Original subtitles

Holy boy! The cavalry is here.

I hate the cold.

You've eaten the food she cooked?

You might survive.

Don't listen to him. He's a bullshitter.

You're here long?

Leaving in the morning.

- First trip up here? - Yeah.

Weather can play tricks on you this time a year.

You're mapping.

Yes.

What are you doing with it?

We make them as accurate as possible.

- So you're a hot shot, eh? - I do my best.

This is thirty years old.

- I helped make them. - You did.

You haven't been in the war.

No.

I have.

I'll tell you.

You want to give me a drink, I'll show you

Listen, I got a lot of work to do, alright?

I'll tell you the true story of those maps,

and how they changed my life.

I'm really very busy.

Holy Boy, that tastes good.

I was born not far from here.

My father was a white man.

You're half white?

Best of both worlds.

He was a whaler.

Stayed up north.

He came one season

and left.

There were other white men.

But there was one guy.

One white man

who changed my life.

My name is Walter Russell.

Don't be afraid of our flying bird.

I've come to map your land.

Go around.

No, no.

Where do you want it?

- There? - More to your left.

More.

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

Show you?

Holy boy!

You mean "holy cow. "

- Holy boy. - "Oh boy"?

Holy boy!

Holy boy it is then.

See this?

It's for measuring distance, for measuring height.

Holy boy!

Avik, you've killed your first seal.

It sacrificed itself to you.

I want the heart.

Eat this piece.

Avik?

Avik!

We have our own cures.

He has the white man's disease.

He needs white man's medicine.

He's the only man I've got.

He's going to be a great hunter.

I'm taking him.

Grandma, what's happening?

Stay here with me.

Don't go in that thing.

I'll be like a raven.

Then the raven spirit will watch over you.

Avik! Come on! Come along!

Up-skay!

Ready! Go!

Holy boy!

Holy boy!

Avik!

Montreal!

Walter!

I'm going to Europe tomorrow.

- For long? - Yes, unfortunately.

Special study in Dresden.

What a lovely girl.

- Avik's a boy. - Oh, a boy.

Vicky. Avik.

Bye, old son.

Walter! Walter!

You don't want to die, do you?

They will help you be strong.

He's going far away, to Europe.

So this is the Eskimo.

We're going to take a look inside you.

Avik! Stop!

Catch him!

Avik!

Avik, we're not going to hurt you.

Avik, no!

Avik!

It's a tree.

Yes, a tree.

Potatoes!

Potato face!

Now, Avik,

you can either be a good boy and be up here,

or a bad boy and join the groaning sad sinners in hell.

Where the protestants go.

It's up to you to follow the right path.

You understand?

I know your father is white.

So you know some English.

What do you know?

Tell us. In English.

Chalk.

- Collect. - Good!

What else?

Holy boy! Fuck you!

Potato face!

Protestant! Protestant! Protestant! Protestant!

Vik, don't be so noisy!

I want you to see what happens next.

Potato face!

My name's Albertine.

Hell is too good for you!

Avik!

Papa.

Papa, you promised me a horse.

No visitors, huh?

My father made this.

See, his footprints with no horse.

And then his hoof prints. With the horse, he's tall.

He took it from an English farmer, right under his nose.

I've been across the whole of here.

Papa and I have been to all these towns,

searching for gold. He's still searching.

- Where are you from? - Nunatak.

It's not here. You're not on the map.

You can't even read a map.

I told you. You can't see your home from here.

I'll take you there.

I have to wait for my father.

He's bringing me a horse.

He's not coming.

He's coming!

He's coming back for me!

I'll get you a horse.

You can't.

We'll fly home. Like Walter.

Indians don't live in snow.

- You're an Indian? - Yes!

Eskimo hate Indians!

My mother was a great Indian!

- Hey, rich girl! - Indian!

Give up!

Indian!

Give up!

Okay!

Have you got this kind?

Yuk!

I stole it from the kitchen, for you.

It's raw!

One day, I'm going to sing this song on the radio,

and my father will hear it.

What is that?

He's a half-breed man.

He leaves his wife to go searching for gold.

He dies.

But they will love one another in heaven.

Is it a happy song?

I think so.

Yes!

Because they meet in heaven.

I stole it from the office.

It's all inside us.

Only the skin keeps it in.

I'll show you something that's not in here.

See?

They cut me open.

You've given me no other choice.

The worn skin only stands so much damage.

Go back to your room.

Go!

You're not a savage, hmm?

You don't want people to think you're a half-breed.

No.

If you don't behave like a half-breed girl

then anything is possible for you.

Anything.

You understand?

Come on, you got to catch them!

Avik!

Don't be silly!

Come on!

- They're going to take me! - I don't want you to go!

Albertine!

Take a part of me!

Come here!

Avik!

Avik!

Avik!

Avik!

Albertine!

Avik!

You're too restless, too excitable.

This will stop tuberculosis from deforming your bones.

If Albertine was here you would infect her again.

I don't think you have this species.

This will help keep the bones in shape.

Walter?

Holy boy!

Avik?

I told you they'd cure you.

I never thought I'd see you again.

How you doing, Buddy?

Why are you here?

Well, it's the only settlement I know of here.

You know I have to do the mapping quickly.

I have to go back to London, general command.

My grandmother doesn't even recognize me.

She thinks I'm going to take you away again.

I was away so long that when I came back

she thought I was a ghost.

May we stay in one of these tonight?

With us.

I couldn't even speak my own language when I got back.

It's hard, but my grandmother is teaching me to be a shaman.

We're mapping this area here by the sea.

Aeronautical charts, part of the Crimson route.

The route our planes take to England.

- England? - The war.

War?

Yes.

Are we at war?

Yes.

- On whose side? - England's.

Who are we fighting?

Germany.

Every time Avik's thrown up in the sky

he brings down an aeroplane.

Quite a catch you've got there, Avik.

She's just a friend.

This is where you want to go?

Yes.

Take me.

No, you stay here with your grandma and your girl.

It's white men's business.

You need me.

Very well then.

How far is the sea?

The Eskimos would say two sleeps.

But for you, 40 miles.

You should have been a mapmaker.

You can teach me. Take me back with you.

After this I'm off to England.

I'll join up. I'll be a part of your team.

Are they part of your settlement?

They've had to eat their dogs.

Why aren't they joining us?

Everywhere I go I'm bad luck.

What do you mean bad luck?

Here I am, there is no game.

Here I am, there is no game.

Here I am, there is no game.

Sedna, the sea goddess,

sends up seals and whales for us to kill.

But she doesn't do it anymore.

Because I'm not a good hunter.

I'm not being useful anymore.

We've been here too long already.

We're heading northeast!

It's dangerous that way.

I have to go that way.

That was Albertine Hubert...

a final-year student from Sacred Hearts School of Ottawa,

It's her! It's her! Play!

Play that voice again!

What the hell is going on here?

Sorry, sir, I was trying to find some war news.

- It was Albertine. - Albertine?

Albertine? Hubert?

- I always keep it with me. - She's got no clothes on.

Take me back with you when you go back.

That's why you want to go, eh? We'll see.

Avik? Stop the rig. Is that it?

Avik?

Stay back!

Is that it?

I wish I had a warrior's skid.

Up in the air, I could see the sea.

This is a mapping expedition.

No time for your games.

On your feet!

Sedna! She's warning us!

The information was dead on, sir.

Grant, give me your snow knife and check the debris.

You bastards! Where are your maps?

Nothing here.

Check that over there.

Fuck it! Nothing!

Over there, check over there!

You lied to me.

You're not making maps at all.

I couldn't tell you. Everything had to be kept secret.

We heard there was a U-Boat trapped in the ice.

This was a unique opportunity to get their maps and codes.

Bloody U-Boat! Must have sunken.

Shouldn't have lied to me.

I'm sorry.

Avik!

Avik!

This is our secret.

Sedna doesn't send up game.

Sends up dead men.

We're starving and all you do is read.

You're ready, Avik?

I have to stay with my grandmother.

My people are starving.

I thought you wanted to go to Ottawa and learn mapping.

I have to go. You'll have to decide.

She can't sew anymore. Can't prepare food.

Without me she'd finish herself.

See you some time, Holy Boy.

Walter! Walter!

Give this to Albertine! Take it to her school.

Albertine.

The Sacred Hearts School in Ottawa.

Albertine.

You've spent too much time with the whites.

You think like a white man and it brings us bad luck.

You're not coming with us.

I have to go with my grandma.

We can look after her, you can't.

Grandma!

Don't leave him behind!

Grandma!

Grandma!

Do you understand English?

- Yeah, yeah, I speak English. - English!

Yeah, English.

I need you to tell this woman to go down below.

I've told her to go down below.

What are you doing on this ship?

Going down south to join up.

But why?

Because someone told me not to.

They're taking you down south to cure you.

No one ever returns from this ship.

I did.

But you're still on it.

Not for long.

Soon I'll fly like a bird.

Avik!

It's cold enough here!

It must be freezing back there!

The only one not freezing up here is probably Avik.

He's used to the cold.

Target approaching,

Avik!

Take over, Avik!

Steady!

Left. Left!

Steady!

Bombs away!

What? What?

How come we're the only plane

still left with a bloody pigeon, huh?

Because Betty is good luck.

Do they taste good?

If you dare...!

Three more missions to go

and then I'm gonna eat your pigeon.

You wouldn't dare.

That's the other thing about Canadians, no sense of humor.

Avik first.

He's always first, you know that.

Are all pilots superstitious like him?

Maybe his superstitions have kept us together this long.

Yeah, I doubt it.

I'm no ghost.

I never thought I'd see you again.

You've nearly finished your tour?

Holy Boy's been lucky.

How come you're here in England too?

Fate.

Fate.

I heard you on the wireless.

Singing.

I'm not singing anymore.

I'm in Bomber Command, analyzing photographs.

Bomber Command.

I found out there was an Eskimo in Bombers.

And there is only one Eskimo crazy enough-

There's only one Eskimo crazy enough to have joined up.

It had to be you.

Your crew is coming. I have to go.

Next leave you'll have to come to London.

Promise?

Promise.

We'll steal horses, go riding in Hyde Park?

I call you, we go dancing.

It's like a dream.

We're here.

Hey!

You have to protect my Holy Boy.

He's king of the Arctic!

So this is where you keep your girls.

What's going on up here?

Oh!

Sorry I'm late.

I didn't think you'd come.

It's wonderful you're here.

I only got your message this morning.

I have a surprise for you.

Avik!

We're not strangers, are we?

Walter!

Colonel Jones.

Ginger.

You gave Albertine the X-Ray.

Went all the way to Ottawa. One thing led to another.

Fate brought us together.

And, of course, Albertine's skeleton.

Excuse me.

Avik!

Don't go!

Please.

I want you to stay.

Let's dance.

I don't dance.

I don't take no for an answer.

Come on.

See. You can.

I should have told you about Walter.

When he came to school for the X-Ray he looked so...

dashing.

Another dare?

She's with me in bomber command.

She dared me to climb to the top of the Albert Hall.

I stood up there

and listened to the music coming through my feet.

Barefoot?

I'm not that half-breed girl anymore.

- Take me there! - Where?

Albert Hall, when I'm next on leave.

You know what they say about getting close

to anyone on Bombers.

You're precious to me.

Just live, that's all.

Okay?

So...

what'd you two talk about?

Old times.

Are you alright?

Get off!

Avik's nearing the end of his tour.

Oh, he'll make it.

You're destroying Germany. You know that's my job.

Taking your work to bed now?

General staff wants some information about Dresden.

Shit!

Seven years bad luck.

What's so funny?

Sometimes I don't know what to make of you.

Sometimes I don't know what to make of myself.

What do you see?

Nothing.

Love is blind.

You have to see this.

That's me.

I couldn't sit still.

Why are you showing me this?

You come and show me these.

- I have to go back to base. - Please!

This is the only way I can apologize for last night.

Only on a horse could I sit still.

Like my father.

I went looking for him.

He died somewhere.

Somewhere.

That's the fate of half-breeds.

To die a barefoot...

somewhere.

Nowhere.

That's how Walter found me. After my father died.

And here I am. From there to here.

You made a decision.

You've become white.

You're the only one who knows where I came from.

That's why you've got to live.

Every time the Holy Boy photographs come in...

it means you're alive.

I'm gonna send you a message.

Remember?

Secret.

By mirror?

You'll have to figure it out, won't you?

So the photographs of air bomb drops go to this Albertine, yeah?

You sure she'll know how to interpret it?

That's what she does, analyze photographs.

Wouldn't it be easier to telephone her?

I don't like telephones.

I wish I could telephone Julie.

She's been posted to the country on some barrage balloon duty.

It's a plot so I won't lose my virginity.

Have you rigged up the camera yet?

Just about.

I haven't told the others

because I don't want them to get into trouble.

It's bad enough having to fly over Berlin

without having to fly back over London.

We're looking forward to it.

We want to photograph it.

Why are we flying back over London?

Avik wants to photograph London,

You're joking!

They're trigger happy down there,

They could easily mistake us for a German bomber,

Never!

Can you see a bend in the Thames?

No.

Yes. Yes!

Lower.

This is as low as I go,

And an oval-shaped building. With guns near it!

- That's just below! - I see it,

Two, one,

fire flash away!

Got it!

How the hell did they do that?

There's no photographs of Berlin.

They disconnected the automatic camera

and deliberately photographed London.

What is it?

It's from the Holy Boy.

You know someone on it?

Yeah.

Some sort of message.

Albert Hall.

Merde!

What a stupid thing to do.

I thought it was clever.

Watch me! that's better,

that's better.

That's the way!

No, no, no, no, no!

Strings, strings, come on, where are you?

Listen to the music coming through your feet.

Barefoot?

Barefoot.

You know, when I was young

I used to dream that I would be married to a wealthy French rancher.

And he'd buy a beautiful dress for me.

And we'd go to the opera.

And everyone would say,

"Who's that girl?"

"Who's this princess?"

- Hey! - Dance!

We're safe up here in the dome.

German bombers use it as a target reference

to find their way.

What are you doing while you're here?

I'm back to base tomorrow.

Only one more mission to finish my tour.

What is it?

Listen.

Buzz bomb!

There's no time!

16,

15 seconds,

14, 13,

12, 11,

10,

9, 8, 7,

5, 4...

After this mission we'll be together.

No.

I dreamt I would be married with a white man.

There's nothing special about a white man.

You know what being a half-breed is.

Being poor and dirty.

Thinking you're stupid and ugly.

Living on a dirt floor in some filthy shack.

And all the time, all the time white people sneering at you,

calling you a half-breed.

I want to live like a real white person.

Never be hated again.

You think you're the only half-breed?

I can get away with looking white.

This is it, Avik. The big 3-0.

If it is looking bad let's just drop the load anywhere.

We'll be okay.

I hope.

Hey, can you beat this?

I got a postcard from Julie saying,

"I'm with you in spirit. "

I don't want a spirit, Avik, I want a body.

We could visit her.

- Hey, Farmboy. - Yeah?

You think Albertine would like a horse?

A horse?

She's always wanted one,

You sure know your way into a girl's heart, mate.

Oh, Christ! Last one.

We'll be alright.

I just don't want to die a virgin.

At least Caulfield is giving us an easy one tonight,

No more photographs.

But don't worry, they'll make it.

These last prints just came in.

What is it?

I have to figure it out.

It's a horse.

We should've had the picnic after getting the balloon off.

How are we going to win the war if you can't get a balloon up!

Why don't you two help?

With an expert like you aloft?

Bring me men!

Help me, God. I'm stuck out here.

I have heard that people hop on a balloon

when it's three quarters full.

Yeah?

Go on, Farmboy. You and Julie hop on it.

Don't be so daft.

No, Avik's right. Let's get on.

Now look what you've done!

- Come on! - No!

Go on!

Looking for something, sir?

Yes, I'm just picking up something from Miss Hubert.

Is she alright?

She called in sick.

Yes, it's a short term illness.

Do it, do it!

Come on!

I'm going home to mom!

Avik.

White horse.

I shouldn't have taken your dare.

Too late!

Is this how a bird feels?

Redskin!

Cannibal!

Half-breed!

- Redskin! - Cannibal!

Avik, it's beautiful.

I'll continue where I left off.

Toast! To no more missions!

Gentlemen, Gentlemen!

And female ballooners.

A surprise.

To the end of 30 missions.

She served us well.

Betty?

You murdered Betty Grable?

No, I didn't murder her, I cooked her.

This is cooking.

I'm going to cook you.

Shut up!

They're sending us back. They're extending our tour.

I'm going.

I'll see Walter.

He'll help us.

Colonel Caulfield's got it in for us.

I'll call you back later.

I'm taking a team into Germany.

Part of your section is coming too.

I went to celebrate the end of the Holy Boy's tour.

I'll say goodbye to him before he goes back to Canada.

He's not going back.

They're extending their tour.

Want me to do something about that?

Would you?

I'd do anything for you.

Come.

What a lovely boy.

He is real. He is flesh and blood.

Everything is alright.

I was hoping you'd see me.

We've finished 30 but they're sending us back.

That's a bit of bad luck.

Bomber command's a law unto itself.

Keep moving. They don't like strangers here.

Dresden. Pity to destroy something so beautiful.

It's probably best to go through your group captain.

Colonel Caulfield, is it?

I'll call him tomorrow.

I'm sure he'll listen to reason, no?

Women are a map.

Avik, you've got to understand their longitude.

And how much latitude you can take.

An extra mission, huh?

I'm surprised your tour has been extended.

To no more missions.

To no more missions.

Being in here...

is like living in a womb.

You're only one of many planning the Dresden raid.

There's just civilians there.

Why do you want to bomb Dresden?

There's a monster in a room.

Once that room was filled with everything that was valuable to him.

His train sets, his puppet theatre,

his model planes.

They're all broken now.

All that's left untouched

is his beautiful collection of Dresden china.

You go into that room, you smash all his crockery,

then you have broken his spirit.

If someone entered this room and destroyed her

would it break your spirit?

If she were made of flesh and blood it might.

When you kill a seal

you have to personally slit its throat, don't you?

Yes.

All big decisions are personal.

When I was a student in Dresden I fell in love with a beautiful girl.

I found out she was two-timing me.

She said I hate your obsession with maps.

I hate the way you fuck. I hate the way you smell.

I hate the way you eat.

But as far as I know, Avik,

she's still in Dresden.

How well do you know Colonel Caulfield?

Oh, I know him very well.

This is not a race.

But I don't like to lose things that are precious to me.

I don't want to lose you.

I don't want to lose Albertine.

I shouldn't have killed that pigeon.

Holy shit, what have I done!

I used to think I was bad luck.

That I killed my grandmother.

But being on the Holy Boy has changed that.

You make your own luck.

Wait for me outside?

Huh? Alright.

But don't be long, alright?

They're sending me back.

I could have stopped us from going on this raid.

You saw Walter?

He couldn't help.

Or wouldn't.

I'm waiting for Avik.

Avik! Hurry up, we'll miss the train.

Yeah!

When I come back we'll be together again.

I'll never let you go.

- Give me your hand. - What?

Did I break it?

Give it to me again.

I have to go.

Wrong hand.

This is my trigger finger.

Yeah, we're coming. Avik!

I left us unprotected, Avik!

Avik, take over!

We're too low! Drop 'em, Avik!

You can feel the heat from up here!

Lower.

Lower!

The ball's negative! We're gonna bang into it,

Pull up! Pull up!

Oh, no!

We're burning!

Oh shit!

Bombs away!

We are on target,

It's just like Christmas.

What's going on?

Grandma!

It's my fault. I killed you all!

Farmboy!

Crikey, it's cold in here.

I'll get you out.

- Come on! - I can't.

My legs.

I could have stopped it!

- Come on! - Get out of here!

Go on! Get out!

Grandma!

Mommy!

Pissed myself.

Grandma!

Come with me!

Finish.

Even run out of words.

Why'd you give her up?

My life's a map.

A map of death.

My grandmother,

Farmboy,

Both gone.

Dresden.

I wanted to see her more than anything else in the world.

But I didn't want to hurt her.

After Dresden

I thought all white people were cannibals.

And I couldn't live amongst them.

And anyway, she could never live barefoot.

Did you ever see her again?

She sent some letters but I never answered them.

A few weeks ago she wrote me.

Her daughter...

was coming up to find me.

I couldn't face that.

Would've brought back too many memories.

It's all there in the maps.

Sometimes all they tell you is that you're lost.

Weather's clear.

You should be able to fly out today.

If we had room I'd like to take you with us.

Need a bomb aimer, do you?

Thanks for the whiskey.

Hewson Oil.

I used to work for them.

After the war.

I was in the war.

Lancaster bombers.

Avik, don't annoy my customers.

No, no, give him a drink.

I flew over 30 missions.

Now bugger off!

Tired of listening to your bullshit.

Eskimos, what a lazy fucked up race of people.

How do you know that song?

My mom taught it to me.

Why did you come here?

Why?

I want to know about my father's people.

He was Eskimo.

Like you.

Like me?

I'm trying to get to the place where he came from. Nunatak.

Could you take me there?

- No. - Why not?

There is nothing there.

Do you want money?

You could buy drinks.

I don't need your money.

See, there's nothing there.

Just a few old rocks.

But he was born here.

Why do you want to know?

Everybody wants to know their father.

My mom,

she told me so many stories about him.

It's cold.

I heard about him.

People said he was a real dope.

Thought he was smarter than he actually was.

You could pay me. I need a drink.

I don't want to be without a father.

Like my mom was.

I'm bad luck.

For anyone I'm near.

Nothing...

is happening to me.

Father?

I could love you.

Will you come home with me?

I'm getting married.

To a pilot.

Hold me.

Please.

You know,

she always loved you.

He said he would try and come. He'll be here.

He's always loved you. You know that.

Albertine!

Albertine!

I'm coming south!