Original subtitles

Dad...

I'm writing you this letter because I wouldn't be able to tell you otherwise.

That's a pity.

And that's sad.

You taught me to follow my truth.

And it's not my fault if my truth is different than yours, today.

If my answers are different.

Your world is in black and white.

Today, mine is in color.

Dad, I will go in a very further direction than yours.

But I love you so much.

I don't want to lie to you. Lying is a sin.

I lost faith.

Forgive me.

See, I set before you today life and death, blessings and curses.

Now choose life, so that you and your children may live,

and that you may love the Lord your God, for the Lord is your life...

Deuteronomy 30, 15-20

I don't think this is kosher. Give me the measuring tape.

Indeed.

Half an inch extra.

This is good to make jam.

This stain won't go away even with wax.

It's too close to the stalk.

It's beautiful.

We could have sold it for 20 euros.

And thank God those two rows over there didn't get ruined by the cold.

Those are all grafted anyway. We don't need them.

- What time is the train coming? - 12:10 PM.

It's 12:20! For once, I wanted to be on time.

- I've been telling you! - Call the guys, let's go.

Leva, Otar, let's go.

It's late.

Have the rows behind the house been checked?

Not yet. Those haven't been affected anyway.

This year's harvest will be 40% less due to the bloody cold.

Elio, let me tell you,

we'll lose less if we graft instead of selling to Zelnik.

You're not religious, or Jewish. So what's the point?

Your Dad would've preferred grafting, too.

Otar, I told you to remove it this morning.

Sorry, I didn't understand.

But it's fine, there's enough room.

It's not about the room, this is St. Anthony's statue.

We'll have them sit next to it.

Yeah, sure, we'll have them sit next to St. Anthony.

The Orthodox Jews!

- Come on, jump on, help me. - Go, quick.

How could you even think about it?

I'm happy to see you again.

Me too.

Sorry for being late.

No worries, I studied in the meantime.

WHERE LIFE BEGINS

He's tired, isn't he?

Let's pray. Honey, you want some watermelon?

It's good to be here again, Elio.

And this time, alongside the whole family, more or less.

I remember when you were five or six, and you told me:

"Why bother to go on such a trip for a fruit we don't even eat."

God asked Moses to send messengers here in Italy,

to harvest lemons for the Sukkot celebration.

The Torah says it takes perfect and pure fruits,

like those that grow here, on your land.

That's why we keep on doing this little detour

to your house.

A change of direction.

Elio,

we don't argue the will of God.

So, about this detour...

L'Chaim!

- L'Chaim! - L'Chaim!

Ruben, where's your Kippah?

Nina, can you check under the table?

Ouch, you kicked me.

No, it's not under the table.

Mom, Ruben hasn't his Kippah on anymore.

Caterina, leave it and go help Rosaria.

No problem, I'm done here.

Okay, darling, I'm going to make you one.

Do you like my dress? I'll let you try it on.

Ready?

Elio...

see, darling, for 50 years I spent my summers here with his father,

he was a friend, a good man, pure, like the lemons he grew.

He never grafted them, out of respect for me.

You stayed loyal to him,

and I'm very thankful for all you do.

Thank you.

Lih' L'cha.

Lech-L'cha. There's no dot on the letter.

Now close your book, honey, it's late.

What does it mean?

"Go for you".

Is it what God told Abraham?

And so he did? Leaving his parents like this?

Sister, will you leave the same way when you marry?

I'm not keen on marrying soon. Go, sleep, now.

Won't you pray the Shema?

Yes.

Guys, the master is back.

Come and unload the truck, come on!

Guys!

Yes, we are here!

- How did you do it? - A lemon tree thorn.

Let me see. We can disinfect it.

There's no need.

Do you have a computer?

- Yes. - I'm sorry to bother...

Not at all. Come in.

I can't.

Why?

I can't enter in a house of a man who's not my husband. I'm not married.

This changes nothing, I'm not allowed.

How could we do? It's charging in my office.

Let me grab a cable and I'll take it here.

No, it's OK, I'll come in.

As you wish. Please.

Here.

When you're done, leave everything like this.

- Thanks. - No problem.

It's so important to be able to write you...

I hoped, coming on this trip

with my Father to pick the fruit he'd bring me as a child,

I'd be able to calm down my anguish.

But I can't.

I feel like the lemon that becomes impure when it's grafted,

mixed with the rest, with the external world,

not kosher anymore,

not compliant to them.

Uhm... where is it?

It's not good. It's not kosher.

Oh, okay.

Guys, give me the good ones, come on.

I feel so far away from them. Every prayer burns my mouth.

I've never lived without God, but I can't breathe anymore.

The world I've always lived in is becoming more extraneous every day.

I don't know where I'm going.

And everything that made my life meaningful is falling to pieces.

Lunch's ready!

- Lunch's ready! - Let me try!

Wow, it works!

You were so cute when you were their age.

You used to push me on the swing for hours.

I liked it so much.

We were older than that, though.

Yes.

I'd push you in the swing because I wanted to peek under your skirt.

- Really? - You didn't know?

Claudia stopped by, with the kids.

They said they were going to Puglia.

- Won't she leave them with you? - No.

They didn't want to stay here anyway.

Are you surprised?

What could they do here, in August?

There's nothing to do, except wearing yourself out picking lemons.

When I was their age,

I'd wish they brought me elsewhere, too.

If I had the chance to go to Rome like you did,

I would have never come back.

Would you like a piece of fruit?

Zipporah?

During impurity days?

The beds are separated so that the covers don't touch,

it's allowed to talk, but not about...

there has to be no sexual connotation in the conversation.

He can't sit on my bed, neither can we dine at the same table.

And during this time he can't tell me "I love you".

Unless it implies a sexual connotation, it's fine.

It depends on how it's said.

You're so graceful.

- It's a waste. - Why?

No, it's...

- It's not decent to dance with other men. - You're not dancing naked!

I'll come dance at your place sometimes, okay?

I found Edoardo's check in the mail.

- Has it just arrived? - "Just"!

It has been sitting on a pile of envelopes for a month and a half.

You're nothing like your father. He replied to letters right away.

Help me, and watch out for this arm that's barely attached.

Wait.

-Okay. On the count of three: -Yes.

One... two... three... go!

I mean, what should we do?

Grafting the trees from below and sell them non-kosher lemons?

- I've never said that. - Place it down.

I only said Lucchetti did that to protect his trees from the cold.

Lucchetti is a bastard, and he should thank the Ginzburgs if he's surviving.

As we should the Zelniks.

- Now. - Okay...

If we manage to end the year in the green.

Andrea, please, watch out for the arm. If it doesn't break, it's a miracle.

Why haven't you sold that piece of land on the hill to Gianni?

We don't even cultivate it. He offered double its worth.

- We aren't cultivating it yet. - Okay.

We'll see.

- You're so stubborn. - Place it here.

- Bye, Andrea. Goodnight. - Goodnight.

"Esther, I'm telling you again, choose a nickname..

I understand your desperation. I used to be like you.

But I feel less lonely since I found this forum.

What you write, Esther, is what I've been living for years.

I pretend. All day long.

When I pray, when I look my children or my wife in the eyes.

I'm living a double life.

I feel like an impostor.

Sometimes, I almost have the strength to run away from this world.

But then I think of those I'd hurt.

So I give in, and I cry for hours.

Me too, I feel so guilty.

Losing faith is the last, poisonous gift God has given us.

Since I left, my parents refuse to see me.

I'm dead to them.

It's so hard.

The other night I was at a bar, and a guy wanted to chat.

What could I have spoken about?

Getting out of Egypt? The Mount Sinai? The Golden calf?

I have nothing to say, so I ran away.

I don't know anything about this world, but I can't go back.

For a few days, I've been having very dark thoughts.

I curse the day God forsook me.

Coffee?

Thanks, Carla.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

- Thanks. - You're welcome.

- How much? - Don't worry, it's on me.

No, I...

- Thanks. - You're welcome.

Do you need a ride?

I can't travel with a man who isn't...

...your husband, I know.

There.

This way we won't see each other.

Your first time in a church?

Yes.

Shall we go?

This was the shortcut I took when I came home from school.

I'd left the path and felt

an incredible sensation of freedom.

No one could see or judge me.

And I used to scream of joy.

Once I must have mimicked the lynx call because one...

it...

- Jumped out? - Exactly.

Like this, in front of me.

It looked at me...

still, for a while...

And then?

And then it ate me.

It's nice, who's that?

- Isn't it Italian? - No, it's Georgian.

One of my workers forgot it.

- Do you understand it? - Not at all.

But I've always imagined it's about

travels. I don't know why.

What's wrong? Do you want me to stop?

No, don't, or I'll end up being late.

You looked at me.

God takes his revenge.

We can talk about Noah, if you want.

Why Noah?

The storm...

If you want, but I don't really like his story.

Creating mankind...

making it bad and then punishing it because it has gone bad.

Don't you find it absurd?

I don't know...

I'm not a religious person.

But if it doesn't stop...

I'll have to ask God for help.

I believe in the leaf that made you tear tip...

in Moses' angels who came here to pick a fruit that's useless.

I believe in your father, in his faith...

I'm impressed.

I admire the discipline of your world.

What do you know about my world?

Do you think you know it by seeing us two weeks per year?

You have no idea of what my world is.

What it is to repeat every morning

"Beware from seducing and bowing down to other gods,

or the wrath of God will be unleashed onto you".

Why do I deserve his wrath?

I spend my days making wigs in Aix-les-Bains.

Bus, factory, prayers, all day long,

and then bus, family and more prayers.

Every day of the week, until Shabbat,

when I leave my house just to go to the synagogue.

Do you find this admirable?

You have no idea what it means to be bullied because I wear tights in summer,

because I don't have Internet or because I've never been to a club.

Or even to a bar.

What it means to lower your gaze in front of any man who's not family.

Wait, what are you doing?

- What happened? - Nothing serious.

I've been saying this for two years. They can't go to the stables every day.

There was no need to spend 15.000 euros for the barn.

- There were more urgent matters. - What the fuck, Andrea?

What the fuck! You know why we spent 15.000 euros on the barn.

We threw the boxes every year,

because of the mold. What am I to do? There's no money.

We have to pay the workers who work day and fucking night!

Every day, on the bus home from work,

I pass by the Escurial,

Aix-les-Bains's cinema.

And every day, during that stop, that lasts a few seconds,

I look at the movie poster.

And I imagine a ton of stories on the way.

A few weeks ago,

the bus got stuck for a while at the stop in front of the cinema.

I was overwhelmed by something unstoppable,

I don't even know how I ended up inside.

Then it went dark...

it was on a Friday.

I obsessively checked my watch, I feared I'd miss Shabbat's beginning.

Then Shabbat began...

and I didn't move.

I was breathing fast, my head was spinning.

I thought everyone was looking at me.

That my faced showed my guilt.

I even thought the actress on the screen knew.

Then I got out, thinking I'd be struck by lightning.

But I took a step,

and then another,

and nothing happened.

I came home, very late.

I said the bus had an accident.

And from that moment, I never stopped lying.

Haven't you heard about Yankel?

How did it happen?

His brother told me he wanted to sneak out after Shabbat.

He was in his room, he opened the window, jumped out,

and hit his head.

Did he have an appointment?

I think with Hanna.

It's awful.

Yes, but... it was Shabbat.

Help me betray you,

you, the Eternal who was my God, give me the strength to leave you, please.

My life is elsewhere, far from you. I don't want to feel this pain anymore.

Give me the strength to leave you and I will forget you, I promise.

Without resentment.

I'm so scared.

Esther!

Estie.

You know, we'll be out the whole day, and your mother and I thought

maybe this would be a good chance for you and Ariel to reconcile a little.

- To spend some time... - Closer.

He's like family, by now.

There won't be anyone around to disturb you.

You can talk.

I left you some snacks in the kitchen, so if you want to have a picnic...

- Esther, quick, they're coming. - No, love, she's not coming with us.

She stays here.

We have to fix this thing.

- But if I touch it, it might fall down. - Go for it.

Anyway, we'll have to fix it properly someday.

Again?

I know, it's my fault, sorry.

I forgot to tell you.

She called saying she'd pass by.

She called twice already. I don't know what to tell her.

Madame Rubini, Mister DeAngelis.

- Hi, Elena Rubini. - My pleasure.

I knew your father.

At the time, I managed Tropea's superstore.

She was in charge of the whole Casagrande group.

I know.

- It's so beautiful here. - Thanks.

I'm sorry, I'm quite busy at the moment, I don't have much time.

No problem, I only need a few minutes.

I know how much Lucchetti offered you.

- She would isolate the land... - Yes.

I've heard. I'm right here.

The fact is that there's nothing to sell.

I thought the land west of the hill isn't exploited at all.

So it's no use for you.

We had some losses this winter

and we only use that land to increase our olive oil's production.

My father gave that property to my brothers and me,

and what he was mostly proud about

was that nothing had changed for generations.

My father, and his father before him, never sold a tree.

I would like to honor this tradition, you see.

That's it. But I appreciate your interest.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, I came through the roof, I couldn't...

No problem.

Come in.

I'm not here for the computer.

Can I stay here?

Is there something wrong?

I don't know where to go.

Of course. Would you like a coffee?

Some water?

Hello?

Your children must be happy to be living in such a place.

They don't live here.

They live in Rome, with their mother.

You know, it's...

a bit complicated living here.

It's... I don't know how to say it in French...

Try saying it in Italian, I'll try.

It's still complicated.

It's a bit...

You're in love with this land you've inherited.

Yes.

This and you need to be a little fool, too.

Not fool.

Only slave.

No?

Lunch's ready!

Enjoy your meal.

- Bravo. - Good job.

Life is incredible.

You can't remember it, but 30 years ago, I lived the same scene.

Your father, the Georgian workers, your mother dancing, Silvia was little...

My Giorgia was there too, may she rest in peace.

Your song is too sad, we'll all end up in tears.

Bravo!

The little French went away. She thanks you for the invitation.

She's the cutest thing.

Esther?

Esther?

Esther?

Don't stop, please. Pretend you didn't see him.

Thanks.

They want me to marry him.

Okay, Claudia.

Yes.

When?

Why are you only telling me now?

I'll try, but I can't be sure.

Okay. Bye.

- Are you in a hurry? - Not at all.

I have to buy something for my ex-wife.

5.700 in the back, 6.000 here, 6.500 for the Mister.

7.000 for the standing Mister. Giorgia?

- 7.800. - 7.800 on the phone!

8.000 for the Madame in front of me.

8.000... and it's sold to the lady.

Now let's move onto this unique work by Franco Tozzi,

bids start from 1.500 euros.

1.500? Isn't that a little high? It isn't that pretty anyway.

It's awful.

- But it's what I came to buy. - That is what she wants you to buy?

1.800 at my left...

It's not for her. A buyer offered her 5.000 euros.

She will be happy.

2.500? Sold to the Mister.

And now, onto this extraordinary painting by Modigliani,

a limited run lithography dedicated to his Jeanne.

Bidding start from 70.000 euros.

- Do you mind staying a little longer? - No.

75 for the Mister, 80, Madame.

90 for the Mister there in front row.

100.000 euros in the back. Someone else?

110.000, Mister.

- It's so much money. - Don't worry.

This is a limited run lithography.

130.000, Mister.

Okay, now it's 150.000.

150... 170.000 for Madame!

- You're crazy. - It's worth twice this price.

- On the telephone? - Nothing yet.

Nothing on the telephone... 180.000 for Madame who raised her hand.

200.000.

- Shall we go? - 200.000 going once,

200.000 going twice...

250.000 for the Mister who raised his hand.

- Is it true you studied art? - Yes.

I was fond of Modigliani back then already.

One day, my brother and I were at an auction,

and there was a painting by Modigliani.

I raised my hand to bid 600.000 euros.

My brother was on the other side of the room and we made the bids rise up.

Up to the limit.

And it became

our favorite game.

It was like being at a casino.

I managed to build a fantastic collection.

I almost bought Picasso, De Chirico...

Kandinsky,

and I don't know how many Modigliani!

But you didn't have anything.

But I do. They're all here.

I look at them anytime I like.

I admire them, rearrange them...

I don't even need a safe.

Have you ever been scared?

Almost... many times.

Almost?

Around here, we say that's like a bunch of fairies in the air.

Do you believe in fairies?

Well, you believe in God.

Thanks.

I almost had a terrible day.

And instead, you almost bought a Modigliani.

Good night.

What game are you playing?

Ariel waited for you all day long. Where were you?

Where were you?

You're 26, you're still not married. Do you realize it?

Do you know what they will say about you in Aix-les-Bains?

Knock, knock!

Excuse me.

Some say Moses didn't want to die.

No, Moses wasn't accepting the idea that God wouldn't let him enter

the promised land.

While the Jews, who he brought there, were allowed to enter.

Mom, why didn't you tell me Estie and Ariel where in the living room? I went in.

- Was it all good? - Yes, it seemed okay.

Bless my daughter with children who will serve you,

bless them, and they will obey you ever day of their life.

And the rage of Moses was so much that God

finally told him: "Moses,

climb the mount Nebo,

and then, turn back and look".

And the Midrash says

that Moses was pushed into time and future,

finding himself in a house of studies,

where one of the biggest scholars we have, Rabbi Akiva,

was teaching the most complex secrets

of the Torah.

Even Moses himself wasn't able to understand them!

One of the students asked: "Rabbi, how do you know all you teach us?"

Elio!

And Akiba replied: "Everything I know God gave Moses on mount Sinai.

But it's Moses himself who gave me all this wisdom".

Every generation

germinates what the previous one has planted,

and who will never see those blooms.

Our future is not in front of us, but behind.

In the traces left by our steps.

And only those

who survive us will see their future in there.

- What are you doing? - We can't talk with all this noise.

Aren't you interested by my father's words?

What do you want us to speak about?

Sorry.

I'm going to check on the kids.

Are you okay?

Yes, why?

Are you angry at her?

Why?

She has the right not to love me.

If she doesn't like me...

According to the Torah, it's not important if she does.

Stop.

Ouch!

Show me.

What's wrong?

Come.

Hi Guéoula, good job in finding a nickname.

Have they combined a shiddour for you?

Yes, it was shocking.

Nobody notified me, but I'm sure the whole family knew.

I wanted to scream.

We have nothing in common.

That happened to me, too, Guéoula,

but I decided to accept it.

It would have been too hard to leave everything.

And then I got used to it.

Even if my husband and I are very different,

he does its best to be nice.

And now we have two beautiful children.

Maybe the true bravery is to stay.

You don't belong to this forum, Dalila.

Maybe it's easy for you to pretend. But many can't.

If I'm here, Godine,

it's because I've been there, and we can make it without giving everything up.

Without hurting your family and those who love you.

It's true, it's hard at first...

but then you get used to it.

Guéoula,

I feel you, but don't let desperation take over.

I would've regretted it, if I had left the path.

Guéoula,

the first book I read, once I left this life, was a Camus one.

There was this sentence, and I thought he wrote it for me.

"To be different means, perhaps, to be brave enough to be ourselves".

Elio!

I'm coming.

Wait, let me put this bandage on it, or it'll seem weird.

Done.

Honey, listen... Giorgio, come here, translate!

We'll have a little party tonight.

To celebrate the harvest and your departure.

I know it won't be easy for you, but I'd love for you to come.

Late at night, it won't start before 10.

Hi, honey.

Tonight, here, party.

After ten...

So you lived five years in France, huh?

What the hell did you do there?

Just go, I can do it by myself!

Tonight, 10:00.

Party. Come!

Are you coming? We have to pack.

Yes, I'm almost done.

You know, Chaoul cuts off chickens heads at Rainey's slaughterhouse.

It's weird.

Estie, do you think he'll watch me dance?

- Do you want it? - Thanks.

- Cheers! - Cheers!

- No more songs? - We're tired.

Is it better?

Don't worry, we'll finish later.

I'll bring you somewhere.

This is the Garden of Eden!

My father used to call it the same way.

Can't you play outside?

Mom, have you seen Estie?

Kids, if you see Esther, tell her we're tired of packing by ourselves.

And tell here we're waiting for her.

You're the first person I take here.

It wasn't up to me to take care of this land.

My brothers didn't want to, so I came back from Rome.

What I liked was to draw.

I saw the hands on the walls at your place.

I couldn't help but notice.

I love drawing hands.

It took me some time to love the hands of those who work the soil.

What do you think of mine?

Pale, thin...

delicate.

Chiseled fingers,

with subtle blue veining.

As a child I adored reading the veining of the lemons my father brought from here.

I would read the future of all my sisters at the same way.

- Did you guess something right? - Not at all.

But I loved to tell my stories.

They'd asked: "Are you sure this is what it says?"

What importance does it have though?

It's the story we tell that's important.

Don't you think?

I was raised with one story only.

The one my father told me the first time he took me here.

My father was a really serious man.

Everyone would be impressed.

That day he sat down, his back turned to the sea.

He showed me our land and said:

"It's those you should look at."

He was tearing up.

And it was weird because all of a sudden

I wasn't afraid of him no more.

And I thought: "This must be a magic place to have such an influence on him".

And I thought that all the truth of the world was here.

And I had to be faithful to it.

To me, faithfulness is something else.

It's not to reproduce in the same way.

Do you know why the messengers came here?

Because here grows the fruit that no land could create.

Maybe the fruit of the Garden of Eden itself was planted here.

It wasn't a detour, as my father said on the first night.

This detour is still the path.

Maybe it's the path.

Esther... are you coming?

Elio, I'm sorry. Don't be angry, but we won't be able to pass by.

School will start soon, and I have plenty to do for the kids...

and they want to go back to Rome to their friends.

Anyway, I don't want to bother you, the time of the harvest is close,

and you must be exhausted.

The little one always asks about you. Try to come to Rome whenever you can.

And you can bring me the painting, too. Thanks. Bye.

Darling!

Come.

Maria Rosaria, please, bring a glass.

Cheers!

Dad...

I'm writing you this letter, because I wouldn't be able to tell you otherwise.

That's a pity.

And that's sad.

You passed me down your obsession for perfectionism...

your eyes, the color of your hair, your long and thin fingers.

You taught me to follow my truth.

But my truth is different from yours, today.

My answers are different.

I will take a very different direction from yours, Dad.

Forgive me.

I will miss you so much.

Ruben! Stay close to me.

I will pray so that you'll be saved this next year, too.

Thank you.

Don't give up.

To my mother Elena Sperling