Get out! Get out of the way!
- I have his coat. - Open the door!
Get out of the way! Get out!
I told you, I have his coat.
Yes, sir. I'll report.
Come on, get out of the way! Get back!
- Hey, get lost! Fuck off! - Easy, easy.
Get back! Get out of the way!
Easy, easy!
There isn't enough room for everyone!
- I'm a doctor! - What's the matter with you?
- Easy, Rose! Give me that! - Be quiet!
Use the stairway!
Nurse!
You can't get away from me!
We caught the rabbit!
ELECT LEM NIKODINOSKI FOR A SAFE FUTURE
Damn, damn me.
It seems like a thousand years have passed since then.
My name is Lem, Lem Nikodinoski.
When I was 12 I signed my name "M."
I couldn't remember the letter "L."
It reminded me of something very bad.
Comrade soldier, whom should I call?
How should I know?
Call whomever you want. Just be quick.
It was the summer of 1945,
the first summer after the war.
We were a bunch of hungry, dirty children without a home.
Branded orphans and hunted like wild animals.
Hunted by soldiers and all sorts of do-gooders.
Ariton is coming!
What did you say, you louse?
Get up!
- Stand straight, bastard! - Swine!
To your left!
To your right!
My command applies to the first company only. Attention!
Attention! That means you should get in line.
Do you see this line?
I don't.
You say you don't? Don't you see how long it is?
Straight as an arrow! Do you see it now?
- Well... - Well, what?
Comrade... Let's plant flowers.
Don't you see it?
What are you looking at? Get lost.
- I see it. - What did you say?
- I see it! - Good.
Only our enemies can't see it.
Comrade Warden, we have a new child. Lem Nikodinoski.
Yes, Comrade Warden.
Metodija.
Complete the admittance procedure for the new one.
Come on, hurry up!
Some unknown genius from the local government
had the bright idea to turn the abandoned factory
into an orphanage.
At that time there were orphanages for the children of fallen veterans,
but our orphanage was an orphanage for fallen enemies' children.
Children of the wealthy, the traitors, the collaborators.
They had all sorts of names for our dead parents.
Get undressed!
Damn me.
This... this was a dungeon.
A dungeon.
Pick them up.
That's my grandmother's cross. God rest her soul.
The underpants too.
The underpants!
A BED FOR THE NEWLY ADMITTED
Get up, come on!
Come on, make your bed!
Get up!
What gave birth to you? Hurry up! I'll teach you, swine!
Get up, get up!
Come on, what are you waiting for?
Clean them!
Running in place!
Salute the flag!
On the double.
Stop!
Side circles! Take the initial position for the exercise!
And one, two...
For being late, 20 extra sit-ups!
I'm talking to you, boy! Don't turn your head away!
For the lack of hygiene, 10 additional laps around the yard!
This is your place, monkey!
Stop!
Jumping and kneeling!
We were surrounded by wall on all sides.
One thousand steps high, two thousand steps wide.
A mountain of rock.
Damn me, life was so far away from this place.
Do your exercise!
I was a scared little mouse.
Don't laugh, big ears!
I was lonely.
Klimovski! For disturbing the harmony, three more laps.
Faster! Hurry up, you slime! Hurry! Hurry up!
You'll sing, kitty.
Three! Klimovski, stop! Run to the classroom!
The new kid, seven more laps.
Don't shorten the laps, motherfucker! Circle wide!
Damn me.
Everyone in the orphanage knew something was going to happen.
You had to check in at the gate.
I want to see the warden, Comrade Ariton.
I'm Comrade Olivera Strezovska, Deputy Warden.
Lenche, get back to your place!
Comrade Petkova, get back to your place! Immediately!
Get back in line!
Comrade Warden, I have orders.
We caught the child with the monks. The peasants reported him.
They say the child is a devil's seed.
Complete the admittance procedure for the new one!
Isaac. His name was Isaac Keyten.
Damn me.
I've asked myself a thousand times
what was his power? He had something in him.
How shall I put it? He radiated with some strange light.
Lem Nikodinoski!
Listen carefully. We eliminated these "plus" signs long ago.
Once and forever, and until further notice!
Damn me, we have fought a bloody fight against those lies.
I personally...
A bloody fight.
Is there anyone here who believes in the Lord?
A great hero of the century.
Someone else?
I...
...believed.
Before.
All right, wise guys.
Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the Lord exists.
Can He, after you kneel and pray to Him at night,
complete your math homework for you?
Can He?
Can He? Come on! Believe in work, not prayer!
No.
Of course He can't.
Let's see what you know about religion. Metodija.
- Religion is the masses' opium. - Exactly. Sit down. Spasko.
Priests are traitors who suck the blood of the working class!
Klimovski!
Our village priest was a womanizer and a thief.
Sit down.
We don't punish because of religious feelings.
But our friends have done wrong to the collective.
One night in the yard without any sleep.
If I could only hear his voice.
If he would just speak to me. Look at me.
What surname is that, Keyten?
My Granny told me the Turkish name for the devil was "sheytan."
Get up!
The punishment is over.
The Earth...
The sun...
The Earth... No, the sun revolves around the Earth.
I'm certain about it, yes. That's right.
Good, I see that you've learned. Keep on learning.
It's not correct! The Earth moves around the sun!
You're lying! You just want to spoil my grade!
Comrade Copernicus proved it in the 16th century.
Who is that Comrade Copernicus? Teacher said the sun revolves...
I dreamt of getting close to him.
But he didn't even notice me for days.
Take a break!
The youth, the pride and the future of our people,
have all the conditions for cultural and political learning.
- This is not edible. - You won't eat it? Give it to me.
Our youngest, the pioneers, enthusiastically manifest that.
They see the great love and care of our Party and our government.
Cheese.
In clubs, through practical chores, the pioneers easily cope
with school work and gain greater skill and knowledge.
Tonight, I'll take you to a secret place.
Finally, I asked him if he wanted us to be friends.
There was no answer.
"It doesn't have to be now. Later is okay too", I said.
Yet he kept silent.
My nightmare in those days was called Lenche.
Lenche Petkova.
I kept sticking to them like a leach.
I was as jealous as a young bride.
"Why are you following me?" He asked.
Are you angry at me?
Friendship is to be earned.
I didn't understand what that meant then,
but I remembered those words for the rest of my life.
Comrade Strezovska's shorts!
That day Comrade Olivera
was left without the one thing most holy to her in her life.
The red sport shorts she was awarded for winning the cross-country race
on the birthday of comrade Stalin Visarionovich.
It would have been better if she lost her soul.
You, primitive bitch.
Look at your comrade. Shame on her.
A socialist youth member, acting as if we were in the Dark Ages.
- Please, don't, Comrade Olivera. - Shut up.
Marija, did you ask for an advocate?
Did Marija ask for an advocate?
You won't get out until you tell me who committed this awful crime.
Listen carefully.
Those shorts are not underpants, comrades.
They are not ordinary shorts. They are holy. A sacrament.
Are you aware how important those shorts are for our collective?
They are a gift from the Gymnastics Committee...
Shut up, bastard! I'm talking now!
Those shorts acknowledge a great respect for all of us.
We bear those shorts in our hearts.
They have social, political, and moral meaning.
Those shorts filled me with pride.
I got goose bumps
when I saw Comrade Strezovska in those shorts.
I have goose bumps now!
Fucking peasants, the red shorts must be found!
Look under every tree! Turn every stone! Is it clear?
They didn't find the sacred shorts.
Our poor girls stayed for ages in an icy cold room.
The coldest room in the orphanage in the middle of winter.
Many got ill.
Some even started coughing out blood.
While Lenche, our Lenche, was taken to hospital.
"What is it with you? Why are you following me?" he asked.
Maybe you're queer, kid?
What's a queer?
You're not a kid, but a devil! You want to show off, don't you?
I'm going to report you to Comrade Warden.
Comrade Olivera's shorts! I found them!
Quite by accident
the red shorts' mystery had been solved.
The kitchen ladies used them as washing rags.
That very next spring we heard that Lenche Petkova, our Lenche,
died in hospital.
Damn me. We were already dead. Just shadows.
It's a lie that she's dead. I know who spreads such rumors.
That bastard.
- Queer. - You want trouble, mouse?
Queer.
I'm going to stick your head in the toilet! You won't know...
Exercise!
Not you! You are supposed to control them!
Get in line, motherfucker.
Save soap.
You, swine, no bathing for you!
Lem, I told you the friendship is to be earned.
If you want to be my friend,
tomorrow you'll ask about Lenche's death
at Olivera's class.
At Comrade Olivera's?
Finally I got the chance to become his friend.
Damn me, I was scared.
"I'll stand like a border post, defending..." Klimovski, be quiet.
Macedonian, Turk, Vlach And Albanian
Brothers side by side Started a new life
With Tito as the guide
Good. Sit down.
What's important in what we heard? Klimovski?
- Brotherhood and unity! - Good. Sit down.
And what else? Goce!
Sit down, Goce. Sit down, you blockhead.
Lem Nikodinoski!
I wanted to ask...
I wanted to... Comrade Tito...
He's important, isn't he?
We are here to formulate thoughts and ideas.
Not to speak nonsense.
Nikodinoski, aren't you listening to me? Repeat what I said.
Do you know the word "moron," or is "idiot" more familiar to you?
Is it true that our comrade Lenche Petkova has died?
Look, comrades.
Some people get sick. Some stay healthy.
That's how nature works. It's a dialectic.
How should I put it? It's all connected to materialism!
And our comrade Lem Nikodinoski is provoking us!
While our country is attacked by monarchs and fascists,
our comrade Lem Nikodinoski is provoking us!
He's a saboteur! Sit down!
Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, one hour.
Isaac finally smiled at me.
There was a strange oath
written with small letters in the message.
I swear before my brother and before Lord our God
that I'll use all my strength fighting for the truth.
I'll accept any punishment if I'm not faithful
to the following commandments;
Respect your own free will.
That's the most sacred thing that you have.
Never lie. The lie is a weapon of evil powers.
Do not run. Running away is no solution.
Remember, all things in the world are interconnected.
Now we' re brothers.
He gave me a present.
"With the box you see the world's mirror image.
The future is the past." That's what he told me.
You know what repentance is, don't you, son?
I haven't done anything wrong.
Listen carefully.
Provocation is a bad thing. Sabotage, even worse.
You're a smart kid. A hero.
Comrade Warden, I just asked if Lenche had died.
Listen. Your village has given people heroes. Veterans.
What is self-criticism for a big man like you?
- You'll learn this by heart. - But, Father...
I don't understand. How have I sinned?
I didn't love Lenche. She was even...
Beast!
I think the biggest mistake is our comrade Lem,
who doesn't want to admit his mistakes.
With that, he is not only a provocateur and saboteur,
but a collaborator of our enemies. A traitor!
Very good. What punishment do you suggest?
To throw him into the cellar and give him just bread and water.
Sit down. Someone else? Nikolche.
We all accept self-criticism. Who does he think he is?
It's not right.
What punishment do you suggest?
The bellman should beat him blue until he confesses.
Metodija.
Our former comrade Lem has become an anti-people's element.
We gave him a chance to repent, to be self-critical, but he refuses.
The beast would've understood by now!
I suggest we throw him into the cellar for life!
To clean toilets, to sleep alone in the cellar,
and to clean our boots for five years.
- No, seven years! - And to wash our socks!
- To serve us lunch! - To be castrated!
- Death to fascism! - Freedom for the people!
Have Isaac cast a spell on him and turn him into a pig,
and then cut his throat, so we can all have a feast.
Come on, comrades, let's not go too far.
Get back!
Listen carefully.
For Keyten.
He's to be thrown down in the cellar and be given only bread and water
until comrade Lem states his comradely self-criticism.
Damn me, it seemed whatever I'd do, I do wrong.
To safe Isaac,
it would have been simple to read the self-criticism.
But that meant lying in public.
And I swore before my brother and before Lord our God
that I wouldn't lie.
I would have swallowed not only raw potatoes but live snakes
just to get sick and to be taken away from this cursed orphanage.
Like our Lenche.
You ran away?
"Running away is no solution", said Isaac.
"I'll have to go back."
"I'll smear your mouth.
Then you'll be able to utter the self-criticism."
This will draw your words to wipe them out
as if you uttered nothing."
The magnetic and strong force of the collective
has got me back to my senses.
There's one force tough enough to show me the right way.
Materialistic self-criticism. That way, the victory will be ours.
- Death to fascism! - Freedom for the people!
Three cheers for our comrade!
You'll be a Tito's pioneer after all, won't you, son?
I'm not good at writing, Comrade Strezovska.
Damn me.
Even when they proclaimed you a model child,
they didn't let your soul rest.
I'm not the one to write reports.
Peer evaluations.
You know it's an honor and a privilege. A sacred pioneer's duty.
Our little comrades who've gone astray
must be returned to the right path.
Metodija Glishkovski. Nikolche.
Spasko!
I read my friends' names. My God, how they lied.
They've made things up, told on others.
What about Isaac? Isaac wouldn't write such a thing.
Was Isaac jailed here too?
Quick, the cart!
The peasant! He should take him to the hospital!
Klimovski! Klimovski! Klimovski!
Little brother. Get up, little brother.
Get away from him!
"See? Running away is no solution", said Isaac.
Maybe it was because of poor Klimovski
that Isaac decided to start a war.
Our world against theirs.
Little brother?
Kitty.
Sing, kitty, sing.
Yes, kitty, sing. Sing, kitty.
It died.
Get a grip.
I see dust! They're coming!
LONG LIVE THE SOVIET HERO
The kitty is alive!
Kitty! The kitty came back to life!
Catch him!
Catch Comrade Bellman!
Don't look at me, you moron! After him!
Come on! Hurry!
You must catch him before they arrive!
Catch him! Hold him tight!
Carry him! Carry him away! Come on! Come on!
May drought burn you.
Kitty.
Attention!
I greet the Yugoslav pioneers!
- Death to fascism! - Freedom for the people!
Three cheers for a Soviet hero!
Respected comrade, people's hero, knowing your heroic deeds
and achievements in the fight against the fascist occupation...
Kitty!
Dear Yugoslav pioneers,
the eyes of your proud fathers and mothers are filled with tears of joy.
They're orphans.
Who says you're orphans?
All of you have a mother! The Party!
And you have a father! The great Stalin!
Let's give a warm welcome to your comrade Klimovski,
who looked the doctors straight in the eyes and bravely said:
"Comrades, I won't miss today's oath!"
Kitty! Father!
Today, when I become a pioneer,
I give a pioneer's word of honor
to diligently learn and work,
to respect my parents and adults.
Kitty!
Father!
May drought burn you.
This is for your own good.
For the fatherland with Tito, forward!
For the fatherland with Tito.
- Someone should watch the bellman. - Immediately.
Comrade, this is the first time for me.
Nothing. Nothing.
In front of the enemy!
Charge!
I give a pioneer's word of honor
to diligently learn and work,
to respect my parents and adults.
All things in the world are interconnected.
The case with our bellman showed me too soon
how true that gibberish of ours was.
The drought seemed to last a thousand centuries.
The curse of the crazy Bellman got us.
Deadly white heat reigned everywhere.
In the Earth, in the stones, in the air,
in our hands, lips, in our breath.
Damn me, even in our young souls.
Isaac, chase it away, old man.
He is a bad person. Isaac, please, chase it away.
Damn me.
That night everyone in the orphanage
knew that something was going to happen.
He told me, "Run, Lem, go away."
Get back! Don't run, motherfucker! Get back!
He stayed. God knows why.
Come on, tell us where you were.
We caught him in front of your window, Comrade Warden.
Let him go. He has done nothing.
Will you tell me what you saw?
Don't fret. I won't tell anyone. Party member's honor.
From the Warden they took him to comrade Olivera.
We all knew she was the master punisher.
My beautiful one. A man. A big man.
Damn me.
I started hating everything. I was jealous.
Comrade Olivera became my greatest enemy.
The culture is a front for sacrifices.
That is why today, on this great holiday,
we uncover the bust of our comrade Stalin, with pride,
a work made with our hands.
Hey, Olivera has fallen!
Speak up! Speak up!
Speak up! Who's done it? Who's done it?
Take him away. Get him out of my sight.
The interrogation lasted a day and night.
Come on. Slowly.
Cveta Eftimoska.
You want to buy my dead body? My remains? My corpse?
Everyone was feverish.
Every single soul in the orphanage was sick with fear.
If I knew it would come to this...
It was engraved in his heart from the earliest age.
Often, while playing with friends, in the height of the game,
Joseph Stalin was known to suddenly stand still
and stare at the setting sun.
He especially liked the heavy red clouds in the evening sky.
He is a symbol of the fight against the exploitation of the proletariat,
leader of all the diligent and honest people in the world.
Let's see what you know about this.
Kid. Come over here.
May you be a great man.
- Long live generalissimos Stalin! - Come on, you're free.
Who's next?
Dervutovski Blagojche.
Blagoja Dervutovski!
Keyten! You've crossed the line. You go first!
Isaac Keyten, shut your mouth.
Leave him! Get away from him!
It was him! I knew it! It was all his fault!
Come on. Come on, hush.
Isaac.
They accused him of the most terrible crimes
and locked him in the cellar.
The transport was expected.
What future could he have now?
What future could I have?
CON FESSI ON I, Lem Nikodinoski...
Father's looking for you. Hurry up.
I was the only one who could save Isaac.
What's that in your hand?
Comrade Warden, I want to... I have to tell you that...
Listen carefully.
You'll go to an all-federal competition in Belgrade.
I have signed you in. They'll let you go.
Read all the books you can find. The life and work of Joseph Stalin.
This is your chance of a lifetime. Don't miss it.
I don't have time. They're waiting for me.
Come, now. Promise me you'll be fit as a fiddle.
Comrade Warden, I wanted to tell you that...
I wanted to say, "Isaac is not to blame.
I should be lying in prison instead of him."
Promise me.
I wanted to... but I didn't.
I just stood there with the wrinkled confession in my hand.
I promise.
Damn me.
Beat the hell out of those regular pupils.
All the things in the world are interconnected.
I'm not making an excuse for myself. I'm guilty.
Attention, attention!
This is the new Deputy Warden speaking, Metodija Grishkovski.
Comrades, the crime committed by the orphanage resident Isaac,
is proof that Warden Ariton didn't perform his duties
and proved himself unworthy of our Party's trust.
The authorities have decided to appoint a new orphanage warden:
Comrade Olivera Strezovska.
An order from the new warden:
Every morning, the siren will wake us up an hour earlier
to extend the time for morning gymnastics.
Death to fascism! Freedom for the people!
Fucking life!
Damn me. Someone had to suffer.
Ariton, the Lord doesn't forgive that.
For my sake.
It's more vital that you forgive me.
Lord, forgive me.
What was that?
She made the greatest sacrifice of all
to save his soul from a sin that's unforgivable.
And I, damn me, what did I do?
That Sunday they sent me off to Belgrade
to the all-federal competition.
Isaac would be transported the same day.
But they found the cellar empty.
They proclaimed him dead.
Lem, the die is cast.
I never returned to the orphanage.
Why did I tell this story?
Maybe because I have never again been so close to the light.
Isaac, I hope you will never forgive me.
Damn me.
Hand over that gas can! The cameraman wants to shoot!
LEM NIKODINOSKI