Original subtitles

- Everybody knew that the word "Xibalba" meant devil,

and King Xibalba was actually protected by the god of death.

He was the fire and the storm, the most evil of all kings.

He tried to exterminate the Kaqchiwa tribe, but failed,

and when he understood his failure, he preferred to escape.

He waited until dusk, since he knew how to disappear

into the darkness of the night.

He knew that the twilight is a fracture between two worlds

and only in that brief moment is it possible to pass

with the wind from life into death,

but before disappearing,

King Xibalba swore to return one day to seek revenge,

to tear the heart from the chest of each Kaqchiwa.

"I will do it with my own hands,"

said Xibalba,

"one by one."

Time to go, Luis.

Let's Y anchor it.

Jose, when is Xibalba going to return?

- Nobody knows, but it Is certain to happen

when the blood flows from the body of a man

who is able to cross the border of the world of the living

to that one of the dead.

- Why? Do the dead also have a land of their own?

- Yes, but their land's very different from ours.

Can one go to see them?

Yes, one can.

- And when they do, can they come back?

- It is a difficult journey that only a few

manage to accomplish, to go and to come back.

- I have surrendered, Francisco,

without your help and without waiting for you.

I know the power that governs my destiny

and I know that I have crossed that border

that we've been researching together all these years.

I'm frightened, Francisco.

I know that I will not be able to come back again,

because the mountain Is waiting for me now.

- Salomon?

Your glasses.

- Ah, thank you, Maria.

I forgot.

- I'll wait for you.

Hell.

- Come on.

- I gotta go.

- Can I have this?

- You like that, Jahaira?

Si, mucho.

- Okay, but not 'til I leave.

I'll let you keep it as a souvenir, okay?

- Why are you so attached to it?

I want it now.

Come on.

No, no.

Peter.

Peter, put me down.

Come on.

- Let me go, Peter.

Oh, Peter, Peter. - In we go.

Put me down.

Come on.

Heh heh. Cool off, baby.

Hasta luego.

- Bastard.

- Only an hour ago, they were still in the water, Señor.

These are really fresh ones.

I can already smell the perfume of a barracuda soup.

It's the tastiest soup you can eat, Señor.

Who knows how many of these fellows you have found

swimming around you with all that diving you do?

I would be very scared if I had them

coming toward me with their sound of chattering teeth.

Oh, Senior. The deal three days ago... you haven't paid me.

Today is Tuesday.

You see, the shellfish for the restaurant are $15,

and the lobsters you got were another $15.

I need --

- For the celebration of the dead?

- Ah, si, Señor, for the celebration.

The procession will also pass by the market.

Now, what about the bill of last month for the marlin steaks

you bought for the gringo?

I thought I paid you for those.

- No, no way Señor.

You never did.

It's not fair.

You buy my fish

and not pay for them. - Oh, don't worry about it.

- Señor, you owe me $40.

Señor, what am I going to do?

When are you going to pay me?

- Hey, bueno, bueno.

All right, I'll cover that.

You're on.

Thank you.

You got this, gracias.

- I never gamble, Señor.

I figure if I never gamble, I never lose.

Five dollars for a case of beer.

- Your bill will be paid on Saturday.

Is that okay?

- No, Señor.

Hey, Señor, nobody works next Saturday.

Saturday is the celebration of the dead, Señor.

You have to pay me that money.

- Come on, Chet, push it.

Shit, this place is deader than a church on Monday.

Is there anybody in this filthy place?

Oh, God.

Hot diggity damn, Chet.

Look at that.

Wow, miss enchilada.

Hey, Chet, where did this come from?

- Full tank, Señor?

- Mm-hmm.

My, oh my, things are picking up in this old bird.

Look at this.

- Whatever you like, honey.

Full tank, oil, and you can give me a lube job

while you're at it.

Here.

Hey, Chet, you're a real pig, man.

You got her wet all over.

Now, don't worry, darling.

I'm going to dry you off.

You got a live one, Larry.

- Why the fuck you laughing?

You're gonna pay for this, slut.

You're gonna pay for this.

I only wanted to be kind to you and you do this.

God damn spics.

- Any problems, Jahaira?

- No, no more than the usual.

That bitch just soaked me with gasoline.

- I think it's better you go and have a wash.

- Yeah, and I think that's none of your business, buddy-o.

Now, why don't you just piss off?

Shit, haul ass, Chet.

- God bless America.

Is this your father?

- It's him.

Who killed him?

- This is a quiet place, Señorita.

Good people live here.

- You mean, you don't know who's done it?

- No, not yet.

Señorita Slivak, I've been a policeman for 20 years.

I used to meet your father almost every day.

He wasn't the sort of person who talked a lot,

but he was liked and respected.

He minded his own business.

He didn't have enemies.

I don't know anybody who would savage a person in this way.

Oh, God.

- I am sorry, Señorita.

I know it's a terrible thing to see.

We found him on the road, near his car.

- Did anyone see or hear anything?

- No one.

I was a good friend of your father.

- This is Dr. Santos, the forensic doctor.

He performed the autopsy.

- I knew you were coming today for the identification.

Your father often spoke of you.

- It's been a long time since I last saw him,

since he left New York.

- Let's go outside.

There's nothing more you can do here.

Come on.

Ah, that is Maria.

She lived with your father since he came here.

- Ah.

We must be more careful, Jayna.

We must protect...

- The profits of our business.

- That's right.

I have a suspicion that too much is being given away

in this place, isn't that true Laura?

- I'll do it.

- Little to the left, little to the right,

and there we go.

Hell, they're off, off, off, off.

- In one week, you've asked me for $20 for flowers

to send to your aunt, another $30 for the extraction

of a back tooth, then you hit me for another $30

to lift an impacted wisdom tooth.

You'll remain toothless, my friend.

For all the money you owe me, you're going to be

working for me until October.

So no more now.

- Okay.

Do you work in this restaurant?

- I'm the owner of this restaurant.

- Oh, you're lucky.

I know a lot of people that'd like to own a place like this.

- Here.

Rum, few drops of lime juice, plenty of ice.

You'll like it.

- Really?

Instead of having to take the subway every day?

- On holiday?

- No, it isn't a holiday.

You know, you know what the Mayas used to say?

No, what did the Mayas say?

- That at the edge of the world,

there is only water and it's here that the edge of

the world and the sky meet.

That's a good reason to live here, at least for the moment.

Where'd you find this?

In my father's study.

- You're Salomon's daughter.

- There are many pictures of you with my father.

- We went fishing together.

- Who are the other people my father used to see?

- You wanna know who murdered him.

- It's the only reason I'm here.

- He was a loner.

People liked him, though.

- Then why'd it happen?

- I don't know.

Listen, I gotta go.

There are things to do.

We'll see each other around.

It's pretty impossible not to in a place like this.

Here you go, Larry.

Sure ain't like the, but it does the trick.

Yeah, just so it fills up the glass.

Got you covered.

Bang, bang.

- It's time to go to bed, kids.

- What?

You really piss me off, old man.

You always spoil people's fun in the middle of a party, huh?

Oh, come on, Larry.

Let's get outta here.

Let's go somewhere else.

- Wait a minute.

Wait, wait a minute.

What do you think, that you could treat us

like these shitty Mexicans, huh?

- Go home, the party's over.

- I'm gonna show you something, Sid, yeah.

You know the difference between your customers and us?

We don't believe in their

superstitions, idols, or celebrations.

We piss on ‘em.

Look, man,

and we are fearless.

Watch this.

Now, this is the reason why you can't throw us out.

Nobody can, nobody.

Hey, what?

What are you doing?

Ah, ah, god damn.

- We have many diseases here.

You boys better be careful you don't catch any.

- Yeah, and you let go of my arm.

Shut up, bitch, shut up.

- Hey, Larry, take it easy.

Don't hurt her.

Come on, Larry, play it cool.

I'll hold her for you.

We have plenty of time.

Don't be stupid.

Don't lose your -- - Goddamn, shut up.

Shut up.

You didn't know we was gonna have

this kind of party for a time, did you?

Not that it's gonna be a long party full of surprises.

- You see, we're gonna have fun.

- Rip this off.

Come on, there you go.

On. - What badonkers.

- Look at those.

Shh, shh, shh, shh.

There we are. Ole!

Now get a load of this.

This is my weapon, huh?

- Hey, are you trying to scare us?

You're monstrous, Larry.

- Do it quickly.

- Yeah.

- Hey, when you got the right argument,

it's easy to convince people.

Don't you wanna, huh?

Oh, yeah.

- Quit being an asshole, as usual.

You are an asshole, man.

- I think she's gonna fill our tank for free tonight.

You better believe it.

Slamming around.

- Oh, come on, man.

You'll ruin the car this way.

I already told you once.

- Oh.

"Oh, come on, man.

You'll ruin the car this way.

I already told you once."

Nah.

Check the oil and the water too.

- Okay, man.

Have you found her yet?

- No, not yet.

Well, what have we here?

Money? Real money?

Money, money.

Ah, chica.

She's hiding around here somewhere.

We'll find you, you'll see.

Hey, Chet?

Hey, Chet?

Chet?

Shit.

Goddamn it.

You're a real dodo, you know?

Hey, Chet.

Come on.

Hey, Chet.

Come out.

Chet, I don't think this is funny.

Chet, come on.

Shit.

So there's the idiot.

Come on, Chet, quit it.

Wait a damn minute.

Look what I got.

A picture, picture, picture, picture.

A picture of Chiquita banana, look.

Okay, I'm stopping, I'm stopping.

Stop, I'm stopping, I'm stopping.

Damn it, stop.

Come on, man.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

All right, good one, Chet.

It looks real.

It looks very real.

Good, good.

Xibalba's shadow spreads over

this valley like a curse.

The menace of his revenge IS not mere superstition

cultivated by the people over the centuries.

It is a hidden fear that the Kaqchiwa have always exorcized,

by any means, from generation to generation.

It is the devil, death, the darkness of the night,

the evil that reflects in each one of us.

- The next time I send you the signal,

you must come to the surface immediately, Peter.

- You want this, too?

- No.

- Got a small present for you.

Just a sample of what's down below.

The wreck's encrusted, but it's still intact.

Not even a scratch. We're the first to arrive.

How we doing, Luis?

- It's coming.

It's a real nice helm.

- Yeah.

I opened the passage with the torch.

What we got here, old pal, is a gold mine.

- When I was a child, I could listen

to my father play for hours.

- He didn't play anymore.

It no longer helped him to relax these past months.

You know, it's strange, Lisa.

Instead of drawing us closer,

this place had gradually managed to part us.

I was born here and yet, now, I feel I hate all this.

No, I never managed to see what the charm was

that this place had for him, although it's pretty,

but the superstitions, the legends, the fears

and the false happiness of these people fascinated him.

He loved these places and all the evils related to them,

but this ancient land is filled with ignorance,

sorrow, and strange beliefs.

All this will continue blocking our way,

for a long time,

from what we could be and are not.

- And you never thought of leaving?

- I thought that I'd go away with him.

Then everything changed.

Your father began living in a dream world

and lost touch with reality, I think.

He was looking for something that I could never possess.

Well, now I can leave.

- Two dollars, Señorita.

Two dollars to learn the mystery of Xibalba's pyramid.

- Okay, what's your name?

- Luis, Señorita.

- So, Luis, what's the mystery you want to tell me?

- This is the pyramid that King Xibalba built,

here in the volcano's crater, because fire

keeps courage warm, Señorita.

He built it for his sacrifices in the year of 756,

not long before he declared war on the Kaqchiwa tribe,

a long war which he wasn't able to win,

even with the help of the evil god.

But Xibalba wasn't captured, because he managed to disappear

into the fiery sunset as the Kaqchiwa

were climbing towards him.

It is here that they were going to kill him,

yet he disappeared in the wind,

and everybody says that he will be back one day,

protected by Yum Simil, the god of death,

to tear out the heart from the chest of all

in the Kaqchiwa tribe.

And you're not afraid?

- No, Señorita.

- You are a courageous child.

- He's a Kaqchiwa, a warrior.

Isn't that true, Luis, huh?

Now, go fast.

Jose asked for you.

- He was telling me the legend of the pyramid.

- Ah.

Eh, Luis?

- I find it's hard to imagine that they once

were such cruel warriors.

- Even today, their songs relate to the bloody legend.

- I found a manuscript of my father about Xibalba's legend.

- He was fascinated by it.

He researched it for years

and just before he died, that manuscript governed his life.

His greatest challenge, he called it.

- Yeah, and moving here, too, was a challenge.

- It's a strange place.

You come here, you fall in love with it,

you want to stay here forever,

and one day, you find the excuse to leave,

just like when you arrived.

Hey.

- Is this a good luck charm?

- No, it's a Mayan symbol, a present from your father.

Here, it's yours.

- No, I don't want you to --

- No, no, no, no.

Local witch doctors say that if you ignore your instincts,

you get into deep trouble.

- I also know that there are witch doctors in New York.

I know an agency that hires them out by the hour.

- Yeah, but this ain't New York.

- Yes.

You mean here, witch doctors really exist.

Do you also believe the things

that people say in this place?

- Only what I see.

Kiss me?

There.

That's where it is, that building down there.

- I won't be afraid with you.

Good, but whatever happens, don't say a word.

- Good morning.

I want to speak with Dr. Santos, please.

- You have to wait, Señorita.

- You shouldn't be here.

- Why didn't you tell me the truth?

What's happening here?

- I don't know.

Nobody knows, at least for now.

- But I saw the same wounds on those corpses

that my father had, you know.

Have they been killed in the same way?

- It's not enough to discover who did it,

or to understand why.

Behind these deaths there's a ritual...

which is part of an ancient legend

where anything is possible.

- Laura...

we'll need $70 for tomorrow's shopping, huh?

You like all the good things, huh?

- And so do you, and you like to play, don't you?

Thanks.

Laura, amor.

Ah, muchachos, Saturday is going to be a day

much different from the others. A very special day.

- Why a special one?

- The moon will become full again for the seventh time

since the beginning of the year,

and the people will go to the pyramid

for the celebration of the dead,

and to remember the Kaqchiwa victory

over Xibalba's cursed friend.

Do you know what happened here on the night

of the first celebration of the dead?

The Kaqchiwas took one of their young boys

and made him climb to the top of Xibalba's pyramid,

and they sacrificed him to the god of war,

and on that very night, Xibalba was defeated.

That is why we have the ceremony.

- Why all the candles?

Your birthday?

No?

Oh, we can have us a little party anyway, hmm?

Always ready to oblige.

You always go wild on that stuff.

Yeah, baby.

- Ow!

What the fuck is it?

- This time, I make the rules of the game, Peter.

What's the matter?

Are you afraid?

- Fucking bitch.

I'm going home.

- Good.

You'll find your bed made.

- Peter, Peter, Peter.

Wake up, Peter.

It's Jahaira.

Come quickly.

- What is it?

What are you trying to say?

- The police are at Jahaira's house.

- Police?

Si, hurry.

Ah, good morning.

- Hi, I'm looking for Peter.

- He's not here.

Today, we are closed.

- Where can I find him?

- Wherever they're betting.

That's the way he lives.

He doesn't have the soul of a capitalist.

- Have you been living here for a long time?

- Long enough to understand that booze

has the same taste everywhere.

Eight years.

It's a long time.

You learn many things.

I wanted to build a big hotel

and now, instead, I'm cooking fish.

Want some?

- No.

It doesn't seem so bad to me.

- I thought I'd be the first to develop here.

I wanted to build a fine hotel for my wife.

Have you seen her?

Well, I'm sorry to say I see her very little.

She was convinced I was a winner

and she has bet everything on me, but she's lost.

No, Señor.

Señor!

- Oh, no, no.

I was the last person to see her alive.

- You were together a long time?

- I don't know if one could say we were together.

We had a thing going.

- You cared for her.

- Of course I cared for her.

I'd never harm her.

- I'm sorry, Peter.

It's an awful thing.

- Yeah, it's pretty awful.

That's it?

To you, this is just an awful thing?

Santos, they've killed four people in that way.

We're partly to --

- Peter, they've killed people this way

for thousands of years,

and tonight, the people will be going to the pyramid

to celebrate a feast that was a massacre.

We can't stop them.

That's the way they are.

- I could have saved her.

If only I'd stayed with her, I could have saved her.

No, you couldn't have saved her.

Nobody could.

- Shit.

Why did I come to this place?

- Because you thought you could have a better life.

Isn't that what you used to say?

- Yeah, yeah,

but now I know that's not true, huh?

- Peter, what you're looking for is only in your mind.

You should know that by now.

Your holiday is long over.

You're no longer a tourist.

Peter, my boy, when you live in a place,

it becomes like any other place.

Only the rules of the game change.

You weren't even born here.

So for you, everything is more difficult,

even for finding out the reasons why.

- Oh, Pico, why are you so nervioso, hmm?

Now, run along.

Who's there?

Where are you?

Pico?

Come out now.

- I know that you're closed tonight,

but I hope that maybe you can make an exception

for a special customer.

- A special customer?

- A place where one can drink

is like a port for a sailor,

a place that's safe, warm,

where one departs only to return.

The special customers are like sailors.

They can make a fortune for a place like this.

- Well, in this case, it's also unlucky,

since these customers don't notice the hours

when we're closed, do they?

- Laura, you are the most beautiful of all for me.

- Okay.

What do you wanna drink?

- Just a large glass of straight bourbon and no ice.

- Okay.

What would you say to a dinner invitation,

you and I alone, hmm?

- Don't you know the rules of the place?

We can't take invitations from customers,

not even the special ones.

I already have a date, sorry.

- I'll wait.

I have plenty of time.

- Nine o'clock?

- Nine o'clock.

Oh, hi.

- So you're leaving?

- Yeah.

- Where are you going, New York?

- New York, Australia.

- What was it?

Four of a kind against a royal flush

and you had four of a kind?

Maybe.

- I think the game has to be played to the end.

- You know, your father was right about this place.

He said you either accept it as it is,

or you leave, simple as that.

- Yeah, and you're leaving.

- You want a coffee?

Won't be very strong.

- I found this letter.

It was in my father's things.

Do you know who Francisco is?

- Does it really matter?

- It does matter.

It's important to me.

Francisco knows how my father died.

- Francisco doesn't exist.

- What does that mean?

- It means that Francisco is a pseudonym.

It's used to protect someone who doesn't wanna be known.

- But to protect this person from whom and from what?

- From everything and everyone.

The one who can make the impossible possible.

Here.

- But what is all this to do with my father?

Why did he write to Francisco?

What border was he talking about?

- The Mayans used to say that a border exists

between our world and the world of a reflected image.

It's the border between life and death.

That's the border your father means in his letter.

Look inside.

The local shaman says there are two ways

of looking in a mirror.

There's a superficial way and there's another way,

one that goes beyond the reflected image.

It's able to cross over that line beyond which life exists,

just as death exists.

- What is this, one of your games?

- You're right.

That's what I thought.

Began like a game for the three of us,

your father, Francisco, and myself,

but only Francisco knew the rules of the game.

- You mean Francisco is the wizard,

or as you call it, the shaman?

- Oh, yeah.

I guess you could call him a wizard,

but let's say he was something more, something different.

He didn't change reality.

He simply was the other reality.

- Oh, oh God, tell me the truth.

- I know it isn't easy to understand,

but it isn't any easier to explain, you know?

What we were doing is entering this other reality.

I got scared and I passed the hand.

For your father, this experience had become

an obsession, maybe a challenge.

He convinced Francisco to take him beyond that line

and it became so dangerous and impassable,

it convinced even Francisco to withdraw,

but your father pushed himself even beyond him

and beyond that line, he's found death.

- But where is Francisco now?

Take me to him.

- Forget about Francisco.

There's nothing he can do.

Nobody can do anything now.

- Yeah, Maria's right.

This place is filled with superstition.

In the face of death, you don't have the courage

to face reality directly and take action.

So you invent a different one, one that suits you, huh?

The real one frightens you, admit it.

Oh, oh, look at yourself, Peter.

Aren't you escaping, just like my father did?

Oh, shit.

You are late.

I'm here now.

- Ah, si, mi amor.

- No, no porque.

- Why?

- I don't want to.

Why not?

Te quiero.

Te quiero mucho.

- I don't want to see you anymore.

It's all over between us.

We wouldn't have gone anywhere.

- You've chosen a fine time to get rid of me.

What is it?

You found someone else?

- No, I don't want anyone else.

If this is the last time,

let's say goodbye with a nice moment.

No, no.

No.

No, no.

No.

I don't want to!

- There's some son of a bitch up here.

♪ There's a place in my heart ♪

♪ There's a place in my heart ♪

- We are closed tonight!

I said we're closed.

I said we're closed.

Go away.

Who's there?

Hey.

Who's there?

Who's there?

Who's there?

Show yourself.

- Hello.

Hello?

Ah, buenas tardes, Señorita Slivak.

- I'm looking for a man called Francisco,

a friend of my father.

- Francisco, you say?

It's a common name.

There are plenty of Franciscos around here.

- I know it's not his real name.

The person I'm looking for has a different name.

- You are looking for Francisco who isn't called Francisco?

That's right.

- Well, Señorita Slivak, you are asking

for something difficult, but if this Francisco exists,

he will be certainly at the pyramid.

Everybody will be at the pyramid tonight.

It is the celebration of the dead.

- No, no.

No, no.

No, no.

Open up!

Open up.

I know you're in there.

Francisco.

You know what's happening, don't you?

The time has come, my friend.

You're the only one that can stop this massacre.

There's nothing left to be done.

- You'll do it now.

I don't give a fuck if you're scared.

- It's useless.

There's nothing left to be done.

- You do what Slivak did.

You do it here.

You do it now.

You do it now.

I thought I'd seen the last of this thing.

- Let's start.

Here, Luis.

- Mama, I'm scared.

- Oh, come now.

Don't you know all the boys would like to be

in your place tonight?

It's an honor you were chosen.

- Are you coming with me?

- No, now put this on.

I'll watch you from here.

You are my warrior and the Kaqchiwa warriors

go to fight without their mothers.

- Now remember, Peter, whatever happens,

keep your hands on the table.

If you can't stand what you see, you can close your eyes,

but don't let go.

We can cross over the border, I think,

but I'll need your help, Peter, you know that.

- No. No!

- Peter!

Come on!

Hold the table.

You've got to, Peter.

- Doctor!

No!

No!

- New York?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

The tickets?

- I gave them to you.

They must be here someplace.

I'm sorry.

Just a minute, I'll find them.

Damn.

- Hey.

Next.

- Hey, kid.

Hey, wait a minute.