Original subtitles

THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION INSPIRED BY REAL EVENTS.

1 DAY AFTER THE MASSACRE

Nidia?

Cristina?

FUGUE STATE 1986

You're having a little difficulty

when it comes to conjugating verbs in the past tense.

Nothing serious.

- Nothing that can't be solved... - Hello?

- ...with these exercises. - Yes.

What do you mean, she fell again? Why did you let her go out on her own?

My grandmother again.

No, I'll get a taxi and come over now. Thanks.

Sorry, Jeremías. We have to go.

"We"?

Of course, honey. You can't stay here alone.

He can look after me.

Right?

Doña Nidia, I can stay with her, if you like.

We could use the time to keep working.

Then you can focus on helping your mother.

- You really don't mind? - No, not at all.

But whatever you prefer. It's up to you.

- I won't be long. - Perfect.

Be good.

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

Well, was it really bad?

I wrote down the lyrics,

but I'm not sure if I understood them properly.

I can't even tell if it's about love or hate.

Is this for a presentation at school?

No.

It's to dedicate it to my crush.

What songs have you had dedicated to you?

I don't know if you knew,

but canaries can live up to three years longer in captivity

than they do in the wild.

What will I say to Bertica's niece when she comes to pick them up?

That one was unlucky.

Hello?

Hello?

Who the hell is this?

Hello. Sorry. I can't hear you very well.

I'm trying to reach Mr. Rodrigo Azuero.

Hello?

He left the country two years ago. I don't have his contact details.

Are you sure it was these guys who took my dad?

Absolutely.

My contacts are serious people.

If the authorities know what happened, why didn't they do anything?

Because they were government agents.

So they get off scot-free?

Not necessarily.

The problem is that ordinary people often lack imagination.

There are ways to make sure someone gets what they deserve.

- Hello? - Hello, good afternoon.

I'm trying to reach Mr. Jorge Ocampo.

Speaking.

Can I help...

My father died in violent circumstances when I was seven years old.

He, too, was an innocent victim.

For me,

it has helped me a lot to know

that the person responsible for his death leads a miserable life.

Taking justice into one's own hands is such a personal matter.

Usually,

torturers,

serial killers,

and psychopaths

are very ordinary people.

They work. They pay their taxes.

They have families, children, debts,

wives they no longer talk to.

Normal.

They're normal people.

Aren't you at least curious to know who they are?

Dad!

Where did you get this?

Are you sure these are the people who took your dad?

No.

Do you want to go down this path?

Why?

Isn't it better to focus on helping your dad now?

Well, yeah, obviously.

- But what if it was these assholes? - Exactly.

If it was, what then?

What will you do? Take them to court? With what proof?

Or do you want to confront them? Do you want to kill them? Get revenge?

Do you want to make your dad relive that nightmare?

Come on, Elen. Obviously not. Calm down.

León, remember.

The Hanged Man. The Devil.

An invitation for a voyage into the abyss. Don't take that route.

Those who look back risk being turned into a pillar of salt.

6 DAYS AFTER THE MASSACRE

Why did he do it?

- I don't know. - You must know.

You were friends. You came to the restaurant together.

His hand didn't shake. He didn't miss a single shot.

Why didn't he kill me?

Look, Diego.

I don't have answers right now.

I only have questions, okay?

And I need you to help me.

Was I at the restaurant on the day of the massacre?

- Don't be an idiot. - No, wait.

Wait, Diego, please. Okay? Help me. I honestly can't remember.

- You really don't remember? - Really.

Yes.

You were in the restaurant that day.

You sat at Jeremías's usual table.

You ordered food.

You were waiting for a while. I guess you got tired of waiting and left.

How did he seem to you?

Same as always.

The only thing is that he used to always order the same food...

but that day, he asked for the menu.

He had several drinks. Three or four.

Vodka.

I always thought he was a nice guy.

And then, all that confusion.

Just gunshots. Then the police arrived, the army.

People were talking in English.

- In English? - I don't know!

I don't know. It sounded like it.

The thing I can't stop thinking about

is the amount of people he killed.

Why did he kill them like that? Why? In cold blood.

Did you know no one has claimed his body?

He deserves that. Scum of the earth.

And you know what?

- Don't come looking for me again. - Wait, Diego.

One more question. Did he commit suicide, or was he killed?

Eat shit.

I don't know. I was thinking that maybe

you could come here next week, to my house.

I can make us a nice lunch.

We can celebrate your birthday.

No, I don't think I can.

Dad and I are going to Guatavita for a few days.

Right.

Never mind. When you're back, then.

Yeah.

Listen, Mom,

I have to go, okay?

All right, my love.

A hug from me.

That smells good.

Here. As promised.

That's all I have, before you ask. I don't have any updates on the case.

Thanks. It smells good.

What is it?

What?

Rumors.

I know you. You're hiding something. What is it?

I'm hearing that the police,

on the day of the massacre,

had help from reinforcements.

Gringos.

Gringos?

Jeremías Salgado was a US citizen.

Then we're dealing with a US army veteran.

It's not like he was, I don't know, a cultural attaché.

If the gringos are involved in this,

it complicates things.

This is much bigger than we thought, and we're heading for trouble.

So let's stop,

and let's stop now.

Mario, brother,

this

is going to change our lives.

Of course.

That's what I'm afraid of.

You ruined breakfast.

Someone took the body? Who?

I really can't say, Indira.

Vesga, don't be a jerk.

Don't make me go elsewhere to find out.

Indirita,

let me take you for a drink after work, and I'll think about

telling you everything.

For that, I can tell you it wasn't a relative.

And for this one,

I can assure you I won't tell anyone that you're here asking questions.

Indira, wait.

Pedraza, give me a form for this gentleman.

- Here's the form and a pen. - No, I don't need a form.

I wanted to know if the body... of my friend has been collected yet.

So you're not a relative of the deceased?

That makes things more complicated.

Sir, how much longer do we have to wait?

Why won't you release them? What else do you need to do?

Someone will be here shortly to talk you through the next steps, okay?

Be patient, sir. Everyone, please be patient.

And stay in line, as I said.

Form a line. Thank you.

Stay calm.

Buddy, I'll see what I can do.

Name of the deceased?

- Name of the deceased? - It's...

Buddy, without the name--

Sorry, man.

Don't even think about it.

These are all relatives of the victims. Want to get lynched?

Next.

I have the information you're looking for.

Do you know who that was?

The husband of Nidia Castro.

Forty-five years old.

Fifteen stab wounds.

He also killed their daughter, 16.

Did he mention them?

Yes, she was his student.

Jeremías liked teaching.

He left quite the lesson, didn't he?

Someone beat you to it and collected your friend's body.

Father Parra.

Argimiro Parra.

A priest?

- Do you know where they took it? - Yes.

If you want to know, come with me.

On the way, you can tell me why the hell you were after that body.

The body of someone who died violently tells you a lot about the killer.

Where did you hear that?

Jeremías?

Seriously?

I just saved your skin, and you still don't trust me?

Are you kidding?

In life, we have to learn to choose our enemies.

And our friends too.

Evidently, you're doing both things badly.

84 DAYS BEFORE THE MASSACRE

What a racket, huh?

Would you like some coffee?

Thanks.

Nidia told me you looked after Cristina.

She was very grateful.

Yes. She's a very good student.

She says you're a good teacher.

Maybe once you graduate,

they'll give you a job at the university,

in the modern languages department.

You know this is temporary.

When they call me, I'm leaving.

I didn't come back to Colombia to stay in this godforsaken place.

You can't keep your life on pause forever.

It's part of the military training.

A soldier knows how to wait.

I'd like you to stay.

To build a life, to find a wife.

To have a family.

Look at that.

I didn't know family was so important to you.

If only you'd taken better care of yours.

Egaeus, the protagonist of Berenice,

suffers from a very unusual condition.

An obsessive disorder where a person becomes fixated on a single thing.

In the 19th century, they called this "monomania."

This kind of mental disturbance

ultimately overwhelms reason,

feelings of affection, and willpower.

Teresa!

Teresa!

Salgado, do you have a moment?

Where's your friend León?

I don't know, professor.

It's not like him to miss my class.

I don't know.

When you next see him,

tell him he was marked absent.

- I will. - Thank you.

Oh, Salgado,

I forgot to tell you.

I very much enjoyed your essay about Ligeia.

Thank you.

And it's quite similar to León's, isn't it?

I can assure you we didn't work together.

Yes, of course. Relax. I know.

I know León well.

But you can't deny that the two of you agree on a lot of things, right?

I wonder who's influencing who.

I have to go, professor.

- Yes, all right. - Excuse me.

Thank you.

Hi.

Why weren't you in class?

I was busy.

Here, take this.

Have a seat, please.

Where are the bookshelves?

- I don't have any. - These are all your books?

The ones I have left.

The ones I've managed to get back so far. It's a long story.

I see you're still thinking about this.

Azuero lives abroad, and Ocampo has a daughter.

Seems like he's a good dad.

At least you did the assignment.

- Was it an assignment? - You owed it to yourself.

Isn't that what you said?

So what's the purpose of following them?

As you get to know them, the mission will become clear.

Actually, I think I should stop.

Yeah.

There's something I don't like about it.

I'm starting to imagine things.

That's a writer's raw material.

A serious artist isn't afraid of their fantasies.

Pushing your imagination to its limits isn't a bad thing.

There's nothing wrong with that. Look at Edgar Allan Poe.

Can you imagine Edgar Allan Poe feeling ashamed of his obsessions?

It doesn't make sense.

Why are you here?

As I said,

Vidal wanted to know why you weren't in class.

- Was it good? - Yes.

Look.

Actually,

I made copies of my notes for you.

There you go.

Thanks. That's helpful.

Want to grab a bite to eat? It's on me.

No, I can't.

Elena's grandma just got back from France, and they invited me to a party.

You should come along.

Me?

Yes, you.

No, I can't just

show up,

out of the blue, without being invited.

Of course you're invited. You're my friend.

They always let me bring friends.

Come on.

- No. - Come on!

No, I'd be embarrassed.

Don't worry.

My dear!

Jeremías. Jeremías, Aura.

Interesting.

So does this mean we're good now? Have you forgiven me?

It means I came to see if you're worth forgiving.

So are you looking for a girlfriend?

Yes, a girlfriend.

- Girlfriend. - Yes.

So your ideal woman, what's she like, more or less?

I don't know. She's a woman.

A normal woman.

Here. Thank you.

Drink this, okay?

- Okay. - Cheers.

You see the girl playing the music?

- That's my best friend, Elena. - Let's see.

Can one really be friends with women?

If we should be friends with anyone in this life, it's women.

Do you not get much action, then?

Sometimes.

- How many languages do you speak? Three? - Five.

Five languages? Imagine where that could get you.

Yeah, but you know what?

Women aren't attracted to intellect.

Above all, they're attracted to a sense of humor.

And I'm lacking in that department.

Well, yeah, but...

What's the most obscure language you speak?

Vietnamese?

Vietnamese. There you go.

Do you know how funny a joke must sound in Vietnamese?

You tell a girl a joke. She doesn't understand. You both laugh.

How are you two? How's it going?

Good.

Do you two know each other? Elena, Jeremías.

Yes, I've seen you around.

Jeremías.

Elena.

Want a joint?

Joint?

- No. - Sure?

- Yes. - You're sure? Okay. I'll be back.

That guy is weird.

- No. - Yes.

No. Give him a chance. Look, he's trying.

I don't like him.

I talk to him, and he doesn't even make eye contact.

He's probably intimidated by you, looking so pretty.

Everyone's intimidated by you.

Want something stronger?

- My grandma brought absinthe from France. - Oui.

To us.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

No, you don't down it. It's really strong. Sorry!

I should have warned you. Are you okay?

- Are you okay? - I'm fine.

- Want some water? - It went...

- I'm sorry. Are you okay? - I'm fine now.

My grandma did a tarot reading for me today.

Really? What did she say?

That you and I are soulmates.

But we're meant for friendship, not love.

No. Did Aura really say that?

Tell her she's such a party pooper.

- Will you promise me one thing? - What?

Promise me you won't do anything stupid.

León, please, let the dead rest in peace.

They're not dead, Elena. That's the problem.

Sorry to interrupt.

I brought you a gift from Paris. I want to give it to you before you go.

- For me? Another gift? Seriously? - Yes. Come on.

- I'm going with her. I'm very curious. - Sorry. I'll bring him straight back.

I'll be right back.

I had two goals.

To get you the book you wanted, and to make you learn French.

- It's in French? - Yes, it is.

Having fun?

Do you have a light?

No.

- No? - I don't smoke.

You don't smoke?

Good call.

This is number 1,341.

When I get to 3,000, I'm going to quit.

I promised my spiritual advisor.

Vices are the path

to liberation.

Cheers.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

Who did you come with?

- With León. - León?

León... Ah, León!

- Right. - Over there. León.

Right.

Want to dance?

No, I...

I can't.

You can't dance?

- Want some? - No, I...

A double for me.

At 40, I'm going to give up sex too.

Not yet, though, because

the physical body has to make a journey to the depths of the matrix.

Exhaust all its erotic resources

until it's empty.

And then afterward,

feel nothing.

But first...

first, we have to feel.

Feel.

Feel...

pain,

pleasure,

love.

But then afterward,

feel nothing.

What do you think?

What's wrong with you, man?

Idiot.

León!

- Hey, Camilo? - Camilo.

- Camilo. - Camilo.

Give him some space.

Why so gloomy?

Come on. I'll make you feel better.

How much?

Let's talk inside.

Wait.

Playing hard to get?

Go take a shower.

Do I smell that bad, baby?

Take a shower.

Whatever you say, captain.

Breathe.

Breathe, León. You'll recenter yourself. We're here.

Should we call a doctor?

He's on a very difficult journey. Only he can bring himself back.

We have to trust that he will.

Let's let him rest for a while.

Come on, my dear. Okay?

I'll stay with him.

Okay.

Breathe, León.

Let me know if you need anything.

Relax, baby.

There.

Wait.

Let me help you.

Relax. That's it.

Enough.

Oh, baby, this isn't my fault.

Mr. Hyde is on the loose.

Get out.

Get out.

6 DAYS AFTER THE MASSACRE

What?

You never know.

God doesn't exist, in case you hadn't heard.

Look. Make the most of it,

if, by any chance, you have something to confess.

Where was God on the day of the massacre?

For a religion where sacrifice is so important,

very few people are willing to sacrifice themselves for others.

We prefer suffering to sacrifice.

I don't see the difference.

Our suffering is self-inflicted. It's narcissistic.

So that we feel like we're paying for our sins.

Sacrifice is different. It's for someone else.

Do you think your friend deserves forgiveness?

Ask the guy on the cross.

Father.

Sorry, I've finished confessions.

No, don't worry. That's not why we're here.

Tell me about Father Argimiro Parra.

Argimiro Parra?

That priest isn't part of this community.

Are you sure?

That's odd. We were told he worked at this church.

And also that he went to collect the body of... of a...

Parishioner.

A parishioner.

No, in this church, no other priest apart from me

has officiated in the last five years.

I'm sorry I can't help you.

Go with God.

I have a friend in the police.

He can help us find out about Father Parra.

I'm not interested in talking to the police.

At this point, he's the best source we have.

Oh, really? Then why don't you tell me the truth?

What do you want?

To get my job back.

Let me give you a ride. Where are you going?

- Are you sure? - Yes. Come on.

- A call from-- - Calm down, ma'am.

Tell us what happened.

This was about an hour ago.

I don't know, but it was just horrible.

Him!

That bastard is responsible for everything.

That's him! Arrest him!

Subtitle translation by: Rob Bell