All language subtitles for Imagining.Argentina.2003.720p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]

When Orpheus brought his wife
back from the underworld

from hell

he was told he must not
look back at her

whatever happened.

Orpheus!

But at last

he could not resist the sound
of her voice calling his name

turned back,

and so lost her forever.

When the military dictatorship
fell in 1983, here in Argentina

we were told that
we should never look back.

Yes, There was injustice.
Yes, mistakes were made.

But if we looked back,
the pain will never end.

The wounds will never heal.

The generals
had already changed

the meaning of the words
"to disappear."

For them, things disappeared.

People disappeared.

But they spoke
of disappearing people

disappearing their enemies.

They had changed the language.

And now, they wanted
to disappear a past.

They told us,
we must never look back.

But, we have to look back.

It is our sacred duty
to look back.

Carlos!

I am sorry. Sorry.
Let's go from the top.

I'll see you, Silvio.

Bye-bye, Carlos. What
time is the call tomorrow?

10:00. I'll see you tomorrow.
Bring it down two.

Cecilia.

Cecilia.

What's the matter?

Where's Mama?

And you say

she had been receiving
threatening phone calls?

Two, yes. Did you report them?

No.

Perhaps she left
of her own free will.

Have you quarreled recently?

I told you, Pedro saw
three men taking her away.

Yes. In a green Ford Falcon.

Did you get the plate
number? There were no plates.

Are you sure about this?

I think so.

You think so?

I hope you don't believe

all that crap
about people disappearing.

It's just propaganda, you know.

And this article of my wife
is about people disappearing.

Perhaps she is just
trying to prove her point.

And you are a writer also,
are you?

Yes, I am a writer.

Don't worry.

We'll find your wife.
If she's to be found.

You're very stubborn.
I don't see the point.

They are frightened. That's...

It's just gonna cause trouble.
Why are you doing this?

Because our government
has managed somehow

to invent
a new kind of information.

What? What do you mean?

Okay, somebody just disappears and
they say, "Oh, my God, how terrible

we're doing everything we can."

And you know and they know,
they ordered the arrest.

You know, politics is like dog
shit. You don't want to step in it.

No, I don't feel
that way at all.

You see, I agree with every
word you say in this piece.

I still don't think
you should publish it.

Carlos, why not?

Just too provocative.

Carlos, these were schoolchildren
protesting about bus fares.

About bus fares!

Vanished without a trace!

Will this bring them back?
But that's not the point here.

Well, what is the point?

Somebody has to say something.

All I am saying, you see...

Around that corner
in the Casa Rosada

is a gang of insane paranoiacs
who that think Gerald Ford

is a member of the international
communist conspiracy.

Cecilia, you are acting
on the assumption

they are Russian.
Now, they are not.

They're mad dogs. They bite.

Rubén!

Silvio. Hi.

- Hello.
- Hey.

There is some kind of
demonstration going on in the plaza.

Really?
Old women in headscarves.

How's your movie? Same old crap.

I'm gonna have a look. Me, too.

Are you coming? No.

Back in 10 minutes.
Watch out for dog shit.

There were rumors
this was gonna happen.

Who are they? The
mothers of the disappeared.

If those mothers
in the square aren't afraid

shouldn't I have the courage
to tell the truth?

It's different for them.
Why? What do you mean?

For them, the disaster
has already happened.

And it wasn't something they
provoked themselves, was it?

Next thing, you'll be saying
they're a lot of troublemakers

who probably deserve
to be disappeared.

No, you know that's not
what I meant. This is what is...

Can we talk about something
else, please? Yes, please.

Listen, those schoolchildren who
complained about the bus fares

were Teresa's age. Suppose
it had happened to Teresa?

Suppose what had happened to me?

You're not thinking
what you're saying. That's it.

Are you trying to tell me
I am not allowed

to talk about these things
in my own home?

Suppose what had
happened to me? Nothing.

You know what she's like
when she gets like that.

You're right.

Of course, you're right.

Yes.

All the same, I felt I had to...

I don't know, say something.

Carlos.

I love you.

Teresa?

I couldn't sleep.

Mind if I sit with you?

I should have stopped her
writing those things.

How could you have stopped her?

It's what she does.

Come here.

Excuse me, just a second.
Have you seen this woman?

She has disappeared,
like, eight weeks ago. No.

Sir, have you seen this woman?

How did it go? All right.

Second act was a little
sluggish. Sorry, I missed it.

You would have been
of more use here

instead of wandering around
in the rain.

What's Enrico doing?

He's waiting to see you.

You have a problem.

What is it, Enrico?

You have to release me from
the play. I can't come anymore.

Why? I don't want
to talk about it.

They have taken your father.

Who told you? Nobody told me.

But, you tell me what happened.

They broke into the apartment

at 3:00 in the morning
and took him. Yes.

Tonight

they will arrive in his cell,
three of them.

One of the men, a colonel

will tell your father
to be more careful

about what he says
to his students.

He will make him admit
that a professor

is not capable of understanding
the government's intention.

He will ask him to promise never
to criticize the government again.

Your father will promise.

Later tonight

they will release him,

and drive him back
close to where you live.

Believe me.

Carlos.

Are you all right?

I don't know.

I told Enrico his father
would be released tonight.

You did what?

Why did you do that?

I know you are going through
hard times, Carlos, but...

I couldn't stop myself, Esme.

It was like a hallucination,
like I have seen

the whole thing in a movie.

It was like I was watching...

Like I was remembering

the future.

No, I asked you.

You didn't.

Yes. My God!

I can't believe you have
forgotten this, I asked you.

Impossible.

Impossible. How?

I said, "Will you
marry me," you fool.

No, I mean, how did it arise?

How could I have left that
sacred task in your hands?

It arose out of me explaining
why I wanted to be a journalist.

Really, you can't remember? No.

I said I wanted
to be a journalist,

so I could ask
difficult questions,

and you said,
"Ask me a difficult question."

And then I said,
"Will you marry me?" No?

It's so typical that you can't
remember. It's so hurtful.

So, what did I say?

You went bright red and
made a puffing noise like a train.

And that was all? No.

You kissed me.

That was the best kiss
I ever had.

It happened, Señor Rueda.

Exactly what you said.
The colonel, everything.

Thank you. Thank you.

I am very pleased.

Listen, Enrico.

Go downstairs,
and I'll see you in a minute.

It was a probably a coincidence.

No.

Please come this evening.

I may be able to help you.

Thanks to all of you,

for coming here to my house.

I don't know how to
explain this to you because...

I don't know
how to explain it to myself.

All I can say is

that I may be able
to help some of you

whose loved ones
have disappeared.

With information.

I need their names,

and the circumstances
of the disappearance.

And if I fail, I will have
to ask you to forgive me.

But, we have nothing.

So it seemed worth the attempt.

My grandson's name
is Octavio Marquez.

He is an athlete.

They took him last month
from the stadium.

He is not interested
in politics.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. It's...

It's not working.

Señ Rueda.

It's just not working.
I am sorry.

My son...

My son's name is Victor Madrid.

He is 15 years old.

Sometimes

he says stupid things about
subjects he doesn't understand.

And last Friday, he didn't
come home from school.

Victor Madrid?

Yes.

They picked him up

at the school gates.

They drove him out
into the pampas.

Took him to a place
they often use.

They were preparing to kill him.

No!

Because it was
a known killing ground

it was being watched.

And Victor was rescued.

He is still in hiding.

And soon he will find a way
to get a message to you.

Yes.

Señor.

My daughter

is called Julia Obregon.

She is

a social worker.

They took her from her office

three weeks ago.

I am sorry.

I will tell you later
if you want.

Any detail
that you need to know.

My mother's name
is Cecilia Rueda.

They took her from this house

on May 23.

My father

came home from the theater,

and she was gone.

Give me your hands.

Teresa.

She is strong.

She is so strong.

The way she fights them

is by never letting go
of the idea of escape.

Last night

last night

she succeeded.

Jump.

Go! Go! Go!

Yes!

Run!

Yes!

Carlos!

I've lost her. No.

No.

You fainted. Are you all right?

I'm sorry.

Maybe I shouldn't
have asked you.

You were right.

It was the right thing to do.

But I lost her.

Why did I lose her?

You're very tired.

Say it, Silvio, say it.
It isn't right, Carlos.

Even if what you say is true,
it still isn't right.

And I don't see
how it can be true.

It is true.

Don't ask me how I know.
I just do.

It's not rational. You've only
ever believed in what is rational.

I have to believe in this
because it's happening.

This is absurd! Silvio...

I don't have the energy
to quarrel with you, really.

Just please go.

Are you coming?

I'll stay over.

Foghorn. What?

I heard a foghorn.

They must be keeping her
somewhere near the docks.

I'm all right.
I just need some water.

I know she'd been there.

I could feel her in
that room. Keep still.

Why did the trail go cold?

Why should I be able to trace
complete strangers,

and not find my own wife?
Why is that?

You should get some sleep. What?

Teresa, you get ready for
school. I'll look after your father.

No, I'd better go
into the theater.

Don't even think about it.

You go, Esme. I'll stay
home and take care of him.

Well... I guess we
should do as we're told.

This gift, Teresa

maybe I'm not supposed
to spend on myself.

You'll find Mama.
I know you will.

I don't think I could get
through this without you.

My baby.

She's still alive.

Now that the number
of disappearances

recorded by our organization

exceeds 2,000

we feel it essential to
register the following demands.

Your wife?

One: We require...

Yes.

a full list of detainees
together with details...

My sister.

of any charges, which may
have been made against them.

Or a firm date
for their release.

I don't know if I can go
on living without Marta.

Do you know about my garden?

I've been trying
to find the courage to come.

Well...

I'll expect you next Thursday.

I just want to thank you all for
allowing me to grieve with you,

and giving me hope.

Something else
I never had before.

Courage, the courage
to stand up for myself...

I'm gonna kill one
of those shits! Wait.

Let me go! Let me go! No! No!

Gen. Guzman is a very busy man.

Nevertheless,
I'd like you to tell him

that Carlos Rueda
wishes to see him, please.

A man called Carlos Rueda wants
to know if the minister will see him.

What can I do for you?

I'm here to protest the
arbitrary arrest of nine women

including two nuns from
the Church of the Holy Cross.

Do sit down.

When was this alleged occurrence?
This morning. I was there.

Well, it's too soon to expect
me to know anything about it.

I've never claimed
to be omniscient.

Nuns, you say? Yes.

I have all the names.

Thank you.

I will look into it myself.

Now, I understand you
run a theatre for children.

Yes. I say I understand,
in fact, I know.

My nephew was once in
one of your plays. I saw it.

I don't remember what it was
about but it was most enjoyable.

My wife...

My wife has disappeared.

How terrible. I can appreciate
your concern. What is her name?

Cecilia. Cecilia Rueda.
Journalist.

No. There's no one of that name.

She was arrested.

Why? Is she a terrorist
Has she committed a crime?

No. She's not a terrorist.

There are leftist groups
who are kidnapping,

and even killing people

to make us look bad.

They don't care what they do.

What happened to your arm?

I was bitten by a dog.

What a colorful life you lead.

What do you think when you
see those mothers in the square?

Even animals have mothers.

Well, they want
their children back.

And I want my wife back.

Naturally, I'm very concerned
about your wife.

I've made a note to investigate
the matter personally.

In the meantime, I think you
should get back to your theatre.

I can't say I like the sound
of your new act.

What new act?

The clairvoyance.

The conjuring tricks.

If you dislike my new act

it's because it's a sign
of something you cannot kill.

Something you do not possess.

Something which will
eventually destroy you.

And what is that?

Imagination.

Cecilia!

Cecilia!

Help! Help!

Cecilia.

Cecilia. Cecilia.

Cecilia.

You were crying.

I'm all right. I'm all right.

It was just a dream.

Hold on.

Mind your feet.

Don't worry. Don't worry.

They are just trying
to intimidate us, all right?

That's all.

Are you okay?

Yeah. Go and get dressed. I
think we should get out of here.

I'm sorry, Esme.
I hope I didn't scare you.

Come in. Come in.

I don't think it's safe for
her in the house anymore.

You can stay here as long
as you like. Both of you.

Thank you. Thank you.

So you're going to drive out
to the pampas because

you had a dream about an owl.
I have to trust these signs, Silvio.

I don't know what else
I can do. I don't know.

The theatre is not a business
that runs by itself, you know.

Unless you want to do your
Thursday evening shows here,

and charge admission.

Listen, we'll run things here.

You go find your owl.
We'll find something.

I don't know what, but I know
I'll find something.

Welcome to La Esperanza.

My name is Amos Sternberg.

This is my wife, Sara.

Carlos Rueda.

What brings you here?

I'm looking for my wife.

It will take some time
to explain, I guess.

I'm sorry to bring such
horrors to a place like this.

What if you never find her,
Carlos?

I will find her.

That is a conviction or a hope?

I make no distinction
between the two.

Stay to dinner.

Stay the night.

Thank you.

Thanks.

She prefers to eat on her
own when we have guests.

Which, by the way,
is hardly ever.

Is she your daughter? No.

She's the daughter
of old friends of ours.

We were all together
in Auschwitz.

She is very shy, you see.

She cannot speak.

She asked an SS man
for drinking water one day.

So he cut out her tongue
with his bayonet.

Now, can you see why we
understand what you were telling us?

What made you choose
to come to Argentina?

This estancia's been in
my family for over 100 years.

We have a son here.

We sent him over to
Amos's cousin in the '30s

when he was quite small.

Because we saw the way
things were going in Germany.

We were going to leave
ourselves, but we left it too late.

He's a silversmith.

He has a shop in La Boca.

You must go and see him when
you get back to Buenos Aires.

Thank you. I will.

My cousin died in the '40s
and the estancia came to us.

People say, "How can you bear to
live out there, lost in the pampas?"

But I say, "I like to see as far as I
can in every direction nowadays."

Why all the birds?

There used to be these birds
at Auschwitz.

Nondescript, little brown
birds like our finches.

They came every morning
and sat on the wire,

and reminded us of freedom.

Then the Nazis
electrified the wire.

And for a whole summer's day, to
the great amusement of the guards

the birds turned
into vivid spurts of flame.

After a day,
they never returned.

When we arrived
in Buenos Aires

we went to La Boca,
to the market

bought every bird that was for
sale and ferried them down here.

For us

they contain the souls of all our friends
who did not come back from the camps.

How can anybody survive that?

If you live in a nightmare

you have to try
to re-imagine it.

That's why your stories
are so important.

They may be keeping her alive.

Go on telling your stories.

Cecilia!

Cecilia!

Then I lost track of her.
It wasn't like last time.

At the warehouse

the trail went cold.

But this time
I didn't feel so desperate.

I knew she was somewhere close.

But I also knew...

I would never be able
to find her.

Because, for some reason
I can't understand

my instinct's telling me

that she has to find me.

All yours.

No, I'll take her back.

You don't know
what you're missing.

I'm just trying to help you.

Too late for help,
wouldn't you say?

Don't think I like what goes
on here. Then why be part of it?

It's my job.

I've always been a prison
guard. Like my father.

I imagine the job
must have changed a lot

in the last few years,
hasn't it?

Yes, out of all recognition.

Well, then.

I have children. I need to work.

I'm sure, if you really wanted to,
you could find something else to do.

Exercise time.

I don't want to go.

Why?

Let me stay in.

All right.

I'll tell them you're not well.

Yes.

But what are you doing?

Remembering.

I see.

Not the past.

I don't mean the past.

This. I'm remembering
all of this.

Every detail.

It mustn't ever be forgotten.

Gustavo.

Go ahead.

My sister, Marta, worked
in Gen. Guzman's secretariat.

One day she was alone in his office
and she found something on his desk.

I don't know what it was because
she was too frightened to tell me.

Guzman walked in
and saw what she was reading.

He hit her,

and fired her on the spot.

That same evening they
took her from her apartment.

Please help me.

I know you can find her for me.

I can't see Marta
very clearly yet.

There is something else.

It is Guzman I can see.

Guzman who believes
his fatherland is in danger,

and that it is his sacred duty
to protect it.

It is unusual for me to see the
oppressors, rather than the victims.

Have you ever been an actor,
Gustavo?

No.

You've never been in my theatre?

Never. Does this...

I think I can see Marta now.

She's a tiny blonde girl,
isn't she?

So slight you'd think
they would break her in half.

That's right.

Why did you suppose Guzman is
so frightened of tiny girls like Marta?

Well, as she was waiting in the
basement of the Naval Mechanics School

something extraordinary
happened to Marta.

She recognized the young officer
who was supervising her torture.

And realized she was
a figment of his imagination.

The officer was you, Gustavo.

You have no sister.

You are here as a spy.

I thought you were supposed
to help us.

We are all victims here,
you know.

How can you just
say a thing like that?

You have a tape recorder
underneath your shirt.

If I am wrong, I will apologize.

I can explain it.

Murderer!

Hold on! Let him go!

Come on. Stop it!

Stop it!

This is a message to you,
Gen. Guzman.

We are not subversives.

We want the return
of our families.

And you have our sympathies.

It must be strenuous to be
so full of hatred and suspicion.

Go.

Wait. Hold it.

Who is next?

We ought to have killed
that bastard this evening.

No, Silvio, no.

Am I crazy to feel
a little better tonight?

Can I stay here tonight?

No. You should go back
to Esme's.

Papa, please. Let me stay.

Just for tonight.

Come here.

Papa! Papa!

Teresa!

Teresa. Papa!

Papa!

Take me! Take me!

No. Please!

It's all my fault.

What did you say?

It was my fault,
it was all my fault.

Carlos.

Carlos, once they decided
to take her

it wouldn't have been hard
for them to find her.

At school or at my place,
wherever she was.

Teresa. Mama.

Mama.

Shh.

Up!

Not you.

Just the fresh meat this time.

Mama.

All right.

We work here by a very

simple principle.

If you know something

sing.

If not

suffer.

First thing

is for you and me
to get to know each other.

Señor Rueda!

Seño Rueda!

How are you?

Good night.

My lovely girl. How are you?

It's so good to see you.
How was your day?

Teresa.

Cecilia.

Teresa.

Cecilia.

They'll close us down. I know it.
Why do you insist on courting disaster?

I agree with Carlos. You do?

What a surprise.

What's the matter?

Maybe you're right.

Please, stop agreeing with me,
or I would not know where I am.

All right? It's very
important today, okay?

There they are.
Coming into the third row.

I'd be worried
if they hadn't sent anybody.

Do you think they'll notice?

Break a leg.

All right. Places.

Good luck.

Red Death

had long devastated the country.

No pestilence had ever been
so fatal, or so hideous.

Scarlet stains upon the body
and face of the victim

shut him out from the aid and
sympathy of his fellow men.

But the Prince Prospero
was happy.

He summoned to his presence
1,000 light-hearted friends,

and retired to one of
his castellated abbeys.

Toward the fifth or sixth
month of his seclusion

while the pestilence
raged most furiously abroad...

Prince Prospero entertained
his 1,000 friends

at a masked ball

of the most
unusual magnificence.

Who are you?

Seize that man!

Silvio.

Silvio.

They've taken Silvio.

What?

I told them.

I said there must be
some mistake.

That he is not interested in politics.
But it was his name on their list.

Why didn't they take me?
I wanted them to take me!

Motherfuckers!

Motherfuckers!

Carlos, they've closed us down.

In the interest of public
morals, they've closed us down.

I will have to see if they'll
give me back my old job.

What will you do?

I'll find something.

I've known him
since I was a child.

We were lovers for a while.

Three or four years ago. I know.

Can you see
what happened to him?

Ask me tonight.

In the garden.

I have a colleague
called Silvio Ayala.

He's the Technical Director
of the Children's Theatre.

They came today and
they took him from his office.

They're holding Silvio in the basement
of the Naval Mechanics School.

They have blindfolded him
for no reason.

Except to disorient him,

and increase his fear.

He has already decided to say
whatever it is they want to hear.

To denounce everybody

anything, to stop the pain.

It will be more than a week
before they take him alone

to the room
at the end of the corridor.

And in that time

a strange thing
will happen to Silvio.

He will become angry.

So angry

that whatever they do to him,
he will never say a word.

Finally

in about a month

they will give up on him.

I am Silvio Ayala

an Argentinean.

I'm sorry, Esme.

The minute you spoke his name, I
knew there was nothing I could do for him.

I knew.

Do you mind walking
a little way?

No.

Are you Avrom?

Yes. Do I know you?

I spent some time with your
parents at La Esperanza.

You are Carlos Rueda.

That's right. My mother
wrote to me about you.

Walk home with me.

Sure. It's only a
few streets away.

I'll make you some coffee.
Thank you.

The time I spent
with your parents was amazing.

I thought maybe
I imagined the whole thing.

No. They are very, very real.

What's the matter?

What is that? The shoe?

How long has it been here?

She put it up
sometime last year.

I must speak to her.

Carlos, it's after...
It's very important.

Yes?

The shoe, Señora.

What about the shoe?

The woman it belonged to.

What did she say
when they took her away?

All she said was "Carlos."

Are you Carlos?

Yes. She's my wife.

Then you ought to take the shoe.

She's still alive.

Mama.

Sir.

I've decided

it's time to pass
your daughter on.

But to whom?

So I thought it was only fair
to leave the choice

to you.

Choose.

I'm not going to choose.

You're here to be punished.

Choosing
is part of your punishment.

Let them take me.

They're bored with you.

And I'm bored with her.

So there's
really no alternative.

Hey!

I'm waiting.

All right.

Duarte, you take her.

Be strong.

No! No! No!

She's gone.

I suddenly understood, Esme,
don't ask me how

that if I killed myself,
I was condemning her to death.

So I fought my way
back to the shore.

When the time comes, you'll
know when, ask me your question.

Cecilia Rueda
was taken from this house

on May 23, 1976.

Her husband found her glasses
on the bedroom floor.

Take her away. Yes, sir.

Bring me Number 17.

They were very hard on you?

Are you able to
spend the night with me?

I'm very lonely.

I can't stay all night.

I just want someone
to hold me for a while.

No. Turn your back.

But I'd like to undress you.

Otherwise
it's like all the others.

All right.

This must be our last meeting.

Things are changing very fast.

And I want you to think
about those generals

who will never be troubled
by those who have disappeared.

Or care that, to many of us

they have left nothing,

but a remembered face.

Soon

they will be trying
to forget these years

pretending
they never happened at all.

So

it will be up to us
to keep the truth alive.

They know
their days are numbered.

So, they are
emptying the prisons,

and burying the bodies.
Destroying the records.

They are inviting
the foreign journalists,

and the human rights people
and saying:

"Look, the press is free
and the theaters are open.

There's carnival in the
streets and it's all over."

But what they really mean

is that it will only be over

until the next time.

Good night.

I don't think
we should have this repaired.

I want them to remember.

So we'll start again
with the Orpheus?

Yes.

But first I would like
to do some rewriting.

Does it need it?

Orpheus!

I think I wanna give it
a happy ending.

Like in Monteverdi's opera,
remember?

In the end, the Gods forgive
him and bring him back his wife.

Why don't we try that?

Which one would you like?

All of them.

Carlos!

Carlos!