Original subtitles

Rachelika.

Querida mía.

My darling.

It's because she's constantly in your arms.

Put her down now. Let her sleep.

She can't fall asleep with this cough.

Let her sniff Arak. Her airways will open.

I want us to get Dr. Sabo.

He won't come on the evening of Shabbat.

If we tell him it's an emergency, he will.

Emergency? What are you talking about again?

Do you know how much he will charge for coming on Shabbat?

If this was Luna coughing, you'd be running to get him.

Enough, Rosa.

She fell asleep.

Lay her down so she can sleep.

It's the third time we don't have meat on the table on Shabbat.

These girls need to grow.

Before I got married, I only ate chicken.

And excuse me, Rosa, before you were an Armoza,

you ate meat from the trash.

-Do you like that, querida? -No.

-I like it. -I wanna eat meat now.

Well, Gavriel? Luna wants meat.

If it wasn't Shabbat, you'd be running to get her a cow.

Look…

Things have been slow at the delicatessen lately.

It's not that we're poor, God forbid, but, you know, we have to be careful.

We will eat plenty of meat in the future, with God's help.

I don't care about the meat.

But Becky needs to see a doctor.

All right, if she's still coughing next week,

we'll get Dr. Sabo.

Hmm.

Well?

Did you tell her?

I started.

I left it to you to tell her about Mordoch.

What about Mordoch?

And what about the automobile you bought?

It arrives on Tuesday.

I have to go to the harbor and release it, pay Customs.

How much?

I have the money.

And where did you get the money?

The loan I took from the bank, I set some of it aside for the customs.

It will be such a surprise for Luna and Rachelika.

Suddenly, Daddy comes home with an automobile.

Would you like to see it? I have a brochure with photos.

I don't want an automobile here.

Ima, it won't stand here. It will be on the street outside.

Did I not make myself clear? I don't want you to have an automobile.

It's not just for me. It's for all of us.

You, Luna, Rachelika, we can go to Tel Aviv, or even Haifa.

The delicatessen is in a terrible situation.

But I've already paid for it. I told you that.

-I took the loan to resolve it. -Listen to me carefully, my son.

Our bank overdraft is growing.

We sell crap like the Arab groceries, just to get some money flowing.

We've cut Matzliach and Lieto's wages.

And then?

Now you're driving an automobile? Think about them.

They'll say you can't afford to pay your workers,

but you bought an automobile from America.

There hasn't been beef in the house for a month.

There's no money to call a doctor for your daughter.

Shh.

When that automobile arrives at the port, you'll sell it and pay back the bank.

Do you understand?

I don't think that we need Dr. Sabo. She's stopped coughing.

Oh, thank God for that.

But have a look at her skin here.

Where?

Ah, that's nothing. Maybe a mosquito bit her, that's all.

Come. Come in.

Shh.

It's okay, querida mía.

My darling.

Did you make sure you weren't followed?

Of course. I know I need to be careful.

Shh. What is it, my love? What?

Sweetheart, what? What?

What is it? Is she sick?

-For a long time now. -Has she seen a doctor?

I didn't bring sofrito this time.

-That's all right. -I brought less money too.

Why?

What happened to you, Rosa?

Times are a little rough.

Have Jerusalem's wealthy stopped buying French chocolate and Turkish kashkaval?

Someone cheated Gavriel.

That crook sold him goods from Lebanon.

Customs seized everything and gave him a huge fine.

They're even saving on a doctor for Becky.

Shh… Sweetheart.

Enough, my sweetheart.

Let me hold her.

-Querida mía. -Shh…

My darling.

Shh, querida, quiet.

Quiet, querida.

Yes.

Shh.

With you, she settles down.

Shh…

Who is the person that cheated Gavriel?

Some guy named Mordoch.

Mordoch the Kurd?

-Yes. -And Gavriel did business with that thief?

Your husband has no brain or what?

What did he do to him for screwing him over like that?

He did nothing to him.

What a stupid, spineless coward.

A real man, when he's screwed over by someone,

he screws them right back, or he'll get screwed over again.

Right, querida? You can learn it from me now.

A Jew does not screw over another Jew.

Look at her.

She's smiling. She understood me.

Shh…

Ephraim…

-Hmm? -Look at me.

Promise me you aren't going to do anything.

-What could I do? -Promise me, Ephraim.

I promise.

What are you selling?

Good things.

Martinique chocolate?

Arak Zachlawi from Lebanon?

It's really hard to get this.

Very hard, if you even manage.

But the price is good.

Take two, it'll be almost free.

I'll think about it.

-Wait! What are you doing?! -Slippery.

You have to pay for that!

Here's my first payment!

Why? Why?!

-Why? -Tell me.

I'll tell you why, Mordoch.

Because Jews don't screw over Jews.

If you were British or an Arab…

you'd be dead a long time ago.

But we are Jews. We are all brothers.

I left you one knee in case you tell anybody what happened here.

Are you familiar with that gentleman, Mr. Armoza?

-Ay, Dios santo. -It's Mordoch.

Keeps mumbling the same words.

"A Jew doesn't screw over another Jew."

Who did this to him?

They also broke quite a few bones in his body.

Rumor has it…

that the two of you had a disagreement.

Well, uh…

Yes, uh…

He sold me some smuggled merchandise, but…

I… I had a trial, I paid the fine.

I would call it a motive.

So… Wait. You think I did this?

You think he did it?

I'm not saying that you did it yourself.

-Perhaps you paid people to do it for you. -No, no, no.

I don't deal with people like this.

You know what, Mr. Armoza?

I believe you.

What about him?

Do you know him?

Yes.

This is my brother-in-law.

He is a radical nationalist.

A terrorist, wanted for murder.

The thugs who beat up Mordoch didn't rob him.

They didn't take his money or the merchandise he had.

Sir…

I promise you…

I do not know who hates who more:

me, my brother-in-law, or my brother-in-law, me.

And you?

Do you hate Ephraim Siton as well?

He's my brother.

Of course.

Does he come here to visit on occasion?

Not for a very long time.

I looked into it.

Other than this household, Siton is the only other family you have.

If he doesn't come here…

then surely you meet…

other places, perhaps?

Mrs. Armoza?

-No. -Hmm.

The punishment for association with a terrorist…

is life imprisonment.

Have a pleasant evening.

Sir.

Did you tell Ephraim about what happened to me with Mordoch?

-No. -I don't believe you!

You met with your murderer brother behind my back.

I know you did. And now what?

Now you're lying to my face, without scruples.

TRAVEL AGENT, FORM COMPLETION, SWORN AFFIDAVITS, TRANSLATION

TRAVEL AGENT, FORM COMPLETION, SWORN AFFIDAVITS, TRANSLATION

-There you go, sir. -Thank you, Bashar.

-There you go, sir. -Thank you, Bashar.

What automobile would you like to acquire?

Not acquire… To sell.

Oh, I didn't know you had an automobile.

I don't.

I mean… I do, in Customs.

I imported it from America.

A brand-new General Motors.

An original.

Aye, yai, yai, yai, yai.

Uh…

Would you like me to start with the bad news,

the good news, or perhaps the very good news?

Uh… Start with the bad.

The bad news is that there are no buyers at all.

The market's dead.

Then the good news is that I won't charge you commission.

What commission are you talking about? You said there are no buyers.

Which leads me to the very good news,

which is that I have a buyer for you who's exceptional.

Who is it?

You're looking at him, you fool.

You?

Why not?

God has sent me a lot of business, bless Him.

I can also live a little, as they say, and then help a friend in the process.

All right, all right.

Thank you, really, uh, Avram.

I don't…

Thanks a lot. I don't know how to thank you.

So, we're talking about a new General Motors automobile,

sitting and waiting at Customs for me.

Avram, it's…

It's a beautiful automobile.

You just have to drive to the harbor, pay the tax, and you're good.

You'll drive back to Jerusalem in an original General Motors.

How much did you pay for it?

Four hundred and ninety-five dollars. Customs is another 135 dollars.

One hundred thirty-five dollars for customs?

Those thieves, damn them.

Total is 630 dollars.

That's if you take it, because it's registered to you.

If I take it, it's second hand, and the price is much lower.

-By how much? -Lower, lower.

Lower.

Here's what we'll do.

I'll go to Customs tomorrow, pay the 135 dollars,

and release the automobile.

And what about me?

To you, I will give…

…225 dollars.

All right. And the 200 left?

There's nothing left.

Two hundred twenty-five dollars, that's all.

But how? How? I told you, I paid 495 dollars for it.

And I have to pay for customs, and I'm not even charging you commission!

Avram, Avram, raise it a little.

Raise it. Raise it. Raise it a little. I'm losing too much money.

Two hundred twenty-five dollars, cash money in hand.

You won't see another cent.

I'm not pressuring you at all.

You take your time and think for a week or two.

Just so you know, at that time, Customs will slaughter you.

All right. All right.

Congratulations, my friend.

It's a beautiful automobile, Avram. A beautiful automobile, I swear.

You really… You're going to enjoy it.

Keep the picture, so you have a souvenir.

What an automobile it was. What an automobile.

And who gets it? Avram.

A brand-new General Motors, an original.

But maybe if you'd waited a little longer, you'd have gotten a better price.

Ah, yeah.

Maybe.

Did you pay back the bank?

I did… There's still debt.

Two years, monthly payments.

She can't stop crying.

Thank goodness.

Thank goodness.

She stopped.

Remember the rash Becky had?

-So? -It grew. It's not a mosquito. Come.

Maybe it's eczema.

Maybe it hurts and that's why she's crying?

Tomorrow, we'll look in daylight.

-If it hasn't gone, we'll go to Jilda. -Not Jilda! Dr. Sabo!

Rachelika had eczema when she was a baby, and it didn't look like that.

Are you sure it's eczema?

You should pray for her that it is.

If not eczema, what is it?

Is there any shortage of illnesses?

I wanna call in Dr. Sabo.

You can go home, Ima.

With so little work, one person is enough.

What will I do at home?

Hear the baby crying and fight with your wife?

I'm better off here. You can go if you like.

What the heck for?

Hear the baby crying, fight with my wife?

Excuse me. You still make kidney pies here, right?

Make what?

You know, the kidney pie.

Oh, that thing Rosa made that stank up the whole house. My God.

I'm sorry, but, uh… we don't sell this anymore.

But I'd like to place a large order.

See, we're having a party at the clubhouse tomorrow.

I'd like to buy 80 servings of kidney pie.

Eighty?

-That's a bit short notice. -A bit what now?

Oh, don't be crazy. It'll be all right. Okay.

-Wait, Ima. -Okay.

-Brilliant. -You come. Come.

You come. Good.

Um. Do you make any other things? Uh, perhaps, black pudding?

Pudding? Yes. It's the sweet dessert they like.

-Yes, pudding. Okay, okay. -Also 80 servings of pudding for dessert.

For dessert, puddings--

-Ima, where will we get all that? -Okay. Write it down. Write it down.

Write it down. You're so slow. Forget it.

Don't overthink it.

-Right. -Right. Uh…

-You, uh, write it all. You write. -Okay.

-Okay. -You want, you write.

Okay.

Put it down.

What's that?

Do you remember you sold pies made of kidneys

and sold them at the delicatessen?

An Englishman asked for 80 servings for tomorrow.

-Eighty servings? -Yes, and he also said, um…

-Read what it says. -Black pudding.

For dessert. Also 80 servings.

Black pudding is a sausage.

What sausage? He said dessert. He did, right?

He did, but he also wrote down, "pudding for dessert."

There's pudding for dessert and there's black pudding.

It's a sausage made of blood. That's what the British call it.

-Oh, so did you know this? -Yes.

I also bought blood.

-God help us. -Do you know how to make it?

Mercada, it's blood.

Do you know how or not?

I guess, yeah. I've seen their wives do it.

Bravo. So make 80 units of one and 80 of the other.

Mercada, it's blood. It's forbidden.

We're not going to eat it. We'll sell it at the delicatessen.

God sent us that damned Brit just before we shut down the delicatessen.

There's no work.

You want a doctor for the little one?

Yes or no?

Maybe I'll make it outside.

Are you crazy? Of course not.

You want the whole neighborhood to smell the smell of that shit with the blood?

We are selling it, Gavriel.

The ones who will eat it are the British, may the devil take them.

-Mercada. -Huh?

There's a stench coming from your place. Check whether a cat has died in your yard.

All the cats here are alive, Victoria. They choose your house to die.

Ugh…

Whatever I do, the whole place still stinks.

-Is this the last one? -That's it.

I hope it fits into the automobile.

It's completely full. Thanks.

It'll fit. It'll fit.

All right. Thank you very much.

Thank you! Very, very thank you.

For his information, tomorrow and from now on,

we'll be making kidney pies

and all those things he and his friends like to eat.

-Right, Gavriel? -We are always here for you.

Thank you.

It's been a pleasure.

Shh, shh, shh…

Shh…

Querida mía, what is it? What is it?

Arak?

How was the shop today?

Uh… Slow.

Very slow.

Like every day recently.

Didn't-- Didn't that thing you did help? What did you call it?

-Uh… Sale. -Sale.

When you sell five ounces of pistachios for the price of three, it didn't help?

I'm selling seven ounces for the price of three.

-That's a loss for us. -What can I do?

We need some cash, something to put in the bank.

Look.

Hmm… Oh…

Oh, yes, all right. But she's asleep. It doesn't bother her.

She has it on her back too.

Give her to me.

-What for, Mercada? -What do you mean "what for"?

Give her to me.

Gavriel…

put some Arak here.

What's that for?

Well, I'm going to put a few drops into her mouth.

-She'll sleep until morning. -She's a baby. She can't drink Arak.

How old do you think Gavriel was when he had wine for the first time?

He was eight days old.

And trust me, what they did to him then was much more painful than what Becky has.

She's getting the best Arak there is.

It's the last bottle from Lebanon, maybe in the whole country.

I brought it from the store, for myself.

Give me some more. I want to put some on her leg.

Is it possible that I'm smelling Arak on her?

Yes.

-Why? Is that a problem? -Who gave her Arak?

She did.

Just because she was coughing, and it helped her.

And also, I only let her sniff it.

-And drink it too. -Next time, don't ask for my help.

Okay, all right. Wait, Doctor. Okay.

What, um…

What does this have to do with what she has?

Um… Arak is made from a plant called anise.

And some people are allergic to it.

But what does that mean?

Her body can't tolerate anise.

Yes, but she had it before I gave it to her.

And the Arak exacerbated it.

As she is a baby, it could be dangerous.

What could happen?

If, God forbid, the, uh…

allergy should get to the inside of the throat, it… it could swell.

And she will have trouble breathing, and--

And what do we do if that happens to her?

Uh…

We'll pray that doesn't happen, all right?

Uh…

I'll write a prescription for a cream. You can get it at any pharmacy.

Apply it to her skin, on the eczema, three times a day.

And most importantly, don't let her get near Arak.

She… She can't even smell it, all right?

Rosa!

What are you doing?

Didn't you hear what the doctor said?

The Lebanese… The last bottle. I brought it from the store, for me!

Throw this away.

Far from home.

Que pasa, querida?

What's wrong, sweetheart?

Shh…

Gavriel!

Gavriel!

Come look! It's all over her face and her body!

She can barely breathe. I don't know what to do!

Shh, shh, shh…

Now she's calm.

But when it itches, she suffers, she screams and cries.

The evil eye.

-What? -Someone's given her the evil eye.

A very strong one.

A strong evil eye?

Your daughter could be dying.

It's just talk. It's just talk.

Who?

-Tell me. Who gave it to her? -Sit.

Sit.

Rebecca, daughter of…

Rebecca, daughter of…

-Rosa. -Rosa.

Help her, please. Help her.

Hmm…

Is it yours, the eye?

Mine?

No, no, of course not.

Ima, what's wrong?

-What are you doing? -Hang on. Don't move.

-It stings! -Don't move.

You've got some blood. Wait.

Hold on. Hold on.

Only she can stop it.

-She must stop lying. -Stay still!

-She's lying. -What are you doing? Stop it!

-It's a lie! -Stop this. It won't stop!

Please, make it stop! Please!

-I am not lying! -It won't stop! Do something!

I am not lying!

-Stop the bleeding! It won't stop! -Tell her to stop it! I'm not lying!

All right, fine!

Fine, it was me!

I gave her the evil eye! It was me!

It's stopped.

GENEROUSLY DONATED BY SHLOMO AND SARA AHARONOV

GENEROUSLY DONATED BY SHLOMO AND SARA AHARONOV

I did it for you, Rosa.

I know it wasn't your fault, that you…

that you didn't want it, but that Arab, damn him…

-No, no, no, no. -What do you want?

We should leave it so she can raise that thing?

-The bastard Arab-- -Enough!

You also…

-You also wanted to get rid of it. -I did?

-Stop! You wanted it! You! You! -We are the Armozas!

We're an honorable family!

Everyone in Jerusalem knows who the Armozas are!

This is honor?

What have you done, Mercada?

What have you done?

Just tell them.

I told them already!

Sometimes half an atonement is almost like none at all.

Tell them the whole story.

Hmm?

I came here and asked Jilda to kill her.

I didn't know that, I swear.

You will leave now.

You…

start fasting.

Starve your body.

Go to the mikveh every day.

Read Psalms.

You take her clothes off now.

What is that?

A cow's intestines.

It's just been slaughtered.

What will you do with that?

In a cow's stomach, there are good germs.

-Amen. -Amen.

Shh…

-Amen, Amen, Amen. -Amen, Amen, Amen.

Ima? What's that? What are you doing?

Jilda said that… I must torture my body.

No way. What are you doing? You'll catch a cold!

No, it's all right. It's good. I have to suffer. Come help me.

-There is water in the kitchen. -No, no, I need cold water, cold water.

-Of course not. -I have to suffer.

-Get into the house now, Ima. -Pour some water on me.

No way, Ima. No.

Pour it over me, Gavriel. Do it or I will stay here all night.

I swear, I swear, I'll take off my nightgown.

-Get into the house now! -Pour, Gavriel! Just pour!

Pour now!

A song of praise. I shall raise my eyes to the mountains.

A song of praise. I shall raise my eyes to the mountains.

From where shall my salvation come?

From where shall my salvation come?

From God…

From God…

What?

-What's that? -What?

What is it?

Uh… No, it doesn't matter.

From where shall my salvation come?

From where shall my salvation come?

My salvation comes from God, creator of the land and the sky.

My salvation comes from God, creator of the land and the sky.

A song of praise. I shall raise my eyes to the mountains.

A song of praise. I shall raise my eyes to the mountains.

From where shall my salvation come?

From where shall my salvation come?

My salvation comes from God, creator of the land and the sky…

My salvation comes from God, creator of the land and the sky…

Here, Ima, drink.

I'm fasting.

-It's tea! -I'm fasting!

May it please you, God our Lord, and our ancestors' Lord,

May it please you, God our Lord, and our ancestors' Lord,

send health to Rebecca, daughter of Rosa.

send health to Rebecca, daughter of Rosa.

Querida hijita mía.

My darling little daughter.

Are you healthy already, my love?

It's all gone!

She's healthy.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you so much.

Amen, amen, amen, amen.

Send complete health to the ailing in the world.

Send complete health to the ailing in the world.

May it please you, God our Lord, and our ancestors' Lord…

May it please you, God our Lord, and our ancestors' Lord…

-Blessed be His name. -Amen.

-Blessed be His name. -Amen.

God help me.

Gavriel.

Gavriel!

What's this?

My God. What is this thing?

Gavriel!

Gavriel!

Gavriel!