Original subtitles

ACROSS THE BLUE SEA

Nobody comes back.

Nobody ever comes back.

Here you are, little Frane.

I didn't think 12-year-old me would ever return.

That nobody couldn't return to no one.

Still, I knew you'd come.

How did you know, Mr. Frane?

Because old Lukre died.

She always stood by the window, looking out for sails in the distance.

And when I came back, she didn't make a move,

because it supposedly wasn't me any more.

She said she was waiting for that 12-year-old kid.

That little kid.

You!

Are you sure that she died?

Everyone here died.

There is no one here now, and there won't be anyone evermore.

Everything went down the drain.

The roof, the kitchen, and her rooms...

Even if she were alive, she couldn't stand by the window

because the floor's collapsed too.

I feel relief now... that everyone's dead.

She said to me and everyone else

what should not be said to a child.

She said I killed Mother.

My mother.

How can a child know that it is killing someone by playing...

I just wanted to play... I wanted to swim...

I remember...

Now that you're back,

I remember everything...

Frane!

I'm here, Mom.

Have you eaten what I left out for you?

Yes, Mother.

Now have a drink.

So you won't get thirsty from the sardines.

Frane!

Huh?

Did you have a drink?

Yes.

Fine. God bless you, Son.

Where are you going, Frane?

I'm going swimming.

You could stay at home today...

I can't. Tonci is waiting for me.

Do not make me wait for you. Your meal is going to get cold.

- Come back to me, Frane. - I'll be back soon.

I'll jump in the sea only once.

Frane.

I hear ya.

Tell the doctor to give me some medicine.

- I'm in pain. - I will, Mother.

- Hi there. - Hey.

Doctor Lujo Tonkovic From 10h to 12h

Hey.

Emperor's children!

There he is! Catch him! C'mon!

C'mon!

There he is! Catch him!

- Where is he? - We can't find him.

- Who knows where he is... - He's here!

Grgur Ninski screwed your momma!

Where is he?

There he is!

C'mon!

Hey!

- Hey Frane. - Hey. - Hey!

Frane, there you are.

Here you are.

Guys! Let's go for a swim!

Let's go! C'mon!

Say, Shorty, where's your nose?

Little Frane!

Say...

What are you doing to that poor sphinx?

Nothing, Mr. Doctor.

I went swimming.

Swimming... You do know that your mother is ill?

I know.

Do you know she's really ill?

Yes, she told me to ask you to send her medicine.

So you came to a cafe to ask for it...

No.

I was at your place, but then went to run around a little.

- And I lost track of time... - Frane, Frane...

Go, just go...

Hey!

Hey!

I've been waiting for you. I didn't want to jump before you came.

C'mon.

C'mon.

C'mon! C'mon!

Signorina, is it raining?

I'm the rain.

I am the rain...

It must be cold by now.

No, Mother, it's fine!

Frane, Son...

Go to the doctor. He needs to send me my medicine.

It hurts. It hurts a lot.

I'm going.

- But eat first. - No, I'll go get your medicine first!

Mother...

My mother...

Calm down... Come now, Frane.

For three days, I searched for her.

I listened at night how she

snores in the caves...

But I couldn't find her.

I was left without water or bread.

I didn't sleep for two nights.

Then I collapsed like a dead man and passed out.

Then she came...

Maybe I was snoring in my sleep.

Monk seals snore too, so she came to a man.

Maybe she wanted to be a human.

She came to lie beside me.

She came to lie down, like a woman... or a mother, God forgive me.

I told...

Told...

It was after the war...

How much did killing still mean, after the war?

After the war, what was there to killing one seal monk?

Before that...

When I was you.

I didn't kill her...

I wanted to kill her, but I didn't.

Whether old Lukre said it or not,

I couldn't do it while I was a kid.

Yes. I saw my mother, how she waves in the sea.

I have dreamed of that.

Dreamed or not dreamed, it's all the same.

I remember it well.

I saw her.

That's why I couldn't kill the seal monk.

She seemed to me like a mother.

Seal monk.

Is she a devil?

She has eaten, but we are forbidden to?

But why?

She has a devil in her.

She enters the fishing net, eats as much as she wants,

and then bites it through.

She could get out through the bottom.

But she bites through the fishing net,

forces out all the fish,

and then gets out herself.

Do you know that by night, when the moon is out,

she eats grapes in the vineyard?

How does she not die?

Why would she die?

When did anyone ever die from grapes?

If I...

If I went underwater, I would drown.

Same as fish.

When she comes up here, she also drowns.

Don't be afraid for her. She won't drown, up here or down there.

Is she a fish or a girl?

She is half fish, half girl.

Did you know she can sing?

When there is a sea storm, she sings from a cave.

But you don't listen to her, you stay your course.

Otherwise, your boat will end up in a sea cave.

And she will take you down with her.

How come she didn't take you?

Because I was looking straight ahead the entire time.

I didn't listen to her nor did I turn around.

And those who go down, how can they breathe?

It is said that they can.

She carries them to her castle.

There are palaces under the sea.

And how is it, down there, for humans?

They're not hungry, nor thirsty.

They don't have to work or stress...

What do they do all day long?

They do everything to do nothing.

They have it good then, down there.

Yes.

Everything is fine...

except one thing.

Which is?

They can never return to their homes.

Never come back...

Oh my, look!

- Look. - Look!

- Throw it away! - It will bring you bad luck.

Don't take it home, no matter what.

Men will go crazy from it.

- It's pretty. - Throw it away.

Kids! Have you seen my Frane?

Where's Frane?

Where?

Where?

Where?

Little Karmela!

I'm asking you!

Where is Frane?

Ask seal monk!

Hello.

Little Frane, Mother is searching for you.

Seal monk!

Frane seal monk!

Frane seal monk!

Frane seal monk!

And where have you been?

Poor me, without a man in the house...

And I could have been working for Mrdesic.

The other day, they caught 1,000 kilos.

And who'll look after the baby when you're always gone.

You're never home to help your mother.

You're always roaming, by the sea and around town.

Your father and grandpa didn't catch fish by going swimming.

How, then?

With a fishing net, Frane. A fishing net.

It's in the attic. If the mice haven't eaten it.

Your deceased father always brought home some nice fish.

- And did he ever catch the seal monk? - He killed her! - Where?

When she bit through his net, he went to her home.

He knew where she was.

He went to her home and killed her!

Where is it?

The third cave on Bisevo Island.

He killed her, and not only one.

And he always came back to me.

He didn't came back from Pula!

Shut up, Son.

Nor is he gonna come back!

You know it carried him down there. They never found him.

He doesn't even have a grave to cry at.

If I catch the seal monk, will you tell me where Father is?

What are you talking about? What's with you?

Get real, Frane.

Where have you been, Frane? You could learn this too.

- Where is the third cave on Bisevo? - It's there. How come you don't know?

Is that where seal monk ate our fish?

She ate our fishing net too, Frane. The fishing net...

One, two, three...

Frane seal monk!

Frane seal monk!

Frane seal monk!

Frane seal monk!

Frane seal monk!

Where are you off to again?

What are you thinking in your crazy head? That we can live without food?

I think I'll find her!

Bad thinking you have.

I'm going to her home.

Frane, child, come back!

Lord, give him some reason and some of your light.

Seal monk!

Frane seal monk!

Frane seal monk!

Frane seal monk!

Frane seal monk!

Seal monk!

Your momma is a seal monk!

I told you so...

Told...

Why does she have to say anything to me?

And why does she always mention my deceased mother?

I killed the seal monk! So what!

She had to be killed so we could have more fish.

So we could have more food.

She made up all that in her crazy head.

My whole life.

I first thought it was a dream. But no.

Now I see it's not.

She made it up when I was a kid.

Maybe even before.

Whenever I had rough times in my life...

I always saw those eyes.

It's as if they're watching me now, the eyes of little Lukre.

I've known her since she was a child.

I remember that little witch who bewitched my boat.

I remember...

Move!

Go away, you little witch.

Go away, I said.

You're here again.

You just can't take a rest.

Faster!

Run!

Faster!

You go to the left.

You take the front.

You go back.

Ive, don't push him!

Easy!

Don't push!

Hurry!

C'mon!

Lift it, lift it!

Move!

Watch it!

It's heavy.

Almost there!

Easy!

I can't...

It's really heavy.

What are you doing?

She wants to break a bottle of champagne on it!

Who knows what's in the bottle.

Champagne.

Yeah, right. You probably pissed in it.

Let's go.

It's heavy.

Now it's fine.

Let's go to the other side.

Hurry!

Addio, addio! I'm going to the other side.

Hurry up!

I'm first.

What a big boat!

Help him.

Careful that he doesn't crash.

It seemed bigger to me.

Every boat looks big by itself.

Why are you leaving so soon?

Stay.

And then what?

We could play.

I don't play with girls.

But you could stay. Nobody's rushing you.

I can stay or not stay.

Look at them.

Now we see, now we know who is chosen for love.

Now we see, now we know who is chosen for love.

Who did you choose, tell me?

I've chosen who I wanted.

You've chosen the boat.

It's smarter than you!

You made a bad choice, Frane!

FREEDOM

What are you up to now?

Leave it.

Put it back where you found it.

The sea gave, the sea took away.

Who knows where he crashed.

Wild sea, wild sea...

We've done what we can.

The wind's stopped. It'll rain.

Come, Frane, let's go home.

No. How can I go back without him?

Leave me here.

I'll sleep here.

Here. Take this, and sleep tight.

Curse yourself, not me! Curse yourself, not me!

Phew! Phew, phew, phew!

Heh. There you are.

You were first locked in that old tavern.

Isn't that so?

You were first locked in that old tavern,

and now, you are tied up.

What use is it to be called "Freedom" if you're tied up?