Original subtitles

Is the Coliseum around here?

You dope... the Coliseum's in Rome.

Vultures!

FACTORYTO GO TO CHINESE WITH DOUGH

Now what do we do?

Welcome to Italy.

This blast furnace was built in 1976,

it was then revamped,

that is, partially restructured, in 1985.

It was rebuilt a second time in 1996.

Production output is 4,000 tons a day.

Annual production is approximately 1 million 200 thousand tons.

Halted just two months ago, so it's still intact.

If you treat it well, it will last a lifetime.

It's fed from above

by carts carrying iron and coke.

Hot air is pumped from below

where it is heated to 1,200 degrees,

about 170 thousand cubic meters an hour...

A snapshot!

Good evening, can we help you? Do you speak Chinese?

Just "Nihao", that's all.

My name is Vincenzo Buonavolonta, maintenance worker.

Please, sit down.

Beautiful place, I worked nearby for 30 years and never saw it.

Thank you anyway.

I don't want to impose on Mr Chong's time,

but I need to speak to him.

Mr Chong listens, no secrets for anyone.

The facility you just bought has a structural weakness.

Defect, flaw... translate defect.

Where defect?

I don't know yet, but the machine is dangerous,

it can cause serious accidents, as it already has.

Don't be concerned, every problem has a solution.

I've been on it a while and guarantee I'll have it fixed

before dismantling is finished.

Blast furnace in Italian, translate!

But you have to promise one thing.

The structure must be dismantled slowly, no rush

and above all you mustn't use a blowtorch on steel.

Time saved here, you'll pay in China.

We don't want to burn the blast furnace.

Who said you did?

I didn't, how are you translating?

I can do it faster myself.

This is it.

How do you say this?

Blowtorch!

No.

I don't understand.

Done in a flash with a blowtorch.

THE MISSING STAR

Vincenzo Buonavolonta, Mr Chong.

- Please, wait over there. - Thank you.

Hello, Mr Buonavolonta.

Hello.

My name is Xu Xi. You have good flight?

Slept all the way.

Good! We are pleased you here.

Me too. Where is Mr Chong?

Please sit down. You were offered something to drink?

No, thank you, I'll wait for Mr Chong.

Director Chong not here today, gone for other work.

- When will he be back? - Who knows?

How do you say in your language? Discarded.

But if you speak me about your problem

that is just as good.

Soft... strong.

Two joints.

You speak Chinese!

But I don't know what you want from us.

I have to make a modification

on machinery you purchased in Italy.

You come in China for this?

Yes.

Always good business with your country,

never a problem.

But this time there's a problem and Mr Chong knows it.

Mr Chong has no more to do with your machinery.

Who does, then?

We don't own the factory,

we are brokers.

- What machinery was it? - A blast furnace.

Maybe sent to Wuhan, there is a big steel mill.

Give to me your joint

and I give to new owners.

I haven't been discarded yet.

I'm sorry you made

such a long trip for nothing, Mr Buona...

Volonta!

We know how to say "Buonavolonta" in Chinese.

Miss?

Do you remember me?

In Italy, the factory.

Vincenzo Buonavolonta, maintenance worker.

This is yours.

I'll leave it here.

Comrade Deng said:

"Those who can swim will have good life, the others hard life".

- I can't swim. - That is bad for you.

Where's the city called...

- Right! Where is it? - In the Hubei region.

- Is it big? - Eight million people.

I have to find a factory.

I finally found the flaw in the machinery.

- Now I know how to make it work. - Technicians are good in China too.

Sure, but it wasn't easy.

Will you take me to the factory?

In Italy you spoke Chinese better than me.

No, just a few technical terms!

It was just to help out.

Your fault I lost job.

I'm sorry.

How much do you want to take me to the factory?

Wait! How do I get to Wuhan?

Tomorrow take the train at eight, arrive next day.

Wuhan! Where is train?

Track for Wuhan?

Your ticket is like mine...

Your train leaves from over there.

Excuse me!

I even bought two 100-year-old eggs.

How come you speak Chinese?

It's a curious language and easy to learn.

- Do you know what "bendan" means? - 100-year-old egg.

The way you pronounce it, it means "cretin".

Cretin! Then how do you say it?

Like that?

I'm glad you're coming with me.

- How much will you give me? - Whatever you want.

Whatever you give is alright.

- Are you from Shanghai? - No.

Your family...

did you tell them you were coming with me?

I'm here to translate, not for answer questions.

My name is Liu Hua.

Or, more simply, Liu.

Mine, Vincenzo.

Or, more simply, Vince.

Good.

- Can I have factory address? - What address?

Address of factory where we go.

I don't know exactly, I know it's in Wuhan, we're in Wuhan.

You don't know factory address?

No, what's the hassle? We'll ask somebody.

How many steel mills can there be?

I don't need it!

I don't need it!

Did you find it?

Did you find it?

Say who I am and why I'm here, the truth.

When you tell the truth, there can be no problems.

No, wait here.

A Chinese factory

bought a facility in Italy.

And where's he fit in?

A couple of shirts, trousers, I'm just staying a few days.

He says...

that it's flawed.

What did he do? Took it all apart?

Wait, translate, help me.

This is a control unit, hydraulic work, I modified it myself.

Translate!

The movement of the ladle of the steel mill, translate steel mill,

of the flawed machinery you bought in Italy...

Look, I'll show you, this goes here...

It's not a bomb!

Wait, it's not a bomb!

Translate, tell him it's a delicate instrument,

I modified it, explain that to him!

Where are you taking me?

Sit down.

No, your hands to yourself!

Where are we going now?

Where's the girl?

I want to speak to your chief, with someone in charge.

Where is he?

Is this him?

Listen to me.

It's all here, passport, wallet.

I'm not signing anything, I want to know where the girl is.

Where is she? I'm not leaving without her.

I'm not leaving.

I'm not leaving!

Aren't you eating?

How can you eat this stuff first thing in the morning?

We're used to it.

You have a bad temper.

I can't stand people saying: "You have a bad temper".

Not bad...

excitable, too much.

Didn't you see that cop's face?

There's the death penalty here, isn't there?

The Chinese trip you

and then put you back on your feet.

Yeah?

Know why I was in there so long?

Why?

The officer woke lots of his friends

to find out where is your factory.

Factory maybe in Chongqing, to the west.

Maybe!

Or surely?

The officer said very maybe

and very surely.

We have to go back, they lost a piece of the unit.

Well done.

I'll have a little rice.

- How is it? - Good, tastes a little flat.

Of course, it's white rice.

- Don't they put salt on the table? - There's soy sauce.

- This. - No, that's vinegar.

Vinegar?

This? I just pour it on?

No, that's not how the Chinese eat.

- Then I'll eat the rice as is. - With a little vegetable...

- What's this? - "Soy Flower".

- Do I drink it? - No, spoon.

- It's soup! - Yes.

Want to taste?

How is it?

Interesting.

Eat up.

- You like to eat. - Yes, my passion.

Good sign.

- Where are we? - On the Yangtze, the Blue River.

When do they take those beautiful postcards?

When the sun's out, once a year.

It's pretty just the same.

It soon become a lake 600 kilometers long,

here is biggest dam in the world.

That dam's here!

- Will we go by? - No, it's behind us.

It produces 18 thousand megawatts of electricity

for Shanghai and seven or eight other provinces.

Sugar cane is never sweet at both parts.

Meaning?

People had to leave their homes,

everything you see will be flooded.

Progress.

One of these days I'll buy a cell phone too. You got one?

Yes, but the battery's always run down. Need to phone?

Do you?

- You never phone anyone. - Who should I?

You married?

- Devoured? - Devoured?

Yes, devoured, meaning no wife,

wife somewhere else.

Divorced.

Divorced! Sorry, I don't speak well.

- Why did you study Italian? - Because it's minor language.

Minor... meaning?

My high school wasn't good,

not many points for university,

not enough for major language.

This is only city in China with no bicycle,

all hills.

Is this the hotel?

Hotel expensive, this better than hotel.

They build skyscrapers and forget the elevators.

There are elevators, from 10th floor.

You pay ticket, if they're working.

How many floors are we going?

You always questions!

I always walked up.

There are twelve more.

You here? Come in.

What am I supposed to do?

Fix fast, they waiting us in factory in an hour.

Done.

Lady went to ask about your machinery.

Those kids?

Families clean factory and fix broken things of workers.

They live in here?

They should close this, like in Italy.

Go hear what the lady says.

Maybe there's misunderstanding.

They bought a machinery from Italy,

but ten years ago.

So much the better.

You are in the rain long time,

come upstairs and dry off.

Vincenzo Buonavolonta from Italy, returns to Italy.

No, Vincenzo Buonavolonta

finds his factory and after that returns to Italy.

How many people live here?

When I lived here, 8,000.

I never imagined China like this.

What do you know about China?

We found steel mill.

This country is full of steel mills.

This one bought blast furnace from Italy three months ago.

We can leave tomorrow.

You have wet shirt, not good for you.

Just look at you!

Nice stuff you're up to...

And with a foreigner.

Foreigners pay great.

Give you a thousand a go?

A thousand?

Let's make a deal...

I set you up

and you give me three hundred.

How dare you?

I know you're a whore.

Get lost, dickhead!

You've got balls, eh?

But watch your step.

Don't show up around here again.

What did he want?

Nothing.

What did he say to you?

He didn't say anything.

Where's he from?

He's Italian.

Are Italians Iraqis?

No, Italians are Europeans.

Know where Italy is?

No.

Far away.

He looks sick.

Give me my briefcase.

No, I'll carry.

- Why did we get off? - You have fever, you must rest.

- Where are we? - I was born here.

Until five years ago there wasn't even a grocery store here.

This is house I was born in, now my grandmother lives here.

She's never seen a foreigner.

Wait here, it's best not to enter suddenly.

Grandmother!

I'm back.

You've lost weight...

Your hair's long...

Where's Sao Li?

Outside playing.

Go on... go on...

Noodles.

Let him be!

It's not a toy, if it gets lost?

He's sharp, he can already take it apart and remount it.

Your hair is very becoming.

- How long since you'd seen Grandma? - A year.

Lot of things change in a year for the elderly.

For kids too.

He's got no one, my grandmother is raising him like a son.

He seems angry even when he's laughing,

just like you.

In China, if you have one child too many, they fine you.

Many children don't exist, they're not even registered.

When some people have another child

either they hide him

or they abandon him.

Things aren't going very well here either.

Imagine China with no Chinese?

Or Italy with no Italians.

I wouldn't go that far!

Just fewer profiteers, braggards, scoundrels

and a little more respect.

Some say the stars on our flag

stand for honesty,

patience, justice, solidarity.

I heard something different

but anyway, a few are always missing.

Don't leave with me tomorrow.

Why not?

Because... I want to get there on my own.

You haven't even asked me where the steel mill is,

if it's near or far.

Why are you doing this? I haven't given you a cent.

Pay me now,

not few money,

lots.

All you can.

I go to ask when truck leaves.

Do you need anything? Want water?

Leave me the map.

You can't read it, even the cities are in Chinese.

I say sorry to you, I didn't understand.

I did.

Truck stop here, doesn't continue traveling.

- And you didn't know it? - No.

I took truck to save your money.

Your mind's always on my money.

Now put your mind to going back by yourself.

I'll work something out.

Excuse me!

Is there truck leaving from here?

I leave, go...

Is truck leaving?

Sure, okay!

I'm sorry.

You know nothing about my life

and you say "I'm sorry".

I'm sorry anyway.

Where's your boy's father?

He puny, weak man.

Disappeared.

Happens.

Not to everyone.

I came into the world crooked.

We're just born, when problems come, we push ahead.

So, I tell you all the problems.

Problem: A child and unmarried.

Problem: Betrayed my parents trust.

Problem: Betrayed my country's trust.

Problem: Didn't finish university and didn't get work.

What's that mean?

You are a good person.

You don't know anything about my life either.

I found truck to leave tomorrow.

Maybe it's best you return to your son tommorrow.

My son

doesn't even know I was born.

The girl, back.

Eat.

Baotou...

Me to Baotou.

Little.

Stop!

What are you doing?

What are you saying?

Soft steel and strong steel.

Here's the new modified unit control

to go into the Italian structure.

But we've got loads here...

What is it?

Another control unit.

What'll we do with it?

How did you make it all this way?

Straight road always shortest.

Rails are straight roads.

How are you?

Fine.

Take this money,

there's mistake, I kept my part.

- I was flat broke. - You need it now.

- Want half? - I'm not hungry.

I am.

Later maybe.

Later, surely.

My son started crying,

but I told him you know how to fix.

Once toys got fixed,

now we toss them out, like our shoes.

We'll buy him a new one.

- Do you have a cookie left? - No.

It was the last one, I'm sorry.

That's okay.

No, no, it worked out fine.

I was lucky.

Translation: Charlotte Lantery

subtitles OMBRE ELETTRICHE - Roma