Original subtitles

(CARS PASSING)

(BELL TOLLING)

(PEOPLE LAUGHING)

(ALL CHATTERING)

WOMAN 1: Wonderful meal.

WOMAN 2: Yes, dancing. I want to go dancing!

WOMAN 3: And now? Where shall we go?

(MAN SPEAKING ITALIAN)

Great job. Oh, no, I know where we'll go.

Yeah, what? Let's go to Harry's Bar.

Yeah, come on. Come on!

I'll buy you all a drink at Harry's Bar.

(ALL CHEERING)

(PEOPLE CLAMORING)

WOMAN 3: There's no room for Kuki.

Kuki. Come on, Kuki.

Come in our car. Hurry now.

I'll take Gabriella. She won't fit in the Alfa anymore.

Come here. Come in.

Come on. Let's go!

(LAUGHS)

(CAR HORN HONKING)

(WOMEN LAUGHING)

MAN: Can you believe that?

(ALL SINGING IN ITALIAN)

(ALL LAUGHING)

MAN: What are you gonna call it, this bump here?

If it's a girl, Valentina.

Nice. It won't be long now, Gabriella.

I know. Eleven weeks, three days.

(LAUGHING) Not that she's counting. Do you have children, Kuki?

Emanuele. He's seven.

Oh, Emanuele. What a lovely name.

DRIVER: Hey, look at that truck. What's he doing?

He's coming straight at us! What's he doing?

Paolo! He's gonna hit us!

(TIRES SCREECHING)

(ALL SCREAMING)

GABRIELLA: (CRYING) My baby! Help me!

PAOLO: Please, God, help us!

(CRYING) Help me.

Someone!

Marina. Marina!

(SOBBING) Oh, my God. Marina!

Marina!

MAN: Gabriella!

(CAR APPROACHING)

Gabriella!

(CAR DOOR OPENS)

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

WOMAN: Kuki! I don't see Kuki!

MAN: I'll stop the bleeding. PAOLO: Help!

Someone!

(PRAYING IN LATIN)

No! No!

(GASPING)

(KUKI GROANING)

(SCREAMS)

MAN ON PA: Nurse Marini to Pathology, please.

Nurse Marini to Pathology. Thank you.

WOMAN 1 ON PA: Dr. Furi in Emergency, please.

Dr. Furi in Emergency.

WOMAN 2 ON PA: Dr. Ricci to Radiology. Dr. Ricci to Radiology.

Hi, Pep.

(GROANS) What happened to it?

Does it look frightful?

It looks like this, only bigger.

FRANCA: Remember when your friend Christian broke his leg?

That's what happened to your mother.

Well, when will you be home?

(GROANS)

It won't be long.

Not for a few weeks, though.

You can come see me every day.

Even school days?

Sure. We can do your homework together.

Are you in pain?

Not too bad.

Paolo, I'm so sorry.

(SIGHS) It was...

This shouldn't have happened to you.

(STAMMERING) I don't know how to help or...

It's nobody's fault.

It's nobody's fault.

(GROANS)

Nurse.

(CALL BUTTON BUZZING)

She's in pain. Please do something.

Paolo, you should go home.

Is there someone there with you?

Yes. Thank you.

For a while, I couldn't remember who else was in the car.

Paolo. Go home.

EMANUELE: "Gravity. Gravity holds objects on the ground.

"It is called gravity. Gravity is very important.

"If there was no gravity..."

That's not the way I heard it.

GABRIELLA: Oh, lookit, Kuki. That's the blanket your mother gave her.

Sweet, huh? She is so beautiful.

I know, I know. Well, she's not so beautiful at 3:00 in the morning.

Emanuele must miss you.

Mmm-hmm. He's been here almost every day.

(CHUCKLES) Oh, that's his snake.

It's a full moon tonight. Can you see it?

No.

May I?

Of course.

May I turn off the light?

Have they found the driver?

The police

have given up.

Can you see it now?

Not quite.

There.

It's beautiful.

KUKI: It's 4:00 in the morning.

I can hear the traffic in the street below.

The doctors say that next week I'll be leaving,

but for now I do nothing but lie here and think.

I'm divorced, raising a child on my own.

I feel a terrible sense of failure.

Everyone tells me I'm lucky to be alive.

I know this is a chance to find meaning in my life, to give it value.

(DOGS BARKING)

But I'm afraid that I'm only a dreamer who hasn't the courage to change.

Hey! (LAUGHS) Hey.

(CHILDREN CHATTERING)

KUKI: But there's always Ema.

At least I got that right.

Hey. Ciao.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

(KNOCKING CONTINUES)

KUKI: Hello. Hi.

I was nearby. A bridge repair in Treviso.

Come in.

If it's no trouble.

KUKI: No, no, of course not.

PAOLO: It must be great to be home at last.

(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

KUKI: He remarried. I think they're in the States.

And he keeps in touch with Emanuele?

Not even when we were married.

(SIGHING)

So you came back to live here?

It seemed easiest.

I run things here for my mother.

She's too busy between the museum and the university,

and I like to be home for Ema.

You know, when he gets out of school. Mmm-hmm.

(STAMMERS) That's Lake Rudolph. And is that you?

(CHUCKLES) That's me.

My father spent a lot of time in Africa when he was younger.

He wanted me to see all the places he loved.

I was managing a ranch there with my brother.

Really? Yeah.

Near Kilimanjaro.

He had an accident out there.

What happened?

I'll tell you one day.

Anyway, the idea was to learn the ropes, buy a place.

I felt I belonged there.

I was at peace.

(SIGHS)

After the accident,

I told myself all the usual things.

How lucky I was to be alive.

EMANUELE: Pep! Pep, come quickly!

Excuse me.

Bad dream.

You know how to get rid of bad dreams?

You draw it.

Now tear it up.

And again. Yes.

Now give it to me.

Wow. Don't set fire to the bed.

(KUKI CHUCKLES)

PAOLO: Bye.

That's how you get rid of bad dreams.

Says who? Says me.

You think you're the only one who has them?

(CHUCKLES)

(LAUGHS SOFTLY)

Night. Night.

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOG BARKING)

If you're out this way... Thank you.

Thank your mother for me. Of course.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

PAOLO: No more cast.

No more cast.

(BOTH LAUGHING)

(CHILDREN CLAMORING)

KUKI: This man has come into our lives,

and for the first time in many years

I feel a sense of hope, of life returning.

Now can I have a kiss? He loves Emanuele

and my son adores him.

(FOLK MUSIC PLAYING)

But there's a restlessness in him.

He's afraid I won't understand.

But I do. I understand that most of all.

These last few months, you, me and Paolo, we've been happy, right?

Mmm-hmm.

Paolo's selling his house. He's giving up his job.

He wants you and I to go to Africa and live with him.

He wants to take care of us.

You mean leave here? Leave Nona and Grandpapa?

Wouldn't it be fun to make a new start in a new place?

Yeah.

You see... Ema, look at me.

I've stopped growing.

Out you go.

(PLAYS PIANO)

Well?

EMANUELE: Will there be elephants where we live?

There might be. Go to bed.

And giraffes? KUKI: Bed! Now!

I'll never go to bed in Africa.

(BOTH CHUCKLING)

It's Paolo.

I'm not surprised.

We're talking about going to Kenya to live,

after we're married.

Kuki!

I know it seems sudden to you.

Oh, Kuki, it's not Venice.

I mean, have you given any thought at all

to how it would be for you and Ema actually living in Africa?

I mean, it's so unpredictable.

You were always the one that said I was afraid of a challenge.

Well, not all challenges are worth accepting.

I'm not afraid. Well, then you should be.

You're not thinking about the hardship and the risks.

You are responsible for a child now.

It's the experience of a lifetime for Ema.

He'll find happiness and freedom.

Oh, freedom. You say freedom to make it sound noble.

It's just your willfulness. And you never think things through.

Listen to me, Kuki, because I love you.

Because you're afraid of being lonely

and you don't want me to take Ema away.

I am afraid. And who isn't?

And I don't want you to take...

Madam. Not now, Gregorio.

(SOFTLY) I don't want you to take Ema away.

But just listen to me.

I adore Paolo.

But now you're planning to...

(BOTH CHATTERING IN ITALIAN)

You are planning to go off to Africa with a man you hardly know.

I love him, Mother.

I really do. Do you?

We're not easy people, you and I.

I haven't gone out of my way to make it easy.

EMANUELE: Bye, Nona. I love you. Bye!

Bye! Bye. Come and see us!

Bye!

(ELEPHANTS TRUMPETING)

EMANUELE: Zebras! Down there!

KUKI: Africa!

(VULTURES SQUAWKING)

Look! Vultures!

(PAOLO SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

Vultures.

What kind of people do this?

(SIGHS) Poachers, for the ivory.

They probably did this while it was still alive.

Butchers.

Paolo.

They'll destroy everything.

Let's get Ema away from here.

(ELEPHANTS TRUMPETING)

(DOGS BARKING) GIRL: Come into my tent.

WOMAN: Your son seems so happy.

Why the tents?

Oh, everyone lives so far away, when we have a party, they seem to stay for days.

You'll get used to it. Life has a different rhythm here in Kenya.

(AIRPLANE APPROACHING)

Whoa, look at that plane!

I tell them not to do that!

Duncan! Duncan!

...held back.

This is a precision instrument.

(WOMEN CHATTERING) Here.

You might want to try looking at the Cameron place, eh?

Old Harry's getting tired of fighting with the poachers.

Come on, Mike, give it a go. All right.

Well, there's another place at Kipini, near Ras en Nogomeni.

It's... On the coast.

Yes. I'd rather be above 4,000 feet.

(GUN COCKING)

Ready, Duncan? Yeah. Let's give it a go.

Yeah. Right.

(GUN FIRES)

Damn. (CHUCKLES) There's another at Laikipia.

Good cattle country. Yes.

Ol Ari Nyiro. That's right.

It's owned by a consortium of bankers. It's in terrible condition.

It's been on the market a month or so. Ready?

Yep. Go!

(GUN FIRES)

Oh, good shot!

(LAUGHING)

God, it's good to be back.

PAOLO: Ol Ari Nyiro.

KUKI: Ol Ari Nyiro.

(HORN HONKING)

(CHILDREN CLAMORING)

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(CHILDREN SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

PAOLO: Look, Ema, over there, behind those hills.

That's the Great Rift Valley.

It's almost derelict. KUKI: I'll say.

That's why it's such a good price.

(PAOLO SIGHS)

The work it needs!

(EXHALES)

(GASPS) Oh, what a view!

Hey, look. Wildebeest. Wildebeest.

(GASPS)

Look.

EMANUELE: Impalas. PAOLO: Yeah.

(ALL LAUGHING) Very good.

I'm going to explore.

What a view.

Wow!

(HENS CLUCKING)

Paolo says there's a waterhole. Mmm.

Mimi Kuki Gallmann.

(SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

Emanuele.

Mimi Simon.

Simon. Asante.

(SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

I am Mrs. Gallmann.

Mimi Wanjiku.

(STAMMERS) Wanjiku?

(DOOR OPENING)

Second ball. All right? I'll come in.

It's there. And she's good!

(CAR APPROACHING)

That must be Declan, the ranch manager.

Morning. DECLAN: Morning.

Paolo Gallmann. How are you doing?

Fine.

Are you Declan? Yeah. This is Mirimuk.

Hi.

(BOTH SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

My wife and son.

Can you help me with that? DECLAN: Sure. Come in.

Can you put the map here?

It's an old map.

Cattle stations are marked here and here.

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

I think he wants us to come with him.

Let's go see.

DECLAN: No one's put any cattle in the place for years.

(BIRDS SQUAWKING)

(SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(EMANUELE SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(ELEPHANT TRUMPETING)

PAOLO: Kuki?

KUKI: Hurry.

We've arrived.

DECLAN: So how many other places have you seen?

PAOLO: We looked at the place at Kipini.

DECLAN: Oh, yes, the Stroud place.

I think so.

(SIGHS) Well, it's, uh... It's quite a sad story.

Why?

They were a young English couple.

They got into a lot of debt. Things got very bad.

They shot their two children and then they shot themselves.

Look, you're... You're lucky to have Simon. He's a Turkana.

He turned up four years ago out of the blue.

Something makes him stay.

This just isn't a place for amateurs.

(ELEPHANTS TRUMPETING)

KUKI: Looking into the night,

I can see eyes staring back at me.

In the dark, something is moving.

I am afraid, but I am also happy.

I've never been here before and yet I feel like I've returned.

I am at peace.

EMANUELE: I heard noises.

(BOTH LAUGHING)

Come in.

Come on.

(EXHALING)

Listen.

(BIRD COOING)

We call that the go-away bird.

(BIRD CRYING)

(WHISTLING) And that...

Nightjars.

(ELEPHANT TRUMPETING)

Elephant. Elephant.

(ANIMAL NOISES CONTINUE)

(SAWING)

(HAMMERING)

Hey, Pep! Snake!

Ema, no!

PAOLO: What? What is it? Get away from it!

Oh, it's only a python. It's not poisonous.

EMANUELE: Can I keep it? Please, Pep.

I'll call him Kaa, like in the Kipling story.

PAOLO: Yeah. EMANUELE: Remember, Pep?

(CHUCKLES)

Touch it. He'll like it.

(GROANING)

(PAOLO CHUCKLES)

(METALLIC CLANGING)

KUKI: Paolo, you be careful.

I'm fine. We'll have fresh water soon.

KUKI: Oh, boy.

Good. You got up.

Finally.

You're looking very godlike this morning.

EMANUELE: Gordon. Me?

(EXCLAIMS) Come on, now.

(GIGGLING)

...by my beautiful wife. Kiss me!

(SHOUTS)

(DOGS BARKING)

(ALL CHATTERING)

(BARKING CONTINUES)

PAOLO: Yeah. Yeah, Simon. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's Duncan. I'll go and meet him.

(DOGS BARKING)

DUNCAN: I packed a couple of crates of Scotch.

Should be enough for a week.

PAOLO: Hey, Duncan, don't forget my .375.

(MEN CHATTERING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

We won't keep him long. Anyway, it's not him we want.

It's Luka. He's the best tracker in the country.

(MEN SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(LAUGHING)

(EXCLAIMING)

(GRUNTS)

You'll be okay, won't you, Kuki?

KUKI: Of course. We'll be fine.

Thanks for all the supplies you brought us.

It's the way life's lived here.

It's a different rhythm.

Take care of your mom, okay?

(SIGHS)

Takes some getting used to.

Simon and Wanjiku will take good care of us.

Mmm.

DUNCAN: Well, let's get going.

(CAR DOOR CLOSING) Come on, Romeo.

Easy, boy.

We'll be back in a few days.

I'm going to catch some frogs for Kaa.

Luka, come on!

(FROGS CROAKING)

This is Kaa, my python.

(EMANUELE SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(LAUGHING)

(LION ROARING)

(DOGS BARKING)

(SHOUTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(BARKING CONTINUES)

Simba. Simba where? Simba where?

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

Ema, stay there.

(WANJIKU CONTINUES SHOUTING)

(DOGS BARKING)

(SNARLS)

(WHIMPERS)

Tickler!

(ROARING) Tickler!

(METALLIC CLATTERING)

Tickler, come back! Tickler!

(GUN FIRING)

(ROARING)

(SHOUTING) No, Ema!

(WHIMPERING)

EMANUELE: He was just trying to protect us.

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(WHISPERING) Ema, go to bed. I'll be there soon.

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(GUN FIRES)

KUKI: Paolo's been gone five days now

and there is still no word from him.

Ema keeps asking where he is and I keep making excuses.

What have I gotten myself into?

What have I gotten my son into?

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

What happened?

(SCREAMING)

(SIMON LAUGHS)

(LAUGHING)

(KUKI SCREAMING)

Ema. Ema, don't.

No. No.

(LAUGHING)

(SCREAMS)

(ROOSTER CROWING)

(FLIES BUZZING)

(MEN SNORING)

DECLAN: And then you shot the warthog.

Mmm. Two shots to the back of the head. Bam, bam.

Coffee.

KUKI: And where did you go after that?

Up north to Lake Turkana. We hired a boat and did some fishing.

(MEN LAUGHING) Paolo caught some Nile perch.

Huge great things. Hundred pounds, maybe more.

Don't start, please.

The meat, do we hang it like venison?

Not in this climate. Vincenzo?

Oh, yes, thank you. Wonderful coffee.

Great food, Kuki. Just the job.

Hear, hear. Magnificent.

DUNCAN: You're a lucky man, Paolo.

MIKE: Next time, you and Emanuele must come with us. Hmm?

Mmm. Yeah, please?

Bye. Bye-bye.

(DOG BARKING)

You were gone 10 days, Paolo.

I'm sorry.

What happened to checking out the ranch, like you talked about?

Oh, come on. Look.

What? No watch.

Took it off when the plane landed in Nairobi and I haven't put it on since.

(LAUGHS)

Things have a different rhythm here. You'll get used to it.

So I keep hearing. There are things to do here!

This isn't Italy.

It takes time.

You can't just pick up a phone and make it happen.

I didn't know where you were.

Fine. I'm sorry.

Next time, I'll get word to you.

I'm sorry.

You have two minutes to get dressed.

We're going fishing. Yeah.

We'll go down to the coast. Fishing?

(SQUEALING)

(ALL LAUGHING)

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

(COWS MOOING)

All right. KUKI: How many did we lose?

About four this week.

PAOLO: And six last week.

They're picking up infections somewhere. I'll check the waterholes.

I'll tell you what. We'll dip them tonight.

PAOLO: Okay, that's a good idea.

Wow! Look at the size of those horns.

PAOLO: Hey, let's go!

EMANUELE: You must be especially careful of Kaa.

KUKI: Okay.

Mapengo will help you. You mustn't overfeed them.

I wish I could take them with me.

Ema, are you going to be all right?

Sure! And you know what else?

Charlie says there's a lake for rowing.

You'll be great at that.

I'm gonna miss you, too.

KUKI: I hate it. I hate it.

(BELL TOLLING) I know Ema has to go off to school.

I understand we can't give him the education he needs on the ranch.

I've known it from the time we decided to come to Africa.

But that doesn't make it any easier.

Ema, come here.

He is my son. He is my friend.

Just be the person you are.

Choose your friends. Don't let them choose you.

CHARLIE: Emanuele, come on!

Hey, Charlie.

KUKI: He has been the one constant in my life.

Bye. I love you. What makes it worse is...

PAOLO: Bye, big boy. ...he wants to go.

Bye, Paolo. CHARLIE: Let's go!

(KUKI SIGHS)

Why does love cost us so much? Charlie, wait for me.

Why won't they let us visit on the weekends? It's inhuman.

Hmm. It's the British way. Makes a better man, apparently.

It's ridiculous.

BOY: Got to go. I'll see you later, boys.

(DOG WHIMPERING)

DECLAN: Delta 2-8. Same problem as last year.

(RADIO BUZZING) Yeah, only worse.

I'll speak to you on the sked again tonight.

Delta 2-8 out.

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING ON RADIO)

I was gonna bring those over for you later.

Thanks.

Um, look, Paolo sent word. He's gonna be another couple of days.

I saw some Pokots today with their cattle, near the waterhole.

Yeah, well, they're welcome to the water.

Or they were.

It's just that their water supply dries up sooner than our lake.

Your lake.

So, it's not a problem?

Well, it is. Their cattle are carrying diseases.

They're infecting ours.

We're losing about 10 head a week.

(CHILDREN SHOUTING)

(CHILDREN CHANTING)

(ROOSTER CROWING)

(GOATS BLEATING)

(BOTH SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

Mimi ni Kuki Gallmann.

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

European?

Yes. From Italy.

When I was a boy, the missionaries taught me your language

and told me many stories about European people.

Now at night, I tell my children the same stories.

My father did the same with me as a child,

except his stories were of Africa.

My people know Ol Ari Nyiro for a long time.

Without its water,

our cattle will sicken and die.

Ol Ari Nyiro cattle pick up disease from your cattle.

Without water, the diseases will become much worse.

We have to solve this problem.

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(CROWD MURMURING)

(KUKI SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(ENGINE STALLING)

(ENGINE STARTING)

(GEARS GRINDING)

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(LAUGHING) What is she doing?

Hey, Kuki! Kuki!

What are you doing?

DUNCAN: Hey, it's a deep hole, huh?

(LAUGHING)

MIKE: Building a dam. That's quite an undertaking, Kuki.

In a couple of days, you should be done.

You don't want us to stay over and help finish the job, do you?

We're fine.

It's quite something you did for them, Kuki.

It was for us all.

PAOLO: You don't have to do everything yourself.

KUKI: Apparently I do. I never know if you'll be here.

So I better know how to light lamps, drive tractors, speak Swahili,

fix everything in the house, fight off lions, shoot our dog!

It's not what you expected.

KUKI: What? Africa.

You regret it, don't you?

Coming here.

Is that what you think?

It was just a fantasy. My fantasy.

I love it here. I've never seen Ema so happy.

I've never been more alive in my life.

I just want a piece of you, away from the hunting and your friends.

We have a child

who needs a father.

(DOG BARKING)

(CLATTERING)

What was that?

(ELEPHANT SNORTING)

No! Get out now!

Kuki, wait! Wait!

Paolo, he's out there again! Get out of my garden! Get out!

PAOLO: Be careful! Get the hell out of my garden.

(SNORTING) Move!

Move! Clear off!

Clear off right now!

Go!

Go! Move! Move!

Get the hell away!

You maniac. You're insane.

Ruined! No!

We'll put it right tomorrow. Months of work!

(ELEPHANT TRUMPETS)

(CHUCKLES) A different rhythm.

No! Say it! A different rhythm!

(SHOUTING) No!

(LAUGHING)

KUKI: Paolo, I chased away an elephant.

Yes, you did. A big elephant. Did you see him?

Yep. Big one, isn't it?

(MOTOR CHUGGING)

(MOTOR SPUTTERS)

(MOTOR STOPS)

(CLATTERING)

The generator is off for the night.

(MOANING)

(CAR HORN HONKING)

Hello, Kuki, Simon.

(HORSE NEIGHING)

I picked this up at a farm auction.

Paolo asked me to keep an eye out for one for you.

Being on your own so much, I think he thought, uh...

I'll pop it inside, eh?

Sure.

(DOG WHIMPERS)

We need a Christmas tree, Pep.

It won't be Christmas without a tree.

KUKI: We'll get one. There's plenty of time.

EMANUELE: Pep, Nona's here! Pep!

Nona!

Nona!

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

I'll get the bag.

Oh, it's so good to see you.

Quick, to the house! It's so good to see you.

It's been a long time. Watch your step.

Come see my room. Come on.

So, this is Africa.

Oh, we haven't had rain in six months. Let's go to my room.

Thank you. Come on.

FRANCA: Happy Christmas.

KUKI: Mother, how can you part with it?

And you've loved it all this time.

(SIGHS) It's beautiful. It's beautiful.

It'll look wonderful here in Africa.

(GRUNTING)

(TRUCK APPROACHING)

FRANCA: Shouldn't we go back? We might get stuck.

KUKI: Don't worry so much.

(HORN HONKING) The heavy rains don't come until April.

(WARTHOG GRUNTING) FRANCA: Careful, there's a hole.

(LOUD BANGING)

Kuki, what is that? What is that? Is it a dog?

That is not a dog.

EMANUELE: No, it's a warthog.

FRANCA: Are you sure this is the right road?

KUKI: I've lived here a year, Mother.

I should know the roads by now.

Are we stuck?

(ENGINE REVVING)

Well, we're stuck.

All right. I'll walk back and get Paolo to help pull us out.

You two can stay in the jeep.

Alone?

It's easier, Mother, if I go alone...

We are staying together and we'll walk back together.

But it's easier if I go alone.

I am not... It's only a few kilometers.

I don't care. I don't care.

We are not staying here alone.

It's going to get dark. They'll be back soon to tow us out.

Well, I'm not staying here alone. All right, okay.

Okay, Mother, but be quiet.

What do you mean, "Be quiet"?

(SHUSHING) The animals.

Oh, Kuki! My new Guccis!

EMANUELE: (GROANING) I'm stuck, I'm stuck.

I can't get out!

I told you we'd get stuck.

KUKI: I stop, you stop.

FRANCA: What's that? What's that noise?

KUKI: (SHUSHING) Don't talk.

FRANCA: Gordon, come back, boy.

KUKI: Come on, let's sing.

* Good King Wenceslas looked out

* On the feast of Stephen

ALL: * When the snow lay round about

* Deep and crisp and even

* Brightly shone the moon that night

* On the sixth day of Christmas

* My true love sent to me

* Six geese a-laying Five golden rings *

FRANCA: Thank God! There's the house!

Mother, don't run.

(HORN HONKING)

PAOLO: Thanks for pulling us out, Declan.

Hey, Franca. Hello.

Kuki, may I have a word with you?

Look.

You, Ema, your mother,

Gordon and one, two lions, very big.

From the tracks, they were stalking you the whole way.

You're lucky to be alive.

Hey, thank you, darling. Just what I wanted.

Did you see the frangipani?

Look, just about to blossom.

Oh, what is it called?

Frangipani. Beautiful tree, isn't it?

FRANCA: These three weeks have gone so fast.

You will make the cricket team this year, right?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah?

(LAUGHING) That's wonderful.

I'm gonna miss you.

(BOTH CHATTERING)

PAOLO: Next time we'll take you to Kilifi on the coast. We'll go fishing.

Ah, if the sun comes out!

(PAOLO LAUGHING)

PAOLO: Don't forget your Guccis next time.

Oh, what a tease. Guccis!

Yeah. Could you bring me like 20 packs of Brewsters?

Great. Have a good flight.

FRANCA: Bye, darling. You be sure to write.

Careful on the road.

KUKI: From the western border of Ol Ari Nyiro,

the land falls away into the rift valley.

I look out and back across all of human time on Earth.

I am alone.

Over the years, I've become good at being alone.

And yet I am never alone.

I'm surrounded by Africa.

I'm surrounded by life.

It is a gift I did not expect.

(HORN HONKING)

DUNCAN: Kuki, buffalos gored Paolo! We'll take him to the house.

(HORNS HONKING)

(ALL SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(SHOUTING)

Oh, son of a bitch. Buffalo just came out of nowhere.

(GROANING) Come, quickly. Pressure, here.

Hold him.

Water!

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

DUNCAN: A buffalo took a shot in the shoulder, then gored him.

(PAOLO GROANING)

DUNCAN: Kuki, get back here.

Hold the two together. That's it.

Another inch, would have got his artery.

(OPERA MUSIC PLAYING)

KUKI: Fettuccine. SIMON: Fettuccine.

Bravo. Asante.

(PAOLO CHATTERING)

Right.

What's going on?

Luka tracked the wounded bull to the Mukutan.

We've got to get him before he gets someone else.

Declan can do it.

He's in Mombasa. Cattle auction.

Luka can't go alone?

That old bastard won't get away from me again.

Let's go. Nothing will stop you.

Go ahead, kill yourself!

Hey...

PAOLO: Let's go.

That's so I don't hit you with it.

Listen.

What if one day you don't come back?

But I always do!

And you'll always go, again and again.

I can't be in one place every day, not even this place.

Out there, there's just the moment.

One error of judgment, one lapse in concentration

and it's your last! I need that!

I can't explain it.

And it's not fair to you, but I need it.

We came here to change things, to change our lives.

I'm doing the best I can, Kuki, but...

Go.

Go.

(CHOIR SINGING)

* ...through the years

* We do our best to serve the rest

* And cast aside our fears

Choir practice on Saturday will be postponed until Monday at 4:00

to allow time for exam revision.

And the Atticus Thursday Evening Meeting Club

will not now take place in the clubhouse

due to an infestation of cockroaches.

(STUDENTS LAUGHING)

You will convene in the gymnasium instead.

And finally, this afternoon's cricket match with the second eleven...

Hit 'em for six, Pembroke!

ALL: Hit 'em for six, Pembroke!

(PEOPLE APPLAUDING)

(BELL RINGING)

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

(WIND HOWLING)

Over here!

(SHOUTING)

(HORN HONKING)

(SHOUTING)

Declan, lift the...

Wanjiku! Wanjiku!

(HORSE WHINNYING)

(DOGS BARKING)

(GLASS SHATTERING)

Over here!

Be careful!

(MAN SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(HORSES SNORTING)

(SIGHING)

KUKI: When did he grow up, this son of ours?

When did he become a young man?

He must've grown three inches since I saw him at Easter.

I hold him and try to remember the little boy

who ran wild when we first came to Africa.

Bye, Charlie.

KUKI: Ema is more like Paolo every day.

The same smile, the same gestures.

The same need for excitement.

And like his father, he can talk me into anything.

(LAUGHING)

* By the rivers of Babylon

* Where we sat down

* And there we wept

* When we remembered Zion

There's an auction next week in Nairobi.

I really want that bull.

* Carried us away in captivity

* Required from us a song

Emanuele. For you.

(GASPS)

(CHUCKLES)

Thanks, Paolo. Pep, look!

Nice, huh? We'll try it tomorrow.

All right.

Huh? Do you like it?

(PAOLO LAUGHING)

* How can we sing King Alpha's song... *

(MOOING)

(MAN SHOUTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE ON RADIO)

Poachers!

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(CHATTERING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(YELLING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(POACHER SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

It's a snare. It gets buried in their leg

and cuts off the blood supply till the animal can't walk.

And then the poachers, they just come along and pick it off.

KUKI: The last one, he's Pokot.

Isn't he? Yeah.

Bastards! Bastards!

It's over.

It's not. It's getting worse.

Butchers.

(FLIES BUZZING)

(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING ON CAR RADIO)

(HUMMING)

(WHISTLING)

(SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

I am looking for the Gilgil road.

Well, on the left, back at the last...

Get out of the car! Hey!

I said, get out of the car! Out of the car!

PAOLO: Okay, okay!

Out of the car!

Okay! Okay.

(BANDITS SHOUTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(BANDITS SHOUTING)

(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

(GIGGLING)

(CHATTERING)

Hello, you.

WANJIKU: Mrs. Gallmann?

(CRYING)

(SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

Mr. Gallmann?

Some people don't like you and your wife chasing poachers off your land.

I've put a message in it for you.

But to get the message, you must first break the egg.

Open it whenever you want.

The message will be there waiting for you when the time is right.

You'll know when that is.

I had a dream last night.

I dreamt we had a baby daughter.

Everyone was here to celebrate.

The baby was a dream about life.

It's why we came here, isn't it?

To make a new life.

(SHOUTING)

(WHISTLING)

PAOLO: Move them along!

Move them along!

When I'm through in Mombasa, I'll pick up her cradle.

It should be ready by now.

It will be beautiful. I promise.

Like she will be.

You're so sure it's a girl.

You'll see. You'll see.

(LAUGHING)

(TRUCK APPROACHING)

DUNCAN: She'll be asleep. We'll have to wake her.

Oh, no.

There was an accident on the Shimoni road.

A truck. They say it was all over in...

(CRYING)

...go around again.

(ALL MURMURING)

KUKI: Paolo always said...

Paolo always said,

"We cannot choose where we are born,

"but we can choose where we live and where we die."

I wrote this for you, Paolo.

"Your eyes were the color of water.

"Yes, you are the water.

"They were transparent, like the air.

"You are the air now.

"You are the sky.

"Your skin was baked by the sun,

"like the Kenyan earth you loved so much.

"You are this red, dry dust now.

"Forever, Paolo.

"You have become everything."

(SINGING)

(WHISTLING)

(BOTH SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

She is very happy.

(EXCLAIMS)

He's lit a fire there every night since Paolo died.

Kuki, for once in your life, just hear us out, please.

When I go back to Italy,

I want you and the children to come home.

You've the baby to think of now, Kuki.

As well as Emanuele.

Now, I know you think that I didn't believe in you

when you and Paolo came out here.

I was afraid for you.

And maybe I didn't believe in you, but I was wrong.

And coming here has brought out the best in you

and I love seeing it.

But how could you run this place alone, now with a new baby...

And Paolo gone.

Soon Ema will go away to college.

You'll have no one. Please.

Let me take care of you.

(SIGHS)

* Carried us away in captivity

* Required from us a song

EMANUELE: See the egg? Paolo put a secret in it, a message.

Sveva, look.

(ALL SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

Poachers are coming into Ol Ari Nyiro.

They're killing the animals.

This is not my concern.

The animals on my land are my concern. They are my responsibility.

Children of my people who go without food are mine.

Of course your children must be fed.

That's the most important thing. But this killing must stop.

Your people are great warriors.

I need men like them to help us keep guard at night.

DECLAN: Okay, boys, let's try again.

Load.

Aim!

Pick your target.

Fire!

(MEN SINGING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(HORN HONKING)

Don't insult my intelligence with excuses, Emanuele.

There is no excuse.

I said no poisonous snakes! I've said it a dozen times!

They're only dangerous if you don't know how to handle them.

I don't care!

No more! Look at me! Look at me when I'm talking to you!

Do you hear me? Do you hear me?

I know what I'm doing.

I'm not afraid like you are.

How can you say that to me?

There are risks and then there's stupidity.

Dear God, you've got a little sister here.

Nothing will happen to Sveva.

Paolo would say what I'm saying. You know he would.

Ema, please, don't do this.

(DOG BARKING)

(WATER SPLASHING)

Stanford.

I'm in!

Oh, Paolo would be so proud of you.

I'm not going.

I'm not leaving you.

When we first came here, I put a plant in the soil.

I was lucky if it grew.

I didn't know how. I didn't know anything.

We think we run this place, but we don't.

It runs us.

Any farm's like that, I guess.

We solve each problem, but we never get ahead.

Stanford's not gonna teach me how to run a ranch in Kenya.

You want to do more than run this ranch,

a lot more and you know it.

You have to go away so you can come back,

or we'll have no future here.

KUKI: It's Karen's birthday.

In a few days, there will be a going-away party for Ema.

He leaves for Stanford next week.

Since Paolo's death, just having Ema here has been a great comfort

and now he is going halfway around the world.

EMANUELE: Hey, everyone, it's a python. A big one.

MAN: Python?

It's only a python. It's harmless.

Oh, yes. Right. They squeeze you to death.

EMANUELE: Quick! We need to measure it. We have to measure it.

You get the tape.

God, it's enormous.

Get a tape measure.

Dad, get a tape measure.

EMANUELE: Look at it. Isn't it beautiful?

MIKE: Here's the tape measure. You grab that end.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

Thirteen and a half feet.

BOTH: Thirteen and a half feet!

(GIVING IT UP FOR YOUR LOVE PLAYING)

(WHISTLING)

* I know you told me

* That you'd always love me

* And I believed it was true

(ALL CHEERING)

* So I saved the best

* And I'm ready

* My love only just for you

* Come back here

* Come back real quick

* My heart is aching

* And my body's feeling weak

* I'll be all right

* Yes, I'll be okay

* Come on now, baby

* Listen to what I say

* Don't want your money, baby

* Don't need your car

(ALL CHEERING)

(WHISTLING)

* I'm givin' it up for your love, everything

* Givin' it up for your love right now

* I'm givin' it up for your love, everything *

(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

Good boy.

Good boy.

What are you doing?

Just borrowing this book.

You going to Charlie's today?

Yeah. The party's not until 6:00.

Bye, Sveva. Bye, Mom.

Bye.

(GROANS)

(SHOUTING)

Ma'am!

What?

Emanuele... What?

He's bitten by a snake. What kind?

A puff adder.

Declan, can you hear me?

Can you hear me, Declan?

Ema's been bitten by a puff adder!

I'll bring him to the airstrip.

Declan, come in!

(WANJIKU SHOUTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

Emanuele. Emanuele.

Get the serum!

Serum! Serum!

(LOUD CLATTERING)

Emanuele? Emanuele, what do I do?

Do I cut your hand?

Do I cut your arm? Tell me what to do.

(CRYING) Tell me what to do. Tell me.

Mama.

Tell me!

Mama. Tell me.

I'm dying.

No! No!

What do I do?

What do I do? What do I do?

Tell me what to do! Tell me what to do!

Do I cut your arm? Do I cut your hand? Tell me!

Oh, God! Simon, what do I do?

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

God!

(SIMON CRYING)

(CRYING) Oh, God.

God, help us!

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(HORN HONKING)

God!

(MEN SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

God, oh, God. God, please!

Anything but this, please, God!

(SIMON SHOUTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

DECLAN: Check his mouth, quickly, check his mouth.

Quickly, breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe.

Okay.

Go on.

Go, go, go!

(GRUNTS) Okay!

No! No! Come on!

Come on, come on, come on, come on.

(DECLAN GRUNTING)

(CRYING)

He's gone.

Kuki, he's gone.

(CRYING)

(GROANING)

(CRYING) Oh...

"Only yesterday morning,

"we were laughing together.

"Today I am here with your friends to bury you.

"To bury a husband was hard.

"To bury my son is against nature,

"and a pain which words cannot tell.

"You died knowing you were dying, but you were not afraid.

"You were 17, but wise beyond your age.

"And now you know the answer to all questions.

"I will look for you.

"I will look for you always.

"I will... I will see you in every flower,

"in every bird,

"in every sunset,

"in every crawling snake.

"Everything of beauty will forever be you, Emanuele.

"Anything young and proud,

"anything good and strong.

"For us who are left

"remains to wonder at the reason for such waste.

"Where has all this love gone?

"I hope your journey has been good

"because you have already arrived.

"Fly for me, bird of the sun.

"Fly high.

"I love you so."

(RIVERS OF BABYLON PLAYING)

* By the rivers of Babylon

* Where we sat down

* And there we wept

* When we remembered Zion

* But the wicked carried us away in captivity

* Required from us a song

DUNCAN: Load.

(GUNS COCKING)

Aim. Fire.

(GUNS FIRING)

Load.

(GUNS COCKING)

Aim.

Fire.

(CHATTERING)

Okay. Goodbye. I love you.

I love you.

May I come back soon?

I wish you would.

Bless you.

(ENGINE REVVING)

Bye!

KUKI: Finally, all we can do is to let the days instruct us,

and know that the only gift worth having is the grace to go on

with the job to be done, the people to love,

and knowing what we love, we can never lose.

There is no holding on in this world.

We came to this extraordinary place

and Africa let us lead extraordinary lives.

Then Africa claimed an extraordinary price.

That was Africa's privilege.

And now it is my privilege to look after Africa herself.