to get a husband for your daughter?!

Stop talking nonsense!

You're a wise man, shaman, but sometimes you talk nonsense.

Will your dance heel him?

His good spirits have to come back, they were scared away by the shot.

Two things always work together.

But Spirits alone, without medicine wouldn't help either.

He came from the other side of the river.

There's another country over the river. Other people live there.

They speak a different language. You wouldn't understand it.

Why can't people understand each other

even though they live so close?

Heavens wanted it that way.

What do you think you're doing!?

lf old Guo wants a son, he should try to have one,

he's still young!

No need to dress his daughter as a boy!

The fish are small.

Take two.

Don't you have a bigger one?

lt's good fish. You can't have better.

l see you've traded your daughter for a son.

You're right.

Too many girls in the village and not enough boys.

Don't say nonsense!

Go to Wa Kuo's house tonight, he's got 5 daughters

he wants to marry off! You'll have a choice!

l am not sure if you'd live to see your grandchildren!

Too much food won't do you any good!

Only 4 in 3 days.

Sables are running away from here.

And when the animals run away, people should follow.

Enough wandering from one place to another.

Don't say so, Da Ma.

l've built this house... 12 years ago?

You're too old to build a new house.

We'll die here.

We'll die of hunger if the animals keep running away to the mountains.

Ma, old Leng said that father's cut my hair because he wants a son,

and not a daughter.

Old Leng is lying.

Then why has he dressed me up like this?

We have a stranger in the house. He'd be embarassed if he

found out he's living under one roof with a young girl.

But he's very sick!

One day his wound will heel.

Then he will leave. And you'll stay.

Guo!

A big hawk is flying over the village!

l don't care. l don't hunt birds.

But the hawk hunts our hens!

He killed three in 2 days!

Only you can help!

l have no bullets for birds, only for big game.

l pay a lot for these bullets.

Can't waste them on a hawk.

But no one else has a rifle here!

You have to help us!

Make a trap with your fishing nets.

We don't know how to do it.

Only you can help.

Do you think it's easy to shoot down a flying hawk!?

Who are these people!

They're gold diggers.

You shot down the bird?

Excellent shot.

Better have him for a friend!

We are going east. They say the winter will come early.

Still many warm days.

We need some dried fish. We'll pay.

With gold.

l have dried fish.

There's a big commotion along the Russian border.

Many soldiers. They say there'll be a war with Japan again.

Times are dangerous now,

but here all is quiet, huh?

Excellent shot, no doubt about it.

The snow came too early.

We don't have enough food for the winter.

Not enough for us alone.

The snow came too early.

How did l get here?

You brought me?

Don't move. You're wounded.

l don't understand Chinese...

You... wounded... Don't talk.

Eat!

Thank you... for everything...

Stankiewicz... Killed...

Such a brave man...

And you... saved me...

Who... you? You...

Russian?

l'm not Russian.

l'm Polish...

Polish?

We don't know such people.

Polish! Good morning!

You smile, so you will live.

You need a lot of strength to scare the spirits of death away.

You're not afraid of The spirits of death.

Good.

Food.

A house.

A window.

lf one's pissing with such a stream it means one's strenght is coming back!

Are you a child?

Don't laugh! l'll be running soon!

Praise The Lord, His Son and the Holy Spirit...

Bottoms up!

New Year is coming!

The year of the tiger.

A good year!

The year of freedom.

See the footmarks?

The bear woke up. Must be hungry.

Be careful! The bear woke up!

He's hungry, he may come down to the village!

The bear!

One hunter not enough!

You and me!

Me? With you?

Yes. lt takes two. You...go? Polish?

l will. Of course, l'll go.

Good!

lf there are sables... There is money!

What do you need money for? You won't buy anything in the forest!

ln the forest money no need... ln the village money need...

Oh, God, how will l pay you back for saving my life,

for your care and hospitality...

l am a wretch...

l have nothing...

Me not understand you speak too fast!

Me not very well speak!

Shoot! Beautiful fur!

Can't kill tiger! lt's the year of Tiger!

The river... and the sea...

Water! Big water!

Water.

lt's not water, it's paper.

He wants to leave.

He's too weak to go now.

He should wait until Spring.

lt's already Spring.

Nights are still too cold.

Don't stop him, if he wants to go.

l wouldn't let him anyway. Even if he wanted to.

l'm glad you're a good man, Guo, because my life with you is good.

But you're good not only to me, you're good to everyone.

l'm not good to everyone. l'm not a good person.

l don't want this stranger to stay in our house.

He has his home someplace, so he'll go.

But not yet.

Ginseng! That's what we need.

So take it!

Somedy else found it!

Somedy else found it! See the mark?

Can't steal somebody else's root!

Can't behave like this!

The bear!

We need to dance for him!

Then he will come out.

l can't dance!

Can you shoot?

Of course l can shoot! l am an officer!

Good. You shoot, me dance.

One bullet. One bullet.

Need to shoot in the head!

Over there!

Shoot! Shoot!

He who's escaped death like he did, will cherish a long life.

He's all right now. Better take care of my leg.

Give me some hot water.

What are you doing?

You're lucky the bone is not fractured.

You're an old man,

you shouldn't dance like a boy.

Use a cane, walk only on one leg for some time.

Rinse his leg with ginseng

and deer's horn infusion.

Every day?

Until the swelling disappears.

Pour water!

What is it?

From my fiancee. Protects me from all evil.

She had it blessed for me at Czestochowa.

Man, you won't understand it anyway!

Only one?

Good hunter shoots only once.

l have already shot at the bear once!

See the tiger - run away. See the bear - run away.

See the deer - shoot!

One bullet. Bullet costs lot of money.

See? My father's trap!

What are you doing, man! l only had one bullet!

But it was a mother with a child!

So you came!

Greetings!

ls he a Russian?

No, he's from far away. His name is Polish.

Polish is not a name, it's a nationality.

You should be careful with strangers.

Any news?

The Manchurian emperor abdicated.

General Yen Tsy Kai wants to ascend the throne.

The heaven's high, the emperor's far away.

Don't say that. For the Japs Manchuria is a tasty morsel.

They keep sending spies here.

Some of them pretend to be peddlers.

Don't trust the peddlers you don't know.

What if they pay better?

You may go to jail for helping Japanese spies.

No kidding!

This year the market's no good for sable furs.

Each year you say this. Since l've known you.

Maybe, but this time it's true.

Every year l say this, and you reply the same,

And you say this time it's true, then you buy my sables anyway.

So l think even if it's really true, this year you will buy them too.

Make your pick, you're a rich woman now!

- How much? - Ten.

No need to ask, l have no money anyway.

Take this. l'd rather have the revolver.

Gold?

With rubies and diamonds.

Rather feminine, for it belonged to a woman.

But she would trade it for a gun, such are our women!

Add two boxes of bullets.

The gold is fine, more than 200 years old.

The cross Roman, not Russian! Only one box!

l should find a sea-port, get on a ship to Europe.

Stick to the river, the river leads to the sea.

Everybody knows that.

Can you go down the river on a small boat?

Maybe. l don't know. Might be dangerous.

Lots of rocks and falls down the river.

Where exactly are these falls?

Would it be possible to walk by the river side and carry the boat?

l don't know the river, mister.

l go to Harbin through the forest.

Harbin! From there to any Chinese port!

l'd rather avoid Russian towns...

Would you take me with you?

ln the autumn l go to Harbin for the winter.

Now l go west, to Mongolia.

l should leave this Summer, if l'm to get anywhere...

How far to Harbin?

lt takes me one month from here to Harbin.

lf l am still here on your way back,

would you take me to Harbin with you?

There are lots of Poles in Harbin.

ln Harbin more Polish people than Russian or Chinese.

They build railroad and banks.

And where is Guo's daughter? Did she marry and left home?

Guo has no daughter.

He has one son, but he send him to the forest.

Aha. Goodbye, mister.

Sit down.

Ma, why do we live in the forest?

Your father is a hunter, this is where his game is.

But why here, among Manchurians,

if we are Chinese?

Sometimes our own people are worse than strangers.

You're being nosy, you ask too many questions.

l ask questions because you never say anything.

l don't know my grandparents, l don't know if they're still alive,

nor where their graves are!

And yet l didn't come from nowhere!

l remember when father started to build this house, l was 3 years old.

But l don't remember anything before that!

Ma, tell me!

There's nothing to tell.

My parents sold me to a nobleman's house.

Your father was too poor to buy me out, so one night

we had to run away.

Love is a misfortune.

Takes everyone's brains away. Meddles with people's lives.

Could you build a boat?

A boat? Need to ask the fishermen.

They make boats.

Let's go to the fishermen. They will show me how to make a boat.

l have to go.

Can't stay with you forever.

Yes, the fishermen.

This boat's only good for the lake.

Wouldn't hold on the stream of the big river.

See? The sides are not strong enough for the rocks.

The boat no good.

Why not?

Seems fine to me.

You'd need a longer boat for the river,

with narrow but strengthened hull.

l can build it, but it would cost a lot.

How much?

10 sable furs.

10 sables!? Are you mad, Wang Ping!?

He's a poor guy!

Where do you want him to get 10 sable furs?

Where everybody gets them. ln the forest.

ln the forest? He couldn't even shoot a bear!

No, Wang Ping!

You're a greedy man! You don't want his furs! You want my sables!

And l don't have any!

The peddler took them all away!

What is he talking about? What's the matter?

Come on. This man no good.

This man no good.

Don't be afraid.

You don't have to be afraid.

l am the same man as you are, only...

l don't know how to talk to you.

lt's going to rain.

The shadows theatre opens for mommy's birthday!

l am the brave knight Hu! l will save your life!

Please, dear Hu, save me!

My parents sold me to the rich nobleman, but l don't love him.

Don't you worry, pretty girl, in the night we'll sneak away!

We'll go to a faraway country and live there happily ever after!

l am the brave knight Hu!

l'm sorry.

This is your mother's wedding dress!

Neighbour!

Polish! Come!

Now? lt's early! Why now!

You need now!

Now!

Where do we go? To the river?

You need to go!

You want me to go?

lt's not the time to go. Not now.

Now!

You want me to try out the boat, fine.

But it's not yet time to go.

Need to go now!

No need to get excited! l'll go, but not yet!

ln a week, or two.

Yes... yes...

Do you have any documents?

Birth certificate? Anything?

l don't have any papers. l only have this.

My grandfather Guo bought it for me from a fur-peddler.

He's paid 10 sable furs,

so it has to be a precious thing.

He's asked the fur-peddler to inquire about my father in Harbin,

but the war broke out and we've never seen the fur-peddler again.

Wolski. My father's name was Wolski.

Wolski?...

A pretty common name in Poland.

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